New Space Opera authors

May 12th 2008 at 10:38 am

Jason Mayo asked:

Focusing on the genre of “new” space opera that guys like you and John Scalzi (hmmm, must be an Ohio thing. I’m tempted to call it a conspiracy even, but conspiracies usually involve cover ups and “Ohio is coming to kick your ass with scifi day” is pretty much the anti of covering up something) are writing right now, who are some other authors you’d recommend reading? Any of their specific works you’d consider fine examples of essential/important/”just damn good” reading for this particular genre?

I’m quite flattered to be included in the ‘new space opera’ category, as I do love works that are tagged space opera.

Of the writers out there right now producing work, my favorites are:

-Alastair Reynolds (anything, but I found Chasm City a good entrypoint)
-Iain M. Banks (Consider Phlebas, Use of Weapons, Matter, Player of Games)
-Neal Asher (The Skinner is a good entry point)
-Walter Jon Williams (Dread Empire’s Fall, Voice of the Whirlwind, Implied Spaces)
-Ken MacLeod (Engines of Light trilogy, which I read because of comparisons of my work to his and found out that, wow, yeah, I dig his stuff)
-Karl Schroeder (anything, my starting point was Ventus)
-Scott Westerfeld (The Risen Empire)
-Sean Williams (Saturn Returns, Geodesica)
-Charles Stross (Singularity Sky, Iron Sunrise)

There are other great writers doing work here, these are just the names and titles that come right off the top of my memory who’re doing stuff in the last couple years.

Just for fun, if you could be one, Batman or Superman?

Batman. He’s a self-made man, putting him into into a class of superheroes who didn’t get magic powers. I love that class of superhero. Batman, Iron Man, yes, they’re both incredibly rich, which is how they fund making their gadgets, but they’re starting off at an incredible disadvantage compared to other superheroes, and they make it up by working really hard. They’re like little superhero Horatio Algers. The only other superhero I really like a lot for a similar reason is Wolverine, because he is really the blue collar superhero: here’s your power, son, no matter how hard you get the ^&*$ kicked out of you you’ll always heal and recover.

Wolverine is like that muscled plumber, a townie hanging out at the bar, who’s ready to kick the teeth in of any one of those stuck up suit-wearing colleagues he thinks is laughing at him behind his back.

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Sideways in Crime review

May 12th 2008 at 9:27 am

Locus has a couple reviews of Lou Anders’ latest anthology Sideways in Crime, which includes my piece The People’s Machine and comes out June 17th. Rich Horton had this to say aobut it:

Sideways in Crime… In this book two of the best stories are set [in an alternate history with Aztec domination of the Western Hemisphere in modern times]. Refreshingly, the Mexica in Tobias S. Buckell’s “The People’s Machine” have repudiated human sacrifice. Which is the crux of Ixtli’s investigation - a man has been murdered in New Amsterdam, in a way that seems intended to suggest it was done by a sect of Aztecs wanting to return to the old ways. So Ixtli is charged with finding the real motivation. What he finds is fairly interesting — and in its way as scary as human sacrifice.

My thanks to Eric James Stone for the text, saving me a few minutes of having to copy it out on my own LOL.

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Edroxy review of Crystal Rain

May 11th 2008 at 8:10 am

LJ user edroxy reviews Crystal Rain. Snippet:

As someone who’s grown up in the Caribbean, I couldn’t possibly pass on a science fiction novel which took place in a Caribbean-like setting, now could I? That was what initially drew me to the book.

I’d be surprised to find someone who’s never heard about this author considering his strong online presence. Buckell is often invited on various podcasts for interviews (for example, The Dragon Page), but also has his own segment on the Adventures in SciFi Publishing podcast. He’s also on the Carl Brandon Society mailing list. You can also read his blog through lj. I’ve heard him speak at conventions (via The Time Traveler podcast for instance). So basically, I hadn’t even read the book that I already liked the guy!

Needless to say that I approached this book in a very positive way and had high expectations. And, well, sorry to disappoint all of you, but the book perfectly lived up to them.

Reviews by people who’ve spent serious time in, or come from, the Caribbean, are always extra special to me

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My freelanceiversary gift to myself: Scotch

May 10th 2008 at 7:51 pm

Was out shopping for a basic level scotch, I’d run out of Chivas 12 and was hitting my expensive and very great Balvenie Doublewood 12 a bit too often. Didn’t get Chivas this time, but the smokier, peatier, Laphroaig, which is probably one of my favorite $30-$40 bottles of Scotch.

But while I was at the store I noticed a small, fat bottle in a simple cardboard box advertising a Scotch I’d never heard of: Glenrothes. It had a sticker on the side with handwritten notes about that bottle. It was also the most expensive bottle in the store (although, keep in mind this is a store in Ohio, not the largest Scotch selection in the world). So I can get a basic Macallan, Chivas, Laphroaig here, anything fancier (in the $80+ bottle range) I’d have to order online. So I’m intrigued by the high end Scotch and the presentation. And what the hell it’s doing in a liquor store in Ohio.

