Science Fiction Matters

I've been absent from LJ for awhile. It's not that there's been nothing to say. I just don't have time to say it in both places. Please check out my Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys blog for all the current haps, including my World Fantasy report. I went to 3 cons last month! I have lined up so many interviewees for my blog that I'm now into July, and that's doing three per month instead of the more usual 2.


Here's the author interviews I have at SFOO so far:
* Ackley-McPhail, Danielle
* Alexander, Alma
* Anderson, Kevin J.
* Bova, Ben
* Brin, David
* Brozek, Jennifer
* Fabian, Karina
* Fforde, Jasper
* Frost, Gregory
* Hamilton, Peter
* Henderson, Alice
* Kollin, Dani & Eytan
* Powell, Gareth L.
* Sawyer, Robert J.
* Steele, Allen M.
* Stiles, Paula
* Wade, Juliette
* Wiehe, Fred

I have some great ones, coming, too. Including some editors. Here's a sample of interviews to come:

Jeff VanderMeer (2009 WFC award nominee)
Ann VanderMeer (2009 WFC award nominee)
Kage Baker (2009 WFC award nominee)
Tim Powers
Jay Lake
Ellen Datlow (2009 WFC award nominee)
Kij Johnson (2009 WFC award winner)
Louise Marley
Nisi Shawl (2009 WFC award nominee)
M.H. Bonham
Madeleine Robins
G. David Nordley & C. Sanford Lowe

My review of Tessa Dick's The Owl in Daylight went up last month at Mostly Fiction. She's Philip K. Dick's widow.

I delivered a presentation at a writing convention on Developing Your Online Presence. Now I'm taking it on the road with a new business partner. Busy, busy, busy!

Want a new word? How about kerfuffle? It's like chaos or confusion. Much kerfuffle about nothing. ;)

Check out my interview with Jasper Fforde, author of the Thursday Next novels over at Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys. In the previous post, you'll also find some amusing SF story links.

I'm gearing up for the huge two day festival I used to be in charge of. Now I just handle the entertainment. What a load off that was! I just hope my foot is healed enough to teach Greek dancing. Did I fail to mention that it's the GLENDI ETHNIC FOOD FAIR? And that it's SEPTEMBER 19 and 20 in SANTA ROSA, CA?

Looking forward to Flashforward, based on the book by Robert Sawyer. Go, Rob!

What is with all the nines? District 9 and 9. Still haven't left my cave to view either of them.

Next month is conference/convention month for me. Silicon in San Jose, World Fantasy Convention, also in San Jose, and Redwood Writers Conference in Santa Rosa.

Zip on over to Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys. I interviewed Gregory Frost last Friday and my interview with Karina Fabian will post tomorrow.

I'm heading north for SpoCon in Spokane, WA tomorrow. I'm on most excellent panels. It will be lots of fun. I can also spend time with a writer buddy of mine who is putting me up while I'm there, saving me from the uncomfortable, inconvenient dorm rooms.

I'm in the July issue of Beyond Centauri with "For Chance to Dream" but still haven't seen it! I was hoping to show off my contributor copy at the con. :(

I also have a story up at Rose City Sisters. It was a fun revamp of a reprint. Guidelines stated that it has to somehow involve Pasadena and have 3 hyperlinks. It's a ghost story... or is it? Read "Your Smiling Face" here.

The guests of honor, Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon are sick and unable to attend BayCon. Major bummer. And I'm still scheduled to lead a panel on Vampire Lit. I'm sooo not going to stay up all night reading some. I know all the BayCon elves are scrambling and it will all work out in the end. I'm wondering if there's an IMAX theater near the hotel. I still haven't seen the new Star Trek movie. Either too owie or too busy! :(

I'm sending off my latest story to my beta readers. Then to a pro market next week. One of these days, I'll have to scour around for markets that take reprints and bop some of those out again. I feel like I have one and a half jobs. Actually, I do. But the other one doesn't really pay yet.

My interview of the fabulous fantasy writer, Irene Radford, is now available over at The Broadsheet (http://www.broaduniverse.org/broadsheet.html). Broad Universe, mind you is the place to be if you're a woman who writes spec-fic. Awesome international organization. Go hither: http://www.broaduniverse.org.

Tomorrow, there will be an interview with YA fantasy author, Alma Alexander, on my Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys blog (http://sciencefictionmusings.blogspot.com). Keep watching that blog for more author interviews. I have several in the hopper.

I'm currently reading Anathem by Neal Stephenson (pg 578) and on the weekends, I'm writing on my Awesome Lavratt sequel that doesn't even have a working title. But it has a 7' sentient lizard with a beak and attitude!

Words are my playthings and for the next fortnight or so, "liquidity" will be my favorite toy. Liquidity, liquidity, liquidity.

So here I am at Science Fiction Matters, with another opportunity to yak about The Textile Planet, Bookviewcafe.com, and Broad Universe.

Let's start with Broad Universe. This is an organization that both Ann and I belong to. BU's big aim is to promote the work of women writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Since Ann and I both write that kind of stuff, we joined. Makes sense, right?

If you ever find yourself at a con (science fiction et al. convention) you may see some of our members giving rapid readings. You may even see a Broad Universe table with organization paraphernalia for free and member books for sale. Next time you see a BU rapid reading on the program, stop by for a taste of anywhere between 5 and 10 authors readings. Check out the literature on the table. Buy a couple of books. Good stuff.

BookViewCafe.com is a new enterprise for me. This website represents a foray into Internet publishing for authors such as Ursual K. Le Guin, Vonda N. McInture, Anne Harris and a bunch more, such as me. We wanted a place to offer some of our titles that are not currently available elsewhere. Most of the fiction is free, but some of the work will be offered for sale as ebooks pretty soon. We have links to our published print books at the site as well. So far BVC has been well received with active support from the speculative fiction readers on the 'Net.

My own offering at BVC is a serialized novel, The Textile Planet. This story follows the travails of Marla Gershe as she maniacally goes about her day as a fashion show coordinator. My work is usually satirical in nature. The Textile Planet is a bit dark. Taking advantage of the Internet's flexible nature, I've added content to the story in the way of links to back story, sound files, and even a Youtube video.

Please do take a look and send feedback if you're up for it: http://tinyurl.com/5lbtqv. Love that feedback.


Toodles! to all of you and thanks to Ann for having me.

Sue Lange (http://scusteister.livejournal.com)