Author: Joe Vasicek

Joe Vasicek is the author of more than twenty science fiction books, including the Star Wanderers and Sons of the Starfarers series. As a young man, he studied Arabic and traveled across the Middle East and the Caucasus. He claims Utah as his home.

End in sight

Things are winding down for my current work in progress, Worlds Away from Home–or should I say winding up, since I’m just a chapter or two from the major climax?  In any case, by the end of the week, inshallah, the rough draft will be finished. <crosses fingers> It’s been tough, but I’m cautiously optimistic… Continue reading End in sight

Story Notebook #3 (part 2)

Alright, I said I’d finish running through my third story notebook, so here it is. After all, there’s no better time than now: The song, btw, is from Summoning of Spirits, quite possibly the best fanmade video game soundtrack that ocremix has put out. Oh, and it’s completely free; did I mention that? If you… Continue reading Story Notebook #3 (part 2)

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

Cordelia Naismith never thought she would find the love of her life on a scientific survey to an unexplored border world, let alone that he would be a Barrayan, one of the enemy.  But Aral Vorkosigan is not just any other officer in the Barrayan Military.  He is courteous, fair-minded, thoughtful–and above all else, driven… Continue reading Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

If it kills me

I will finish this novel if it kills me. At the rate things are going, it just might. Things are kind of tough for me right now.  I desperately need a new job–the one I’ve got is slowly sucking away my soul without even paying enough to get by–and job rejections are way worse than… Continue reading If it kills me

Story Notebook #3 (part 1)

I’m not sure whether this notebook is #3 or #2. There’s a lot of notes from English 318, which would put it in the winter, but I don’t know if it’s from ’08 or ’09. Not that that matters; ideas are ideas.  And here they are! An empty parking garage with no exit. Covered this… Continue reading Story Notebook #3 (part 1)

Wolverton interview and more

The interview with Dave Wolverton was a resounding success!  We had a fascinating conversation about science fiction and the gospel, his latest book In The Company of Angels, self-publishing, the English 318 class at BYU and the profound impact it’s had on the LDS writing community, and much, much more. On that, I suppose I… Continue reading Wolverton interview and more

T-minus 600 hours and counting

Haircut: check. Clean clothes: check. Bag lunch and dinner: check. Chilled water bottles: check. Directions to St George from Provo: check. Interview questions: check. iRiver 800 with sufficient recording space: check. iRiver to USB cord: check. Extra batteries: check. Asus netbook: check. 2003 Buick LeSabre Custom: check. 4+ hours of ocremix and other music: check.… Continue reading T-minus 600 hours and counting

Slogging through to the bitter happy ending

Oh man.  I was hoping to hit 5k words today, and even though I must have spent five or six hours writing, I only managed half of that.  It’s progress, I know, but it’s not as much progress as I’d like; the words just aren’t coming, no matter what I do.  Blarg. The worst part… Continue reading Slogging through to the bitter happy ending

Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia

Owen Zastava Pitt wants nothing more than to be a mild-mannered accountant with a comfortable, boring life.  Unfortunately, fate has other plans.  His father–a retired green beret–brought him up to be a killing machine, with or without a firearm.  To pay for college, Owen worked alternately as a bouncer and a highly illegal cage fighter. … Continue reading Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia