Richard McGowan's Blog: Smashed-Rat-On-Press - Posts Tagged "mars"

When I had finished Mathematicians in Love I sent a copy of the "white cover edition" of the book to my secret reader. I always ask him for comments, and he usually has pertinent things to say. This time, he thought the book really should have ended before the end. In other words, the climax came about 75 pages before the real end. The rest was a slog, and the book followed the main characters too far into their future. (There was a reason for that, which I'll get to.) So I ended up heeding his advice and I curtailed the book where is "should have" ended. This left 75 pages on the cutting room floor.

So, rather than heave that all into the dust-bin, I resurrected the material and added some crucial scenes that answer a few questions left at the end of Mathematicians in Love. The volume is now published as The Road to Edom, volume 9B in the Martian Women series. This little book, somewhat over 100 pages, also ties the story of Saoemātua to A Dancer of Argyre—which was one of the original intents of Mathematicians in Love.

The Road to Edom is now available here: http://www.lulu.com/shop/richard-mcgo... with a cover painting by Lon Ryden. It's not really a book meant to be read independently, it's a sequel for "serious" fans, so you should read the other one first...

Hear ye, Hear ye! Today, Sunday the 13th day of the month of Lockdown in the Year One of Our Virile Corona, at 13:13 o'clock, the reverend Ently Beardmoss, Third Church of the Furry Vagrant, Santa Banana, will perform a hastily concocted musical Neo-Gregorian Punk-Chant Mass (in Latin) for the millions of huddled masses cowering in their homes, and the thousands of unwilling passengers stuck perilously in their cruise ships at sea. We are not kidding.

Joining "the Rev" will be musical guests Seismic Sisters in Cryme, suitably attired in hazmat suits. The church's aging Silvertone amplification system being what it is, and in consideration of the ongoing statewide lockdown, virtual participants are urged to tune their hand-cranked emergency shortwave radios to 13.13 MHz if they wish to partake in the live performance.

Prayer Tweets are being accepted throughout the day. Just whistle toward @TheRodentAtSROP. Today's collected tweets will be personally ignited on the beach by Sanguinity Hematode, who loves a good blaze, and sent skyward via helium balloon at 23:59:59, just before the day ends locally. The glorious event will be live-streamed by Mantissa Etherbright on Instagram TV.

Don't forget to check the annual SROP calendar, if you can find it, for more unbelievable events throughout the year.

As always, SROP is still offering free e-books for those in need, daily or otherwise. Merely follow the trail of bread-crumbs.