You can now vote for the 2013 Aurora Awards. My short story “Delta Pi” from Torn Realities is nominated in the “Best Short Fiction – English” category.
The Auroras recognize the best in Canadian science fiction, fantasy and horror. Any Canadian citizen or resident can vote. Past nominees including some of the leading names in Canadian science fiction and fantasy like Robert J. Sawyer, William Gibson and Peter Watts.
Below are my recommendations for the 2013 Aurora Awards.
NOTE: If I list nominees with numbers, those are the order I recommend you vote in. If it’s bullet points, I have no recommended order. The order of the bullets is by last name; vote as you wish.
I’m friends with both Marie Bilodeau and Chadwick Ginther. While Chadwick is organizing the ChiSeries in Winnipeg, Marie gets the edge for living in Ottawa.
Thunder Road by Chadwick Ginther, Ravenstone Books
Best Short Fiction
Of course I want you to vote for me! But give my friend Marie Bilodeau a vote too. Also, my friends Suzanne Church and Douglas Smith are also nominated, but they have both won the Aurora already… and they don’t live in Ottawa.
“Delta Pi” by Matt Moore, Torn Realities, Post Mortem Press
I am friends with both Sandra and Helen. I can’t pick between them.
“Roc” by Sandra Kasturi, Come Late to the Love of Birds, Tightrope Books
“The Ghosts of Birds” by Helen Marshall, Phantom Drift 2: Valuable Estrangements, Wordcraft of Oregon
Best Related Work
This one gives me fits. I am giving Hayden the #1 slot since he’s from Ottawa. But Imaginarium is a great anthology, Hair Side, Flesh Side is a marvelous collection and On Spec is a great magazine (and they bought the first story I ever sold).
Another tough one. The World Fantasy Convention was a masterpiece. But Sandra Kasturi and the Marshalls sisters have been doing great work in Toronto with the ChiSeries and the SpecFic Colloquium. Not sure in which order you should vote, but definitely vote for all of them.
Evelyn Baker, Amy De Ruyte, and Peter Halasz, Executive Committee of WFC Toronto, 2012
Helen and Peter do great work, but I have to give the #1 slot to Michael Matheson. Now doubt Helen and Peter deserve to be recognized, but it was for an hour presentation. Michael Matheson has been going all year long to maintain his list of Canadian Speculative Fiction, which the Auroras honour. So vote for all three, but give Michael the #1 slot.
Michael Matheson, compilation and maintenance of the Can Spec Fic List
I recently returned from my first vacation in a few years. It taught me a few things:
Children between the ages of 5 to 8 make all the decisions. Parents can make alternate suggestions, but should be prepared to be corrected, admonished or insulted for speaking out of turn.
Waiting in line is for suckers. You should (literally) run up to the front of the line, state some halfhearted apology about being late (while not making eye contact) and then go about monopolizing the agent’s time. It helps to say it will “just take a second” regardless of how long it actually takes.
Children come in three settings: Shouting, shrieking and whining.
Be as loud and profane as possible at all times so everyone can hear what a fuckin’ bitch your mother-in-law is.
You don’t need to look where you’re going. Keep your eyes on your phone, something off to the side, or just walk backwards for 20 paces. If someone runs into you, that’s their problem.
The “This space reserved for guests over 18 year old” sign does not apply to your precious little darlings.
Has decorum become déclassé?
I’m being facetious, but polite behaviour and consideration of others has taken a nosedive since the last time I was out. And as a science fiction and horror writer, I can’t help but think how this observation relates to fiction writing.
Now, a culture where people are so wrapped up with themselves they’re oblivious to others is nothing new. (WALL-E, below,nails this idea on the head.) But I’m not talking about sacrificing real-world relations for those in cyberspace.
And this also isn’t a “damn kids” rant since I saw everyone from children to grandparents acting like this. Nor is this a classist diatribe against hipsters, rednecks, nouveau riche, lefties, white trash or spoiled rich kids. This behaviour ran the gamut—Bud Light swillers and martini drinkers, those with John Deere ballcaps and those with Dolce and Gabbana shades, complaining about “fuckin’ Obama” or “those NRA cocksuckers”.
It’s not about one group. This is about collective civility. It’s like the Internet Fuckwad Theory has migrated into meat space.
Which led me to consider dystopic and utopic fiction.
