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- Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold, Reviewed: Cryoburn is the latest Miles Vorkosigan novel, the thirteenth in a series stretching back a quarter of a century. Miles is now an Imperial Auditor with responsibility for investigating a company specializing in cryogenic storage that are planning on opening branches on Komarr. Miles becomes suspicious and travels to Kibou-daini, a world dominated by a populace who
- Sales: Cover for Damage Time by Chris Moore You can tell the authors at conventions. You just have to listen in. Â While the fans are likely as not to be talking what brilliant book they’ve read, or what film they’ve seen; the writers will be talking about money.* Because their incomes can be so precarious, and like any
- Magma: I’ve said many times –in many places– that I don’t write because I want to, I write because I have to. It’s a compulsion, which if it’s blocked off, leads to something close to clinical depression (my name is Colin, and I am a creative junkie….) Ever since I ended a particularly brutal bout of writing
- Black Static 23 Reviewed: Black Static for June / July 2011 contains the usual reviews and commentary, while the stories are mostly by returning regulars. V. H. Leslie appears for the second time in three issues, and already looks to be the magazine’s most prominent newcomer of the year. In ‘Time Keeping’ Howard believes that he keeps time running smoothly.
- End Games: People are always talking about the openings of stories. It’s an often quoted truism -especially by me!- that the first dozen lines of a story are critical. They are the unsolicited writer’s escape from the slush pile, or the path to a sometimes bewildered rejection. For the story that has been sold, a poor opening
Colin Harvey at Suite101
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Wow, Colin, thanks so much for the lovely review. I’m delighted you liked the story.
You’re very welcome, Maura. It’s a fucking fantastic story, and if you nudge me at BFA and any other nomination time, it’ll get my vote. Seriously.
But you’ll have to remind me because I’m so up my own arse I forgot to mention to Kate for four hours that the washing machine is leaking, so if I can’t remember that the laundry room is awash what chance do I have of remembering to nominate a story next year? 🙂
The blog tomorrow is about what I didn’t feel I could say in the review: Partly because of the word count constraint, partly because I’m suspicious of hype, and partly because I don’t want people saying things like “Oh yeah, he’s mates with Maura, course he’s going to hype it up…”
Later.
C
I forgot to ask – where do you rank this among your stories? Is it one of your best, or are there better ones in the pipeline?
Again, thank you for your kind words about the story.
I think I expected some people would not enjoy “Vic”, because it’s a small, intimate story, and quite sad, really. I love the main character very much, however.
It’s pretty hard for me to rank my stories, because I’m so involved with them. I would rate “Vic” as one dear to my heart. Yet, different stories check different boxes for me. If I have stories about which I’m not sure I tend to trunk them. I do want my better work in circulation.
I think my story “Beautiful Calamity”, forthcoming in Paradox Magazine, is one of the best I’ve written. But, that’s from my perspective as a writer and creator. The reader might not agree. I’ll find out soon enough.
I have at least one other story that I rate highly that has been stuck on hold for ages with a number of editors – including one at the moment – which I might give up a limb to see published. Well, maybe a digit. I have to type. 🙂
> I think I expected some people would not enjoy “Vic”, because it’s a
> small, intimate story, and quite sad, really. I love the main character > very much, however.
I think that that’s what I loved about the story.
And thank you. You wrote it, after all.
Right – back to cooking dinner!
C