Angry Robot Open to Unsolicited Manuscripts for One Month Only!

If you have a science fiction or fantasy manuscript lying in your desk drawer, or an idea for such a story that is about to burst out of your mind and onto your computer screen, then British-based publisher Angry Robot has some good news for you.

For one month only, that month being March 2011, Angry Robot will accept unsolicited manuscripts for possible publication. Like most publishers, Angry Robot usually only accepts story proposals from literary agents, but for the entire month of March 2011 they will review any unsolicited story that is submitted.

Angry Robot’s Editor, Lee Harris, said, "We're delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to unpublished and unrepresented novelists. There are a lot of exciting authors out there, just waiting to be discovered, and we'd like to be able to help them kick-start their careers."

Further details can be found on their submissions page.

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What Book Introduced You To Science Fiction?

Over at SF Signal, they have posted an interesting piece where they ask several (mostly) writers of science fiction the question, "What Book Introduced You to Science Fiction?"

It's kind of satisfying to see that most of them began with books and authors that are considered to be the cream of the crop when it comes to science fiction. Authors like Heinlein, Norton, Bradbury, Asimov and Bova, or books like A Wrinkle In Time and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

I was also happy to see that two of the authors responded that the book(s) that introduced them to science fiction were the same as the books that introduced ME to science fiction at the tender age of 7. I say books because I don't remember the specific title of the first one I read, but it was a Tom Swift book and I eventually read ALL the titles in that Tom Swift series. It may have been "Tom Swift and His Flying Lab" (pictured), but I can't be absolutely sure. It wasn't long after that when I moved on to Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury and others, but it was young Tom Swift who first introduced me to science fiction.

Did you know the "Taser" was inspired by one of Tom Swift's fictional inventions?

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The Art Of Penguin Science Fiction

One of my RSS feeds caused me to stumble across this really (if you read a lot of science fiction books in the mid-60's to mid-70's as I did) interesting site. The Art Of Penguin Science Fiction site is a collection of the covers of science fiction books published by Penguin Books over the years.

I recognize several of these covers. From the time I was 8 or so, I practically devoured any kind of science fiction book I could get my hands on. When I exhausted the available titles in my elementary school library, my mom took me to the public library to get my own library card. I think I've mentioned here before that when I walked into the brand new public library near our home that I thought I had stepped into the best place on earth; books and books and books.

This cover on the page really jumped out at me. I had this book at one point in my young life (and many of the others, either in the incarnation shown or with different covers), and enjoyed the story because it dealt with one of my favorite themes, time travel, and reminded me of stories by Heinlein or Huxley as it explored social and philosophical questions.

But this cover stands out for a very different reason; one that has nothing to do with the story but instead with the design illustration. I don't remember if I found this book in the library, bookstore or yard sale, but I do remember that my first thought when I laid eyes on the cover was a rather crude one, before I took in the entirety of the illustration.

I'll re-word it for this post in order not to offend the sensibilities of some of my good readers.

"That guy is emitting flatulence!"

Yes, I did not immediately notice the contraption he was riding, like a mechanized witch's broom, but only noticed the gaseous exhaust that seemed to be originating from his backside. My young mind (awww, who am I kidding? It's the same today, lol) gravitated to the base (yet humorous, some would say) thought that this guy was, as my parents used to say, "pooting" on the cover of this book.

Take a look at this collection and see if you recognize the covers of any books you have read. And if you, like me, initially saw something different...well just chalk it up to youthful exuberance.

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Adventures in Scifi Publishing Podcast Is Back!

Hey, it's the middle of the day and all that but I wanted to get just a quick post up in a hurry to let you know that the Adventures in Scifi Publishing podcast is back in production. Their first episode back features Greg Van Eekhout, author of Norse Code.

Check out the link above and give it a listen!

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To Boldly Go...

I slept in until 8:30 Sunday morning, my only day off again this week. That felt good. I'm a night owl by nature, so when I'm deployed on these assignments with extended hours it's a struggle for me to get to sleep at an early enough hour to be able to wake up at 5 or 5:30am. After a quick shower I drove over to Panera Bread for an equally quick breakfast, then over the theater to get in for the first showing of the day of the new "Star Trek" movie.

People who know me personally know that I am a "Star Trek" nerd. I've watched all of the TV incarnations and all of the motion pictures, most of them multiple times. I've read all the hardback novels and almost all of the paperback novels. I own various incarnations of "Star Trek" memorabilia. I've attended "Star Trek" conventions. I have gathered with friends for "Star Trek" viewing marathons, and spent hours with those same friends discussing various minutiae of the "Star Trek" universe.

I say that simply to establish that I would watch paint dry if it had some kind of "Star Trek" connection.



So, JJ Abrams was charged by paramount Studios with the unenviable task of rebooting the mythology of "Star Trek" (one of their most financially lucrative properties, though its shine has dulled in recent years) in such a way as to attract new viewers without pissing off the mass of us who have watched Gene Roddenberry's vision unfold on the screen since 1966. On top of that, Abrams has made it clear he was never really a fan of Trek, causing some to feel that he might bring a breath of fresh air and others to run screaming "heresy!" across the Internet.

If you are a fan of "Star Trek" and it's mythology, you WILL be confused at the beginning of the movie as you watch a slightly different history unfold. It is not until later in the movie that you discover WHY that history is not exactly right. Actions by the story's villain have created a different timeline - a timeline that will be inhabited by our rebooted characters and...someone else.

Abrams is obviously a fan of time travel. He used it in his TV series "Alias" and "Lost" and he has used it to effect his reboot in "Star Trek". I have no problem with that at all, I am a big fan of time travel stories.

