Steven Radecki's Blog

Technical Fiction

Hear is my video preview from the “Technical Fiction” panel discussion on the June 2022 episode of Small Publishing in a Big Universe.

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Read and Not Forgotten

This month’s theme for our virtual writing group involves discussing books and stories that we remember reading long, long ago that we want other readers to (re-)discover. Classic and award-winning stories will likely be easily discovered by new readers, so we wanted to focus on ones that might not fall into those categories.

Of course, as you might imagine, limiting it to only a few is an enormous challenge, here are some that I read many years ago that I have stuck with me, for various reasons, ever since I first read them:

“Child’s Play” by Alice Mary Schnirring: This short story has been collected in many anthologies, but I discovered it first in Children of Wonder at our local library. (Being a young reader at the time, I almost certainly believed that “Children” in the title meant it was meant for younger readers.) I won’t spoil the story for you here, but I think its ending is what has made it remain in my memory ever since. This story (and the entire collection) are well worth your time for discovering the work of some classic science fiction authors as well. A Mask for the General by Lisa Goldstein: I first heard about Lisa Goldstein when this book was being promoted on the Hour 25 radio program, and then when she was interviewed (at least twice when I listened regularly, as I recall) to discuss it upon its release. The themes behind her book are, alas, still too relevant today. Moonstar Odyssey by David Gerrold: Now David Gerrold is far from a barely-known name in science fiction circles, but this novel of his has, as far as I know, never been reprinted since it’s original release. (I’d love to know the reason, as it deserves an audience.) I think this one stuck with me because it was the first obvious exploration of gender identity aimed at somewhat younger readers that I can remember reading. (He executes a neat narrative device throughout the story that I won’t reveal here, as to not spoil it for you.)

As you might imagine, I could could go on and on (and on and on …) here, but I’ll stop with these for now.

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Growing Up Reading

I remember reading constantly as early as the 2nd grade, although I was probably reading earlier than that. But I remember learning (at least based on the assessment level of the book collection I was reading at the time) that I was reading at a 6th grade level while in 2nd grade. (Does anyone else remember SRA reading cards? Are those still a thing?) I also remember that reading was mostly what girls did—at least they are the only ones I remember talking about books—and they mostly read books about horses.

My allowance around that time was $2.00 a week at a time when paperback books cost about $0.65, so I could usually afford to get three books every week. But when the prices increased to $0.75, I became extremely unhappy because I could only get two books one week, and then have to wait a week to be able to afford to get three of them, and then only two the next week, and so on. When the prices increased to $0.95 and then, alas, $1.25, the situation became rapidly unmanageable, so I was forced to start re-reading books that I had already purchased. (There was the public and school libraries, of course, but their selections of science fiction was extremely limited.)

The books that I remember the most from those years include:

The “Encyclopedia Brown” series taught me a deductive reasoning. (If there was ever a book series that deserved to be a television series for older children, this is it.) It became a personal game with me to see if I could put together the clues and figure out the solution of the mystery before reading it at the end.Although there was an entire of series of “Danny Dunn” books (which our local library did not have the complete set of, so I learned the joys of inter-library loans), I can see now where my fascination with computers began.I don’t know what led me to start reading the “juveniles” from Robert A. Heinlein, but I think I discovered Have Space Suit, Will Travel first at a bookstore, then Time for the Stars not too long afterward. Time for the Stars always stuck with me even years later.I discovered Isaac Asimov through a copy of Nine Tomorrows that was missing its cover. I don’t remember now where I found it, but I still have it, and it introduced me to a whole new set of stories and ideas and authors.At the local mall bookstore (where we went almost weekly), I discovered this book. Although I remember that it took me several months to decide to buy it because there were other books, such as the other Heinlein novels, that I wanted the read first. But reading this book changed everything.And, in 7th grade, our English Literature teacher introduced us to The Hobbit, and I discovered epic fantasy — which, of course, immediately led to reading “The Lord of the Rings” next … and then and then and then.

I’ll stop there, because around that time I started reading more “adult” science fiction and fantasy. (But it sure was a fun trip down memory lane trying to locate the book covers that I remembered for each of these books!)

The post Growing Up Reading appeared first on A Work in Progress.

Growing Up Reading

I remember reading constantly as early as 2nd grade, although I was probably reading earlier than that. But I remember learning (at least based on the assessment level of the book collection I was reading at the time) that I was reading at a 6th grade level while in 2nd grade. (Does anyone remember SRA reading cards? Are those still a thing?) I also remember that reading was mostly what girls did—at least they are the only ones I remember talking about books—and they mostly read books about horses.

My allowance around that time was $2.00 a week at a time when paperback books cost about $0.65, so I could usually afford to get three book every week. But when the prices increased to $0.75, I became extremely unhappy because I could only get two books one week, and then have to wait a week to be able to afford to get three of them, and then only two the next week, and so on. When the prices increased to $0.95 and then, alas, $1.25, the situation became rapidly unmanageable, so I was forced to start re-reading books that I had already purchased.

