News Post 567

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is posting excerpts from his upcoming space opera, The Worker Prince - said to recreate a Star Wars type feel. Here are the first two:
http://bryanthomasschmidt.blogspot.com/2010/09/this-is-first-chapter-of-my-forthcoming.html
http://bryanthomasschmidt.blogspot.com/2010/12/novel-excerpt-worker-prince.html

Millard Jones is giving away a copy of Eternity's Edge by Bryan Davis. Go here to enter:
http://onehundredelectricians.blogspot.com/2010/12/giveaway_07.html

New short stories online:
Spaced Out by R.L. Copple
http://skaggsworld.com/fwg/2010/12/04/spaced-out/
El Nino: A Christmas Mystery with Carolyn Masters, by Terri Main
http://bit.ly/fPWx4Q
The Fairy Princess and the Troll, by Brandon Barr
http://bit.ly/emFdY6

From the Blogosphere:
At Speculative Faith: E. Stephen Burnett shares Lacy's story of how Lord of the Rings opened her spiritual eyes:
http://bit.ly/fBOAq2

P.A. Baines is interviewed by Lena Nelson Dooley, with a chance to win his book:
http://bit.ly/i2PIEm

Kat Heckenbach started a blog series on art she's doing for speculative fiction:
http://bit.ly/geMI35

News for August 16th 2010

Greg Mitchell gives us his latest news on his upcoming release The Coming Evil, plus an excerpt from his story due to be published in Coach's Midnight Diner Volume 3:
http://thecomingevil.blogspot.com/2010/08/exclusive-excerpt-from-flesh-and-blood.html

Mike Duran gives us an indepth look at Christian Horror contrasted with Atheist Horror:
http://mikeduran.com/?p=9016

C.S. Lakin continues her musings on fantasy, this time on being a mystic:
http://www.gatesofheavenseries.com/blog/2010/08/14/the-wolf-of-tebron-on-being-a-mystic/
She's also been interviewed at Novel Journey:
http://noveljourney.blogspot.com/2010/08/novel-journey-interview-with-susanne.html

And the New Authors Fellowship announces their new member: Avily Jerome.
http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/our-newest-member/

News for May 31st, 2010

Here is an in-depth interview with Kerry Nietz, author of A Star Curiously Singing and The Superlative Stream, at Cathi-Lyn Dyck's blog Scita > Scienda. There is also a draw to win a set of the books, so go and add your comment to the discussion:
http://scitascienda.com/2010/05/27/interview-kerry-nietz-author-of-the-superlative-stream/


An article on the symbolism and parallels of Jeffrey Overstreet's work has been published at Cardus by Robert Joustra. Check out "Here there be Dragons":
http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/2015/

Steve Rzasa has been interviewed by Jennifer AlLee, and there's a giveaway there of his book The Word Unleashed:
http://jenniferallee.blogspot.com/2010/05/interview-and-giveaway-with-science.html

News for May 28th, 2010

Rick Copple says: I'm a guest blogger for a second time, within a month of the last one I think. This time I'm on Gareth L. Powell's blog. He is a science fiction writer. I wrote an article I titled: "Words Gone Wild." You can go there and tell me how off the mark I am. Or not, your call. :D
http://www.garethlpowell.com/words_gone_wild/



Taylor Kent says: the brand new Adventures of The Snarky Avenger web comic has launched. You can find it in all its glory at http://snarkyavengercomic.com. Check it out, subscribe, leave a comment!

Mike Duran has posted an article entitled Why “Supernatural Fiction” is Under-Represented in Christian Bookstores. It makes great reading and points out an important for those of us who are advocates of speculative fiction. http://mikeduran.com/?p=7344

Here's a round-up of what's current at Variance Publishing: lots of near-future technothrillers and even a fantasy, by the looks of it... http://variancepublishing.blogspot.com/2010/05/promo-me-baby.html

News for May 19th, 2010

Terri Main says: You can check out the cover for Dark Side of the Moon at
http://www.facebook.com/darksidenovel . It looks great and is pretty close to my vision of the main characters.
Also from Terri: I just posted a new Carolyn Masters flash fiction story on Scribd at
http://www.scribd.com/doc/31426203/Fireworks
Hope you enjoy it. BTW, my scribd profile is at http://www.scribd.com/terrimain if you would like to subscribe. I will be posting various bits of flash fiction from time to time. They are free to download and distribute with attribution non commercially.



This week sees the CSFF blog tour for Jill Williamson's By Darkness Hid. Be sure and check out all the links from http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/


Jeremy Robinson is going to be blogging regularly at Think Hero. His first post on breaking into Hollywood via novel writing is here:
http://www.thinkhero.com/2010/05/14/how-to-break-in-to-hollywood

News for April 28th, 2010

The CFBA tour is featuring The Sword by Bryan M. Litfin. Two of the reviews can be found at these links:
Review by Andrea Graham: http://askandrea.adamsweb.us/the-sword-by-bryan-m-litfin/
Review by Becky Miller: http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/cfba-tour-the-sword/
You can look up more linked reviewers at http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/.