What the hell, I thought, it’ll be my treat. Be impulsive.

When I got home and googled up the details I got excited. It’s won awards, although not a well known Scotch, it’s got a lot of cachet with Scotch enthusiasts and master tasters.

The Laphroaig was good, I had some on getting home. Not as good as a Lagavulin, which I’d have to get around to ordering on line, but still hit all the right smoky, peaty notes for me. It’s a very strong tasting Single Malt.

So I crossed my fingers and tried the Glenrothes. It’s very smooth for a Scotch at first, feels oily, slips right down, and then has a faint fruity taste, followed by vanilla or butterscotch, and then your whole body gets warm and you feel the incredibly high alcohol percentage kick in. It’s dangerous, because it doesn’t taste or feel like you’re drinking an incredibly potent hard liquor (most of the really expensive Scotches I’ve tried are like this, the Bowmore Darkest Sherry Finish in particular I remember being rather smooth as well).

So far, my favorite Scotch yet, even above Glenkeir, and after I finish up some work tonight, I’m looking forward to enjoying a finger of this and playing some Mario Kart with Emily.

A review and info about it can be found here and here.

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Two freaking years, man, two years (my two year freelanceiversary)

May 9th 2008 at 3:51 pm

Well over two years ago I made everyone excited, but nervous (and raised some relative’s eyebrows), by writing this blog entry:

On Feb. 3rd I shared that my job position was being cut. The job search has not been so hot, and most of the interesting jobs would require a big move, with Emily having to re-find a job as well.

Over the last few weeks I began to sit down and consider my situation. I had just gotten my W2s from work, and I looked at how much income I made from the 8-5. It wasn’t a staggering amount. And I thought about how hard I pushed myself to be in on time, how much more productive I was at other times (night), and what kind of career should I aim for for my next dayjob.

and

So I’m declaring that when May 30th rolls around, somehow, I’m not going to work an 8-5, I’m going to be a full time freelancer.

What form the freelance work takes I’m not sure.

Ballsy, huh? Yet I walked out of my dayjob before my self assigned deadline, on May 9th, 2006 (a full three months before I was supposed to leave, woot!).

Thank you to my friends who posted and emailed links of possible leads. My thanks to Jeff VanderMeer, for helping me get one of my first big freelance assignments ever (I still owe you big, Jeff) which helped give the confidence to pursue other big assignments. Thank you to the readers who cheered me on here at the blog, thanks to everyone who keeps buying my books, spreading the word, and thanks to my agent and editor who keep looking out for me, and lastly, I’m grateful to Emily for being so supportive when I threw up my hands and said ’screw it, I’m jumping off the ledge to do this instead looking for another 8-5.’

I’m happier, far, far more financially secure than I ever was at the 8-5 (doubled my income, hell, I even own the sportscar I’ve lusted after since I first saw it rolled out in 2000), more productive, travel more, and generally each year I cross my fingers that I get to repeat it again.

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Idea generation

May 9th 2008 at 6:27 am

In the ask me a question comment thread SMD asks:

What are some ways you come up with ideas for stories either for shorts or novels? (I don’t mean specifically…but if you go to certain websites or read certain blogs that give you sparks of ideas, or something, I’d like to know).

I read history books, science magazines, journals, and websites. I used to contribute to Futurismic, but I still read that blog. Worldchanging, Slashdot, New Scientist, Popular Mechanics all get read.

For example, right now I have on my non-fiction shelf a book collection of letters written by slaves to each other and owners, the diaries of a Nazi soldier on the Russian front during WW2, Stan Schmidt’s book about convergence, and Sudhir Venkathesh’s book ‘Off the Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor.’ Also on my to-read list is a wealth of public material from the Development Concepts and Doctrine Center about upcoming global conflicts and things that high level military strategists are worrying about for our future, all put together in one nice website for the public.

I have no idea how deep people regard my fiction, I put a heavy emphasis on making sure everyone gets a lot of bang for their buck, but for me the inspiration comes from this kind of wide ranging research. Ragamuffin was inspired in great parts by 10-15 books on the Haitian slave revolution and slave revolts throughout the Caribbean, as well as books about what free mulattos did and what compromises they made in order to keep their own freedoms.

What did you do when you found out you were going to be published for the first time? Did you jump up and down and scream?

My first professional publication was thorny. I’d submitted a story to Aboriginal SF, who at the time had just amazingly long response times. After submitting the story, Fish Merchant, to them, I went to Clarion. Revised the story based on feedback, including Scott Edelman’s, who at the time was editor of SF Age. Scott suggested the story was ready for pro magazines with just one little tweak.

