2008 January at SF Novelists

Archive for January, 2008

Mike Brotherton January 31st 2008

Sex in Space

I thought I’d jump in and follow up on Lyda’s post. With some trepidation, I open the topic. I probably should start with a tease the way Phil Foglio used to do in his “What’s New?” comic strip in Dragon Magazine, where the characters kept promising “Sex in D&D” but never quite delivered on the [...]

Lyda Morehouse January 29th 2008

Sexing Things UP

As a romance novelist, you’d think I’d be comfortable with the idea of sex scenes. I actually dread writing them. It’s not that I don’t like sex. I do. But, writing about various sexual acts is a vastly different animal than participating in them. When I wrote SF, I tended to write a very strong [...]

Kristine Smith January 28th 2008

Tools

Downstairs on a shelf in my basement is an index card organizer from Levengers. The actual name of the thing is ‘card bleachers’. It’s made of polished cherry, a lovely tiered curve with slots cut into it for 3×5 index cards. You can organize the cards along or down the rows, anyway you wish. “What [...]

Stephen Leigh January 27th 2008

The Right Tool for Writing

All writers use tools. For storytelling, it’s a necessity. Way back when that tool might have been your voice, your presence, and your memory — when all tales were told orally. Then it was pens and paper, then typewriters, and now computers. There’s a difference between tools. Sometimes the difference is subtle; often, it’s not [...]

Jim C. Hines January 24th 2008

Thoughts on FanFiction

I don’t write fanfic, and I generally don’t read it, either. Neither of these statements should be taken as a judgment on fanfiction. My reading stack is simply too overwhelming already, and as for my writing … well, I’ve got to stick with what helps pay the bills. But I’m constantly fascinated by the discussion [...]

David B. Coe January 23rd 2008

Hey, That Character Reminds Me of Someone!

I’m often asked if I model characters in my books after people I know. I’ve had people who read my novels come up to me and start talking to me about my relationships with my parents, my kids, my wife, thinking that they know something about my personal life, assuming that the parents, kids, and [...]

Tate Hallaway January 22nd 2008

Process, oh Process

“I have more ideas than I’ll ever have time to write,” is something I hear a lot from other writers. I’ve always been embarrassed by the fact that I don’t. On a rare occasion I might get struck by an idea lightening — and that’s how it usually is for me: an unexpected bolt out [...]

Daryl Gregory January 21st 2008

Confession of an Unbeliever, or: Forgive Me, Yoda

I have to make a confession: I’m a science fiction writer, and I don’t believe in aliens. By “believe” I mean my ability to suspend my disbelief, and by “aliens” I mean the ones that typically show up in SF, and more specifically, the ones that talk. Maybe this marks me as a MundaneSF writer, [...]

Kate Elliott January 18th 2008

Praise Inflation: Is Good No Longer Good Enough?

I’ve just finished reading an Ian Rankin mystery novel, one of his John Rebus series. The Naming of the Dead, if you’re interested. I’m not a big mystery reader, but I like to dip into the genre now and again. This is the first Rankin I’ve read. It’s a recent book, perhaps his most recent, [...]

Diana Pharaoh Francis January 17th 2008

Cutting my losses

This is post is not about how sucky the market is or money or anything like that. It’s about books. Specifically, the books that are on my shelves that I. Will. Never. Read. (Ever or Again, depending) I started going over my overflowing shelves in an effort to clean them up, to dust, and to [...]

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Author Information

Mike Brotherton

Professional astronomer, science fiction novelist (Star Dragon, Spider Star). Visit site.

Lyda Morehouse

Lyda Morehouse is the author of the science fiction AngeLINK series. She's won the Shamus and the Philip K. Dick Special Citation for Excellence (aka 2nd place). Her books have also been nominated for the Romantic Times Critics' Choice and preliminary Nebula ballot. She lives in the deep-freeze of Saint Paul, MN with her partner of twenty-odd years, their son, and lots and lots of cats (and fish!) Visit site.

Kristine Smith

I'm a scientist by day, spec fic writer by nights and weekends. Author of the Jani Kilian SF series. Owned by two overgrown puppies. Visit site.

Stephen Leigh

Stephen Leigh (aka S.L. Farrell) is a Cincinnati author with 25 novels and several dozen short stories published. Booklist called his Cloudmages trilogy "Good enough to cast in gold." He teaches creative writing at Northern Kentucky University, and is a frequent speaker to writers groups. Visit site.

Jim C. Hines

Jim C. Hines' latest book is THE SNOW QUEEN'S SHADOW, the fourth of his fantasy adventures that retell the old fairy tales with a Charlie's Angels twist. He's also the author of the humorous GOBLIN QUEST trilogy. Jim's short fiction has appeared in more than 40 magazines and anthologies, including Realms of Fantasy, Turn the Other Chick, and Sword & Sorceress XXI. Jim lives in Michigan with his wife and two children. He's currently hard at work on LIBRIOMANCER, the first book in a new fantasy series. Visit site.

David B. Coe

David B. Coe is the author of eleven fantasy novels, including the books of the LonTobyn Chronicle, Winds of the Forelands, and Blood of the Southlands. He has also written the novelization for the Ridley Scott production of ROBIN HOOD, starring Russell Crowe, that is due out in May 2010. In 1999 he received the Crawford Fantasy Award, given annually by the IAFA to the best new author in fantasy. He has a Ph.D. in United States environmental history and lives on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with his wife and daughters. Visit site.

Tate Hallaway

Tate Hallaway is the best-selling paranormal romance alter-ego for an award-winning science fiction author. Her most recent novel is DEAD IF I DO is forthcoming from Berkley Trade in May of 2009. Visit site.

Daryl Gregory

Daryl's a science fiction writer who lives in State College, PA. Several of his short stories have appeared in "Year's Best" anthologies, and his first novel, PANDEMONIUM, will appearing in Fall 2008 from Del Rey Books. Visit site.

Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott is the author of multiple fantasy and science fiction novels, including the Crown of Stars series and the Novels of the Jaran. She's currently working on Crossroads; the first novel, Spirit Gate, is already out, and Shadow Gate will be published in Spring 2008. Visit site.

Diana Pharaoh Francis

Diana Pharaoh Francis has written the fantasy novel trilogy that includes Path of Fate, Path of Honor and Path of Blood. Path of Fate was nominated for the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award. Recently released was The Turning Tide, third in her Crosspointe Chronicles series (look also for The Cipher and The Black Ship). In October 2009, look for Bitter Night, a contemporary fantasy. Diana teaches in the English Department at the University of Montana Western, and is an avid lover of all things chocolate. Visit site.