Utopia and Dystopia: The relation between a society and its systems
Both utopic and dystopic fiction deal with the relationship between a society and its systems. By “systems” I mean technology, government, the environment, the economy, etc. Some of these are human-made, but are beyond the control of any one person or group. “Society” is simply us—how people interact under the influence of these systems.
The false utopia of Huxley’s Brave New World was based on Ford’s assembly line concept. To bring it about, systems like commerce and reproduction were changed.
To bring about a utopia, some belief or morality drives a society to reform its systems. For example, eliminating poverty would require massive social change—increased taxation, curtailing the free market and establishing coercive systems to redistribute wealth. Few think poverty is a good thing, but most would not accept these reforms at the expense of their own well-being. Yet what if some new belief system arose? Let’s say a religious or charismatic leader who convinces us to act and reform our economic and social structure, even at the expense of our lifestyle, so that no one has to live in poverty.
In other words, societal change causes systemic change, which leads to utopia. Rarely does some new technology lead to a perfect world. Rather, that new technology causes some societal change and that societal change brings about systemic reforms.
Yet in dystopic fiction, it’s the opposite—systemic failure leads to societal failure, be it economic collapse, climate change or zombie apocalypse. Consider the “Great Panic” in Max Brook’s World War Z where hoarding and mutual suspicion caused more harm than the zombies. Group A has food and Group B has ammunition, but neither group wants to traverse the infected areas to trade. To say nothing of a lack of trust. So either Group A is overrun and Group B starves, or one group has to raid and displace the other.
Or The Handmaid’s Tale where the Sons of Jacob create panic through a staged terrorist attack in order to have the support they need to launch their theocratic revolution.
Societal collapse leads to systems collapse?
Yet rarely do we have fiction where society breaks down before its systems. Simply put, this would mean a people “gives up” and stops working, having children and pursuing leisure (G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate notwithstanding). In fiction, we would abhor this. We crave characters who fight against long odds where most people—including the reader—would give up.
From Idiocracy, but I heard conversations just like this. (What makes this especially amusing is the grammatical error—intentional or not?)
(Aside: A film that explores this concept is Mike Judge’s under-appreciated Idiocracy. Set 500 years in the future, two cryogenically frozen people from the present awake to find the results of the trend where educated, middle class couples delay having children (or don’t have them at all) while dumb people continue to have large families. Over multiple generations, humankind is stupid, ignorant and incapable of maintaining the technology that previous generations build. However, this is not exactly what I am getting at since in this film society has not given up; they are too dumb to even make that decision.)
Yet could we be moving in that direction? Is this rudeness and lack of mutual respect a symptom of a larger issue? Consider that voter turnout continues to drop. Membership in service organizations like the Lions Club or Kiwanis is declining. Interaction with neighbours is limited to a polite wave.
The Time Machine revisited
In H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, evolution had split humans into two species over hundreds of thousands of years. The working class became monstrous Morlocks, who maintained ancient subterranean technology. The wealthy aristocracy became the frail Eloi, who don’t require strength or intellect since technology has solved their problems.
This division reflected Wells’ sociopolitical views. But through the lens of today, might it be sooner than the 8028th century before we have these divisions?
Societal norms, which enforce behaviour better than laws (e.g., we feel more compelled to not pick our nose in public than obey the speed limit) are breaking down. We are disengaging from our larger society. Yes, there have been systemic problems—economic uncertainty, allegations of election fraud in virtually every election, climate change. But I’d argue people simply don’t care anymore. There’s no consequence for being rude or uncivil, so why bother? Especially when selfish behaviour results in positive outcomes for you? So it’s not that our systems our failing, by disengaging from society we will come to ignore our systems, leading to their failure.
Rather than Morlocks and Eloi, in several thousands years might humanity evolve into two species different than what Wells envisioned? One might be loud, rude, oblivious brutes incapable of cooperation. But another would be the descendants of those who held to societal conventions. Might this latter group, through cooperation, manipulate systems to their advantage and use the former group as cheap labour? It won’t be The Matrix that enslaves us, but those few among us still saying “Please” and “Thank you”.
It could make for some very interesting science fiction.
Here is my schedule for Ad Astra 2013, taking place in Toronto (or Markham as my Toronto-dwelling friends like to point out) at the Markham Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites:
Friday
10 pm: Floor 2, Suite 2 Reading: I’ll be reading “Delta Pi“ and sharing the hour with fellow Ottawa writer Matthew Johnson
Saturday
12 pm: Franklin Nerd Game Show Power Hour
Sara Dhooma (m), Daryl Smith, Matt Moore, Adam Shaftoe
1 pm: Berczy A Defining Horror
Suzanne Church (m), Michael Matheson, Rio Youers, Matt Moore
4:30 pm: Berczy B Autograph Session
Sunday
1 pm: Beaufort East Summer Scifi Trailer Park
Sara Dhooma (m), James Bambury, Matt Moore, Adam Shaftoe
2 pm: Beaufort East What Are Horror Authors Afraid Of?
