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Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
I love PS Publishing, They’ve got a great style, their books always beautiful, works of art to hold in your hand. And for such high quality, the prices really can’t be beat…
Ars Memoria is no different. This is a really wonderfully designed book, the layout is nice and the texture of the pages must be felt to understand the quality that went into it. The prose between the pages rises up to the quality of the rest of the work, with an almost steampunk (diesel punk? WWI punk? Punk? PUNK!) setting and a carefully elaborate alternate history that feels like an entirely different universe all together.
I love the fact that Ireland is the seat of an empire, and the changes that has been to the world because of it. Not sure what I think about the cheesy false-memory-this world is not the real one-ness of it (did far better in the alt-history Man in the High Castle by PK Dick), but that’s just a minor nitpick.
Bonus! It’s available for PS Publishing’s buy two books, get the third free sale! May I suggest my own, Glass Coffin Girls as the second book, and Jeff Vandermeer’s The Situation? Excellent books:
http://store.pspublishing.co.uk/acatalog/c
And also, double bonus! First person who responds to this review will get the book sent to them! Where they must do the same thing (write a review on the blog, sending the copy out to the first responder). WHEEEEEEE
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
The idea of generational ships are interesting to me, mostly because of the number of challenges they provide for world/ship building, and making it feasible that it could support human life for as long as it will. For those of you who don’t know, the concept of a generational ship is a common SF trope: a ship that travels from our planet to another, far distant planet, one that would take many hundreds of years to reach. So, on the ship you support the life of the crew and their generations, since by time the ship lands on the far away distant planet, several generations of the crew would have passed.
So, you need it big enough to contain an exponential number of growing human population (each generation would more than double the number of crew members of the ship), as well as support all forms of life, provide food, have an artificial gravity (else, bones and muscles would be too weak, not able to support us).
You need technology that is re-usable, recyclable. You need a way of providing light, a way of providing constant food and water, a way of providing constantly circulating oxygen.
The technology will be limited. In a way, the social and technological evolution of the humans aboard that ship will be stunted. Fashion will also be stunted, as well as other forms of progress that are lightning fast, here on earth. There will need to be a crew who makes certain the ship itself stays in good shape, as well as a group of people in charge of dispensing stuff that people need.
Manufacture and industry probably won’t be happening. You won’t have the jobs that we have on earth, the roles of society would be different, and they would be different from a normal space fairing crew as well.
It interests me because the limitations provide so many possibilities for such a unique, interesting and creative world. What doesn’t interest me are the common tropes involved with these generational ships. Like, for example, the crew forgetting that they are on a ship with a mission, and start to think that this is life (and then discover- OHMYGOD IT’S NOT). Or, for another example, the society reverts back to medieval/dark ages (which is possible, since there isn’t much in the way of technological progress) and a feudal society of sorts. Again, that doesn’t interest me as much.
What does interest me is what kind of culture would arise from this- it would be unlike anything we’ve had on earth so far recently. Would there be money? Trade of goods? What are the jobs and roles of this society? What kind of weapons would they have? Conflict? Would they have any weapons, or would it take someone creative to re-purpose something else as a weapon? Guns, lasers, missiles, etc would be a non-issue. Why would they allow those on the generational ship when it took off? Also, the ship is more fragile than earth and other planets, its own destruction would be more easy, more simple.
Just some thoughts.
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
Most Steampunk in narrative form either flows from the alt/history spectrum of genre (eg, babbage machines and an alternate Victorian England) or very rarely fantasy (Perdido Street Station, etc), relying more on a romantization of the Victorian period for it’s steampunk creds. But I have a thought- couldn’t we also push this into the far, far future?
The makers and builders of the Steampunk subculture claim to want to return to a time when electronics were meant to last and not to be used and discarded. It’s not about trying to replicate the past (else, they wouldn’t be modding modern computers and laptops) but about a fusion of past with present. So, the current mode of Steampunk as a subculture is more interested in taking modern technology, and making it more aesthetic, and making it last longer and not require a disposable-goods culture.
A space faring society (esp one involving generational ships) would need electronics like that. They would need something reusable, something that lasted for a long, long, long damn time. Machines meant to be fixed, not replaced. In my mind, melding far-future space opera, with generational ships and that sort of thing, slides in perfectly with the modern steampunk subculture movement.
