MISSION: SUCCESS
Laurie's Journal

I have good news and bad news to share about my writer's journey from this past week. The good news is I finished my short story The Shell and the Star. The bad news is that when I re-opened the manuscript, the resolution I thought I'd already written--with its cool twist and brilliant wrap--uh...wasn't there!

Gasp! Wait. What?

Cue compulsory hard drive scour for a more recent version. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I know I wrote the grand finale. I remember writing it. I know it's somewhere...but I can't seem to find the coordinates of the point it occupies on this plane of existence. Doubt ensues. Did I write it and not save the file? Did I pen it in a notebook that has since been misplaced? Did I only dream I finished the story?

My FNF (For Now Fix) was to rewrite a new ending. Unfortunately, I know it's not THE ending that originally came out of my head. It's a bit flat and uninspired and so not ready for prime time. Some writers probably would have set it aside to work on it another time, but I felt a need to wrap the story. I guess it's like training a dog or a horse and always wanting to end the lesson on a positive note instead concluding with a negative experience. My muse had to have that cookie. My head required a sense of accomplishment so I didn't succumb to frustration.

Now I can press reset and mull over other options for a more fitting finale. Maybe even try re-conjuring the original wrap from my subconscious since the details are eluding me. In the meantime, it is a setback. The Shell and the Star will remain in sort of a Limbo of the Lost until I can create a satisfying fix.

Thought for the day: It's too bad our brains don't come with an automatic backup system.

So I'm curious. Has this ever happened to you? I'm sure this is more of a pantser's malady than a plotter's. A plotter would have every detail down on paper, most likely color-coded and cross-referenced. Pantsers...not so much. This scenario is when the head-to-page style of creative writing can really backfire on ya. *wipes soot from face*

ABOUT THE SHELL AND THE STAR

Here's a little about the story in question.

A female resident of a high-tech spacestation and an ocean-dwelling male discover they have more in common than being the children of high-ranking officials. An arranged courtship by their parents leads to unexpected consequences that could save--or destroy--both races.

The title The Shell and The Star represent the standards of the two species. The Star is the emblem of the Talstar Space Station in geosynchronous orbit over planet Veros. The Shell is the icon of the aquatic Perling species who live more primitive lives beneath the surface of the shallow seas.

Excerpt:

“You have a suitor.”

Jinn peered up into her father’s eyes as he floated into place before her. Is he joking? Since she’d come of age, five long years had passed without a bid for her hand. She’d given up hope of ever having a mate.

“Who…who makes this request?”

“The Fourth Dominant of the Perling.”

Jinn gasped, reeling like the oxygen had just been sucked out the airlock. A Perling Dominant? An alien? “Father, no! I can’t—“

“You will answer his bid,” her father insisted, grabbing a handhold to anchor himself in Talstar’s zero gravity.

“But why? Why would a Perling Dominant want my hand?”

“Not the Dom himself, girl. He asks on behalf of his second son.”

Jinn dropped her gaze to her small fists clenched around the frame of her sleeprack, her shoulder drifting to bump the bulkhead. “Why would even a second son want me?”

Jinn sets out on a reluctant mission of discovery, where she learns not only about the Perling race and her intended mate, but secrets from the past that she never could have imagined and promises for a future that she never dared to dream.

The Shell and the Star is currently about 12,500 words and takes place in a distance future of the Draxian Universe on (or above and in the waters of) planet Veros. When it's completed, my plans are to scout a home for it in an upcoming SFR anthology or offer it as a free standalone story.

SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGH INSPIRING FOR SFR

A new medical breakthrough might just be the stuff of SFR writers' dreams.

A team of scientists at Boston's Childrens Hospital have developed an exciting new treatment, an oxygen particle that can be put into the bloodstream to oxygenate the blood. Result? You don't have to breathe to live! At least for about 30 minutes.

How does it work?

By creating particles containing oxygen gas pockets inside lipids fats, the resulting globules can hold four times the oxygen of a red blood cell and are flexible enough not to get log-jammed in blood vessels, causing dangerous gas embolisms. The particles are simply injected directly into the bloodstream. The new therapy can be used to treat a number of maladies that deprive the body of oxygen--such as pneumonia, collapsed lung, or hemorrhaging of the respiratory system--long enough to treat the patient before the brain is damaged or destroyed due to lack of oxygen. This helps ensure survival for the precious minutes while surgeons are working to treat the damage.