Matt Moore (m), Suzanne Church, Rio Youers, Sandra Kasturi
Back in November, I was supposed to be on a panel titled “Why Zombies, Why Now?” Unfortunately, I’d fallen ill (which is ironic considering the premise of this post) and could not attend.
Thinking about the topic, the answer to the question “Why zombies, why now?” isn’t that zombies are metaphors for our fear of death or loss of identity. Zombies reflect our fear of being sick.
So why “now”?
The “Why Now” element could be taken two ways: why now and not another time; or, why are they still around right now?
I think with the fading enthusiasm for The Walking Dead, we are on the down swing of zombie popularity. But Warm Bodies could change that if it’s a hit.
This post is not about the history of zombies, so suffice to say zombies have been part of popular cultural for a long time. Night of the Living Dead introduced (or at least popularized) the modern version of the walking dead and their popularity has waxed and waned ever since.
But to the second way to interpret it: Why are we *still* dealing with zombies?
It’s because zombies might be the best, most flexible allegorical element in fantastic fiction. They can represent racism, consumerism, militarism, collectivism, socio-economic disparity, cultural homogeneity or just about anything else.
What’s changed is zombies have become a very literal symbol of something that we, as a culture, are terrified of: disease.
We’re more afraid of living poorly than of death
We used to fear death. We now talk about right to die, euthanasia and dying with dignity. Watching our parents and grandparents wither away in their 80s and 90s, warehoused in senior centers, we’ve come to realize death might not be such a bad thing.
We don’t fear death; living with a poor quality of life terrifies us. And while one’s quality of life in one’s 90s is more a trick of genetics, quality of life—that perfect life—in our younger years is an obsession.
There’s a pill for that
Watch the nightly news on an American network. Look at all the commercials for drugs and hospitals. Everything is a disease to be conquered
Exercise and diet can address high blood pressure, but why bother when there’s a pill? While hand sanitizer stations were prudent during the H1N1 Flu outbreak in 2009, Purell is now part of the common lexicon as a noun, just like Kleenex, Q-Tips and Rollerblades.
And a disease isn’t a real disease unless it has an acronym. A man with low testerone levels has “Low T.” And not “lo tee”, but “loat-ee”, a liaison connecting the second consonant like the term has been around long enough for the pronunciation to have morphed. The same with Restless Leg Syndomre. “Ar-el-es?” Heck no, you have “ar’les”.
Whereas previous generations learned to live with certain things (and perhaps unfairly so), we want things to not only be fixed, but optimized. Viagara and Cialis won’t just fix your erectile dysfunction, but give you a happy marriage. Lunesta won’t just put you to sleep, but give your energy and vigor in the morning. We demand to have the perfect life free of all hardships.
Zombies are sick
Feed by Mira Grant has two man-made viruses, one to cure cancer and the other to cure the cold, combining to give rise to zombies.
So what does that have to do with zombies? Recently, zombies have changed from “the walking dead” to “the infected.” Witness 28 Days Later. The Walking Dead (television series) visited the CDC looking for a cure, a cure Hershel Greene (in both the series and comics) believed existed. Max Brooks’ World War Z and the Zombie Survival Guide describes stages of how the zombie virus overcomes a healthy host. Books by Joe McKinney, Jonathan Maberry and Mira Grant all have the “zombie as virus” element.
Now take a look at the Google NGram search for “zombie plague”. It remains flat until the late 90s, rises a bit, then shoots up around 2004. While zombies have functioned as an expression of one fear or another since the 60s, today zombies represent our fear of disease.
And it’s not not just killers like cancer or ALS, or debilitating conditions like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. It’s anything that stands in the way of the perfect life. TV and magazine ads promise a life free of bad moods, soft penises or restless nights. So what better view of the perfect life through a glass darkly than a zombie plague? Mindless, decaying, engaging in the horrific taboo of cannibalism. And not because of God’s punishment, nuclear experiments or chemical spills, but illness. Don’t get sick or you’ll be a zombie.
