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Newsletter Archive
April 1, 2023
Middle age, moon dust and mermaids.
Hello again, {$name|default:'reader'}. Or welcome, if you're new!
Yes, I turned 50 last week. So far, nothing major seems to have changed; my knees have sounded like they're filled with gravel since I was about 30, so the grinding noise when I go downstairs isn't new. Facebook isn't yet showing me Saga holiday ads, Instagram is still full of cat pictures, and since I'm not on TikTok, they don't have to tell me to go away and leave it to the young 'uns. Birthdays, and milestone ones in particular, are often a time to reflect and ponder the direction of your life. I'm very happy with mine, so the reflection was somewhat tricky. I don't have any real regrets, don't have a lot of 'but what if...' thoughts, and all in all am looking forward to the next few years as a writer. One thing that hasn't changed, is the flood of ideas I keep having for new books. I've already got two series under way (the 'Return of the Martians' and 'Fae Defence Society') so naturally my brain is trying to distract me away from the editing. Book 2 in each series is written and they need tidying up, so of course an idea for a short story pops into my head. "Fine," I tell it, "let's write that quickly, when I'm bored of editing, it can be a reward for making progress." Within minutes, it revealed that it was indeed too large to restrain in a short story, and it needed at least a novella or better yet a novel, if not an entire new series and world to contain it. So that's fun. Don't worry, I've written a lot of notes on it and plotted out a few key moments, and that seems to have satisfied the part of my brain that worries I'll somehow forget all about it if I don't write it immediately. It's caged up in a document, pacing, and snarling at me whenever I open one of the things I said I'd do first. Hopefully it won't break free... Oh, and if you feel like you want to get me something for my birthday, a review is always welcome! Pop onto Amazon or Goodreads and let folks know what you thought about my books. Many thanks to the people who've done so already, there are some extremely kind words out there.
Space News
Barbie helps clean up moondust.
When the Apollo astronauts got back into their lunar module after walking on the surface of the moon, they described the smell of the moondust as 'spent gunpowder'. Because it's utterly dry, it tends to stick to everything by electrostatic adhesion, and even though the astronauts brushed themselves down before getting back in, the dust got everywhere. For a short visit like Apollo, it was an annoyance rather than a real problem, but since we're going back there soon - and planning to stay - we need to deal with moondust. It gets into seals, preventing them from staying airtight. It's very abrasive, and could damage or even destroy delicate equipment. It attacks the lungs like fiberglass, causing damage, and also symptoms like hay-fever, sneezing and running eyes. And worst of all, it's actually toxic! So getting it off a spacesuit before it comes inside the pristine lunar habitat is pretty important. And that's where Barbie comes in. Using samples of volcanic ash from Mt St Helens, the nearest thing to moondust they could find, researchers proved that a blast of liquid nitrogen removed 98% of it! Liquid nitrogen is easy to produce, since the gas makes up over three-quarters of the air around us, and while in its liquid form it's incredibly cold, spacesuits are designed to protect the wearer against temperature extremes. So why Barbie? Why not? She's had a number of jobs in her life, and was an astronaut as far back as 1965, even before the moon landing!
Astronaut Barbie on a moon set.
Source: Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Other Books To Check Out
I've gathered a few great books from independent authors like me, I hope you'll check them out.
And let me know if you have any books to recommend! I'm particularly interested in indie authors, but anything you've read and loved would be awesome.
Review Copy
Some people deserve to die. Marci Kovcs chooses who.
A people ruled by an algorithm. A city run by a computer. No one enters, no one leaves-except for the dead.
Budapest, AD2132. In a city this big, opportunities for promotion are rare unless you're willing to do anything, and Kovcs is. As an Adjudicant, he oversees state computer MARTHA's Employee liquidation program. The winners get a shot at eternal life. The rest end up as statistics.
(Also to buy at storyoriginapp.com)
UBL
How far would you go for true love? When the daughter of time and son of death are ripped apart by a mother's devilish deal, they must embark on a journey to find one another again.
Tossed into the human world, they face tears in the timeline, soul trades for immortality, and broken protection spells.
In the end, this romance comes with the ultimate choice. One that could forever alter the fate of their timeline.
Will they find harmony among human allies, or soar to new heights against their foes?
UBL
What kind of life will we find in the depths of Europa's oceans? What kind of life will we allow an AI with human level intelligence? The ten stories in Sapience: A Collection of Science Fiction Short Stories explore these questions and many more.
Feeling Epic Giveaway!
Throughout April you can grab a remarkable number of fantasy novels through Kindle Unlimited.
Pick up a couple today, and then drop the author a line, telling them what you think! Believe me, it really makes a writer's day when they get an email like that.
Strange News
The Surprising Origins of the Little Mermaid
Think of mermaids, and no doubt the Disney versions will be among the first to mind (unless you're a caffeine addict, in which case there's the Starbucks logo...) But neither of the Disney heroines' story is really all that true to the 'original' Hans Christian Anderson story, which is now widely believed to be an allegory for Anderson's own rejection by a would-be lover. Now, Disney rejigging a classic tale to appeal to modern audiences is hardly new, but while they sometimes get taken to task for it, every 'fairy story' has been told and retold so many times that the origins are lost to time. So yes, Anderson's tale is a reworking of older ones, and as is so often the case with myths, almost every culture on Earth has their own version. This article describes some of those, going back through naiads, water spirits, sirens, and takes us all the way to the Syriac fertility goddess Atargatis back before 3,000 BCE.
Source: daily.jstor.org
Miscellany
O'Neill Cylinder
One idea for long-term habitation or travel in space is an O'Neill Cylinder, a vast tube which spins to produce gravity on the inside surface. Artist Marc Garlick has rendered a rather glorious take on one, which makes me want to visit.
Source: twitter.com
H.G. Wells audio performances
Over the years, the BBC has hosted several performances of works by H.G. Wells. They're all available here for download, ranging from some in the 1970s to some only a couple of years ago.
Source: archive.org
Retro Computing
Yes, I'm getting older, but not as old as (most of) these classic computers. Beautifully photographed, and punctuated with pithy quotes, this site is a delight. I miss hundreds of switches and buttons, not to mention the blinky lights...
Source: docubyte.com
And Finally
A friend of mine, Adam Jarvis, has a short story in an upcoming anthology. I've had the pleasure of reading a few pieces of his work, and it's always wonderful. He's got a particular knack for building a world with just a handful of words, and it's no surprise that his short stories have won prizes! His new story 'Will Destroy For Food' is accompanied by 21 others, from some truly remarkable authors, so I'm backing it! The anthology, entitled 'A Summer of Sci-Fi and Fantasy' is currently raising funds on Kickstarter, to bring their second volume to life. Last year they successfully produced the first volume, and I'm very excited to see what this new issue will bring. At the time of writing, they're only a couple of days in and already at 50%, so if you love Sci-Fi or Fantasy, I urge you to check it out. There are some great rewards for backers, including limited signed copies!
Source: kickstarter.com