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.

The end of an era

Today was my last writing meeting as Quark writing vp. :'( It’s been a good run, two years as leader of the Quark Writing Group at BYU. I remember how it was when I started–I was still just a hobby writer, with a nebulous interest in getting published someday but without any real goals or… Continue reading The end of an era

Genesis Earth 1.0 word cloud

Hey, check this out! I used this site to create a word cloud for the rough draft of my novel, Genesis Earth. I did the same thing a while back for my other novel. Pretty interesting.

Semester endgame

Seven days!  Seven days! And then the semester is over!  Hallelujah! Unfortunately, in the course of those seven days, I’ve got three major papers to write. It’s going to suck. But then it’s over! Thank goodness.  This semester has been pretty crazy–not in terms of work, but in terms of motivation.  A lot of the… Continue reading Semester endgame

Some thoughts

This is going to be real quick, since it’s 1:30 am and General Conference is tomorrow.   The revision is going along really well for Genesis Earth–I am really excited about this project.  My only regret is that I don’t have more time to dedicate to it.  As it is, I’m probably putting too much time… Continue reading Some thoughts

This sucks and I’m a horrible writer

It’s getting really, really hard for me not to believe that statement, especially as I finish up with the middle part of this novel.  I’m starting to realize that I made a whole bunch of mistakes pages and pages ago, and that the climaxes just aren’t working without everything set up right. I know, cognitively,… Continue reading This sucks and I’m a horrible writer

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Welcome to Mars, a magical world of ancient ruins like giant glass chess sets and canals of wine and sandy desert seas. A world inhabited by golden eyed people who can telepathically project hallucinations–some of them still live up in the hills. A desolate, empty world, the next frontier for a new generation of pioneering… Continue reading The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Sabriel doesn’t know it, but her father is more than just a powerful necromancer; he is a key in the political intrigue of the Old Kingdom–the land beyond the wall. When he interrupts her class at Wyverly college by sending a hand–an enslaved spirit–from beyond the fourth gate of Death to drop off his sword… Continue reading Sabriel by Garth Nix

Ugghhhhh…

Man, I am sick.  It sucks. I’m also at a low spot in writing this novel.  That sucks too. When you get towards the last third of the book you’re writing, you start to have doubts about the whole project.  Is this really any go0d?  Is the story really holding out?  Things slow down a… Continue reading Ugghhhhh…

Many Bothans died to bring you this weekend

This past week was pretty crazy.  Tests, papers, homework…BLEARGH.  Less than satisfying.  What’s more, I was starting to get cabin fever from being in Provo so long.  Every day, doing the same old thing, going the same old places, seeing the same old sights… …Then I got a call from my friend Ben Fisher, saying… Continue reading Many Bothans died to bring you this weekend