And it also side steps an important problem that most steampunk novels tend to try and ignore- the inherent sexism/ageism/racism/classism/colonial attitudes of Victorian England. It could replicate the look and feel, without needing to imitate the cultural problems and ethical nasties that come with alt history. It would also not need to be steam based power exactly- it would need to use the aesthetic, and use the idea of technology that lasts a really, really, really long damn time. Which would be in the generational ship’s best interests anyway.
Just some pondering….
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
“The best way I can describe Glass Coffin Girls? Like Cinderella walking over the shards of her own glass slipper, broken…the blood looks positively gorgeous against the crystalware, don’t you think?”
From- My Fluttering Heart Book Reviews
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
Urban Fantasy is a genre. It’s a genre completely separate from paranormal romance, contrary to what a lot of people say. It’s not just paranormal romance without the romance, and it’s not just contemporary fantasy. It is its own specific genre, with its own specific genre trappings.
All genre (esp popular genre) has trappings. Space Opera has faster than light travel, strange aliens, berserk AI’s and space ships and bigger than the universe plots. Epic Fantasy has swords, epic plots, gods playing with humanity and various races and kinships (as well as magic). Each of these also has a diction for the narration that fits the mode of the genre itself. Note- these are not rules. These are just items that is usually in the genre, that grew naturally inside of the genre as it expanded, and is something readers come to expect. When genre is near the end of it’s popularity cycle, a lot of writers will break the trappings and expand it. Sometimes this will warp and change the genre, creating a new genre out of the old. Other times it will only appeal to a small audience and gain a cult following.
Genre trappings are usually separated into: narration style, plot style and setting. Space Opera has space as a setting, narration style of epic fantasy usually mimics Tolkien, plot style for both are epic and repetitive in it’s world saving-ness (and defeating of evil empire-ness). Etc, etc.
In Urban Fantasy we have a specific narration style- one borrowed from Noir. First person, sarcastic, tough to the core. Usually female, but sometimes male. The plot is also borrowed from Noir, as well as some murder mysteries or thrillers. It revolves around solving a mystery, usually with many twists and turns with a surprise whodunnit at the end.
The setting is contemporary, where magic exists and there are different races/species based on mythology, much like we have in Epic Fantasy. The species usually come from horror/horrific in bent, so instead of elves you get vampires, instead of dwarves you get werewolves, etc. Elves, faeries, dwarves and elves can exist in an urban fantasy, but they are usually far darker and closer to the original mythology that they were borrowed from, unlike their epic fantasy correlations. They are also far less common.
Unlike popular opinion, having a relationship or sex or anything with one of these supernatural creatures is not as common a plot trope/setting trapping as people believe. This is because a lot of non-readers assume that paranormal romance and urban fantasy are identical, which they are not. Urban Fantasy is contemporary noir combined with classical fantasy and horror. It’s a bit The Big Sleep, Tolkien, and I Am Legend wrapped up in a modern day setting. Paranormal Romance uses all the trapping of the Romance genre and combines them with horror tropes and some fantasy tropes. But the main trappings are Romance. The plot, the story, the character arc, all romance.
While Urban Fantasy’s trappings are almost strictly noir combined with fantasy.
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
First! Today is the last day to try and win EVERY SINGLE BOOK that Angry Robot has FOR FREE:
http://angryrobotbooks.com/2009/11/compe
(go. do it. now)
And, you can also snag Kelly Gay’s Better Part of Darkness and Alan DeNiro’s Oblivion More Or Less over at the awesome agent Colleen Lindsay’s blog:
http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2009/11/ha
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
Day after Turkey Day I’m doing a review of Beth Bernobich’s Ars Memoria. Stay tuned! And, the first person to comment on my review will get the copy I’ve got, mailed to them so they can review it as well. The fun! It don’t stop!
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
I was wrong to have attacked the original essay. Yes. Writers need to be more transparent so more people understand we’re not all Rich Like Stephen King and JK Rowling, even if you are a New York Times Best seller. The poverty issue is a touchy thing with me, and I latched onto an offhand comment like a bulldog.