Kat Heckenbach is in the papers again: check it out at http://brandonnews2.tbo.com/content/2010/apr/21/161420/valrico-mom-pens-inspiration---and-horror/.


Jill Williamson paid a visit to Peg Phifer's blog for Genre Month: http://goaheadandwearthepurple.blogspot.com/2010/04/genre-jill-williamson.html.


And Stuart Stockton has a Facebook fan page you need to be sure and join: http://bit.ly/bPRSDz.

News for March 17th, 2010

Karina Fabian got a great new review for her book Magic, Mensa & Mayhem at the Midwest Book Review. You can read it here: http://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/mar_10.htm#janie

Members Cathi-Lyn Dyck and Grace Bridges are also members of a group called International Christian Fiction Writers, which operates a group blog.
Cathi-Lyn wrote there recently on What is Literature, with some insights on speculative fiction: http://internationalchristianfictionwriters.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-is-literature.html
And Grace Bridges republished The Night of the Gift, a short story from a few years ago which is both international and speculative:

Keven Newsome at The New Authors' Fellowship has written two articles useful for writers when planning a novel:
The Hero's Journey http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/the-heros-journey/
and The Villain's Quest http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/the-villains-quest/

Jeremy Robinson has released Part 9 of his free audiobook Beneath. You can catch all the parts so far at http://www.podiobooks.com/title/beneath

News for February 16th, 2010

After a quiet weekend, it's time to jump back into the fray with all your favourite LGG happenings!

T.W. Ambrose, editor of the Digital Dragon Magazine, announces that his short story The Pilgrimage won first place in the Preditors & Editors poll for Best Sci-Fi & Fantasy Short Story of 2009. Check out what he's got to say about that here.

An enterprising Englishwoman has made an independent spin-off movie as a companion to the legendary Lord of the Rings trilogy. LGG member Peter Grant explains the background at his blog, where you can also view the 70 minute movie in its entirety.

At the New Authors Fellowship, Keven Newsome comments on Paul Baines' unpublished novel Alpha, which deals with space travel and the ability of an artificial intelligence to discover God.

For writers: The Wordplay blog has an article about a fascinating approach to improving your writing by reviewing your own work. Check out this unusual idea right here.

And lastly today we have two new LGG member reviews for The Muse by Fred Warren: one by Kat Heckenbach, and one by Greg Mitchell. Thanks guys!

News for January 4th, 2010

Here's a quick spotlight on a blog that will be new to some of you - OrthoCuban. He's a Cuban and an Orthodox priest. Recently some of his posts have fallen smack-bang in the middle of our area of interest:

The furry universe and vampire chick-lit - in which the LGG's Ken Pick and Infinite Space, Infinite God (eds. Karina and Rob Fabian) are discussed;

Christian vampire stories - in which the LGG's Sue Dent and her books Never Ceese and Forever Richard get the treatment;

and G.K. Chesterton on fairytales - for a rather more historical voice than our Guild can provide.


And this from Johne Cook - get Issue 55 of RayGun Revival here!

Here's what you'll find inside:

Santa's Spaceship by Clinton Lawrence
Fiction
As humans colonize space, Santa Claus faces a dilemma. How could he deliver presents on Christmas Eve to the children on distant worlds? Fortunately, the elves have a solution.

First Film by Alexander Field
Fiction
Longshot gubernatorial candidate Fargrave Goodman hopes his movie will win him the campaign, but when the footage is stolen, his entire political career hangs in the balance!

Doors Through the Places You Live by Michael Merriam
Fiction
When Gary Ampierre and Terrell Bingham enter a derelict warship on a salvage mission, the forces that destroyed the ship and its crew threaten them as well. Will the ghost ship claim two more victims?

The Grand Illusion: A Dean The Space Rogue Tale by Andy Heizeler
Fiction
Trapped in a hostile star system full of criminals, thieves, and con-men, Dean and the crew of the Tachyon Valkyrie may have finally met their match. Will they be able to out wit the bad and trick the worst?

RGR Reviews reviewed by Matthew Winslow and Donald Jacob Uitvlugt
The Mote in God's Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
We the Underpeople, by Cordwainer Smith
The New Space Opera edited by Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan

This Raygun For Hire: Forever Eden by John M. Whalen
Fiction
Frank Carson is a man who doesn't believe in thinking about the past. But an assignment that leads him to a place called Forever Eden and a meeting with an old flame bids him to remember his own Paradise Lost.

