The Premise So Far Book Two of the Supreme Commander Laurie series finds Laurie plagued by endless administrative headaches in her first six months as supreme commander. In addition to resistance to her appointment throughout the United System Space Force … Continue reading →
Telekinetic terrorists contest Earth’s toehold on Mars Jack ruins Alpha Centaurian peace negotiations Time war kicks off decades of chaos Jack’s son revives an ancient star empire A race snuffs out stars in the name of art Rebels disrupt a … Continue reading →
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 →
It’s been difficult to write 1994-2011; this is quite a long era, from my thirties to my fifties, with several deluded sub-eras as well as breakthroughs. But the period seems anchored at each end: beginning with The Soul Institute charting … Continue reading →
Why I sometimes reread first drafts of my novels, usually amazed by how the sprawling but somehow compelling mess eventually congealed into a publishable story–or in some cases, was so bad I abandoned it. When I rediscovered the first draft … Continue reading →
In a dysfunctional 2065 where religious zealots restrict the world to outdated twentieth-century technology, eighteen-year-old Zeke Venan dedicates himself to the life of the mind and to the further evolution of humanity. He drags his Australian girlfriend to an impoverished … Continue reading →
As I mull over a forthcoming post to celebrate the long-overdue publication of The University of Mars, I’ve reflected a bit on its extended history. I. Draft 1, 1980-1981 The novel began with a longing to describe an archetypal University … Continue reading →
United System Space Force leader Jack Commer has resigned to probe a dangerous cosmic irregularity, elevating physician/engineer Laurie Lachrer to take his place. But when she finds herself inexplicably transported onto his suicide mission, she must struggle to assert herself … Continue reading →
Four Theater of the Absurd Novelettes Bumbling officer Marty Brimfeeler probes the death of a brainwashed terrorist in Houston. Five horses break out of their corral and reduce the city of Dallas to rubble. Hapless insurance executive Bobby Thompson proves … Continue reading →
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 →