And for the living survivors? Being dirty, hungry, displaced and tired. In an age where middle age adults care for their ailing parents, we don’t just see disease standing in the way of something better. The sick and infirmed around us are to blame for losing the perfect life we dreamed we were supposed to have.
What do you think?
Am I on the money here? Or missing something? Tell me in the comments if you think zombies represent our fear of disease.
Pleased to report that On Spec Magazine has purchased my editorial on how Urban Fantasy is a reflection of our changing demographics. But, as the suburbs gain more influence, stories of the fantastic will shift their focus out of gritty down towns and into suburbia.
In browsing the news yesterday, two pieces jumped out at me.
Deaf Belgian twins choose death over blindness
NBC News and The National Post, among others, carried a story about two 45-year old twins in Belgium who have been deaf since birth. Facing blindness, they took advantage of Belgium’s euthanasia laws and claimed they would face suffering due to the loss of their sight. And so, last month, they received lethal injections at a hospital. By all reports, they were quite rational about.
Ice cubes can detect how drunk you are
Ice cubes in a glass, color-coded to how much you’ve had to drink
I found this story on The Next Web about an MIT researcher who invented ice cubes that could track his level of drinking. After a black-out night of drinking, rather than vowing to never drink again he went all The Big Bang Theory and invented something. These ice cubes change color the more he has to drink, tracked by the motion of his glass. Should he have too much, the ice cubes can send a signal to his cell phone to text his friend.
What do these mean for writers?
Euthanasia is no stranger to science fiction and horror. Logan’s Run and Soylent Green spring to mind. But these are due to autocratic structures controlling population size.
It’s people! Logan’s Running out of people! Or… maybe not… I haven’t seen the movies in a long time.
Here, two men couldn’t contemplate living without sight while never having had their hearing. While it is being labelled as euthanasia, it strikes me more as suicide. While relieving the suffering of others is noble, and through lethal means may sometimes be necessary, state-assisted suicide to alleviate suffering before-the-fact could open up some scary doors. (I don’t mean to judge these men. I am troubled, but am not saying it is right or wrong. That’s not for me to say. What it suggests and could lead to, though, is troubling.)
Could a bullied teenager claim euthanasia to end her suffering at the hands of her tormentors? An obese person wants out rather than deal with the looks and comments of others, to say nothing of not literally fitting into a world designed for thin people? If someone is genuinely suffering and chooses to end their life, I fall on the side of listening to their wishes. A trouble, though, is people who are suicidal may not be in their right minds and making rationale decisions. (Personal note: Suicide has touched my life, so I have some experience/bias here. But that’s all I’m going to say.) So there may be times someone wants to die because they are suffering, and we shouldn’t listen to them. Suffering is relative, after all, but do we get to judge what is and isn’t suffering because it is relative?
For the ice cubes, they open up some others interesting doors. Assuming they are affordable, could they become a requirement of bars to identify intoxicated patrons? Could a (future) DNA test in the ice cubes sample DNA to attempt to detect under-age drinkers? Perhaps the ice cubes could also detect drugs in the liquid. Might hacking these ice cubes to control the information flow become the new fake ID market? In the Information Age, what information is being gathered right in your glass?
I think, as writers, these ideas beg to be explored and considered through the context that fiction can bring. When is is morally wrong for the state to help someone end their life, despite claims of suffering? How much information can we gather from recreational drinking and how should it be used?
They are challenging, complicated topics. Right up the alley of bright and talented science fiction and horror writers. Get to it!
[Editorial Note: I invite your comments, but anything about when it is right and wrong to commit suicide or euthanasia will not be approved. This post is not about that, but what issues it raises.]
As 2012 comes to a close, here’s my obligatory year in review like I’ve done for 2011 and 2010.
While 2011 was the year of rewriting my stories because I didn’t feel they were strong enough, 2012 was the year of rewriting stories plus rewrite requests. In 2011 and 2012 I rewrote the following stories to make them stronger. As a result, they all sold in 2012:
In the Shadow of Scythe (Leading Edge Magazine, Issue #62), which went through two major rewrites
To say nothing of the usual proofing, copy edits and other effort that takes place when you sell a story. I guess this means that all that work paid off for producing sellable stories. As I write this, I only have two pieces of fiction still looking for their first home. All others have sold or I have trunked.
