H. Paul Honsinger's Blog, page 2
December 5, 2015
Science Fiction Spotlight Radio Episode 3 Now Online: Paul Interviews Matt Mather and Talks Apocalypses, Atavism, and Asimov
For those who did not hear the live broadcast, the third episode of Science Fiction Spotlight Radio is online and ready for you to listen to it as a podcast. The guest is Matt Mather, one of the world’s leading thriller writers who has turned his hand to writing Science Fiction with his new Nomad series.
The interview went very well and spanned subject ranging from the popularity of Apocalyptic fiction to the enduring legacy of Isaac Asimov. It’s a good listen and well worth your time.
Hear Paul’s interview of Matt Mather!


October 4, 2015
First Episode of Science Fiction Spotlight Radio Now Online
You can hear the first episode of Science Fiction Spotlight Radio that I hosted at this link:
The technical difficulties really threw me for a loop, kicked me offline, and killed the live broadcast. But, I was able to get back into the studio and record the show while I still had a guest. Brett Battles proved to be a great guest and the show turned out reasonably well. I’m looking to do better in two weeks on October 17 when my guest will be Jerry Pournelle.


August 28, 2015
Guess Who’s Your New Science Fiction Spotlight Radio Host
I have recently accepted the post of Host of the Science Fiction Spotlight Radio program on the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network. The show will air on alternating Saturday nights at 9:00 Eastern Time beginning October 3, 2015. My first guest will be Brett Battles, the hugely successful thriller writer who has just put out the first volume of a time travel series, Rewinder. On October 17, my guest will be one of the great SF writers of our time, Jerry Pournelle, perhaps best known as a co-author with Larry Niven of the immortal The Mote in God’s Eye and my favorite alien invasion novel, Footfall. He is also the author of several highly successful military science fiction novels, and a host of other works.
Here is a little promo I put together for the program.


August 16, 2015
Fifth Video Published: Exploring the Man of War Universe–the Gynophage and the Krag
I just put up the fifth “Beer or Coffee with the Author” Video–this one about the Gynophage and the Krag. I made some changes on camera angle, etc.


August 12, 2015
Fourth Youtube Video
I just posted my fourth video. This one is about the writing process and the degree to which it is so individual that no one can specify how it’s supposed to work. On review, I realize that I sound a bit angry in the video. Be assured that I’m not pissed off at all–this is just how I sound when I get very passionate about something. I’m a very passionate person, especially about ideas, and I can get very “enthusiastic” when speaking about them.
Future videos will be calmer–I think that this level of intensity may be offputting, but I don’t feel like reshooting because I like what I said and, as I do these things without a script to keep them informal, I’m not sure I would get all the same stuff in.
Anyway, I’m really not angry here. It’s just how I get sometimes.


August 5, 2015
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
As of yesterday, I am now an Active Member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the professional association of those people who have proved to the organization that they have sold works of SF or Fantasy in the English language to real writers’ markets (or to the public at large) and have received substantial payment for their work. There are just under 1800 members. This is a credential in the Science Fiction and Fantasy world that says that the member is a “real writer,” and is important if only for that reason, not to mention that it makes the member’s works eligible for the prestigious Nebula Award and allows the member to participate in other activities.
Yea, it’s just a “credential.” BUT, it is a crredential that I’ve wanted for a long time and that I am very pleased to receive.


July 22, 2015
You Tube Video #3 Uploaded
I just unloaded the third video in my Beer or Coffee With the Author series. This one is about why I don’t have political propaganda in my books, as well as on my books as expressions of my understanding of what humankind is made


July 16, 2015
Second You Tube Video
I just posted another video on my You Tube channel, this one devoted to answering questions from readers.


July 14, 2015
A Few Westercon68 Notes
It’s been several days since I got back from Westercon68 in San Diego, but they have been very busy days that prevented me from having time to write much about the experience. First, only one full day after my return, my daughter got back from the People’s Republic of China, where she had been for a few weeks on a cultural exchange visit. I was tasked with picking her up at LAX, a feat made more interesting by the developing case of cellulitis that I had in my right leg at the time.
It bloomed into full-blown swollen, red, hot, painful nastiness the following day and resulted in a quick doctor visit and my having to spend most of my time with my leg elevated. I have yet to learn to run my desktop computer with my leg elevated, so computer-related activities were gravely constrained.
In any event, I did not want to let another day go by without a few shout-outs to some folks I met there, many of whose names I no longer remember because of the memory issues that go along with some of the other medical problems that I struggle with from day to day. So, first, to the the gentleman with whom I had breakfast twice, thank you for your advice about conventions in general and panel participation in particular. Your insights into the world of science fiction fandom were not just useful, they were essential.
Next, thanks to Will and Yvonne Morton, whose names I remember mainly because THEY took down my email address and emailed me, thereby taking the issue out of the realm of my Swiss-cheese memory. I enjoyed dinner with you and the other wonderful folks to whom you introduced me. I hope to see you at future conventions, provided I get invited to participate in programming again, someday.
Finally, to the wonderful folks I met in the Staff Lounge the last night of the convention and whom I talked to such a peak of exhaustion that none were to be seen the next morning. I’m truly sorry. I should have excused myself around 1:30–it’s just that I don’t get out much and I was having so much fun talking that I presumed on your time and your energies beyond what was right. I’m pretty sure one of you was named Kris, but I an soooooooo grateful to have been invited to your inner sanctum, to have been given so much truly useful advice, and to have been the beneficiary of so much goodwill. I truly wish that I knew how to reach you directly (I checked your web site but could not figure out who was who).
Indeed, I would be very grateful if some reader of these words could point the relevant people to this page so that they could become aware of these sentiments, or if someone could furnish me with some email addresses.
I met so many wonderful people and was so deeply surprised to be treated with nearly universal hospitality, welcome, encouragement, and acceptance–from prominent writers such as David Brin and Vernor Vinge to fans who came up to me after panels and treated me as though I were a Science Fiction celebrity. I could not have had a better introduction to conventions, fandom, and the wider world of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Thanks to everyone.

