Matthew Alan Thyer's Blog, page 44

Dispatches from the Future (B-list)

Gum Balls and Pirates

Howard Wallerton’s diamondsmile was front and center on the WorldCoresimulcast that hung above the bar. This was the moment that Keller has been waiting for; he had parked himself in the chain-joint over decorated with Jolly Roger kitschand swimming with too-perky wait staff because it boastedsomething like fiftyflat-screens. And heendured the bar tender’s perpetual can-I-get-you-anything glances just so he could watch the broadcast. All this, despite the fact that he oth...

Blind Date with a Book (GIVE AWAY)

FeetForBrains:

Reblogging because free stuff from Little Red. Seriously, I’m guessing that some of these could be Hugo winners. I want the red one with the snow flakes, because snow flakes. Ugh, I’m done with summer.

Originally posted on the Little Red Reviewer:

I’ve got books to give away! But we’re gonna do this the fun way. And by fun way, I mean blind date with a book! that means I give you a little bit of info about the book, and you get to decide if it looks interesting. I won’t tell you t...

Hugo Awards Are Out

Perfect? No, not so much.Relevant and important to the future of the genre? Unquestionably. The 72nd World Science Fiction Convention at Loncon 3, has announced the 2014 Hugo Award winners. And before you say something as ridiculous as “the Hugos don’t matter anyway” think for a moment on the 3587 valid ballots that were counted to determine this year’s winners. Such a tiny number of people voting, yet the impact of this award is pretty amazing. If you have a problem with the Hugo you should...

Dispatches from the Future (B-list)

Treatment Party

“Did you get one too?” Melanie askedAnita interrupting the her enjoyment of the beam of sunshine now creeping onto her chair. The tone of the question contained just enough snark to signal her friend that, yes, indeed she could not believe the contents of the invitation now being displayedon the surface of her cartabla.

Anita sighed, she hated it when people pulled a device at a table. The morning shared with Melanie at the little cafe had been very enjoyable up until her girlfr...

Dispatches from the Future (B-list)

Otter

Keoonik never tiers of tricks. The otter giggles whenever he is able, and he is always able to turn sorrow into joy. Unlike coyote, otter is patient. He will take his time setting up his jokes just so he can savor them all the more in their realization.

Once, he convinced the sun and the moon to exchange places. He turned the night to day, and the day to night to confuse and confound owl. Tired and hungry, the old bird stumbled and fell from a cedar. He landed on his face and Otter laugh...

Sideways

Downtown Seattle in the afternoon

Last night I wrote a bit of fantasy as part of the Dispatches from the Future (B-List)project I’ve been working on. The last few days have done their level best to bring me way down, and I admit that I am currently not feeling my best (what a miserably inadequateeuphemism that one is). My nose is running off my face, I seem to be experiencing something known asreactive arthritis, and everyone near and dear to me isinfected with a similar summer crud.

This is li...

Dispatches From The Future (B-List)

Juice

“No, please you go ahead,” Justin found himself motioning to the urban professional behind the wheel of a dark blue sports rail on his right. He depressed the break coming to a full stop in the lane in order to give the sports car plenty of room to merge ahead of him. He sighed contentment. Another endless commute home, after an endless day at the office.

“No,” he smiled broadly and said aloud again, “please you go. I’m fine.” He motioned a second time, not letting his foot off the break,...

Dispatches From The Future (B-List)

Defunded

Naomi slapped asticker to the side of yet another full JAGcar as it raced past the only functioning station in the Five Points. It read “I’m defunded! Jacksonville Active Go can’t serve Florida,” and the cut and pressed suits that occupied the Personal Rapid Transit car would have to read its day glow lettering all the way to the South Hill Metroplex. When Prop K was on the ballet last fall those ultra-privileged wage-zombies voted to defund JAG.Yet they always magically managed to ge...

I Hate Conflict

Yep, this author really does not like it very much. My problem with conflict is that it gums things up, making it more difficultor impossible to get anything done. As I’ve gotten older I’ve come to realize that there is no escaping it, and eventually, if you’re involved in any pursuit where conflict is happening you may actually needto chose a side. I hate that most of all because I usually find myself not agreeing with any particular party. If party A is busy bickering with party B over some...

Dispatches from The Future (B-List)

A Meadowlark Called

Aamil al-Asmari sat atop a dusty bit of sandstone near the edge of aravine. His flock contentedly munched on the sparse, dry grasses that had sprouted and burst from the ground as the winter snows had receded, melting away. His people’scantonment was located a click or two up the arroyo near the base of the Roan Cliffs. He could see lights peaking out of tents in the setting sunlight. Aamil’s job, during most evenings and nights, was to watch the flocks that traveled along...