Hi all –

This past weekend was Ad Astra, and I had such a blast.

FRIDAY:
Arrived a bit late (7 pm) for sign-in (did you know panelists didn’t have to pay? This came as quite a shock to me.) Then a quick survey of the dealer’s room (bought Jim Gardner’s short story collection, Gravity Wells) and the green room (mmm…snacks!)

At 8 pm I was off to the Birthstones book launch. Rob gave a great speech introducing Phyllis Gotlieb’s latest novel and I got my copy signed…but I think the event was under-attended due to crappy weather and going head-to-head with the SF Idol two-hour event in the main ballroom.

9 pm was an interesting panel on NASA’s plans for returning to the moon. It wasn’t quite what I hoped for, descending mostly into extended discussions of why what NASA was doing was crazy, could be done better, done cheaper, done faster, how if they’d only listen to the panelists we’d be on Mars already…

SATURDAY:
Saturday began with breakfast in the green room. Mmm…Plentiful was the spread of breakfast foods there, worthy of that secret Valhalla meant for panelists and GoHs only.

Then my first panel–Not Just a Fiction Writer. It was pretty well attended for first thing Saturday morning, though two of our panelists– Elizabeth Westbrook and Brett Savory–had to bow out due to being finalists in the SF Idol contest, and were thus madly trying to finish stories before the 2pm deadline. Elizabeth was replaced by her husband, Hayden Trenholm, who I’d met in the green room and who it turns out works for the Senate (as does a good friend of mine…) He insists that working for the government is great practice for writing fiction, because not only are you writing in someone else’s voice (in his case, the Hon. Nick G. Sibbeston, Senator for the NWT) but you make stuff up all the time 🙂

It was a real kick to meet Terence M. Green, as well. Recently retired, he used to take every fifth year off from teaching high school English to write.

And of course, I got to be on a panel with my editor, the very talented Jana Paniccia–who I discovered works for PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Yikes–that’s a REAL job! 🙂

You’ll note I didn’t get the joke…it was likely at my expense, anyway.
L to R: Hayden Trenholm, Terence M. Green, myself, and Jana Paniccia

Note, too, that when I did pipe up this dark cloud seemed to cover the room…

After that, the rest of the day was taken up by various panels and with lunch with a number of the Fledglings–Mike, Karen, Brad, and Arlene. Suzanne Church, a friend of the group, also stopped by to say hello, as did our founder and guru Rob Sawyer. Karen is 9 months pregnant and I’m pretty sure Rob thinks she and Aaron are naming the kid after him. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I know for a fact the baby will be named Coco.

Julie Czerneda was nice enough to grab me and invite me to the pizza party for her newsgroup (on which I regularly lurk). They were an extremely welcoming bunch, and made me promise a con report…so here it is guys!

Our latest Canuck SF bright light was also in attendance, Karina Sumner-Smith. She was just recently nominated for a Nebula award. Congratulations, Karina! (Everywhere she went people would exclaim at the top of their lungs: “Look! There goes Nebula-award nominee Karina Sumner-Smith!” Her almost sure-fire blushing at such halloos no doubt encouraged the practice to continue.

Here’s a shot from the pizza party. I’m terrible with names, but I know that the tall gent with the readhair and the woman with the long black hair next to him came all the way from New Mexico (or was it Arizona?) to attend the con. She’s a contributor to POLARIS, Julie’s OTHER new collection of short SF.

Spent much of Saturday evening in the ConSuite with Mike McPherson and Ryan Oakley, fellow alumni of the Fledglings. Very interesting conversation, very wide ranging. Not least amongst our topics were thoughts on what’s right and wrong with the SF magazines, science fiction as a genre, and book publishing in general.

We agreed that science fiction was the seminal literary art form of the 20th Century (marketing seems to be the art form of the 21st Century) but that SF is in desperate need of a new paradigm, risking the irrelevance of a niche form due to an aging (baby boomer) readership and outmoded business models that haven’t taken advantage of the brave new electronic world.

I am now convinced that between the three of us we will save science fiction and bring it to the masses. You heard it here first.

SUNDAY:
Ah, Sunday. The Day of Days.