The recession is hurting a lot of people, and reading about it, reading about people, watching people struggle and try and scrape by and survive- well, my heart goes out. And I can’t help but feeling torn up inside each time I read about it and see it.
Anyway, it was wrong, and I’ve taken the post down (which automatically means I’ll get people requesting to read it).
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
Short Stories:
The Adventures of Petal the Paperdoll Pirate - Fantasy Magazine
Heaven’s Fire - Sybil’s Garage
Novella:
Open Your Eyes
Published Apex Books, 2009.
If OYE makes it on the final ballot, anyone within the SFWA will be elgible for a free copy of the PDF version of Open Your Eyes, courtesy of Apex books.
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
This is an awesome story. It’s a bit Jack Vance, and a bit crazy surreal futurism. It’s got swords that eat memories, wizards that control nanobots using psychic implants, and a sea of terraforming glass robots that want to devour the world. Will give more deets when I get’em.
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
More! More! I’ve got a ton more sub-genres for you to drool over! That’s right, buys and gulls, this ain’t no one trick pony (or even a pretty trick, or pretty pony, one trickster, or something), I’ve got more punk than DreamPunk slid up my sleeve and hidden between the elbow holes-
MEMEPUNK
Novel consisting of delicately selected Twitter Memes!
ScreamPunk
EVERYTHING IS IN ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME AHHHHH
SpleenPunk
Self explanatory, dontchathink?
ZinePunk
Um…which is a but redundant, but whatever
CreamPunk
No, not that you pervert! These are all alt-history stories involving Eric Clapton starting world war III
GleamPunk
Um. Shiny?
Yeah. That’s right. You want to write in these, dontcha? Of course you do. Cause it’s awesome.
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
Then visit this webpage, read everything. It gives you instructions on who to email at PS Publishing to get a free PDF copy to review on your blog. Spread the word!
http://news.pspublishing.co.uk/reviewers/
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
My name is Gloria Weber. I’m the author of Gaslight Demons, published by Morbidgames Publishing, and I’m here to steal Paul’s blog! No need to call the authorities, it is just for this one post. I’m guest blogging here as part of my Gaslight Demons Virtual Book Tour (many thanks to Paul for allowing me this honor).
As a guest blogger, I’m now obliged to bring something to the table for you to read. Something other than my begging and pleading for you to buy my book, but I would be grateful if you’d consider doing just that. So, for my topic today I’ve picked character guilt.
Guilt is an interesting thing. There are a many things a character can pick to feel guilty about. Things they have done or things that are completely out of their hands. But feeling guilt reveals some sort of fault in a character.
My main character Sophia Nogard likes to blame herself for a lot things. For example, Sophia believes her father’s death is her fault. Her mother was looking for her and, had she actually been there when her mother found her father, Sophia believes she could have stopped it from happening. Others might have blamed Thomas, the father, saying he brought it upon himself or they would have blamed the mother, his murderer. But Sophia blindly blaming herself and holding herself accountable shows a narrow view of the world that can be taken as a fault and room for her to grow.
Guilt can also break a character’s spirit. This can be an ugly and rather vulnerable moment for the character, but that moment allows for character transformation. The character could spiral into oblivion or she could rebuild herself to be stronger.
I used this with Sophia, as well. That ugly breaking occurs when she witnesses the tragic death of a close friend. Afterwards, she has to face what falling into oblivion would cost her. This allowed Sophia to rebuild herself, and the guilt of being able to do nothing at that time fueled her need to do something.
Guilt can be a powerful thing. But then again, there’s always the complete opposite, and in my book that would be Sophia’s partner, Mackey Stone.
If you would like to find out why Thomas could be to blame for his own death, the reason behind Sophia’s resolve to rebuild herself, or what else happens in my book, please visit my site for places to buy Gaslight Demons, published by Morbidgames Publishing, written by me, Gloria Weber: http://gloriaweber.wordpress.com/ There you will also find my previous virtual book tour stops and dates for more to come.
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
And um, that was just a rhyme to rhyme. And stuff.
Anyway, that dream punk yesterday was a bit of a prank…thought it was obv due to the whole, yanno, jokey nature of the writing…it’s poking fun at all the COUNTLESS DAMNED SUBGENRES we got going on right now. I mean, really, this is getting out of hand and silly and stupid.
