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Category Archives: Asylum and Mirage

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A Writing Biography, Part VIII: The Exoskeleton, Archiving, Publishing, The Blog, and the Long Novels, 2011-2023

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on January 16, 2025 by Michael D. SmithJanuary 16, 2025

The period from March 2011, when The Martian Marauders was accepted for publication, to January 2023, retirement from the library, already finds expression in the blog, but I hope to pull together more insight here. It’s tempting to just narrate … Continue reading →

Posted in A Writing Biography, Akard Drearstone, Asylum and Mirage, Balloon Ship Armageddon, Book Covers, Book Daily, Collapse and Delusion, CommWealth, Double Dragon Publishing, Editing, Interviews, Jack Commer, Jump Grenade, Literary, Man Against the Horses, Marketing, Martian Marauders, Nonprofit Chronowar, Novels, Perpetual Starlit Night, Publishing, Science Fiction, Self-Publishing, Sortmind, Sortmind Press, Stories, Supreme Commander Laurie, The Damage Patrol Quartet, The First Twenty Steps, The SolGrid Rebellion, The Soul Institute, The Wounded Frontier, Trip to Mars, Twisted Tails, Writing, Writing Process | Leave a reply

A Writing Biography, Part VI: Failures, Successes, Rhythms and Swerves, 1983-1994

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on January 8, 2024 by Michael D. SmithDecember 16, 2024

I’m struck by the veering between successes and failures in this period, losing control and skidding across all four lanes until I’d finally get enough sense to stop the car and take a good look around. Had I never learned … Continue reading →

Posted in A Writing Biography, Akard Drearstone, Asylum and Mirage, Character Images, Jack Commer, Martian Marauders, Novels, Painting, Publishing, Query Letters, Science Fiction, Self-Publishing, Sortmind, Stories, The Damage Patrol Quartet, The First Twenty Steps, The Soul Institute, The University of Mars, Writing, Writing Process, Zarreich | 1 Reply

The Exoskeleton

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on July 3, 2023 by Michael D. SmithJanuary 14, 2025

Mindful of one of my favorite saws probably picked up from The Internet, “There are two kinds of people: those who place people in categories, and those who don’t,” I nevertheless postulate that there may be three kinds of artist … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Process, Asylum and Mirage, Jack Commer, Marketing, Novels, Painting, Publishing, Supreme Commander Laurie, Writing, Writing Process | 4 Replies

Asylum and Mirage: A Poetic Ancestor

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on March 10, 2023 by Michael D. SmithMarch 10, 2023

The previous post discussed the “33” story or novel attempt. I’d thought for a long time that since “33” is so surreal, it must have been sparked by dreams. But in perusing my 1985 journal from May to August, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Asylum and Mirage, Novels, Science Fiction, Writing, Writing Process | Leave a reply

Asylum and Mirage: The Old 33

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on March 4, 2023 by Michael D. SmithMarch 4, 2023

In looking back at the long history of the ideas that led to Asylum and Mirage, I went back to a 1985 work, “33,” five loosely connected vignettes composed in the hope of fueling new novel ideas. “33,” so titled … Continue reading →

Posted in Asylum and Mirage, Science Fiction, Stories, Writing, Writing Process | 1 Reply

Asylum and Mirage: Themes and Issues

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on February 27, 2023 by Michael D. SmithFebruary 27, 2023

Art maven Reva McKee invites a hundred fifty guests to artist Dave Raavenscorr’s quirky warehouse studio, but they’ve really come to seek succor from the charismatic Marshall Singletree, the Great Migrator who escaped two Reunion brainwashing catastrophes in the south. … Continue reading →

Posted in Asylum and Mirage, Caspra Coronae, Character Images, Novels, Publishing, Writing, Writing Process | Leave a reply

Asylum and Mirage: A Note on the Cover

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on February 20, 2023 by Michael D. SmithJuly 22, 2023