First was the long-awaited Writers of the Future panel. It was well attended for an 11 am Sunday panel (keep in mind most people at the con have likely been up all Saturday night) and it definitely filled up as the hour progressed. All in all, I think it went very well, and I very well may have learned more about the contest and what to expect from the week-long workshop than anyone else in the room.

Two things you should know about Writers of the Future: 1) We don’t like having our pictures taken–you’ll notice Rob has just discovered someone in the audience has a camera, and Mike Rimar has gone so far as to duck behind my chair; and 2) We have cooties–hence no one sitting in the front row.
L to R: Tony Pi (WOTF 23), Rob Sawyer (WOTF judge), James Alan Gardner (WOTF 6, and Grand Prize Winner), myself (WOTF 23), Mike Rimar (WOTF 21), and Jim Hines (WOTF 15).

Here’s a better shot of Mike Rimar and Jim Hines. Note Mike’s cool trophy. Apparently I get a bigger version as a first-place winner. That should be fun trying to get through security at the airport…

Rob settles a question of the contest rules by checking the back of the anthology. For some reason, just because he’s a judge, he assumed he knew more about how the contest worked than we contestants…

Immediately following the WotF panel was the second launch for UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS which was exceptionally well attended and a lot of fun. Bakka was selling books and were left with only a handful. The line-up for autographs was so long we actually ran half an hour into the room time booked for the next panel.

Sorry about that.

Alas, my camera was dying at that point so I wasn’t able to get photos of the event personally. Though I recall a few flash bulbs going off so maybe I can track some down…
(UPDATE: Julie has a bunch of photos from the launch–and AD ASTRA 2007 generally–on her website. Find them here.)

I was, however, able to get a photo with my lovely editors, Julie Czerneda (L), and Jana Panniccia (R). I am forever grateful for their faith in this unknown writer.

– S.

Well, no sooner had I posted about sending SHIPBREAKER then notice came the VanderMeers would be passing.

D’oh! 🙂

Ah well. Off it goes somewhere else, to find a home eventually.
– S.

Well, after much struggle (including trying to revise and rewrite while away from work sick and feverish for two days last week) I managed to complete my reworking of SHIPBREAKER and send it off to the collection this past Friday (turns out they extended the deadline a few days, so I took advantage to go over everything once more).

I think version I have now is much improved from the first draft, and certainly much tighter. The story was 9500 words after my Great Christmas Write-a-thon, and I managed to cut 2100 words during revision (I often find my stories suffer from “first draft-itis”: that peculiar malady resulting in flabbiness due to imprecision of language, description, and plotting).

After hearing from my first readers I’ve added in a new opening sequence to do some world-building for me (which means some of those 2100 words I cut came back in) but the new section is only 850 words, so all-in-all there’s a net edit of 1250 words. At 8300 words the story is still longer than I’d perhaps like it (if only because shorter stories are easier to sell and the editors mentioned on their blog that they’ve been getting a lot of long stories–they’ll accept to 10 000 words), but I don’t think I could cut anything else and keep the tale intact.

The editors may feel differently, of course, and if they like the story enough to ask for rewrites and want me to keeping cutting, well, I’m going to keep cutting 🙂

Competition for this one is going to be stiff, though. I saw this discussion on Jeff VanderMeer’s (the editor’s) blog:

Oddly enough, given the overall quality of what we’ve seen, the number of submissions is relatively small. Maybe 500 total. But I’d have to say that 90% of those are from people with at least one “pro” credit, which might have something to do with the high quality level in relation to the tiny number of submissions.

(He also mentioned that for previous anthologies they’ve seen anywhere from 700 to 5000 submissions. Yikes! Keep in mind most anthologies have 12-17 spots available.)

In another post, Jeff mentioned they’ve accepted stories from Carrie Vaughn, Sarah Monette, Elizabeth Bear, and Kage Baker amongst others. Some of these folks would likely have been invited contributors, but still some very good, very tough competition for those of us writing on spec.

– S.

Hi gang –

Well, last Saturday’s launch for UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS was a real blast, and very well attended. Thanks to everybody who showed up, and even bigger thanks to everyone who bought books.

I was talking afterwards to BakkaPhoenix Manager Chris Szego, who said that sales were very strong. She seemed to have brought two boxes of books, and was returning with less than one (when we do launches for UTP books we take this as a very, very good sign). She also said that they’ll need to order more for the launch this coming Sunday at noon during Ad Astra. Excellent news!