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
Okay, so what kind of SF/F writer would I be if I didn’t create a new sub-genre every once and awhile? Come on! It’s fun to do, and what with adding the punk-suffix, easy as well. So now I give you:
(drumroll puh-lease)
DREAM PUNK
What is dream punk? What isn’t dream punk? It’s surreal. It’s strange. It uses short, clipped sentence that carry more meaning than you first think. It combines all other subgenre punks, since it can be anything at any time. It can be steampunk, urban fantasy, whatev whatev. What makes dreampunk dreampunk is the plot: which is surreal, which is not focused on anything, which slides in and out of fragmentations like a dream. Sure there can be a story in there…but it needs to be nestled deep within the hidden wells of symbolism. Also- it needs to use some puns, here and there, to complixify meanings. Like that last sentence.
Oh- and whimsy! Let’s not forget the whimsy! We all need some of that. A clown riding a bike of skulls, that sort of thing. Everyone likes a good dose of whimsy in their corn flakes. It’s just what Herr Doktur ordered.
Nominate some Dream Punk stories! Right now! Before I beat you with a spoon and kiss you on the rightward cheek!
NYAR! Long live the revolution!
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
As part of her blog tour. In that same review I’ll be sending a copy to the first person who comments on it, so be prepared if you want to join in on the fun.
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
Yup, it’s so good I read it twice. I can’t say that about too many book, since my reading hours are short and crammed between day jobbery and night family and writing my own writerly things, but every once and awhile I return to the ones that take hold of my throat and refuse to let go. Like Shriek:An Afterward before it, Finch clings to the mind. It takes up space, create it’s own processes and memories that fade and mutate with time. Returning to it months later I realize it is not the same book I remember, it’s grown in me, changed in me. The book I’m returning to is the book that has created a mirror likeness to the book in my mind, yet is deranged and full of more wonder than I remember.
Damnit! There is just so much in this book that I find surprises around every corner. I feel I might have to reread it again, in a few more months, just to find more hidden gems.
Some links:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0
http://www.finchthenovel.com
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
Check out my latest article at e-paper central :
http://www.epapercentral.com/german-parl
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
Checkitout:
http://osedundas1965.livejournal.com/269
Originally published at Worlds of Paul Jessup. Please leave any comments there.
The Nook is a game changer. It really, really is. Until this point Amazon didn’t have much competition with the Kindle…I preferred Sony’s E-Reader myself, but it was flying too low on people’s radar. The Nook, on the other hand, will be heavily promoted and has some killer features that Kindle doesn’t or won’t ever have. Of course, one of the big reasons why this is a game changer is the ability to have two screens, once LCD touch screen and one e-paper.
Some people don’t understand the allure of e-paper. They see a device and think, I don’t like reading on a monitor and why is that screen in black and white? Not understanding how much e-paper and e-ink look and resemble real paper and have little to no strain on the eyes. Why? Because of no backlighting and no glare. It’s also the reason why e-paper is in black and white (something most people just don’t get- they complain about not being able to search on the web with it, or whatever. So what? Buy a laptop), etc, etc.
Until now, adding a touchscreen interface to an e-reader has had several problems. For one, it usually creates a lag-time. For another, the touch screen is usually a second screen layered over the first, causing glare and removing the main benefit for e-paper: the experience of reading real paper, with less strain on the eyes. Add in a glare and you’ve got more eye-strain.
E-readers are about replacing a library of books, but keeping the quality and simplicity of the book experience. It’s basically a move in technology towards creating some thing portable and book like, a way of improving the book-reading experience. Hence, LCD screens won’t quite work. If they did, no one would be complaining about eye-strain, etc.
By combining both screens on the nook, I think they’re giving people the best of both worlds. Color LCD and fast response time for the touch screen, paper like reading for the book portion. This is also why the Pixel-Q laptop/netbook won’t work and won’t float. Even though it plans on being super cheap (and having a cool, book like fold out hinge with two screens) it will be all LCD all the time. So you’ll get short battery life, no paper-like quality for reading, and basically just a netbook. Which begs the question- why would anyone care? Why not just buy a netbook? You need the e-paper to make a proper e-reader these days. That’s it. No arguments.
Well, enough rambling. The e-reader market is about to get very interesting.
