Daniel Suarez’s Daemon is an amazing story. And I’m not talking about the actual plot; for that, the word “Amazing” would not suffice. No, I am referring to the incredible series of events which are leading up to its publication and release on January 8th. After writing Daemon back in 2004, Suarez faced the uphill battle common to many first-time authors. Unable to find a buyer, yet confident of the quality of his work, he decided to self-publish. Using print-on-demand, Suarez pumped out a few dozen copies a month, at…
Tag sf
Good science fiction
I know it sounds like I’m forever defending the greatest genre of entertainment, but it isn’t a defense, per se. It’s just my enthusiasm leaking out. And every time I run into more speculative goodness, it’s like another log tossed on that fire. Like seeing District 9 recently. Or the subject of this post: a short story by Blake R. Swensen entitled “Interview With Teddy.” Blake showed up at Asimovs.com recently doing a happy-author-jig. Without a webcam, it was something of a disappointment, but his words conveyed enough of his…
Film Review: District 9
Say it three times: There is no genre like science fiction. There is no genre like science fiction. There is no genre like science fiction. And films like District 9 are proof. Continuing a stellar run of speculative fiction over the last few years (Fountain, Moon, Children of Men) District 9 strikes that perfect balance of tickling our brains while tormenting our hearts. All the great action/adventure cliches are here to drive the plot along, but the filler, the satire of the human condition, is really what sets this film…
How science fiction becomes science fact
My publisher and I were talking last night about the uncanny habit science has of catching up with developments first mentioned in science fiction. We both agreed that this seems to happen quite often, but after giving it more thought, I’ve changed my mind. I’m not really sure that’s the case. Of the billions of concepts dreamed up each year in the genre, how many become viable? Several thousand? I don’t see prescience there, I see statistical chance. In fact, science fiction writers (whether it’s TV, film, or literature) tend…
Sharpening my writing skills
Now that I have a publisher, the pressure is on to not just detail Molly’s amazing life, but to do it well. Make it entertain. For that reason, I’ve begun writing short science fiction stories in order to sharpen my skills as a writer. I do not want Molly’s biography to come across as dry; the events in her life deserve far better than that. If you missed my first stab, THE AUTOMATED ONES, I urge you to check it out. Then give my latest effort, WHILE YOU ARE GREATER…