Here are some pictures of the event:

Yours truly with a copy of the anthology

We each did a five minute reading from our stories. Don’t worry–I remembered to look up and make eye contact.

Line up for autographs! One at a time! Plenty of authors to go ’round!

An ugly little interloper always trying to hog the spotlight…

What a jovial bunch, eh? From right to left: Amanda Bloss Maloney, Darwin A. Garrison, Douglas Smith, myself, and (in profile) Jihane Noskateb–who came all the way from Paris! Jihane told me that the anthology will soon be available at the “American bookshop in Paris.” Not sure which one that is, but cool to know nonetheless!

And now a slightly more perplexed bunch. I don’t recall what the woman holding the book said, but it clearly befuddled us… On the right of Jihane, you’ll notice Jana Paniccia, one of the co-editors. I’ll have to have a word with the photographer, who didn’t get any shots of Julie Czerneda at the launch–though I’m sure it was because Julie was “under cover” that day…

The centerfold (no, really: mine is the middle story!) I think this would be really cool wallpaper for the blog…if only I knew how to change the template background.

Hearing the authors read from their stories was really interesting, as it gave me insight into how the author hears the narration in their own head. For instance, Amanda Bloss Maloney read her story with a wonderful sardonic tone–not what I’d heard when I read the story myself, but it really worked. I guess it made me realize how much each person experiences the same story differently, even differently sometimes than how the author herself does.

Next up–Ad Astra, and the book launch on Sunday, March 4th at noon.

TTFN

– S.

Hi all –

Well, the final schedule for next week’s Ad Astra convention has been finalized and passed around to the participants. I presume it will shortly be available on the Ad Astra website.

Here’s the schedule of the panels I’m involved with and the UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS launch:

Sat 10:00 AM
Not Just a Fiction Writer
(Panelists: Terence M. Green (mod), Jana Paniccia, Elizabeth Westbrook, Brett Savory, Stephen Kotowych)
What else can a fiction writer do – are there other areas of publishing that might dovetail with writing? Can you still maintain a day job and do more? Does working in the industry help or hinder? What other avenues are out there for those who want to do more than just write?

Sun 11:00 AM
Writers of the Future Anthology
(Panelists: James Alan Gardner (mod), Stephen Kotowych, Jim C. Hines, Mike Rimar, Robert J. Sawyer, Tony Pi)
A discussion about the contest with judges, past winners and participants.

Sun 12:00 PM
Under Cover of Darkness Meet & Greet (and Game Finale)
(Jana Paniccia, Julie Czerneda, Douglas Smith, Amanda Bloss Maloney, Stephen Kotowych, et al.)
Join the editors and authors (this is your one chance to catch the full international flavour) to celebrate conspiracy theory as only science fiction and fantasy can! All secrets will be uncovered. All truths will be revealed. Collect your prize! Unless of course, this is the biggest conspiracy of them all.

Maybe I’ll see some of you in audience! If we haven’t already met, please come and say hello (and if we have met, well, come say hello anyway 🙂

Below, marked with asterisks, are the various panels I hope to attend (and some of the great alternates available at the same time that make it hard to choose!):

Fri 7:00 PM
* Dueling Openings
(Douglas Smith (mod), Mike Rimar, Stephanie Bedwell-Grime, Robert Boyczuk, David Nickle)
Aspiring short fiction writers (audience participation required!) take turns reading the opening lines of their published stories, and the audience chooses which opening(s) they like best. Authors discuss what makes a good opening, why they’re important

Fri 8:00 PM
* Birthstones book launch
(Phyllis Gotlieb, Robert J. Sawyer)
Come celebrate the launch of Phyllis Gotlieb’s latest novel, Birthstones, published by Robert J. Sawyer Books. Phyllis’s career is now in its fifth decade, and she’s without doubt the founding mother of Canadian SF. Join Phyllis and her editor for the world premiere of this far-future tale from Gotlieb’s famed Galactic Federation, a brilliant hard SF novel with an afterword by Nalo Hopkinson.

Fri 9:00 PM
* Going to the Moon, Redux
(Paul Roberts (mod), David Stephenson, Andre Lieven, Eric Briggs)
What’s right and what’s wrong about NASA’s lunar program and how would you do it better.

