Tag: science fiction

Stone Goddess in The Best of Lame Goat Press

~ Sean Monaghan ~ 1 Comment

Christopher Jacobsmeyer, editor of Lame Goat Press, compiled this collection from the five volumes Horror Through the Ages, Kings of the Realm: A Dragon Anthology, Diamonds in the Rough, The Next Time and Howl: Tales of the Feral and Infernal, the first five anthologies published late last year and early this year – some of these are now out of print. “Thirty stories from the anthologies, including one brand new one. Revisit the history of LGP in all its glory.”
My story, and one of my personal favourites, “Stone Goddess” is included in the anthology. This is the second ‘reprint’ of the story – it was also read by Barry J. Northern as a podcast at Cast Macabre.
The anthology is available from Amazon here

Lame Goat Press has had a busy and fraught year, and appears to no longer be active. Fortunately many of its volumes are still available – and this book makes for a great sampler.

Orson Scott Card – Keeper of Dreams

~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

Orson Scott Card – Keeper of Dreams

This collection of stories by sci-fi superstar is a patchy mix of a variety of odd pieces from a variety of sources – most of his stories have been compiled in earlier collections and since he focuses on novels more than stories there are fewer stories left to put into a volume.

While the stories are cool and compelling, what Card does so well is offer commentary about each: about the history and writing process that went into making the story, whether it be something he thought might be a novel, or a quirky idea he had or what have you. As a writer I find this aspect of the book the most interesting – more so than the stories themselves even. How does Card’s mind tick, why does he write the way he does, and so on. Fascinating, and perhaps as good as almost any writing course might be. I once had a friend to ask me to recommend a good guide to writing a novel and I suggested reading Card’s Pastwatch: The Redemption

Card’s official site is here.

Writing on … love to be busy

~ Sean Monaghan ~ 1 Comment

Well, with the excitement of the publication of the first part of my novel still hovering, I found loads of energy over the weekend to write.

I got busy with my dieselpunk serial. I completed the tidied up the ending of the first draft last night. I will work on a couple of other stories over the next few days, then tear into revisions on the dieselpunk piece. Somehow in the midst of that I managed a rough cover for my Lame Goat Press chapbook – more on that later this week.

I’m having another quick retreat in a couple of weeks – heading away for three nights in a cabin: just me and the laptop. I’ve got a bunch of outlines and beginning drafts for flash stories I’ll be working on.

And I’m prepping for another Pecha Kucha night – doing some creepy slides to go with Zombie-Eyed Girl which I’ll be reading aloud.

And then, of course, there is tutoring prep – reading and re-familiarising myself with the lectures and readings. Must make some time to create some new music too. Love to be busy.

The Rotated – Novel serialization begins

~ Sean Monaghan ~ 2 Comments

The serialization of my science fiction novel The Rotated has begun at Infinite Windows. The novel is a near-future thriller – probably best described by Infinite Windows editor D. Tannenbaum:

“What if you had a device that would let you rotate out of our world into alternate dimensions? What if an organization, shrouded in darkness and conspiracy, wanted to control you and your travels? What would you do? How far would you go to protect yourself and your loved ones?”

The novel is based on my flash fiction piece The Rotated which first appeared in the June 2009 issue of Infinite Windows.

The current issue also includes my flash fiction story “Apollo 19” – a very different tone and feel, and pace, to The Rotated, but it still probably has my “voice”.

Thanks to Dan – who has been a great supporter of the work, encouraging me to develop that original story – and Shane for taking the novel on, and to Peter Parkinson who read and gave me feedback on drafts.

Alien Skin Magazine closes

~ Sean Monaghan ~ 1 Comment

The wonderful online science fiction magazine Alien Skin has just published its final issue. They’ve been around for eight years and personally I was lucky enough to have a Fibonacci poem and a flash-fiction story (Time of Death) published by them. Understandably, running a magazine takes a lot of effort and the publishers are off to focus on other endeavours. As a paying market, they certainly would attract lots of submissions.

There are still some other online science fiction publishers to try with your short stories and flash. Some of my favourites include:

Infinite Windows
Antipodean Science Fiction
365Tomorrows
also
Bewildering stories
Static Movement

Duotrope also provide a fantastic searchable database of publishers, so take a look there for more publishers.

Daniel Pecqueur – Golden City

~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Golden City, a series of graphic novels in French by Daniel Pecqueur. First admission – I don’t understand French, just the occasional word: certainly not enough to follow the dialogue or prompts. The art, however, is extraordinary and very sci-fi, so it’s suiting me and where I’m at. I’m finding that I’m doing a lot of science fiction world building in my writing of late and these kinds of illustrations of unusual planes and boats, of underwater suits and giant cities, are all stimulating my imagination. These are the kinds of pictures I’d love to do of the worlds I’m imagining, if only I could draw even fractionally as well. In some ways the pictures remind me of a cleaner, crisper version of Moebius from the eighties. Pecqueur’s action and sense of composition is wonderful – even understanding hardly a word of it, I’m thoroughly engrossed and entertained.

Diving into the Wreck, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

Thursday, reading for writing post, and I find I’m torn and distracted. Another review book arrived over the weekend, but I’d already started Diving into the Wreck and I tried to put it aside, but it’s too compelling and the review book is, well, less-so. My compromise at the moment is 50-50, so I’m progressing through both slowly, brakes on for Wreck, pushing through the other (which is by an established, prize-winning, well-regarded literary writer, but a bit too conceptual).

So I’m still only halfway into Diving into the Wreck, but it’s too clever and well-constructed already so I just have to blog about it. It does have an intriguing structural element that I’m not sure will resolve – the first third feels like a separate adventure to the next part. Certainly it is setting up what is to come, and did leave me wanting more, but the ideas and characters are engaging, intriguing and deftly handled.

Rusch’s reputation in the field is huge, and, yay, she has sold a new book in the same universe, which should be out next year.

Friday update: okay, can’t stop reading this – really this just cements advice that you shouldn’t try to read two books at once, alternating is too confusing. I finished part two, and of course, consummate novelist that she is, it does link back to part one, much better than I’d expected.

Saturday update: well, I’m nearly finished Wreck and it does make sense. Sure the structure felt odd (and I’m sure would still even if I hadn’t been tried multi-booking), but it fits and fits well. I’ll probably finish it tonight, then return to the review book. I like deadlines (gotta have this review in by May 5th), but perhaps get a little hung up on them – there’s plenty of time to finish Wreck, read the other and write the review. I’ve already been researching the author (which is fine, non-fiction biography is a different kind of reading) and have drafted some of what I’ll write in the review anyway.

Sunday update: okay finished now, it all makes sense, it all works well, actually better than I had expected and it’s great: I really have to recommend this book. Now, on with the review.

Time of Death – flash fiction in Alien Skin

~ Sean Monaghan ~ Leave a comment

My conceptual sci-fi/horror story “Time of Death” has just been published in the April/May issue of Alien Skin Magazine. This has some pretty bleak humour to it, so is both fun and sad. Alien Skin does not archive – so this story is only available during April and May this year. After that the link above will go to another story (in the June/July issue, the August/September and so on), so get in now and read it quick.