Future potential?

This is where things really get exciting. As the therapy is developed to allow for longer periods of oxygenation, if you can imagine it, it can probably be applied. Think about Navy Seals who would no longer need underwater breathing gear for missions. How about undersea researchers, ocean rescue efforts, submarine accidents and other situations where the particles could be injected into the blood to allow first responders to deploy without gear--or someone trapped underwater to survive long enough to be recovered. (Remember the intentional drowning and resuscitation scene from The Abyss? Problem solved.)

Now apply a little imagination and think about the implications for outer space exploration and future colonies.

You can read more about the breakthrough here: TechWench

Or watch a short YouTube video:




A MESSAGE TO OUR FOLLOWERS

Sometime in the next week or two, this humble blog is going to achieve a major milestone--125,000 hits over it's lifetime. We appreciate all our followers, old and new, who have helped to steadily raise our stats with each new year, and even each successive month. With so much content available on the internet, and a plethora of blogs on every conceivable topic, we're glad you're willing to spend a little of your time with us here at Spacefreighters Lounge.

Bartender, fetch another round of Billins--on the house!

PING PONG

I really enjoyed the discussion inspired by Sharon's blog about authors behaving badly. Food for thought to all aspiring writers, for sure.

Donna, I'm looking forward to this week's more in depth review of the new Star Trek Into Darkness movie. Your blog last week didn't give away any of the Trekker goodies that came out in the story, but definitely clued me in on what to watch for. I saw the 3D version.

Pippa, good luck with organizing/arranging the next SFR blog hop in June. It's a big job, but a worthy undertaking in how it benefits and raises awareness of the SFR subgenre as a whole.

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS SHINES

Spock and Kirk re-imagined by J.J. Abrams.

In 2009, J.J. Abrams did the impossible.  He re-imagined one of the most iconic of science fiction universes for the blockbuster screen triumph STAR TREK.  He took a huge risk in recasting the characters we had all grown up with and millions had a fierce allegiance to: Captain James T. Kirk, First Officer Spock, Chief Medical Officer Leonard McCoy and the others of the crew of the starship Enterprise. But not only did the old fans love his new TREK, thousands of new fans flocked to his banner.

This weekend Abrams sets himself an even greater challenge with the opening of STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, the second in his re-envisioned series.  With this film he’s forced to develop the characters he merely introduced in his first outing; he has to create a story that is fresh and relevant to our time, but which uses elements of the original series and movies; and he still has to please his divided audience of old and new fans.

I’m happy—no, I’m ecstatic—to say he’s succeeded by a lightyear!  STID has no shortage of pulse-pounding action, eye-popping special effects, beautiful space shots, cool unidentifiable technology and random aliens. In fact, there is enough of those things to keep any SF geek happy sorting them out for years.  But the real beauty of this film is in the emotion it so willingly offers as a legitimate part of the story.  The heart of STAR TREK has always been the relationships between Kirk, Spock and McCoy, and secondarily between them and Uhura, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov.  This film understands that and doesn’t shy away from it at crucial moments.

The genius of Abrams’ approach to the new TREK was in developing the alternate universe concept from the very beginning of the story in his first movie.  That allows for differences in history and slight differences in personality, but allows us to see that Kirk, Spock and the others retain the same basic character in this new timeline.  Their reactions to their new situations are the same—they’d give their lives for each other, even if the outward circumstances are reversed, for example.  

But Kirk and Spock are younger in this universe, and they have some growing to do.  The process is fascinating.  They misunderstand and lose faith in one another, have flashes of insight about each other, come to rely on each other and eventually bond in ways only brothers-in-arms can know.  In the original series, McCoy was much more a part of this process and this film misses that a bit, but there will be other opportunities in the future to make up for it, I’m sure.