Under Cover of Darkness Info Panel
(Julie Czerneda, Sarah Jane Elliott, Karina Sumner-Smith, Leah Bobet)
The anthology Under Cover of Darkness is not what it seems. Follow the clues. Solve the Mystery. Uncover the Truth. It all begins here. (The Under Cover interactive game will run throughout the weekend, ending at noon on Sunday at the meet and greet finale. There will be prizes.)
– I’m not sure if I have to be at this panel (because I’m participating in the game–come find me for clues!–but have no idea how it is to run) so I may need to skip the Moon panel.

Cool Tools
(Parrish Kilthei (mod), Miguel Sternberg)
Ever wonder about all the different tools used by a comic book artist? Then this panel is for you. An introductory workshop on the tools and techniques of the trade.
– I have a long-standing love of comics and the graphic form, and have even produced a series of comics for my friends based on a long-running inside joke. So I think this would be really interesting and probably very useful…if only I could draw better.

Sat 10:00 AM
* Not Just a Fiction Writer
(Terence M. Green (mod), Jana Paniccia, Elizabeth Westbrook, Brett Savory, Stephen Kotowych)
What else can a fiction writer do – are there other areas of publishing that might dovetail with writing? Can you still maintain a day job and do more? Does working in the industry help or hinder? What other avenues are out there for those who “want to do more than just write?
– obviously I’m going to be here…

Powering the 21st Century
(David Stephenson)
We have health and prosperity because we live in an industrialized civilization, but to do so we consume vast quantities of fossil fuels. The peoples of India and China have seen our life style and they want it. For a host of reasons this will not be possible. This presentation examines our planetary predicament and the challenge of providing a sustainable, and desirable future for the human race.

Future of Computing
(Cory Doctorow (mod), Marcel Gagne)
– no description with this one, but I’d love to hear Cory Doctorow’s thoughts on the topic

Sat 11:00 AM
* How to Get Published in 21 Languages
(Douglas Smith)
Discussion of foreign markets for short fiction in SF&F genres and the dos and don’ts of selling to them.

Guest of Honour Hour: Ed Beard
(Ed Beard, Jr.)
Step by Step AV presentation – watch the process of a how a sketch becomes a finished painting. Topics include book covers, games, novelties, myths and legends.
– again, my love of graphic art. I just think this would be really cool to see.

The Afterlife as a Fantasy Setting
(James Alan Gardner (mod), Derwin Mak, Ian O’Neill, Kelley Armstrong, Timothy Carter)
Is the afterlife a viable setting for a fantasy world? Are there concerns the author needs to address? Or are all aspects of it “fair game” as in any other fantastical world?
– an interesting topic. Jim Gardner is a great guy, great panelist, and really funny and any panel he’s on is the better for it. It’s going to be a real kick to be in the WotF panel with him.

Polaris book launch
(Julie Czerneda, Emily Mah, Anna Paradox)
Take part in the International Polar Year and celebrate new original science fiction! Join Editor Julie E. Czerneda and contributors to POLARIS, A Celebration of Polar Science, for its debut launch at Ad Astra. Meet the winner of the IPY’s Youth Committee’s International Student Writing Competition, Sarah Neidoba. And enjoy something a little chilly!
– my that Julie Czerneda keeps busy, doesn’t she? 🙂

Sat 12:00 PM
* Guest of Honour Hour: Stephen Jones
(Stephen Jones, Interview by Michael Rowe)
– Stephen Jones: three World Fantasy Awards, three Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Awards and three International Horror Guild Awards as well as being a sixteen-time recipient of the British Fantasy Award and a Hugo Award nominee. ‘Nuff said. Time to pick his brain about how to become such a successful F/SF/H editor.

Sat 1:00 PM
* Security vs. Privacy
(Marcel Gagne (mod), Cory Doctorow, Anna Paradox, Kevin Brewer)
In computers, security is often considered a prime concern. Equally important and often ignored (or confused with security), however, is the notion of privacy. As the average user’s internet “data trail” grows, privacy is increasingly threatened both by calls for national security and through corporate data-mining. This panel is a discussion on the tradeoffs of security versus privacy, and on the future of security and privacy.

