Matthew Alan Thyer's Blog, page 59

KSR Got That Right Too

Oh “Science in the Capitol”, how we should have read you more. I was just adding some words to “Up Slope” when I noticed a story posted to the Kim Stanley RobinsonFacebook fan page. One of the members posted a news piece talking about the impending cold snap that is expected to move through the District and across the mid-west and east-coast.

And on twitter many are reporting that people are planning for the impending cold by bum rushing grocery stores and emptying gas stations. While I notice...

Plugging

The Big Red Buckle

Yes, my first book is out. You can read it already. The “I don’t have a Kindle” excuse no longer applies. In fact, after reading this post, it just makes you look silly. I mean, all the cool kids are doing it. So go, buy a copy in your preferred format, and spend an hour or two reading. Then when you’re done, give me a review.

Yeah, you! Go. Right now. Don’t make me count to three. Go.

Some Days are Better Than Others

Oh boy, the other night was a struggle. After a conversation with a distant friend I realized a couple of things. First, I needed to complete copy work on “The Big Red Buckle“. Even in my circle of friends, nerdy as most of you are, there are people who do not yet have a Kindle or an iPad or other tablet device. Because of this work I expect the paperback version, which includes “Joulupukki” and is also on MatchBook, will improve market reach stretching beyond just the Kindle offering. And, I...

Augmented Reality 3D Scanner, Oh!

Think dashboard cameras what record not only what’s happening outside your car, but build a physical models of that dingdong texting his car into your precious ride. Think Google Glass integration. Think augmented reality interactions. Think 3D reproductions of physical objects. Smart weapon integration. Drone integration. Advanced radiometry. Industrial espionage.

Oh man, oh man.

Float Pallets and Hover Cars

Or at least that’s the first thing I think of when I watch this. Just think of the possibilities.

Self Publication Mistakes

There is a very grey space for “indie” authors. Acting as your own advocate, you must find the sweet spot between advertising your book and bothering your potential readers. I have been spending a great deal of time recently watching other “indie” authors in a variety of locations to get a better idea of how to find this balance while expanding readership. Here are some observations I’ve made along the way. What works and what crosses over that line.

Misleading Key Word or Hashtag

I learned my...

Reviews!

Good news! I can see that some of you have bought, and may have already read, “The Big Red Buckle“. And while this tickles me to no end, I as the author, really, really want to know what you think of my first book. Maybe it is all the time and effort I put into the book or perhaps its the fact that I’m working daily on the next in the series within the theme, but I am conscious of the desire to hear what you think.

Believe me when I say I’m trying to remain sanguine about the fact that only a...

2013: Looking At the Bright Side

John Scalzi recently put up a blog post “2013: Year of the Asshole“, and while I don’t disagree with him that there is ample evidence of a general asshole ascension I would suggest this exercise is a lot like playing “Left 4 Dead“on easy, while having god mode turned up to max. The targets are plentiful, morbidly stiff, and if they’re still standing after you’ve moseyed through that level you either lack a pair of arms or or are sleeping.

So, while there is plenty of room to be terrified that...

What I Was Going to Write

What I was going to write, when I sat down at my desk this morning, was the conclusion to the second story in the Birki’s coming of age tale and maybe some sort of summary of the last year on the blog. I’d been thinking about these two things, sort of a pre-writing construction exercise, since I woke up to the chill, snow blanketed morning and blue sky to share a steaming cuppa with my lovely wife. I had it all worked out, what I was going to write, when I sat down and put my fingers to the k...

Columbines

Back in my early 20′s, when I worked summers as a back country wilderness guard on the Flat Tops Wilderness, I would leave school in Gunnison and head far above Meeker before the snow in the high country really had a chance to melt. My first couple trips “up top” often were accompanied by a pair of old nordic skis and camping out at night was an exercise in finding either a place in the sprouting grass that was dry enough that I would not float away in my sleep or better hoping that the tempe...