Raymond K Rugg's Blog, page 2

Najah Hafir returns to Mash Stories!

Mash Stories is a quarterly online writing competition in which an author is given three random words to be woven into a story of 500 words or less.  Submissions that are shortlisted are published on the site, and compete for a top prize of cash and coaching.

A few quarters ago, my story, "Independent Contractor," was shortlisted, and I have to say, I think it is one of my better efforts.  And now I'm immensely proud to share that a sequel to that story, "Art Education," with the return of the deadly Miss Hafir, has been shortlisted for the current competition. 

One reason I like these two stories so much is that, while I consider myself a multi-genre writer, the bulk of my work sits squarely within the realm of Speculative Fiction (an umbrella term for science fiction, fantasy and horror, for those of you unfamiliar with the label).  But my flash pieces on Mash Stories are more action/thriller.  The role models for most of my work are folk like Robert Heinlein and Stephen KIng, while for these stories, I've tried to channel my inner John D. MacDonald.

So click on over to the site and give it a read.  If you like it, I'd be honored if you'd give it a kudo, and I'd be thrilled if you leave a comment.

Thanks for reading!

http://mashstories.com/shortlist/art-education/

Review of Unicorns! on Fantasy-Faction

Apparently, I like my fantasy the way I like my coffee... strong, hot, and brewed in the 1980s.

How else to explain my penchant for writing so much about the stories and books that came out back in the glory days?  My latest review over on the award-winning genre site Fantasy-Faction takes a look at an anthology that was put together by Jack Dann and one of my personal faves, Gardner Dozois.  They would go on to co-edit several themed collections, but this one about unicorns was among the very first.

Read the post on Fantasy-Faction.

Hello, old friends! Reading The Sacred Band

From the very first chapter of The Sacred Band, I had a feeling about how I wanted to write this review, and the further in I went, the more certain I became. Reading this book from Janet Morris and Chris Morris is exactly like meeting an old classmate from high school, some 25 or 30 years after you’ve graduated and gone your separate ways out into the world to make your fortunes.

And when I say exactly, I mean exactly. Because the characters in this book, well I first met them and became close with them back in the mid-1980s, back in high school. Critias, Straton, Nikodemos, Tempus (oh Tempus!), and the rest of his Sacred Band of Stepsons. Perhaps we weren’t exactly friends, but I did have more than a nodding acquaintance with them, yes, and with the rest of the residents of the shared-universe fantasy world of Sanctuary....

Read the full blog post at Fantasy-Faction.com!

http://fantasy-faction.com/2015/the-sacred-band-by-janet-e-morris-and-chris-morris

Stories from the World of Tomorrow

The new offering from Darkhouse Books-- Stories from the World of Tomorrow-- has been available on Amazon in print and digital for a few days, but today is actually the official release date, coinciding with a rather significant date in science (and sci-fi) history.

I'm pleased and honored to have a story-- "A Deep Breath of Tomorrow"-- included in this anthology of tales inspired by the future envisioned by the 1939 Worlds Fair. 

I don't think that it gives anything away to note that inspiration for my story came in part from the DC comics archives of Superman's appearance at the Fair in 1939 (and from the reimagining of the Worlds Fair that was presented in the Generations project from DC).  (And there's a nod to Robert Heinlein in there, too.)

The anthology is full to the brim with more than a dozen stories that present a wide range of style and subject. 

Check it out on Amazon.com.

Heinlein: More Fantasy Than You Knew

After a short hiatus, I return to the Fantasy-Faction website with an article about the fantasy stories of Robert Heinlein.  Fantasy-Faction has racked up an impressive number of award nominations over the past few years, and was selected as Reddit's Best Fantasy Site for 2014.


http://fantasy-faction.com/2015/robert-a-heinlein-more-fantasy-than-meets-the-eye

The Time Travelers Ball!

Last week, hosted by the the University of Nevada Cadet Band, at the National Auto Museum, sponsored by QM Resorts...  among the attendees were the Cyborg Cowboy, the Riddler, and the Classy 1950s Broad.  :)  And the Virginia Reel!

Free Comic Book Day!

