One of the problems with interplanetary colonization is that Earth-like worlds are fairly rare (though possibly not as rare as we once thought). In our own solar system, the only other world that comes anywhere close (Mars) is a radiation-blasted desert with only the barest hint of an atmosphere and a surface temperature colder than… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Terraforming
This Week
I was listening to the latest episode of This American Life yesterday, and at the end of the podcast, Ira Glass mentioned that this week’s episode will be themed “this week”–in other words, things that all happened in just the last seven days. Well, things haven’t been too eventful out here in Georgia, but I liked… Continue reading This Week
Trope Tuesday: Settling the (Final) Frontier
I love stories about colonization, especially when they’re set in space. There’s just something about a small group of rugged pioneers striking out into the harsh, unforgiving wilderness to make a new life for themselves. Maybe it’s just something about my American heritage, or all those 4x games I played as a kid, but I doubt… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Settling the (Final) Frontier
STAR WANDERERS: HOMEWORLD is now available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Smashwords!
That’s right! Part IV of the Star Wanderers series is available for $2.99 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords. You can also find it listed on Goodreads here. Newsletter subscribers should get the Smashwords coupon code in an hour or two. From the book description: THEY’VE FINALLY FOUND A WORLD TO CALL HOME—BUT FIRST,… Continue reading STAR WANDERERS: HOMEWORLD is now available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Smashwords!
Trope Tuesday: Space Cossacks
I’m going to take a break from the hero’s journey trope posts for a while, until I have the time to do them justice. In the meantime, let’s have a little fun. Some of my favorite science fiction stories are the ones about a culture of nomadic starfaring people wandering the universe in search of… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Space Cossacks
Oh hey! Happy Thanksgiving!
Funny how holidays creep up on you when you’re in a foreign country. We have Friday off here in Georgia, due to an Orthodox religious holiday. I’ll probably head east and check out the Stalin museum, maybe Mtskheta and Qazbegi depending on the weather. A friend of mine in Tbilisi said she’d get me a… Continue reading Oh hey! Happy Thanksgiving!
Have internet, will blog
Hey guys, I’m back in Kutaisi today, so I thought I’d drop in and post an update on this (much neglected as of late) blog. Life hasn’t been too eventful, but there are a couple of things that I thought you might want to know about. First of all, I’ll be participating in an ebook… Continue reading Have internet, will blog
Trope Tuesday: I Choose To Stay
The hero’s journey can be divided into three basic phases: departure, intiation, and return. In the departure phase, the hero receives the call to adventure and eventually leaves the familiar world. In the initiation phase, the hero passes through a series of tests and trials eventually leading up to the climax and final confrontation with… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: I Choose To Stay
New Kindle! And some new old projects as well
So I came out to Tbilisi today, because MY NEW KINDLE PAPERWHITE JUST ARRIVED! Okay, sorry for the all-caps shouting, but I’m really happy that it finally got here. My old kindle broke down a few months ago, leaving me stranded in my tiny village without any books. With the weather getting worse and the power… Continue reading New Kindle! And some new old projects as well
Trope Tuesday: MacGuffin
So the hero has crossed the threshold of adventure, thwarted the trickster, evaded the vamp, and met with the goddess. He may have lost his mentor and descended into the deepest dungeon, but by calling on the supernatural aid he received at the beginning of the quest, he has passed the final test, found atonement with his… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: MacGuffin