Ongoing Settings, Recurring Characters
(Rick Wilber (mod), Jim C. Hines, Violette Malan, Karin Lowachee, Alice Cooley)
Sometimes writers return time and again to a particular character who appears in various short stories, sometimes years apart in the publishing. Do writers feel constrained by what’s gone before for instance, or can you use the same character and change things around to suit the new story?

Sat 2:00 PM
* Extrasolar Planets
(Pat Hall (mod), David Stephenson, Eric Briggs)
Over 200 planets orbiting other stars have been discovered in the past twelve years. What are they like, and what impact do they have on science and science fiction?

Horror Stories from the World of Publishing
(Violette Malan (mod), Stephen Jones)
Hear tales of major screw-ups and problems in publishing, and how these mistakes were resolved.

Sat 3:00 PM
* Creating Geographically Accurate Worlds
(James Alan Gardner (mod), Shirley Meier, John Allen Price, Jeffrey Veber)
One of the perks of SF/F is that writers can dream up entire planets, but plunking jungles next to an ice cap might make it hard for readers to suspend disbelief. Come and join a discussion of how to make your imaginary world seem as real as possible by grounding it in geographic facts.

Guest of Honour Hour: Cory Doctorow
(Cory Doctorow)

What’s in a Name?
(Karin Lowachee (mod), Tony Pi, Jana Paniccia, Violette Malan, Hayden Trenholm)
Challenges and trends in naming characters, locations, races, etc. Where can you find names? Do more fantastical names turn some readers off? Is there a push for more realistic-sounding names?
– This panel is interesting because, for me, names are very important in my writing. The names I choose almost always have a deeper significance than simple nomenclature. I also keep my Dad in mind when I choose names. He doesn’t read a lot of fiction (he’s more a history and biography kinda guy) but he’s especially wary of SF & F because of the “weird names”. I try and keep them simple and unique, rather than long, complicated to pronounce, or too many that begin with the same consonant or vowel sound.

It’s the End of the World as We Write It
(Alan Katerinsky (mod), Glenn Grant, Allan Weiss, Scott Mackay, Marcos Donnelly)
What are the realistic chances of various end-of-the-world scenarios? How likely is it that anyone could survive? What kinds of themes and characters fit best into this kind of story?
– I’ve often wondered about the real-world possibilities of people surviving the various apocalypses that sci-fi has set upon fiction over the years. And Marcos Donnelly is a really neat guy, who I’ve met a couple of times now.)

Sat 4:00 PM
Alt.Space – The New Space Companies
(Paul Roberts)
Who are the players in the recent surge of small space companies, what do they do and what are they hoping to accomplish.

Aurora Awards: Fandom’s Choice for the Best Canadian SF&F
(Robert J. Sawyer (mod), Dennis Mullen)
Come and learn about the Aurora Awards, discuss past winners and find out how you can make nominations and vote.

Screenwriting: How It Can Help Any Writer
(Kelley Armstrong (mod), Ian O’Neill, Herb Kauderer, Isaac Szpidel)
Screenwriting involves a three act structure, dialogue, pacing, visualizing scenes and much more. It can improve your skills, no matter what kind of writing you do; this panel will show you how.

– I honestly can’t decide which of these panels I want to see most…Hmm…Thoughts?

Sat 5:00 PM
Video Games and Fiction
(Jeffrey Veber (mod), Declan Dennehy, Mark Ladouceur, Tony Pi)
Will videogames have an effect on fiction, as children who grew up playing them start to publish their own stories? Are we already seeing the effects? Is it confined to the more visual medium of comics?

Geopolitics as Entertainment
(Elizabeth Dubec (mod), Timothy Carter, Hayden Trenholm, Alexander von Thorn)
A discussion of how politics and science influence the stories of their time

– Again, these both sound really interesting…

Sat 6:00 PM
* Where Did This Go in the Future?
(James Alan Gardner (mod), John Mierau, Marc Mackay, Marcos Donnelly, Caro Soles)
In many SF works, a future is shown where aspects of our current society no longer exist. Some portray a world where poverty and hunger have been eradicated. Others seem to have limited cultural, religious, and sexual diversity. How well are these changes explained?