The books that I remember the most from those years include:

The “Encyclopedia Brown” series taught me a deductive reasoning. (If there was ever a book series that deserved to be a television series for older children, this is it.) It became a personal game with me to see if I could put together the clues and figure out the solution of the mystery before reading it at the end.Although there was an entire of series of “Danny Dunn” books (which our local library did not have the complete set of, so I learned the joys of inter-library loans), I can see now where my fascination with computers began.I don’t know what lead me to start reading the “juveniles” from Robert A. Heinlien, but I think I discovered Have Spacesuit, Will Travel first at a bookstore, then Time for the Stars not too long afterward. Time for the Stars always stuck with me even years later.I discovered Isaac Asimov through a copy of Nine Tomorrows that was missing its cover. I don’t remember now where I found it, but I still have it, and it introduced me to a whole new set of stories and ideas and authors.Also at the local mall bookstore I discovered this book, although I remember that it took me several months to decide to buy it because there were other books, such as the other Heinlein novels, that I wanted the read first. But reading this book changed everything.And in 7th grade, our English Literature teacher introduced us to The Hobbit, and I discovered epic fantasy (which, of course, immediately led to reading “The Lord of the Rings” next).

I’ll stop there, because around that time I started reading more “adult” science fiction and fantasy. (But it sure was a fun trip down memory lane trying to locate the book covers that I remembered for each of these books!)

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Small Publishing in a Big Universe: Small Publishing, Great Expectations (Part 2 of 2)

Here is the second part of my two-part interview.

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Small Publishing in a Big Universe: Small Publishing, Great Expectations (Part 1 of 2)

In the first episode, here is the first part of my two-part interview.

The post Small Publishing in a Big Universe: Small Publishing, Great Expectations (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on A Work in Progress.

New Book Release: “Artisanal Gibberish” by Matthew Legare

Man vs. Poetry. Poetry may be ahead on points.

Munificent musings on multiple matters, mainly manifesting in a literary litany of alliterative madness. It’s poetry, if you squint …

Artisanal Gibberish is a (very) short, but amusing assemblage of alliterative (okay, I’m really trying here!) bit of short verse. Reading them to yourself is as likely to elicit a smile as well as a groan (as any decent pun should). Do yourself a favor and purchase a copy and savor them one by one when your spirits need to lift (and read them while imbibing spirits for enhanced effect). Recommended.

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New Book Release: “Smith: An Unauthorized Fictography” by Jory Post

In this kaleidoscopic, episodic joy ride, Jory Post treats us to thirty interviews that may or may not be real, with an array of “ordinary” people who turn out to be anything but, all of them in conversation with an interviewer who is herself a mystery.

As one encounter follows another, we realize that “Smith” is a convenient alias for a range of voices, including: a traveling nurse from Saipan, a Vietnam-war vet who lives in his truck, a woman who can only tell her own story through fairy tales, a young man more comfortable talking to animals than people, an army brat, a poker prodigy, a pool shark. Some of these Smiths offer themselves openly to the interviewer, while others reveal as much in their resistance as they do in their narratives.

Smith: An Unauthorized Fictography is a funny and fascinating collection of vignettes disguised as interviews that reveal the thoughts and lives of the various characters that the interviewer encounters. It’s a fascinating (if fictional?) collection of character studies that explore the human condition in many of its forms. The author does an amazing job of each unique voice. Amusing, entertaining, and, at times, poignant, this book is definitely worth your time.

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New Short Fiction: “Reduction in Force” by Steve Soult

A heartless corporate layoff leaves Gil Schaffer emotionally shattered. A revolutionary memory erasure procedure may be his only hope for salvation, but the price could be greater than he bargained for.

Originally published in the Corporate Catharsis anthology, this is an intruiging and insightful tale of how medical technology might be adapted to help us better cope with some of the more unpleasant aftereffects of corporate life. However, as the tagline suggests: such solutions rarely come without a cost.

I could definitely relate to Gil’s situation and to his decision. I’ll bet many of you can too.

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New Book Release: “Angels Lost” by Ryan Southwick

A vampire hunter has his sights on Anne Perrin, threatening to unleash the very evil she and her friends are fighting to contain.

Robbing Anne of her pulse hasn’t stopped her from living un-life to its fullest: she’s balancing two relationships, has returned to her waitress job, and is trying her best to not eat her customers. But Calum sees through her disguise, and no amount of charm can dissuade him from eradicating Anne and everyone like her from the face of the Earth.

While Charlie is out of the country seeking help from the one person who might be able to save his life, Anne is abducted, leaving the rest of the Z-Tech crew with the desperate task of finding her before the vampire hunters finish her off — or a grief-stricken Zima destroys the city looking for her lost love.

But Anne’s abduction could be just the first part of a larger, darker plan that may unwittingly unleash the very plague Calum seeks to prevent.

I have to admit that vampires and supernatural tales aren’t really my thing, but Ryan Southwick also weaves into his “The Z-Tech Chronicles” stories high-tech elements that completely capture my attention and then I eagerly follow the rest of the tale along for the wild ride. This is a tightly-written and intriguing followup to the first book, Angels in the Mist, in what appears to be an ongoing series.

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