Dandyfunk

Writing News

I sold my story "How High the Moon" to Flash Fiction Online.
In other news, I finished a 23,000 word novella. It took me a lot more time than I thought it would. I don't know yet if it's a very long short story or a short novel. I'll let it sit for awhile before putting it through the editing process. 

Prize Package!

I recently received my prize package from the Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest. In a very thoughtful gesture, they include a bag to carry all the goodies in:

And here's what's inside:

I got a Jim Baen's Universe mug, a CD-ROM of The Best of Jim Baen's Universe 2006,  Eric Flint's novel Time Spike, and the collection The Best of Jim Baen's Universe #2, featuring fantastic stories from KD Wentworth, Mike Resnick, Elizabeth Bear, Kevin J Anderson, J. Kathleen Cheney (her story Touching the Dead is great -- read it first)  and many more!

Luckily, winning second place doesn't eliminate you from entering the contest again. I'll start working on a new story as soon as I finish all these books.

Make your own Obamicon

 

 

Just go to Obamicon.Me  to get started, and you can see thousands of examples here.

Shuttle Launch

Back from Florida where I watched the liftoff of the space shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-125 to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

I watched through binoculars, only taking a few quick pictures.
We watched from the NASA causeway, and as soon as the main engines ignited, the entire shuttle disappeared in a cloud of exhaust. Then when the solid rocket boosters ignited, you could see their flame through the clouds of exhaust, and seconds latter the shuttle cleared the tower and was off.
It was all over so quickly, after waiting in the hot sun for three hours.
Didn't see the boosters separate, but as the shuttle moved downrange, you could still see the bright light from the main engines.

Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest

Just found out today that my story "Burst Mode" has won second place in the Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest.

The National Space Society and Baen Books sponsor this contest in memory of Jim Baen, to celebrate the role science fiction has in making advances in science. The basic requirement for entries is that they show the near future of manned space exploration.

The National Space Society has a simple vision: People living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity. They have local chapters all over the United States.

Jim Baen (1946-2006) was a noted science fiction writer, who became and editor and publisher when he founded Baen Books, a leader in the field of military SF, fantasy, adventure and space opera. They also have a thriving e-book division called Webscriptions, which allows readers to download books before publication.

My story was more down-to-earth than the typical space exploration story, but I did show how humans in the future will still be exploring the planets, and solving problems in a very human way.

A big thanks to Baen books and The National Space Society for providing the prizes (including membership in the Society!), judges Hank Davis, Eric Flint and Mike Resnick, and special thanks to William Ledbetter for organizing the contest and getting the results out.

Give this a read . . .

And old friend from High School has a column at the Alternative Press. This week's is a portrait of the kind of people who serve our country.
Read it here.

Writers of the Future Volume 24, now available

Well, its taken awhile, but Vol 24 is now available at Amazon and Borders.

What's inside? Glad you asked:

First up in this overview is Laura Rede, my “twin” from the workshop who writes some of the best YA stuff around. Check out her story “Smacking Back" at the e-zine Coyote Wild – winning the WotF award was no fluke.  Her WotF story, “Epiphany,” features circus freaks, murder, and general mayhem. And that’s just the first two pages. Be sure to read the whole tale, it gets even better.

 Next up is Dr. Philip Kaldon, or “Dr. Phil” as he is known in the on-line world. Dr. Phil, a physics teacher in the real world, was the sole published finalist in Vol 24 and his story “A Man in the Moon”  not only asks  what will happen when mankind lives and dies on the moon, answers it. Check out his latest story in the current issue of Analog.

Ian McHugh, my roommate at WotF, won the Gold award with his story “Bitter Dreams.” But this story of Outback zombies and shadow magic doesn’t end here. He has both a graphic novel of the story and novel in the same setting in the works. He has upcoming stories in ASIM and Asimov’s.

“A Warbird in the Belly of the Mouse” by David Parish-Whittaker features time travel, World War I dogfights, and the ultimate amusement park – but it’s a character story too! David flies airplanes for a living, so expect true-to-life aerobics, I mean aerobatics in this story.