That Abrams (and his co-writers, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelhof) let us see this character growth is an indication of the respect they have for the TREK franchise and its fans.  Abrams has admitted he is NOT a TREK fan (he’s a STAR WARS fan, and, back in the day, TREK and WARS fans just didn’t get along), but he has at least been wise enough to pay homage to the original in his work.  This film, in particular, is full of references to TOS (as one reviewer said, scattered like Easter eggs throughout for fans to find).  

Things look bad for our side: the Enterprise falls to Earth!

Even the story is drawn from an iconic episode of TOS.  Unlike many reviewers, I refuse to give away the “secret” of the plot or the identity of the villain.  I’ll talk about that in next week’s post, when more folks will have had a chance to see the film.  The “reveal” is made well into the film and provides a distinctly “aahh!” moment, so I won’t be the one to ruin it for you.  The wonderful thing about it is the way Abrams and his co-writers braid the elements of the old story into the new one, twisting the events of the old timeline to fit this new, alternate universe.  (And because this is a new universe, there can be no endless arguing about, “Well, that didn’t happen in the original series”.) Not surprisingly for the creator of such intricate storylines as Lost and Fringe,  foreshadowing is used to great effect here, with random scenes coming back to take on meaning as things come together later in the film.

If I have one criticism, it would be of Benedict Cumberbatch, who underplays his villain almost to the point of blandness.  Chris Pine’s Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s Spock are formidable acting opponents, filling the screen with charisma.  And their crew members—Karl Urban as McCoy (perfect!), Simon Pegg as Scotty (hilarious!), John Cho as Sulu (a captain in the making), Zoe Soldana as Uhura (saving the day, while giving Spock hell) Anton Yelchin as Chekov—are no slouches, either.  You need some big teeth to chew the scenery with that lot.  But more about that next week, too.

After the mixed reaction to Tom Cruise’s OBLIVION, and the fun, but brainless, IRONMAN 3, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS leads off what looks to be a terrific summer science fiction movie season with a bang.  Go!  Go twice!  Pay extra for 3D if you can tolerate it, but don’t wait for this to shrink to the size of your home screen.  It’s too much big fun in outer space.  And meet me here next week to talk about who that bad guy really is and what he’s up to!

Cheers, Donna

Love the author, love the book?

Recently I picked up NEVERWHERE by Neil Gaiman. For probably the third time. I don't know why, but each time I've picked it up before, despite enjoying his writing, I put it aside after a few chapters. I do think that sometimes you have to be in the right frame of mind for certain books.

I don't know if it's because of what the Internet is doing to our brains, or just because I don't have much time, but these days I almost always have a few books in progress, and sometimes I set them aside quite a long time before going back. But it is rare I'll go back to a book more than a couple times if it still hasn't grabbed me.

So why did I go back to NEVERWHERE? Because lately I have come to really enjoy Neil Gaiman, the personality. I loved the speech he gave to the University of the Arts class of 2012 (Make Art). I loved the speech he gave at this year's London Book Fair (Be Like Dandelions). And I especially loved his 2013 New Year's wish, which goes like this:

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art (write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can). And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

This is the way I want to live, and this quote was a refuge for me during this year's Monty Python Event.

So about a week ago, I picked up NEVERWHERE again, and I've had a hard time putting it down (alas, revisions, they do interfere with the TBR). I am truly enjoying it. What changed? Is it about the book itself, or about the fact I like the author's personality? Whichever the case, if I hadn't started taking an interest in the author, I might not have picked up the book again, and I think that's worth something.

Here is another example -- Hugh Howey, author of WOOL. (Feel free to comment on WHY these are both male SF authors. I'm not sure if it is significant, but I suspect it has to do with the fact there are few female SF/F authors who are so public.)

I read the WOOL omnibus edition last year, and I was an instant fan. Gripping, character-driven post-apocalyptic sci-fi with strong female protagonists and even a touch of romance. Wahoo! As I tweeted to #fridayreads shortly after I started the book, dude can write. No wonder he's sold so many damn books.

A month or so back, Howey did something that pissed off a lot of people. I don't want to make this post about that, or jump into the controversy. But if you don't know what I'm talking about, a Google search will quickly catch you up. You can read a recent explanation/apology from Howey here.