Sat 10:00 PM
* Astronomy in the Parking Lot
(Marcel Gagne, Pat Hall, Francois van Heerden, Eric Briggs)
A return of our popular stargazing panel. As an extra incentive to join in the fun, this Saturday March 3rd is the night of a lunar eclipse.
– this would be really neat, and I missed out last year, but it depends on two things: first, what’s the weather like and is the sky clear?; and second, I foolishly bought tickets to see Shout Out Out Out Out play at Lee’s Palace that night before I realized Ad Astra was so early this year. I can’t decide if I should stay and schoomze in the con suite and/or green room, or if I should see the show…Hmm…

Sun 10:00 AM
* Editing Tips and Tricks
(Anna Paradox (mod), Stephen Jones, Violette Malan)
Editing tips for authors who want to be published, people who want to edit for a living and even quick tricks for hobby/fan fiction writers who don’t necessarily want to be published but want to present their work well.

The Serial: More Than Just Magazines
(Alan Katerinsky (mod), Rob St. Martin, Lorne Kates, Robert J. Sawyer)
From Bram Stoker’s Dracula being posted chronologically on a blog, to online stories and comics, to podcasts, serialized fiction is being presented to audiences in a variety of new ways. Is the serial undergoing a revival, or has it always been going strong?

NaNoWriMo
(Kelley Armstrong (mod), Marc Mackay, Julie Scott, Jeffrey Veber)
Panelists discuss their experience writing (or attempting to write) an entire novel in one short month, including lessons learned, dealing with burnout, and the chances of producing good work under the circumstances.

Sun 11:00 AM
* Writers of the Future Anthology
(James Alan Gardner (mod), Stephen Kotowych, Jim C. Hines, Mike Rimar, Robert J. Sawyer, Tony Pi)
A discussion about the contest with judges, past winners and participants.
– again, like I’d miss this panel. It’s going to be such a blast being on a panel with Jim Gardner and Rob Sawyer. I just hope I can carry myself well.

Real Issues, Imaginary Worlds
(Glenn Grant (mod), Emily Mah, John Mierau, Mark Ladouceur, Timothy Carter)
In today’s society issue based stories can seem forced or preachy, but SF and fantasy is often used as a medium to discuss real world issues.

What Happened to High Fantasy?
(Violette Malan (mod), Caitlin Sweet, Marc Mackay, Shirley Meier)
This genre used to be very common, and now seems harder to find. What happened to the epic stories? Does it not fit in to our society anymore? Why does it no longer seem as in vogue?
– I used to read mostly fantasy, but then I stopped (right around the time when there was 2+ years between each Wheel of Time book). Maybe it was more because fantasy changed and I just didn’t realize it. An interesting panel which, alas, I’ll need to miss.

Sun 12:00 PM
* Under Cover of Darkness Meet & Greet (and Game Finale)
(Jana Paniccia, Julie Czerneda, Douglas Smith, Amanda Bloss Maloney, Stephen Kotowych, et al.)
Join the editors and authors (this is your one chance to catch the full international flavour) to celebrate conspiracy theory as only science fiction and fantasy can! All secrets will be uncovered. All truths will be revealed. Collect your prize! Unless of course, this is the biggest conspiracy of them all.
– the second launch for UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS. I should be a practiced hand by then… And I’m dying to know how this game works.

Digital Rights Management
(Cory Doctorow (mod), Rene Walling)
Digital rights management(DRM) has grown to become both a central focus of software and media companies; it has also become a lightning rod for controversy. This panel serves as a place for people to learn about the past, present and future of DRM and to discuss whether or not an artist benefits with DRM. Also discussed will be the technologies, developments and implications, both legal and social, of DRM.

Sun 1:00 PM
* Writing for Anthologies vs. Magazines
(Scott Mackay (mod), Mike Rimar, Jana Paniccia, Douglas Smith)
Learn the differences and similarities of writing stories for anthologies compared to writing for magazines. Panelists will give tips on how to break into the field and enhance name recognition.

Optimism vs. Terror
(Lorne Kates (mod), Anna Paradox, David Stephenson, Alan Katerinsky, Andre Lieven)
When we discover new technologies reactions tend to believe it will be a cure all or we fear the worst. Why do we have such extreme reactions? What are some of the extreme views people have taken on new technologies?