This morning, while my friend Herky was qualifying for the Boston Marathon with a time of under 3:30 in the Pacific Northwest Marathon (way to go, Herky!), I was doing a little running of my own... running down to the local comic shop for Free Comic Book Day, that is. :)

Free Comic Book Day is a good time to reiterate a certain point that I feel fairly strongly about.  Yes, the movies based on the comics are great (no, haven't seen Age of Ultron yet!) and the other comic-based products are fun (the Arkham Asylum videogame series has been a hot topic in our house lately), BUT...  I think it's really important to remember the COMIC BOOKS. 

The comics are the roots and the origins.  The books present the special and unique sequential art.  So when you're embracing the comic culture, don't neglect the foundation of the industry.  Show some love to the writers and artists... go buy a comic book.

An outing to the bookstore

Made a great find at a used bookstore in Carson City, Nev., a few weeks ago, this copy of Astounding Science Fiction magazine from September 1957.  It's pretty beat-up, with the back cover missing and the front cover torn and doodled on(!), but the cover story is Robert Heinlein's Citizen of the Galaxy, part one of a four-part serialization.

Also of note in this issue, a letter to editor John Campbell from Roberta Wild, secretary of the 15th World Science Fiction Convention, slated for Sept, 7-9, 1957 in London, with details about the event, including the fees:  Membership fee $1; Entrance fee $1; Convention Luncheon $1.50; Hotel $2.85 for bed and breakfast, lunch $0.80, dinner $0.90.

Wow.  Just wow. :)

Reunions

I'll let you in on a little secret. 

My story that appears in the REUNIONS anthology, published by the Short Story and Flash Fiction Society (on my birthday, believe it or not!), is actually a sequel to another story, one that is soon-to-be published in the OFF THE EDGE anthology by Futurological Press.

So chronologically, the order of the stories is "Christina and the Agency School" and then "Christina and Theresa and Cassandra."  But the order of publication is "Christina and Theresa and Cassandra" and THEN "Christina and the Agency School."

I know... more background info than you ever wanted to read about, right? :)

But anyway, you can buy the REUNIONS anthology at Amazon, or even read it for free, if you are a member of Amazon Prime.  If you do read it, do me a favor and leave a comment.  Somebody once said that reviews are like tips to independent writers, and it's really kind of true.

And also click on over to the SS&FFS website and check them out, they are doing a lot to help promote modern ultra-short fiction!

Farewell to Leonard Nimoy

Yes, I've been neglecting the blog.  And yes, everyone else in the world has posted their own personal remembrances of the great Leonard Nimoy.

So if you're burnt out on Nimoy nostalgia, feel free to skip this post and wait for the next one.  I promise it won't be as tardy as this one.

THE THREE FACES OF NIMOY

1.  Of course, there's Nimoy's role as Mr. Spock.  The photo at the top of this post was taken at the Trek convention in Las Vegas several years ago.  We had the incredible pleasure of attending a presentation by both Nimoy and William Shatner onstage at once.  What a memory.

On another note, I thought I'd bring up some Spock information that might not be so widely known.  At least, I know that I was surprised when I read it.  I tend to think of fan-fiction as a fairly recent phenomenon, but according to the 1975 book, Star Trek Lives!, fan fiction, complete with 'shipping, was quite a lively product of the Star Trek television series.  In fact, the fan-driven fantasies about the Trek characters were so spicy that they resulted in the Star Trek fanzine running a full centerfold of Mr. Spock, complete with all that is implied by that statement.  Wow.  'Nuff said.

2.  Secondly, Leonard Nimoy was a great role model in the Jewish community.  Of course, it's no secret that the Vulcan hand sign is something that he developed from memories of the Kohanim priestly blessing.  And he's also talked about the Jewish values inherent in the Star Trek mythos, as well.  Beyond the connections between ST and Judaism, Nimoy was active in a wide range of issues, from promoting the feminine in the Jewish tradition, to working against the claims of Holocaust deniers, to advocating a more 'big-tent' concept of Judaism.

3.  And finally, he was a fellow resident of the Sierra Nevada.  So many interviews and press items about Leonard Nimoy note his Los Angeles home, but up until very recently, he had a home here in the Reno-Tahoe area as well, and we were very proud to count him as one of our neighbors.  In 2005, he performed in the Lake Tahoe Music Festival, narrating Garrison Keller’s "Young Lutheran’s Guide to the Orchestra."  And when my daughter spoke with him at the 2009 Trek convention, he asked where she was from, and when she told him, "Reno," he replied, "Oh, I live there, too!"  

 So anyway, I hope that wherever he is, he gets a chance to see how much he meant to so many people. 

-rkr