We return to the mirror universe in episode 11 of Star Trek: Discovery and were exasperated to find that even more main characters are kicking the bucket. But some are returning to life… and there were some incredibly satisfying moments as well. And what about Tilly’s amazing angular haircut?
We also talk about the SFWA Recommended Reading List and how we plan to use it to get a jump on award season reading this year.
It’s that time again… the end-of-year taking stock post! Here’s what I was up to in 2017.
LOTS AND LOTS OF NOVELING
Instead of making a short story submissions goal, I set myself a daily benchmark of writing 500 words per day on a novel. I didn’t write on weekends and holidays and I took off all of August (to hang out with my kids) and December (holiday houseguests).
So, how did it go?
I wrote 260,522 words. I completed one novel and wrote half of two others. There were some extremely productive weeks:
And some not-so-productive weeks:
But it all averaged out in the end.
The very first short story I ever sent out on submission, “Sinshine,” sold and appeared in Kaleidotrope. And my third week Clarion West story “Granite Requires” was featured on Pseudopod. It’s pretty clear that dark humor is my happy place. I desperately want to be a SF writer, but the pull of horror is strong. Someday, I’ll give myself over to it.
I attended Norwescon, the Writing Excuses Cruise, Worldcon in Helsinki, and Geek Girl Con. I toured Germany with a group that included Howard Tayler (who is very cool) and Mary Robinette Kowal (who is a delightful traveling companion). This is also my last year of Campbell eligibility, but I’m not worried about it. I already have a tiara.
And finally, I sent my completed novel to a publisher this past spring and there was… a response. Which I will tell you about some time in the future…
The midseason premiere of Star Trek: Discovery was so fraught with emotion that we spend an entire episode reeling from it. We are shook. There were reveals, transformations, and a sudden death that had us scream-crying in our chairs. Strap in for some Discovery spoilers, because we’re talking about every tiny detail.
Note that because emotions were running high, this episode is very sweary right out of the gate and does not let up.
We kick off the new year and Season Two with episode dirty… uh thirty-one. Who thought we would ever make it this far?
Dave and TJ to way deep into The Last Jedi. Spoiling everything and generally ruining the movie for everyone.
Why do the Porgs kill Mon Mothma? How can Anakin Skywalker be back from the dead? Why does Han Solo feel the need to speak only in Esperanto? We answer these questions and more.
Our final wrap-up episode of Star Trek: Discovery! We go way into spoilery territory with some guesses as to the secret identities of certain characters, as well as the implications of the final episode.
Our continuation of an in-depth look at the first half of the Star Trek: Discovery season. We go into detail about the middle few episodes and do a quick comparison with the other flagship space opera, The Orville.
This episode, we go into the details of Star Trek: Discovery, starting with Episode 1, “The Vulcan Hello” and ending with Episode 3, “Context is for Kings.”
It’s no secret that we love Discovery, we delve into where it exceeds expectations and where it comes up short. Dave makes a unique suggestion for transporter use and we wonder about the wastewater processing on a starship. And if you’re one of those people who think the Orville is more Star Trek than Discovery, we have a few words for you, none of them polite.
This week, we talk to Alasdair Stuart, co-owner of the Escape Artists network of podcasts including Pseudopod, Escape Pod, Cast of Wonders, and Podcastle. Alasdair shares how he ended up as the host of Pseudopod and eventually became the owner of Escape Artists.
We also delve into the state of the short fiction market and how science fiction and fantasy have gone mainstream… but there’s more work to be done to reach our audience. We talk about Star Trek: Discovery and the Orville and how they both approach space exploration from different angles. And finally, we talk cookies!
Mike’s new book, King Cage and the War of Rikers Island will be out in December and the first two books in the series, King Cage and the Worth Street Djinni and King Cage and the Slaughterhouse Blues are available now via Kindle Unlimited. If you like fast-paced urban fantasy, gritty graffiti artists capturing djinni in murals, and revolting chase scenes through the sewers of New York, then give this series a try!