When I read Howey's original post, I could see why it exploded in his face. While I'm not going to comment on what he did, I will say that I spent a LOT of time thinking about it, considering the various viewpoints of those defending and crucifying him (and everything in between). As authors/public figures I think we must pay close attention to events like these.

My question for the purposes of this post: Did it affect my enjoyment of his work, or my desire to read more? For me, the answer is no. This could be in part because I had already read his work and become a fan, and through that I feel I know something about him as a person. It also reminds me that he IS a person, in addition to being an author and public figure, and all persons do things they regret.

The question I will never be able to answer, though, is would I have picked up his book if I'd discovered the controversy beforehand. There are so many books, so little time, and it doesn't take much these days to nudge one off my list. And honestly I would have been the loser in that; it's a fabulous series. I'll be interested to hear what my co-bloggers have to say about this, since I don't believe they have read WOOL yet.

Okay, one more example and then I want to hear what you think! I have told the story many times about how Stephenie Meyer's personal success story -- writing from the heart, believing in her story and herself -- gave me a much-needed shove toward my first serious attempt at completing a novel. In fact, I ended up submitting to (and contracting with) her literary agency.

I read and enjoyed the TWILIGHT series. And I intend to read THE HOST eventually (see previous comment about the TBR). Because she was so open about her experience and encouraging to other writers, I will probably always be favorably disposed toward her work.

So do I have some kind of conclusion here? In reading back through the post, I think I've concluded that writer personalities do matter, but they are only one aspect of the whole marketing package. Not a deal breaker, not a deal maker. And individual circumstances have to be factored in. If you have a stack of NYT bestsellers, your personality may not be so important. Maybe not the case if you're a debut author with a knack for offending people.

And none of this takes into account the fact more books will be sold when there is controversy.

This is fairly new territory for all of us -- having so much access to authors, as well as channels for broadcasting both reader and writer opinions. It certainly presents both opportunities and pitfalls! I love the game creator character
in the YouTube series THE GUILD. He is paralyzed by negative gamer feedback (most of it downright nasty and personal). He keeps spreadsheets of comments, and they've made him so neurotic he can no longer create.

What do you think? Which authors do you love as people, and why? Do your feelings about the person affect the way you feel about their work?

SFR Brigade Unveils Cover Art for Upcoming Anthology

The SFR Brigade community of Science Fiction Romance writers and authors is in the process of developing an anthology of SFR stories for an upcoming summer release--Tales from the SFR Brigade.

As part of the process, the community put together a team to recruit cover art submissions and select just two designs to go to the overall membership for a vote. Today we're revealing the final product.

So, with no further fanfare... *whips off the veil*

The goal of the anthology is to promote quality works of SFR and to entice new readers to sample the subgenre.  The anthology will be offered for free. 

We're proud that the Spacefreighters Lounge blog partnership had quite a bit of involvement in the anthology. One of Pippa Jay's short stories--"Imprint"--was accepted for inclusion, and Laurie A. Green worked behind the scenes as a coordinator and editor for the project.

Of the anthology, Laurie says, "I'm very excited about the anthology and its potential to introduce the Science Fiction Romance universe to a multitude of new fans. There are nine exciting stories by nine different SFR authors, some very well known in the subgenre and others who are emerging as talented new voices. The stories include near future, apocalyptic, space opera, Earth-based and alien romance, and have it all--adventure, mystery, suspense, high stakes, and of course, romance! You might even be surprised to discover a couple of favorite SFR characters among the cast."

As time draws near for the launch of Tales of the SFR Brigade, we'll announce it here.

Cover art designed by Melody Simmons of Ebook Indie Covers. Special thanks to Melody for her expertise with the final design.

MISSION: SUCCESS
Laurie's Journal

Drought.

Here in New Mexico we're in the throes of a five-year drought that's resulting in very dire consequences. Albuquerque only averages about 8.5 inches of rain a year, so you can imagine the impact of even less rainfall for a large city.

Here to the east, we manage our pastures carefully but they're nothing but dry brown grass so far this year. We're luckier than some of our neighbors who graze their livestock year round. Their pastures have gone to sand. The Rio Grande is now all but dry south of the big reservoir called Elephant Butte. We didn't have the record mountain snowfalls this winter that we'd hoped for, and the lack of run-off water is threatening the livelihood of green chile growers and farmers in the southern part of our state.