Featured artist , Juha Järvinen, Finland

Tales of the Breaking Dawn, The Ties That Bind, Part Four by Justin Macumber
Serial Fiction
The star-freighter Breaking Dawn defies a blockade to deliver a package. The price for failure: death.

Calamity's Child, Chapter Eight: Rites of Passage - King in the Corner, Part Two by M. Keaton
Serial Fiction
Red Dog continues to war alone against the fool humans while Kylee forces Ivan to face his heart.

Thieves' Honor: Episode Ten: The Rescuers, Part 1 by Keanan Brand
Serial Fiction
Captain Kristoff and the crew of the Martina Vega are trying to rescue Finney, not knowing she's already safe. And Governor Tarquin is waiting.

Deuces Wild, Season Two: Holding Pattern by L. S. King
Serial Fiction
Reggie might be gone, but his ship is rigged. Can Carter and Tristan disable the boobytraps before time runs out?

The Adventures of the Sky Pirate, Season Three, Chapter 28 — The Barracuda Strikes! by Johne Cook
Serial Fiction
The Barracuda explains the distinction between fishing and hunting, and Flynn comes to grips with a shocking revelation about his identity.T The good news is that the crew is finally off the hook. Literally.

As a measure of our largesse, the Overlords have decided to spare your puny planet for another day. Enjoy the New Year's holiday with our compliments!
Johne Cook / L. S. King / Paul Christian Glenn
The RGR Overlords

News for October 16th, 2009

Karina Fabian says:

Writers, editors, agents, and other publishing professionals from around the world are gearing up for the third annual Catholic Writers’ Conference Online, which will be held February 26-March 5, 2010. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild, the online conference is free of charge and open to writers of all levels who register between October 1, 2009 and February 15, 2010. Develop your skills with forum-based workshops, or tap experienced writers and editors for their knowledge in live chats. Do you have a Catholic book to pitch? Prominent Catholic publishers will be holding pitch sessions! (Limited attendance.) To register or get more information, go to www.catholicwritersconference.com. (Non-Catholics: You do not need to be Catholic to attend, but you do need to respect our beliefs.)

Check out a review of the controversial book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies reviewed by Michelle Levigne at the Christian Fiction Online Magazine.

For writers: A contest that is open to Christian spec-fic at:
http://joyfulhutch.googlepages.com/rattlerscontest

Robert Treskillard says: I wrote an article titled "What is Christian Fantasy? A Definition and a
Challenge" at the new Holy Worlds site:
http://holyworlds.x10hosting.com/blog/?page_id=283
Even though I focus on Christian fantasy, what I wrote can equally apply to any spec-fic.
Feedback on the article can be left at: http://epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php?title=holy_worlds_amdash_what_is_christian_fan&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

And Fred Warren has a new story up at Mindflights: One Smile At A Time. There's something special about the girl with the big smile in Mr. Joseph's third grade class, and it just might save the world.

Fred also says: Wow, two stories published in the same week–that's a first for me. This story, "Of All Things, Seen and Unseen," is a tale of faith and adventure set in the Rescue Sisters Universe created by Robert and Karina Fabian in their anthologies, Infinite Space, Infinite God, and Leaps of Faith. My story was inspired by their work and inhabits their universe with their permission.

A lot of new stories at Residential Aliens (www.resaliens.com) this week--check 'em out!

News for May 11th 2009

Iron Dragons by Derek Gilbert was published last November as a free "podiobook", an audio book delivered as a podcast, at Podiobooks.com. The average listener rating at Podiobooks and the iTunes Music Store is 4-1/2 stars out of 5. The audio book also received an Honorable Mention in the 2008 Podiobooks.com Founder's Choice Awards for best podiobooks of the year.
User comments at Podiobooks.com (http://www.podiobooks.com/blog/2008/10/13/iron-dragons-book-1-the-saramond-quests/) and the iTunes Music Store include:

• I really enjoyed this story - Normally I am a Sci Fi fan but I really got into this one. To my surprise and pleasure the author has managed to successfully mix fantasy and Sci Fi technology.
• I was stumped half way through the tale by the intrusion of Sci-fi on what I originally and completely considered to be a classic fantasy story, but I have to say even though it was a surprise it wasn’t handled badly at all. ... The characters are vibrant and realistic, the pace is good, and for the most part the story is engaging.
• Interesting first person details on the story telling, with great characters and a great story plot. Highly recommend this story.

Check it out at: http://www.podiobooks.com/title/iron-dragons/

**
Cathi-Lyn Dyck has posted a fascinating article called Random Thoughts on Christian Fantasy. Great reading for authors and fans.

Reposted at Splashdown Reviews:
Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell

News for April 20th, 2009

Cre8iv is the Arts Show of Aloft Radio featuring interviews with Artists, Producers, Authors, Painters, Film-Makers and much more... If you are a Christian working in the arts, please email to be on a show.


