No, not shellfish. SELFISH! If one thing is certain about life, it’s that each of us will only ever see it through our own eyes. Go to the ends of the earth, climb the highest mountain, take a rocket into orbit. It will still be you, your eyes, your ears, your hands and other senses,Continue reading “Stories are selfish.”
Category Archives: Writing & Publishing
Big Dumb Objects. Sci-fi’s USP.
We humans love things we can’t explain. Witness the vast array of outlandish claims made about Stonehenge, from ancient calendar to alien stargate, when in all likelihood it was just a big clock or an early marketplace, a neolithic branch of Tesco. When the unknown is also alien, the mystery only grows more magnetic. ThinkContinue reading “Big Dumb Objects. Sci-fi’s USP.”
I don’t just want a woman to be Bond, I want a woman to KILL Bond!
Why should we cast a woman as the next James Bond? To prove that women are dangerous and corrupt too. A woman actress as Bond isn’t a fantasy. It’s a chance to give Bond more realism. A new rumour seems to pop up every week – Idris Elba will be the next James Bond! No, AidanContinue reading “I don’t just want a woman to be Bond, I want a woman to KILL Bond!”
Will the book be replaced…by the block?
An interesting article over at Rhizome speculates on the future of Blockchain as a disruptive technology within publishing. What does the verb “to publish” mean in a society where every thought, movement, and moment is recorded and stored? Let’s say that publishing is the act of making something public and drawing attention to it. AndContinue reading “Will the book be replaced…by the block?”
Geek critique: Neil Gaiman and Kameron Hurley pick apart pop culture
Two new nonfiction collections – Gaiman’s The View from the Cheap Seats and Hurley’s The Geek Feminist Revolution – present contrasting perspectives on geek culture today. So what’s the state of it? Geeks were once like Victorian children: seen, but not heard; talked about but mocked, rarely given their own voice. But the newfound popularityContinue reading “Geek critique: Neil Gaiman and Kameron Hurley pick apart pop culture”
What was the first science fiction novel?
The Chymical Wedding by Christian Rosencreutz might be the first ever sci-fi novel, claims John Crowley, but are there even earlier claimants? “The heroes of many Indian myths, in a strange echo of today’s Marvel superheroes, also often derive their powers from scientific knowledge.” Ask many science fiction fans what the first novel in theirContinue reading “What was the first science fiction novel?”
No, books are not back.
The RMS Titanic sank over a century ago, taking with it 1500 lives. It could have been many fewer, but in the early stages of the catastrophe the boat appeared to stop sinking, and many passengers in 3rd class were told the situation was safe, to only then feel the ship resume it’s lethal progressContinue reading “No, books are not back.”
Why is writing easy?
A follow up to last weeks video asking why is writing hard…why is writing easy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nFRRWip4OA What is the first story you were ever told? The huge number of stories we absorb just by being alive can make writing easy. Take that natural storytelling know-how, add some solid skills and you can enter the flowContinue reading “Why is writing easy?”
Why is writing hard?
I bet you’ve always wondered what I look like, right? Well now you can find out in glorious 720p video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR1dCuNvWgo “Damien gets passionate about writing, and talks about the thing that makes it hard, the clash of two very different sides of our personality, the conscious mind and the subconscious imagination. OR. The crazyContinue reading “Why is writing hard?”
Have the Locus awards been hit with “myopic sexism”?
An all-male shortlist for YA fiction has left the Locus awards mired in controversy – but prejudice is an unavoidable part of any literary prize. Literature has always been a tribal world, and the internet has only made that worse. The romance readers on one forum, the crime buffs on another. The LitFicers trade snarkContinue reading “Have the Locus awards been hit with “myopic sexism”?”
Who is Chuck Tingle?
While I can only speculate on the identity of the cult erotica author, I suspect Chuck Tingle is the future of publishing. Hours after the announcement of the 2016 Hugo Award shortlists, one of the nominated authors published a book to express his feelings on the matter. Slammed In The Butt By My Hugo AwardContinue reading “Who is Chuck Tingle?”
Thoughts on the 2016 #HugoAwards
Last year I compared the Hugo awards to the Wacky Races, a comedic and mostly harmless event in which competitors bend the rules to get ahead…or a nomination in this case. That was before the “Sad Puppy” affair made them something much nastier. Last year the Hugos escalated from Wacky Races to twenty car motorwayContinue reading “Thoughts on the 2016 #HugoAwards”
Damien Walter 