Numbers and figures
In 2012, I:
Made 50 submissions of 12 stories and 3 poems
Had 8 acceptances (which includes some submissions from 2011)
Made 50 blog posts, including this one
Taught two writing workshops in Ottawa
Conferences
I attended Ad Astra in Toronto, Can*Con in Ottawa and World Fantasy in Richmond Hill. I’d wanted to go to SFContario in Toronto, but was too sick following something I picked up at World Fantasy.
In summary and looking ahead to 2013
I remember being excited this time last year. After spending a lot of 2011 revising old stories, I’d vowed to “bring the awesome.” It didn’t work out as I’d hoped. I spend most of 2012 pushing boundaries, trying new things and working to bring fresh new energy to my writing.
And I fell on my face. Of all the stories I wrote in 2012, I think only two were worth a damn. I sold “That Which Does Not Kill You”, which was written for an invite-only anthology. The other, a fantasy family drama “The Binding”, is making the rounds. So even though I sold some stories and polished others, my new work is not where I wanted it to be.
I know it’s common to set goals for the new year, but I’ve never been one for that. I can’t control if I will make it into a pro market and word counts can be as limiting (“I hit my goal, I’m going to stop”) as inspiring (“I need to write today!”).
But I do have a goal for 2013. It’s the same as it ever has been: no regrets. This means:
I won’t get to the end of the day, week, month or year thinking I wasted time when I should have been writing. If I am not writing, there are good reasons for it. Bad reasons are not acceptable.
Writing is not just typing. I can write on the bus, at lunch or in bed at night before I go to sleep. This can be thinking about characters, conflict, dialogue or other elements that I should have ready-to-go when I start to type.
Each new story should have something new in it. That can be a character I have not tackled before, a tone or theme, or just some element I want to punch up (e.g., sensory description, characterization purely through dialogue). I will never take the easy way out and write something I have done before.
Be part of the community. With Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads there is no reason I should not be participating in discussion on the art and business of writing. In person, there is a local Ottawa convention and several in Toronto I could attend.
And with this bit of self-indulgence out of the way, I wish you all a great 2013!
Asperger’s Syndrome has been bandied about by the media as a possible explanation for the shooter’s motivation. (I will not name the shooter here.) While mental health must be part of the discussion, I worry talk about these conditions could make things worse, not better, for the shy and withdrawn. A reasonable discussion could quickly devolve into demonizing this conditions and even stretch to introversion, resulting in backlash to “fix” or “cure” those who have them.
Asperger’s is not an illness & introverts are not broken
I am not an expert in Asperger’s so can’t say much about it except this: It is not a mental illness. People with Asperger’s are not sick and don’t need to be cured.
As for introverts, if you are one or know one, you know we can be quiet, preferring to be off on our own and sometimes lose the thread of what’s going on around us because we are “up in our heads.” There is nothing wrong with this—it is how we process information. Outwardly, some might mistake it for Autism or Asperger’s.
Leave me alone, I’m thinking AKA Introvert at Work
As the video states, introversion is seen as something wrong. Our school system stresses sharing and social skills while workplaces demand multi-tasking, people skills and group dynamics. Introverts often feel lost, disadvantaged, stressed and flustered. We are considered broken and many well-meaning people want to save us by pulling us from our shells. But as the gay community has said for decades, it is not a choice—we are born like this and don’t need to be fixed.
When you hammer a square peg into a round hole, pieces break off
What worries me is that as a society we are hammering a square peg into a round hole. Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory) and Abed Nadir’s (Community) social awkwardness are used for comic relief while other characters try to make them more social. This is presented as normal, but in real life when a square peg is smashed into a round hole, pieces break off. Sometimes, they shatter.
When we think of Asperger’s syndrome, Abed Nadir from Community springs to mind
I’m not suggesting introverts will be pushed to become mass killers, but certainly those introverts who are pushed into socializing and then retreat further into isolation in order to recharge would be further ostracized, increasing the stigma on introverts. This 24-hour, instant gratification world is losing its appreciation for pondering and reflection. The world’s thinkers are labelled with pejoratives like “geeks” or “nerds” or “brainiacs”.
Let’s put it this way: imagine an extrovert who can talk to anyone, makes decisions instantly and is always moving forward at 100mph. Her manager thinks some of her decisions might lack a bit of reflection, so asks her to close the office door, take an hour and think over a few things. No one would be surprised if this woman got flustered, frustrated or pissed off.
Just like an introvert being told to “loosen up” or “just make a decision, already”.
But it might get worse than that.