It had been over a year since the original submission to Aboriginal, so after Clarion I sent a withdrawal postcard. I waited a while after that, and then sent it to SF Age.

Shortly after that, Aboriginal finally accepted the story.

Now, one of the no-nos is that you aren’t supposed to make multiple submissions (send the same story to multiple magazines at the same exact time, lest two editors accept your story at once). I personally think it’s not a very author-friendly or career friendly rule, although I do understand why editors do it (to prevent story mixups, wasting their time, etc). I followed it to the T, however, being a good little submitter. So I called Scott Edelman right away to tell him don’t read the new version of Fish Merchant, Aboriginal had finally accepted it after all this time, and I was so sorry for accidentally multiply submitting.

Scott said ‘cool,’ and congratulated me.

He called me back that weekend and said he liked the story and wanted it for SF Age, and that I had an awkward decision to make.

So I spent the weekend agonizing. On Monday I called up Aboriginal’s editor and explained what had happened, and pointed out that I had withdrawn the story. He was very gracious about it all. I called Scott back.

I was elated, don’t get me wrong, but very worried about making the wrong decision.

Now, when I won the quarter of the Writers of the Future competition, which I’d been trying to do since I was 15, that was jumping and screaming. Emily, who was coming up to my dorm room at the time, was told not to enter the room by my next door neighbors, they thought I was having a meltdown.

Hey, victory is sweet, and after all the rejection and self doubt that comes with this career, I don’t apologize for being a complete doofus about celebrating my wins

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Other genres?

May 8th 2008 at 4:33 pm

In the question thread, Ken McConnell asks:

Have you ever considered writing in a different fiction genre? I’m curious since you write on technology for various blogs, have you ever been tempted to write a thriller or a mystery or even a non-fiction book on technology?

I would totally dig a thriller. In fact, I have an outline for a near future techno thriller. Think Caribbean James Bond, or Jason Bourne (In this case, Jean Benjamin). But with a bit more SF-nal themes running throughout. The first book would be about the sabotaging of Pan-Caribbean manned spacecraft launch, with Jean tracking down whodunit and whytheydunit.

But with Project X taking up my writing time until late July, and the later part of the year planned for Duppy Conqueror, I don’t see a lot of time on my horizon to write it just yet. I also have an outline for a Dickensian steampunk YA-ish fantasy, but I don’t have time to write that for another year either, and I’m reluctant to look like I’m jumping on the YA wagon, but I first wrote about the main character of it in the short story ‘Tides’ several years back when I was trying out some of the ideas for it. I’ve been considering showing the whole outline, first chapter, and general concept to my agent after Project X is done, as I think it’s fleshed out enough to maybe show it to some publishers now after a few years of germinating properly.

But both are related to SF/F in many ways. Way outside the genre? Not really, I know where my strengths lie. As for non-fiction, I always thought a book collecting cool Sci-Fi ideas that became real, and interviewing the authors who invented the idea and the people who made them real would be neat (if it doesn’t already exist)…

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Ask Tobias a question

May 7th 2008 at 1:52 pm

I’m jamming really hard on the outline (and almost done) for what I’m publicly calling Project X, which I can’t reveal anything about until later this month, and so I’m not reading RSS feeds or paying too close attention to email until that’s taken care of.

Since my blogging won’t be too inspired, I’ll open the comment thread to questions you guys can ask, and I’ll provide short answers in following blog entries tomorrow and Friday once the outline is done.

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Tillabooks reviews Ragamuffin

May 7th 2008 at 1:16 pm

Online blogger Tillabooks just read Ragamuffin and reviews it:

When I picked this book up off my local library’s new books shelf, and even when I started reading it, I had no idea that it was a sequel to another book, Crystal Rain, which I reviewed back on March 18 of this year. I guess I didn’t notice for a couple of reasons. For one, Crystal Rain was Buckell’s first novel, so he was an author new to me. When I picked up this book, I knew I’d read something by him recently, but I didn’t pay enough attention to realize this was the sequel, even though it’s mentioned in the flyleaf blurb.

But more significantly, when I started to read the book, there was nothing initially that seemed to even remotely connect with the previous story. Crystal Rain took place on a single planet, with humankind fighting against inimical alien control, with the assistance of another set of aliens.

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Interesting

May 6th 2008 at 3:11 am

For a long time I’ve ‘deleted’ emails, but my webserver has kept them as I specified no permanent deleting of the emails, but just moving them to the trash. But one of the computers I IMAP to my webserver with has a ‘delete message in trash if over a month old’ preference setting turned on, because yes, all sorts of emails were deleted, but I still expected to use ’search’ to find details of anything occurred to me I needed to retrieve. Alas, now they are actually deleted for real.

I’m a bit put out about all this. I’m not sure if it is my iPhone or my laptop doing this.

Either way, it must be stopped.

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