Sun 2:00 PM
* Science Fiction and Fantasy Languages
(Karin Lowachee (mod), James Alan Gardner, Shirley Meier, Tony Pi)
What inspires people to create their own languages? How much depth is necessary? Does it add depth to your writing or does it distract the reader?

Building a Better Alien
(Amanda Bloss Maloney (mod), Wilson Chan, Glenn Grant, Sarah Jane Elliott)
Audience suggestions will help create some alien species from scratch. Panelists will lead a discussion about what each alien’s home world, ecosystem, and society could be like. Examples of alien species from fiction will also be discussed.

– why, oh why would the ConCom schedule these one aginst the other! I really want to see them both–how can I be expected to choose?! I’m fascinated by language (I don’t think you can be a writer unless you are) and would love the chance to see fellow Writers of the Future winner Tony Pi (an actual linguist!) in action on the panel…But I want to build better aliens, too!

– S.

So I see today on Rob Sawyer’s blog an announcement about the latest winners of the Writers of the Future. Rob was a judge for this fourth quarter of the 2006/07 contest (the duties rotate) and he had this to say about the first-place story, “The Sun God at Dawn, Rising from a Lotus Blossom”, by Andrea Kail of New York, NY:

This quarter had fabulously good stories, but I’ll say here right now that Andrea Kail’s “The Sun God at Dawn, Rising from a Lotus Blossom” is a total knockout — this is a Hugo-caliber story, folks. It’ll be worth the cost of the anthology (which will be published in August) all by itself.

So I’ve learned two things from this: first, the anthology will be available in August (which I presume is around when the writer’s retreat week will be held), and second, I should despair of winning that $5000 Grand Prize.

Now, I’m fan of my story. A big fan. I like my story a lot. I think it’s one of the best, strongest, most character-driven, human stories I’ve ever written. Hell, I’m proud I wrote that story.

But is it Hugo-caliber? Hmm…

– S.

Hi all –

Don’t know if any of you saw the wonderful Opinion piece in the NY Times today by Carolyn Porco, a planetary scientist working on the Cassini mission. It’s about what might have been had NASA’s Apollo program (and the Saturn V) continued uninterrupted from the 1960s, and a very hopeful vision of what the renewed NASA drive for the Moon (and later, Mars) could be in the first half of the 21^st Century.

I, for one, am very susceptible to this kind speculation about past and future (maybe that’s why I write SF).

I desperately hope this vision comes to pass.

Check it out: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/opinion/20porco.html

– S.

So last night I popped in to Bakka-Phoenix (Canada’s oldest sci-fi/fantasy specialty bookstore–and really a fantasic place to browse for books) because I needed to pick up eight copies of UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS for my parents, who intend to send them hither and yon to friends, relatives, and former schools of mine.

Naturally, when I approached the desk, the clerk looked at me somewhat askew.

“Are you buying all of those?” he asked.

“I’m in it!” I replied.

“Well, good thing you told me,” he said. “Authors get a discount!” And he promptly rang me through.

Apparently, authors get a 20% discount on anything in the store because (as the clerk, and owner John said) Bakka-Phoenix likes to support the people who let them enjoy SF and have something to sell.

It’s just the greatest store ever.

– S.

PS: The good folks at Bakka-Phoenix will also be doing the book selling for the UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS launches at the Merril and at Ad Astra so be sure to buy your books from them!

The first launch for UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS will be held at the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy this Saturday, February 24th. The Merril Collection is located at 239 College Street, 3rd Floor. (A second launch will be held Sunday March 4th, at Ad Astra–more on that later).

The time for the Merril launch *has* changed. It will now start at 1pm (1300 hrs), as opposed to the noon start-time I mentioned previously.

Space is limited, so I’m told that if you’re interested in coming you may want to arrive early.

– S.

Well, the fourth-quarter winners for this year’s Writers of the Future contest have been announced over at the WotF blog.

The lucky trio are:

1. Andrea Kail from New York, NY
2. Edward Sevcik from Austin, TX
3. John Burridge from Eugene, OR

Congratulations to you three! See you at the workshop!

Speaking of which, this completes all writer winners for Writers of the Future Volume 23, and somebody mentioned that once that was straightened away they’d let us know just when and where the workshop and award ceremony were…

– S.