Mass Murderers are “quiet loners”… so are introverts
The profile of mass murderers—from Columbine to Newtown—always seems to be the “quite loner.” But that could apply to any serious introvert (including me). So will introverts be viewed as not just broken, but dangerous?
With the media saying those with Asperger’s “lack empathy”, could the public begin to see serial killer Dexter as Asperger’s poster child?
Media “experts” have been describing Asperger’s as lacking empathy. That’s psychopathology, not Asperger’s. The difference between the two defies comparison. Yet after decades of the pop science in crime dramas, could the average person stop thinking of Abed or Sheldon when they think Asperger’s and instead think of Hannibal Lecter or Dexter Morgan?
Could this idea that those with Asperger’s are dangerous penetrate the pop psychology, with armchair experts pushing for even more efforts to “fix” introverts to not just help them, but so they don’t lash out and kill people? They might argue it’s not enough to stress interaction, verbalization and sharing, but prevent them from being alone or remaining quiet for too long. An “expert” on television even “warned” that a teenage boy spending too much time alone should be a warning sign he will commit violence.
Or, will we be ostracized further under a cloud of suspicion that the quiet guy in cube 1020A is too quiet and might just snap? While an introvert might not be the life of the party, we still appreciate and expect (like everyone else) simple affection and respect. Avoiding us will not help.
In case you think I have forgotten the victims
Please don’t take this post to be all about me. Or that I am suggesting the shooter was drive to do what he did because he needed more time to process his thoughts. I’m not. I’m from Connecticut. My heart is broken. I am as stunned as anyone else that rather than target his tormentors (as in virtually all school shootings) this monster targeted children.
I just hope in all of this we don’t overreact. Yet the disengaged public, barely paying attention, only catches a few talking points: “Too much time alone… video games… social awkward… school shooter.”
We don’t need to rush to a quick fix for this complex situation. Because a common thread to all of these tragedies we seem to have lost is the introvert trait of listening more. And by listening, we understand. Then we can act.
I know times are tough and writer-types are not rolling in dough, but I hope someone out there can help out three worthy causes.
Ottawa bookseller Collected Works looking for a buyer
Collected Works is a bookstore in Ottawa just west of the downtown core. It has been very good to Ottawa’s specfic community. But recently, owners Christopher and Craig posted to Facebook they are looking for a buyer. The price is only $1.00, but the new owner would need to take on liabilities. If they don’t have a buyer by December 24, they will be closing the store.
Times are tough and I hope a buyer can come through. I know it’s doubtful a buyer will see this post, but I’m asking if you’d please spread the word.
Help turn Michael Kelly’s Apparitions 2 from dream to reality
Michael Kelly, who has edited the Chilling Tales anthologies (Edge) and the dark fiction journal Shadows & Tall Trees (Undertow) is turning to Indiegogo to fund a second volume of Apparitions. The first volume was a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award.
Michael has already lined up stories from Glen Hirshberg, Kathe Koja, John Langan, Sarah Langan, Mark Morris, Reggie Oliver, M. Rickert and Simon Strantzas. If funds can be raised, there will also be an open reading period from Feb. 1–28, 2013. But Michael needs to hit his $5,000 goal by January 15, 2013.
Michael is an amazing editor and put together some great works. He’s also a great dude in his own right. Help him out?
Ellen Datlow and ChiZine Publications team-up for a Kickstarter-funded anthology
“This project is close to my heart,” says Datlow, “which is why I’ve decided to appeal to the public through Kickstarter. And while I have a stable of writers whose work I love, I want to give a chance to new talent that I may not be aware of. I want them to write the stories they’ve always wanted to and perhaps couldn’t because there was no venue for them.”
This campaign has to raise $25,000 by January 10 for it to happen. I know that’s a lot, but it goes to editing, layout, design and production costs. And they’re offering some great pledge options. They’ve already raised about $5K as I write this, so they’re on their way but need your help.
Okay, I’ve asked for enough of your money. Even if you can’t spare anything this close to Christmas, please spread the word.
My short story "Δπ (Delta Pi)" has been nominated in the Best Short Story category for the 2013 Aurora Awards. Learn more about how to vote for "Delta Pi'.
You can download and read "Δπ (Delta Pi)" as a free ebook:
Read my other blog:Wisdom for the Day, a side-project balancing humor & sarcasm on Tumblr
My eBook: Silverman's Game
(Damnation Books) A taut thriller: Three friends trapped in a basement. A gun loaded with a single bullet. An impossible choice.
Help turn Michael Kelly’s Apparitions 2 from dream to reality