The novel’s cover comes from my June 2005 abstract painting show at Dallas Public Library’s Bradshaw Gallery. As the previous posts about the book describe, I’d had the image of Dave’s art warehouse for many years, long before doing this … Continue reading →

Posted in Acrylic, Art Process, Art Shows, Asylum and Mirage, Book Covers, Caspra Coronae, Novels, Painting, Tarot Cards | Leave a reply

Asylum and Mirage: The Publication

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on February 16, 2023 by Michael D. SmithDecember 25, 2024

Artist Dave Raavenscorr tries to seduce what he considers a neurotic college girl only to discover she’s Dr. Marina Nunn, chair of the Lake University Music Department and a refugee from the Reunion brainwashing disaster hundreds of miles south. Paranoid … Continue reading →

Posted in Asylum and Mirage, Black Comedy, Caspra Coronae, Novels, Publishing, Sortmind Press, Writing, Writing Process | Leave a reply

Asylum and Mirage and the Long Compositions

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on February 1, 2023 by Michael D. SmithFebruary 1, 2023

Asylum and Mirage, soon to be published, is my eighteenth novel, though some of its ideas and plot go back to 1985’s unpublished Parts I and II. To look back at my writing history, I made a list of novel … Continue reading →

Posted in Asylum and Mirage, Martian Marauders, Novels, Publishing, Science Fiction, Supreme Commander Laurie, Writing, Writing Process | 1 Reply

Asylum and Mirage: Current Conditions

Sortmind Blog - Michael D. Smith Posted on October 19, 2022 by Michael D. SmithOctober 19, 2022

Artist Dave Raavenscorr picks up what he thinks is a college girl, but flees in panic when he discovers she’s Dr. Marina Nunn, chair of the Lake University Music Department and a refugee from the Reunion brainwashing catastrophe at Linstar … Continue reading →

Posted in Acrylic, Art Process, Asylum and Mirage, Caspra Coronae, Character Images, Novels, Painting, Writing, Writing Process | Leave a reply

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Recent Posts

  • Introducing The Benign Incursion
  • Jack Commer, Supreme Commander – The Complete Series Omnibus
  • A Blog Post from February 13, 1976
  • A Writing Biography, Part VIII: The Exoskeleton, Archiving, Publishing, The Blog, and the Long Novels, 2011-2023
  • The Major 2024 Book Energies
  • A Writing Biography, Part VII: Organization, Lost Energies, New Novels, Publishing, 1994-2011
  • Zarreich – Publication at Last
  • The Sortmind Draft One Project
  • Dreams Used in Zarreich
  • Zarreich – The Draft Covers

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Archives

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Recent Comments

  • Introducing The Benign Incursion – Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith on The Unknown Ending for The Martian Marauders
  • Jack Commer, Supreme Commander – The Complete Series Omnibus – Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith on Trip to Mars in Paperback
  • Jack Commer, Supreme Commander – The Complete Series Omnibus – Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith on The First Childhood Appearance of Jack Commer, September 19, 1962
  • Jack Commer, Supreme Commander – The Complete Series Omnibus – Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith on The Irregular Origin of The Martian Marauders
  • Jack Commer, Supreme Commander – The Complete Series Omnibus – Sortmind Blog – Michael D. Smith on The UR Jack Commer: A Look at the Childhood Beginnings of the Commer Saga

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Michael's books

Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions
4 of 5 stars
Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions
by Matthieu Ricard
WordPress Web Design for Dummies
4 of 5 stars
WordPress Web Design for Dummies
by Lisa Sabin-Wilson
Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End...
5 of 5 stars
Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End...
by Philip Plait
Using Joomla!
3 of 5 stars
Using Joomla!
by Ron Severdia
Serpent's Tooth
5 of 5 stars
Serpent's Tooth
by Toni V. Sweeney
On a cruise Melissa bonds with an older man, Travis, who turns out to be a famous celebrity in hiding from a once successful life. But by degrees we become aware that his enormous success came at the price of bonding with demonic forces...

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