If they are well-constructed.

And this one is. We get the characters we have loved with their same personality quirks and courageous spirit. We get to see the same relationships...and a new one or two. And best of all, to me, we get to see Captain Christopher Pike play a large part in James Tiberius Kirk becoming Captain James T. Kirk.

It will be interesting to see what happens in future "Star Trek" movies (and there WILL be future "Star Trek" movies), especially considering that the slate has been wiped clean and a major, major storyline change has been inserted that will mean everything can take a different direction. What that direction will be remains to be seen.

But it seems that one thing will NOT change;


"I have been, and always shall be, your friend."

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Philip Jose Farmer, R.I.P.

I was saddened today to receive a Tweet from author Neil Gaiman advising that author Philip Jose Farmer had passed away in his sleep early this morning at the age of 91.

He wrote some good science fiction.

Our sympathy goes out to his family, friends and loved ones.

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List Of Science Fiction And Fantasy Book Reviewers

Over at Grasping for the Wind, John Ottinger has provided us with what is probably the most comprehensive list of science fiction and fantasy book reviewers on the Internet.

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Top 10 Word Of Jeff Posts For 2008

I thought it might be fun to review my blog statistics and see what the top posts were for 2008, in terms of page hits. In case you may have missed them or are a new reader, here are the Top 10 Word Of Jeff Posts For 2008:

10. By Grabthar's Hammer

9. Top 10 Science Fiction Authors

8. Top 10 Movie Theme Songs

7. Sunny 105.9

6. Saying Goodbye To Missouri

5. The Facebook/YouTube Virus

4. The 100 Worst Christmas Songs

3. Angel At The Fence - A Hoax

2. What Does "Des Moines" Mean?

And the Number One Word Of Jeff Post For 2008...

1. Cindy Hard At Work

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By Grabthar's Hammer

Sunday, one of the local stations here aired "Galaxy Quest" and even though I have a much-watched DVD at home, I still had to delay my planned trip to the grocery store so I could watch it again.

"Galaxy Quest", released in 1999, is an excellent satirical poke at sci-fi TV series and fans/conventions in general, and, my favorite, "Star Trek" in particular.



Tim Allen (not an actor I normally care to watch perform), is dead on as the William Shatner/Capt. Kirk actor/character we've all come to know and love, while Alan Rickman superbly fills the role of Leonard Nimoy/Mr. Spock, especially with his complaints that Allen always stole the best scenes and lines for himself and his dry observation to Allen's character that, "You finally got your shirt off" after a very real fight scene on an alien planet.

But it is Rickman's well-played disdain for his character's oft-repeated quote, "By Grabthar's hammer, by the sons of Worvan, you shall be avenged." that always makes me laugh. The total boredom he displays (in all but one very pivotal scene) each time he is forced by fans to repeat it is reminiscent of the viral-marketing like effect of Spock's "Live long and prosper" line, without the spread-finger hand gesture.

Sigourney Weaver (in an eye-popping, popping-out-of uniform), Tony Shalhoub (best known as "Monk"), Sam Rockwell and Daryl Mitchell round out the famous command crew of the fictional NSEA Protector, while Enrico Colentoni is hilariously funny as Mathesar, the leader of the alien Thermians who mistakenly think that the washed-up actors of the canceled TV series are real space-faring warriors.

If you haven't ever watched the movie, you should correct that deficiency in your experience as soon as possible. If you've seen it before, it's always good to do it again.

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Bar Trekkin'

It's sad when TV pals like Captain Kirk and his Enterprise Helmsman Lieutenant Sulu don't get along in real life as evidenced here in William Shatner's YouTube video complaint about not being invited to a certain wedding and here where George Takei explains his side.

But this great "Bar Trekkin'" T-shirt captures a happier time of a possible shore leave when Kirk, Spock, Chekov and Sulu are about to unite for a bar brawl (through no fault of their own, of course).



"Bar Trekkin’" costs $18 and is available in all sizes.

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The Starship Captain From Iowa

John Wayne is not the only famous person born in Iowa. According to the city of Riverside, Iowa, on March 22, 2233 the future Captain James Tiberius Kirk will be born in their fair town.

Star Trek mythology found in the original TV series, movies and novels establishes that James Kirk , Captain of the starship Enterprise, was born on a farm in Iowa. Riverside seized upon the fact that the city was never mentioned and declared that they were the locale of his birth. To my knowledge, no other city in Iowa ever disputed their claim.

Being a big fan of Star Trek, I was a little bummed out when I discovered that I missed the city's annual James Kirk/Star Trek celebration last Sunday. Although it's a 2 hour drive from Des Moines to Riverside, I would have skipped the Des Moines Art festival and made the drive to be a part of it had I known beforehand.

For most Star Trek fans, James T. Kirk is the epitome of a starship captain. A natural leader, man of action, performing feats of daring-do, and possessor of romantic conquests across the galaxy. A sort of "woman in every planet" kind of sailor, if you will.

There will always be the natural comparisons and competition among fans between Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard (the other captains, Sisko, Janeway and Archer are seldom included), but Kirk usually edges out Picard. The general feeling among the fans I know is that if you want something done, call Kirk; if you want to talk about it, call Picard. I do, however, recall one episode of ST: TNG where I actually cheered when Picard leaped from his captain's chair and cold-cocked some enemy who had unexpectedly transported to the bridge.

But Picard was born in France and Kirk was born in the good old USA...Riverside, Iowa to be specific.

Here's a link to the local newspaper's coverage, along with some photos of the festivities.

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