Paul
Publication News!
After writing creatively for two years, I’m happy to have my first blog with the title Publication News. My short story, The Re-creation of Sahmik Ghee, will appear in the 2020 RMFW Wild Anthology. If you just can’t wait a year for the fall 2020 publication date, read through to the end of this blog … Read more
A Summer of Space, Brains, and Writing
I’ve been writing! In The Re-creation of Sahmik Ghee, a future arctic hunter on a distant planet meets an untimely death. His partner must find a way to bring him back and hold him to his contract. This short story is based on the classic poem The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert W. Service. … Read more
DNA, Facial Recognition, and Notre Dame
I’ve been a writer for 18 months. Where’s my novel? You faithful blog followers deserve an explanation! While my novels are still a future dream, that doesn’t mean I’m idle. Read on to hear about my short stories, poetry, and topics I monitor for future story ideas. Rogan’s Drone and Sam McGee I’ve been creating … Read more
Short Story: The Timesmith
New writers (and even experienced ones) sometimes stare at a blank page or empty text window waiting for inspiration to strike. Many techniques exist to help overcome writers’ block. Today, I’m using something called a writing prompt. According to ThoughtCo.com, a “writing prompt is a brief passage of text (or sometimes an image) that provides … Read more
Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell
How could Sal Konstanz take command of an interstellar warship named Trouble Dog and expect anything less than trouble? Trouble is exactly what she gets in this fun, witty, and intelligent space opera from Gareth L. Powell. Title: Embers of War Author: Gareth L. Powell Publisher: Titan Books, 2018 Audiobook: Blackstone Publishing, 2018 Reading time: … Read more
A Poem: The Thompson River Flows
After retiring from the software industry, I decided to boot a second career as a creative writer. This didn’t seem that difficult. I had extensive technical writing experience, and I took college-level creative writing classes while at University of Michigan. How hard could it be? Turns out, I’ve forgotten everything I’ve learned about writing stories … Read more
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
The more I read young adult (YA) fiction, the more I like it. I was floored by Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel after reading it a couple years ago, a poignant story about a band of traveling performers in a post-pandemic world. Equally compelling, two teenagers with cancer search for the author of … Read more
Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
Hello. Let’s establish a secure connection using AF protocol. Here is my data. It’s July 2144. Judith “Jack” Chen operates beneath the law, running pirated drugs across the navigable Arctic Ocean. She’s a futuristic Robin Hood, delivering affordable copies of expensive patented drugs to people in need. Title: Autonomous Author: Annalee Newitz Publisher: Tor Books, … Read more
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
In June 1982, Steven Spielberg’s film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was drawing record crowds in theaters, and I was in college studying computer science, punk rock, and cynicism. Disillusioned by some previous big box office hits that failed to live up to their hype, I declared E.T. couldn’t possibly be as good as everyone claimed. I … Read more