But yesterday...RAIN! 

What's considered a cause for moping in other parts of the country is music to our ears. It's wonderful. Magical, even. People here run to their windows or open their doors to stare, wide-eyed, as fat raindrops fall and soak into the parched soil. Even a little rain is a very good thing.

So I'm blogging today with a new sense of renewal and refreshment. Hooray for rain.

HAPPENINGS

The Brenda Novak Auction for Diabetes Research is off and running again this year, and there are some wonderful items being offered for this very good cause. Trips, books signed by favorite authors, tickets to Las Vegas shows, baskets of goodies, jewelry, editors and agents offering to critique queries and proposals, published authors offering critiques or meet-ups, Kindles, Nooks, iPads, Opportunity Drawings and more.

How about an African Safari? A trip to Aruba? (Browse Once In a Lifetime Experiences for other great trips and vacations closer to home--like Florida, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Washington, Colorado or California.)

There's literally something for everyone. The main auction ends May 31st (so there's still plenty of time to bid) but there are also special auctions that run for limited periods during the month of May.

Here's the link to the Browse page where you can check out the many auction categories...

Brenda Novak Auction for Diabetes Research

And as I bid on some of the many goodies this year, I realized this was a missed opportunity. Maybe next year my peers here at Spacefreighters or members of the SFR Brigade should consider putting together our own space-related category of offerings. Books, iconic Sci-Fi items, spacey jewelry, etc. I bet it would be a hit. Maybe we should start planning now for next year now. What do you say, co-bloggers?

RESEARCH

I've discovered magnetars. What are they? A type of neutron star discovered in 1979 with an extremely--and I do mean extremely--powerful magnetic field. When these magnetic fields decay, they emit high energy electromagnetic radiation such as x-rays and--my favorite boogeyman of space--gamma ray bursts.

But can they affect us? They already have--in alarming ways. Stay tuned for my future post about magnetars.

THE LATEST

The Tales from the SFR Brigade Anthology is coming along great with an anticipated mid-summer release. Voting just closed on the final cover art selection--we had two wonderful selections to choose from--and it appears we have a winner. Can't wait to do a cover reveal.

PING PONG

Congrats again to Pippa on her one year anniversary of KEIR being published. Just think where you'll be in another year!

Congrats also to Sharon for a successful video review of GHOST PLANET by the VFH Book Club on YouTube's Geek & Sundry Channel and a wonderful blog about Ghost Planet by author A.J. Larrieu on the Paranormal Unbound blog. It's so exciting to see GHOST PLANET get some well-deserved press and bring a little more attention to our subgenre.

Donna, enjoy your vacation and general recharging!

One Year Published - Pippa's Journal

Tomorrow, my debut novel Keir will have been published for a whole year. A year! I can't really call myself a new author anymore, despite still feeling like a total newbie. So it got me thinking over what I've learned since I took my first steps into publishing, even though I feel I still have so much to learn.

1.Being published isn't an automatic ticket to fame and fortune - unless you have a huge marketing team and budget, and/or you're one of those lucky few who's book is in the right place at the right time to get noticed. Otherwise you have to work for it, and work hard!

2.Getting a publishing contract (or an agent if that's the path you take) doesn't mean you'll have a book out next week, or even next month. Think next year. Cover art and editing are time consuming, and you will be one of several authors going through the process at your publishing house. With an agent, you have to wait for your book to be contracted before you even start the editing process.

3. You will have to do some, if not all, of your own marketing. This can be scary if you know nothing about marketing...okay, petrifying. But it can be fun. Most of it will be hard work (and/or expensive if you decide to pay for it, so research how effective or reputable the company/site is before paying out) and may seem totally unrewarding at times. Persistence is the key, and being prepared to experiment and try new places. And the marketing never ends.

4.I hate pirates. I could spend hours issuing DMCAs, and new sites spring up faster than you can get your book taken down (if, in fact, they respond to the DMCA at all). Sometimes you have to decide if the time and effort trying to get your book taken down is justified. Sorry, but that's the bare truth.

