Marlene Dotterer's Blog, page 81

Patty Jansen: Love and Character in Hard SF

Guest post today! Say "hi" to Australian writer Patty Jansen:

Because it is almost Valentine's Day, Marlene asked me to talk about love and character in hard SF, because these are not aspects traditionally associated with the genre.

People often accuse hard SF of being devoid of character. The writers, they say, are more interested in showing off technology than in investing in their characters. Often, they're probably right, because one important point of hard SF is to show off the technology ...

Mama Birth: Cheap and Healthy Pregnancy Foods

Mama Birth: Cheap and Healthy Pregnancy Foods.

What she says. I'd say it, but I'm a little rushed, and she's already said it. You go, girl.

 

Do Writers Give Up the Right to Be Casual Reviewers? | Nathan Bransford, Author

Do Writers Give Up the Right to Be Casual Reviewers? | Nathan Bransford, Author.

This is a good topic for discussion. I have to admit, every time I post a review, I am mindful of my own stories and my own shortcomings. Any author deserves a respectful review, even if you hated the book.

Which brings up a point I've been wondering about. In trying to support other authors, I've read some books that are not in my preferred reading genres. The books were truly fine, but I didn't enjoy them...

Kindle Freebie: The Farm

The Farm is free today for Kindle owners on Amazon. If you haven't downloaded this SF short story yet, now's your chance. Tomorrow it goes back to $0.99.

In the 25th century, the human race is scattered throughout the galaxy's Sagittarius Arm. But no matter where people go, they always remain human…

Amy Longfellow, and her eleven-year-old daughter, Elaine, have just joined the crew of the hollow-asteroid ship, Rachel Carson. For both of them, it's a chance to leave heartache behind, and for...

Shipbuilder: Goodreads Giveaway Winner

In honor of Thomas Andrews' birthday, I am giving away a signed copy of The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder. And the winner is:

Donna Schulze of Oakdale, New York

Congratulations, Donna! And thank you to all for entering.

Scene from the Cutting Room Floor, Shipbuilder: Tom Entertains

Today marks the 139th birthday of Thomas Andrews. I hope that my last few posts have given you a better idea of the kind of man he was. Yes, my posts are all fiction, but they are based on the characteristics documented elsewhere. For a true eulogy of the man, read Shan Bullock's biography, Thomas Andrews, Shipbuilder. It's free online, here.

Below is another cut scene from the first draft of The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder. This Austen-esque scene is one of my favorites. I was sorry to ...

Another Freebie at Amazon for The Farm

On Wednesday, The Farm will be free at Amazon.com. It is Kindle only, for now. Here's the blurb for this short story:

In the 25th century, the human race is scattered throughout the galaxy's Sagittarius Arm. But no matter where people go, they always remain human…

Amy Longfellow, and her eleven-year-old daughter, Elaine, have just joined the crew of the hollow-asteroid ship, Rachel Carson. For both of them, it's a chance to leave heartache behind, and for Amy, a chance to rekindle an old love. ...

Scene from the Cutting Room Floor, Shipbuilder: The Shipyard

There were several scenes in the first draft of Shipbuilder that did not make it in the final cut. Many of these were scenes about Thomas Andrews. There are so many anecdotes about him, and I wanted to include them all. But the poor book was just too long. Even with many of theses scenes cut out, the book is still too long for the comfort of traditional publishers.

But! You lucky people still get to read those scenes, here and now, on this blog. They might be journal entries, like Saturday's p...

Character's Corner: Time Travel Journal Entry of Sam Altair, 16 June 1906

When Casey and I decided to keep journals of our experiences in 1906, we had no real plans to try and change our history. We always knew it was a possibility–two people who have moved backwards through time, and are living in the past, will cause changes that affect the future. Just being alive will cause that, no matter how careful we try to be.

But now something has happened, and we are considering:  should we try to deliberately change an event?

In our original history, on 14 April 1912...

Goodreads Giveaway: Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder

It's going on right now, over at Goodreads. To commemorate the birthday of Thomas Andrews, I'm giving away an autographed copy of Shipbuilder.

Just click over to Goodreads and hit enter. This contest is available world-wide, and continues only through February 7th.