Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 226 entries, all of them here in full.
April 12, 2012 · 56 words
I Am Working
I’m working on getting Metropolitan set up as an ebook. (I thought you’d approve.) But since I’ve got my head buried in a text file, so I’ve arranged for Eddie Izzard to assist you with the choice of a martial art. Whether you follow his fashion advice, on the other hand, is entirely up to […]
Read entry →April 11, 2012 · 1,710 words
Being Aristoi
When I wrote Aristoi I damn near had to teach myself to write all over again. The book was just that different. When I started writing science fiction, I believe in late 1983, I came up with a list of what I wanted to do. Because I’d come from a fairly limited branch of historical […]
Read entry →April 10, 2012 · 59 words
Three Works Fly Free
So I’ve received word that Harper has reverted, Metropolitan, City on Fire, and The Rift. Actually they were reverted last autumn, but the notification was sent to my late agent, Ralph Vicinanza, who passed away in 2010, and whoever is in that office now did not forward the news. But in any case ebooks will […]
Read entry →April 7, 2012 · 204 words
Print-on-Demand?
A question for you all. I’ve been engaged in the lengthy project of converting all my out-of-print works into ebooks, a project which has been a modest success, and which stands to keep me in beer money for a while. (Or it would if I actually drank a lot of beer, which I don’t.) But […]
Read entry →April 6, 2012 · 267 words
Kenpo Fable
The Kenpo Master was about to begin class with his senior students when he was approached by a stranger who said he was a Tai Chi Master. “I would like to do push-hands with you,” said the Tai Chi Master. “I’m about to begin class,” said the Kenpo Master. “I am a Tai Chi Master,” […]
Read entry →April 4, 2012 · 1,408 words
Stories That Can’t Have a Good Ending
I’ve been watching some of the new series that have premiered in this last season, and I’ve noticed one significant thing about a number of them— there is no possible good ending. The creators put all of their inventive energy into the series’ premise, and never thought ahead to how they were going to pull [&hell
Read entry →April 4, 2012 · 263 words
Aristoi Update
Aristoi is now available for the Nook. Enjoy. I found the whole business of creating the cover, making multiple conversions, and uploading to various sites taxing enough that I failed to mention exactly what it was that I uploaded. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had been trying manfully to duplicate in e-formats
Read entry →April 3, 2012 · 113 words
Aristoi. Finally.
I’m pleased to report that Aristoi is now available for the Kindle, and in multiple formats via Smashwords. It should be available for the Nook in the next few days, and via iBooks, Kobo, etc., whenever they get around to it. (My job here is done.) And here’s the final version of the cover. I […]
Read entry →March 29, 2012 · 149 words
Aristoi 1.0
Here’s my first stab at cover art for Aristoi. I’m combining two pieces of stock art. The woman in the foreground was detached from her original background (which was too busy and distracting), and placed against a surreal backdrop by a completely different artist. One of her arms conveniently obscures a Magritte-like
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