5.The reactions you get when you say you're an author. I've had blank stares, assumptions that I must be rich and famous, that I can't be a proper author because my book isn't in Waterstones, disbelief, curiosity - you name it. The one that tickled (and shocked) me was, on saying I write scifi romance, the response 'what, like Twilight?' Er, no... Check out the post I did for Liana Brooks on 7 Myths of being a Published Author here.

6.Different publishers have different systems, time scales and formatting. It can be confusing. Don't think because you've been through one publishing house you know what to expect from the next. And don't think that one book published means you'll never get another rejection.

7.A good editor is worth more than their weight in gold and can be your best buddy.

8.A good cover is essential and will really help you sell your book, so flaunt it. But the content needs to be good too.

9.Having a free, self pubbed short with all the blurbs for your other titles and social media links (and keep these up to date!) is a good idea.

10.Don't use Twitter just to promote your books. Check out my post here on things that drive me (and a lot of other people) crazy on Twitter.

11.I LOVE being an author. Yep, despite some of the points above. Whatever the downsides, I'm doing something I can put my heart and soul into, and often sweat, blood and tears. On the days when the other things get you down, look back at the good reviews, feedback and/or awards you've accmulated. Keep a copy of emails, letters, comments etc from your readers - even the tweets. Remember with the bad reviews that not everyone likes the same thing. Don't give up!

Just a quick one from me this week because firstly, it's my 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday. Woo hoo! Somehow my dear soulmate has survived two decades in my company, and we're still going strong. However, he has this week off to celebrate, which means no internet for me - mostly. ;)
And tomorrow I celebrate one year published with a Book Birthday Bash for Keir.  My fellow party hosts will all have a blue themed food or drink to share with you, and there are giveaways! Stop by my blog here tomorrow. :)
Lastly, my edits for Imprint - my Brigade anthology sfr short - went back to my lovely editor last Thursday, so as I wait for the next round, it's a rush to finish and submit my cyberpunk short Reboot to another anthology. Wish me luck!
Brigade members - don't forget to sign up for the 2nd SFR Brigade Midsummer blog hop - I'll be sending out details next week. Plus the two cover finalists for the anthology are up in the Facebook group - go cast your votes!
In the meantime, check out this new publisher for SFR titles, opened by fellow Brigader Misa Buckley this month - SUNBURST PRESS!
In the meantime, here's some seriously excellent and down to earth thoughts on rejection letters by author Dawn Jackson - here.

Best,
Pippa

THE NEWS: FOOLS RUSH IN AND READY PLAYER ONE

Donna’s Journal

Ta Da!

It’s been a while since I’ve reported anything much under this rubric.  Last year was huge, with all the Golden Heart® excitement and signing on with my wonderful agent.  But 2013 has so far been a year of nose-to-the-grindstone and dodging the slings and arrows that are inevitably launched your way in this business.

I can finally report some good news, however.  This week I put “the end” to my third draft manuscript in the Interstellar Rescue Series.  Fools Rush In is a science fiction romance in the space opera vein, with lots of exciting space battles and noir-ish down-planet action.  I don’t neglect the romance, either, this time between the captain of the pirate ship Shadowhawk and the Rescue agent undercover on the slaver he commandeers.

Putting the words on the screen for this third book in my series wasn’t always easy.  It took much longer to complete the draft than I like.  But now that the structure is in place, revisions will be much easier to do, even if they have to be extensive.  That’s the secret all the “fast draft” folks try to impart (and one I wish I could really take to heart).  Just get the story out there in some form.  Then you can trim it, shape it or expand it as necessary.  What will be needed will be much clearer once the words are out of your head and onto the page.

Ping Pong 

--Congratulations to Sharon for her successful live video chat about Ghost Planet with Felicia Day (Supernatural, Eureka) and friends on Goodreads Vaginal Fantasy Hangout earlier this week.  Science fiction romance has a natural connection with geek girls, since the days of TREK fanfic, and this just proves it!  Geek Girlz Rule!  Go Sharon!