Read about the ultimate e-book in JD Everyhope's story "Circuit." It has all the critically acclaimed  literature ever written, offers commentary, translation and analysis. But wait -- there's more! It's intelligent and talks to you.
Hope it's available on Amazon soon.

Sonia Helbig takes us to a post-apocalypse Australian outback to meet a teacher with a very tough job: She tests her children with a "Crown of Thorns" to see who can save them all.

Is an avatar just copy? Does it have any legal rights? If you give it an inch, will it savor freedom and start "Taking a Mile?" J. Kathleen Cheney tackles this question with her story of a clone with a limited lifespan.

Steampunk's not all difference engines, gas light and zeppelins. Sarah Edwards tells of an inventor, haunted by his own past, who tries to perfect his creations in "Simulacrum's Children."

With great power -- like the power to create and destroy a world -- comes great responsibility. Erin Cashier 's story of Duxa, the AI planet builder on the way to the planet "Cruciger" has tough decisions to make. Luckily, she has mindmaps of humans and all of Earth's history, science and entertainment. But that doesn't make her choice any easier.

When "The Bird Reader's Granddaughter" leaves home after tragedy, she enters a new world of fortune telling, love and war. Kim Gillett's tale of Catia brings to light the problems of knowing the future, and when to tell a person's fortune.

When you're about to die, you've got limited options. "Snakes and Ladders" from Paula Stiles spins a story of a life-changing internal struggle.

The Anthology closes out with Al Bogdan's story of Ektela, "The Girl Who Whispered Beauty." In a world where a whisper girl has the power to bestow life and beauty, can she keep some for herself or must her mistress take it all?

I won't say anything about my story except to show the fantastic illustration from the multi-talented Robert Castillo. He had a short film accepted for the Nickelodeon Animation Festival last October and does storyboards for shows like the Sopranos in addition to all his illustration work.

In fact, all of the illustrations for this year's book are top notch, but don't take my word for it. You can download them from the Audible website here.

 

Some good Reading and Listening from my WotF mates

On newsstands now, look in the May Issue of Analog for Dr Phil's story "The Brother on the Shelf."

If you don't have the time to run out to the nearest bookstore, try a Podcast of Ian McHugh's story "The Greatest Adventure of All," available at Pseudopod. This story shows what happens when scientists step over the edge -- the edge between life and death.

If you can't make up your mind between reading and listening, Beneath Ceaseless Skies gives you both. You can read Sarah L Edwards' "The Last Devil" online or listen to the mp3 audio version. Make your choice here.

And while you're at BCS, be sure to check out "Hangman" by Erin Cashier here, and "The Dragon's Child" by J Kathleen Cheney here.

And be sure to visit Beneath Ceaseless Skies in a couple of weeks.  The next issue will feature a new story from KD Wentworth, "The Orangery."

Crazy Arms

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4&5. Blah blah tag people no.
6. Have Fun!

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY?' YOU SAY?

"Help me Up", Eric Clapton
I must have fallen.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?

"Slow Down" the beatles
yeah, like I'm hyperactive or something

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

"in my time of dying" led zepplin

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

"Jump, Jive an Wail" Brian Setzer Orchestra

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?

"You're the nearest thing to heaven" Johhny cash

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?

"Do you want to know a secret?" The Beatles
I'd tell you, but then I'd have to tag you with a silly meme.

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

"Mother" Pink Floyd

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

"Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" Motzart
I always did keep them up late waiting for me to come home.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

"Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite" The beatles
I think about Mr H a lot too

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

"Any time at all" The Beatles
All you gotta do is call . . .

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

"Le Nozze di Figaro"  Motzart
If my life story was an opera, why couldn't it be a space opera?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

"Milkcow's Calf Blues"  Robert Johnson

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

"Please Don't Touch", the Stray Cats
Probably a closed casket!

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

"Imperial Battle Music", Homeworld soundtrack
Rockin' with the empire, yeah man, dig that

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?

"Brain Damage", Pink Floyd
Spot on

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

"Dual Soliloquy," Roy Buchanan

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?

"Lady Luck", Brian Setzer Ochestra

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

"Nothin' shakin'", the Beatles

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?

"Crazy Arms", Chuck Berry

The Day the Music Died

Rave on, Buddy, Ritchie and the Bopper.