Sci-Fi Authors Mike Lynch & Brandon Barr...
Mike and Brandon talk about their novel 'When The Sky fell' and how Science Fiction can be used as a means of speaking to our society...









Check out this new interview with Stuart Vaughn Stockton, author of the new novel Starfire from Marcher Lord Press. Read all about the creation of an alien language, and much more.









Terri Main says: We will be discussing the Lost Con being planned for Second Life. I got an IM from another SLer who was looking for Christian authors to read at a ministry sim she is involved with. I have invited her to come and share her plans with the group. So next Tuesday April 21 7 pm SLT (which happens to be pacific time) at http://www.tinyurl.com/sllgg
Note: that URL takes you to a SL web page where you can click on a link which reads "Teleport Now". It launches second life and when you log in takes you directly to the location.

sec
"Dent's Novels have Christian Message" article in the Madison County Herald, April 11, 2009. URL: http://www.mcherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090411/FAITH/904110306/1006

Read TeenAge Magazine and Free Classic Sci-Fi

At TeenAge Magazine, written by and for teens, editor Bill Snodgrass comments on the visionary nature of science fiction in the article Science Fiction, Science Reality - Treknologies in our midst - On June 3, 1969, the last original episode of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek aired. Yet, reality took many years—decades, in truth—to catch up to his speculative vision of future technology. Many of these far forward thinking innovations—Treknologies—seen in the original series and the sequels that followed still, now thirty-six years later, remain on the cutting edge of society.

Also at TeenAge, check out Charlotte's Sword - new fantasy by JA Howe: The Troll Parade had gone well, it seemed, but what was that sound in the alley? Charlotte wanted to know. Just for protection, she yanked the sword off her mantelpiece -- wow, was it heavy! But that was all right. It wasn't like she'd be using it...until she ran into the poor guy being attacked!

Project Gutenberg offers a large online collection of science fiction classics online for free. Check out their bookshelf here.

Also, authors from Jeremy Robinson's Variance Publishing will be talking about their books on web radio: check out this post for the details.

Sci-Fi Controversies: Join the discussion

Christianity Today magazine recently published an article entitled "Sci-Fi's Brave New World" examining some aspects of Christian interaction with sci-fi concepts. The article has caused a great deal of discussion, both publicly in the article's comments and privately in the Lost Genre Guild newsgroup. Stuart Stockton and Rebecca Miller have also posted commentaries on the Speculative Faith blog. Please join in the discussions there!

Mindflights magazine has published a new sci-fi poem by Joshua Gage here.

Thoughtful Reading Matter and Free Stuff

The Writers' Café Press has posted three articles relating to the recent release Leaps of Faith, edited by Karina and Rob Fabian, with story excerpts at http://thewriterscafepressauthors.blogspot.com.

1. Space Exploration stories
http://thewriterscafepressauthors.blogspot.com/2009/01/high-hopes-for-dead-space-exploration.html

2. the controversial Encountering Alien Life
http://thewriterscafepressauthors.blogspot.com/2009/01/encountering-alien-life-leaps-of-faith.html

3. Hard Sci-fi and Time Travel http://thewriterscafepressauthors.blogspot.com/2009/01/hard-sci-fi-time-travel-in-leaps-of.html


And there's lots of news from Marcher Lord Press:
New author Stuart Vaughn Stockton is holding a contest right now through April 1 (launch day for the second list) he with a ton of prizes at his Web page Heralds of the Starfire. One of those prizes is a complete set of the second lineup of Marcher Lord Press novels.

Also, if you sign up for Marcher Lord Press updates, you'll receive a free serialised novel by email. So what are you waiting for?

Blogs & Reviews

Our thanks to the Writer to Reader blog, who gave us a nice mention in this post recently. Be sure and check out their other posts for lots of Christian fiction news.

Rebecca LuElla Miller wrote a thoughtful article around the question "How Dark is Too Dark?" regarding the portrayal of evil in Christian fiction.

Terri Main wrote about the writer's life and the influence of social networking on this hitherto solitary occupation. Click to read: Writing: A Lonely Life - NOT!!!!

Frank Creed posted a review of Forever Richard by Sue Dent over at A Frank Review: "Sue should be proud of having crafted a fun and entertaining read for all levels of readers that is still fully a horror novel." And staying with Sue Dent, Lena Nelson Dooley interviewed Sue about her new release, Forever Richard. In it she mentions the LGG:
http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/2009/01/author-sue-dent-forever-richard-free.html

And finally, the ShilohWriter blog posted a review of Amy Deardon's upcoming release A Lever Long Enough - "Benjamin Finan heads up a crew of Israeli scientists sent back in time to investigate the resurrection of Christ." Click here to read the full review.