--Pippa, your comments on the rumored “death of paranormal romance” struck a chord with me.  I’d been noticing some changes on the NYT and USA TODAY bestseller lists for the past six months or so.  Most of the romance novels on the lists now are either contemporaries (Sherryl Woods, Robyn Carr) or romantic suspense (Lisa Jackson, J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts).  J.R. Ward’s latest stayed only three weeks on the top ten (maybe because it featured gay lovers?).  Sherrilyn Kenyon is hardly seen anymore, though she continues to produce in hardcover.  Christine Feehan produces less and less frequently. 

Newer PNR writers are never seen, though they used to break through fairly regularly, for one book here, one book there.  Now it’s RS or contemporaries that do that.  Romantic suspense is clearly riding the coattails of the male suspense/thriller trend—Harlan Coben, James Baldacci, Stuart Woods—which dominates the lists.  I suspect it’s because RS can command some crossover readers, or maybe just some respect from male editors.

Discoveries

The cover that caught me at B&N.

I don’t often review books in this space, but I just have to mention—no, I have to rave about—this little book I read recently.  It’s a science fiction novel, the first by writer Ernest Cline, titled Ready Player One (Broadway Paperbacks, 2011).  I found it in the 3-for-2 stacks at Barnes and Nobel and only picked it up to make up the third.  The other two books I’d heard of and had been wanting to buy for a while.  (And this is another reason to keep bookstores.  This is a gatherer’s way of finding new books and buying them.  It was a serendipitous discovery.)

Now, lots of other people knew about this book.  Maybe you’ve already read it and love it, too.  USA TODAY, the NEW YORK TIMES, NPR, and on and on. But I, lost in my own little world, hadn’t heard of it.  And, no, Amazon hadn’t recommended it.

It is that rarity among modern SF—a readable page-turner of a book, with a wonderful set of characters, a lovable geek of a hero and even a little romance.  Yes, romance!  An arc (barely discernible, but there) and **spoiler alert** an HEA!

The set-up is this:  in the near future the economy is collapsing in on itself, with the predictable energy and global-warming crises reaching critical levels.  Those who can (which is anyone with a nickel to spare) escape the gray drudgery of daily life by logging into the Oasis, a virtual universe which is combination Internet/entertainment center/shopping mall/travel service/role-playing enabler/alternate reality.  Think Xbox on steroids, with the ability to put you anywhere or –when you want.  You go to school in the Oasis (that much is free).  You shop in the Oasis.  You travel to see the Pyramids in the Oasis (much too dangerous and expensive to try and do that in the real world).  Want to explore space with Captain Kirk (or Banzai Buckeroo or Captain Mal Reynolds)?  There’s a world for that.  Want to fight orcs with Aragorn?  There’s a world for that.  You just slip on your visor and gloves (or your full body suit or sit in your chair, depending on what kind of gear you can afford) and slip away.

Then the man who invented all this, by all accounts an antisocial geek of epic proportions, dies.  In his will he states that all of his worldly goods will be bestowed on the person who finds an Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the vast universe of his Oasis.  The race is on, with our hero, a lowly nerd in high school at the beginning of the quest, matching wits with thousands of other experts on this man, as well as the bad guys, sent by a corporation out to gain control of the Oasis.

The cover for U.K release. Note heart!

The fun part is that the inventor was obsessed with science fiction and fantasy and with the 1980’s—the decade's movies, music, TV shows, technology and, especially, videogames.  He’s filled his Oasis with sly references to all these things, and the quest for the Easter egg depends on knowledge of them.  So the author of Ready Player One can gleefully send his hero through stargates or use warp drive or have him fight anime monsters with names true geeks would recognize (but I, regretfully, didn’t) because it’s part of the ’80’s thing.  One test for our hero had him reciting the entire script for MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL.  Hilarious!

Fortunately, of course, our hero shares his hero’s obsessions.  He can actually play those old videogames, even the ones we might have played on old Commodore 64 computers and the like.  For those of us who can remember what it was like to type in instructions for role-playing games (which is why I quickly bored of such games and never went back), this book is a hoot.

Even if you are too young to remember such sad old days, this book is wonderful.  Highly recommended.

Cheers, Donna