See that pretty dragon-scale Betta I set as the feature image? That’s the infamous Moriarty. He sits on my desk, my evil co-writer. Moriarty, while a great co-writer, is an evil asshole. I’m not kidding. He’s mean, flashy, and loves to fluff up every time I come close. He’s also an attempted murderer. The poor gold snail that shared his tank for a week had to be moved. I also have Mycroft, an aloof and beautiful Betta that sits on my nightstand, as well as the Baker Street tiger barbs, Watson and Holmes and Lestrade. They’re feisty, curious and love … Read more
The 1970s, famed as an era of free love, political protests and hallucinogen-fueled utopias, gave way to the era of punk and New Wave, AIDS, and the politics of Reagan and Thatcher in the more conservative 1980s. And science fiction, fantasy and horror followed suit, with hard-edged military science fiction, dystopian visions, anti-hero sword and sorcery, vampires and of course, cyberpunk. None of these, on the face of it, seemed any more LGBT-friendly than the sfnal works of the previous decade, yet the number of portrayals of LGBT characters over the course of the decade more than quadrupled. This was … Read more
As if the tales and exploits of Vikings weren’t enough to prove their badass nature, I’ve got something that will prove it for all time: sólarsteinn and it’s companion sun board. In the history of the ancient world, those civilizations capable of seafaring were considered the top of pyramid. The oceans, seas and great rivers presented a lot of a society’s resources and wealth, and the ability to harvest that wealth was paramount to a success society. Of course, some were more daring than others when it came to the oceans. Vikings, of course, got crazy with it. There’s even … Read more
One of the earliest memories is of hearing Albioni on Sesame Street. The viewer observed a close up of a dandelion while the music played. This moment stayed with me along with many of Sesame Street’s more humorous numbers. Years later, I watched the original Cosmos, open mouthed, while Vanglis’s ‘Alpha’ played to a series of images showing evolution. Music had always had a profound effect on me. It didn’t end with listening and feeling. I remember listening to Depeche’s Mode’s ‘Music for the Masses’. Images played out in my imagination along with David Gahan singing ‘Never Let Me Down … Read more
Obviously, when you are submitting a manuscript you will need to check the publisher’s requirements to ensure you have used the correct font type and size, the correct margins, and the correct paragraph style and line spacing. However, there are three other things for which you should also watch out, and which will make your editors love you.
Troy, Kansas, looking northwest August 21, 2017 about 1:06p.m. Moon’s shadow approaching. (Photo by Jeff Baker) Driving to Troy, Kansas to Wait for the Moon By Jeff Baker Here is my account of traveling to see the total solar eclipse last month. (Note: All times Central Daylight.) August 21, 2017, 6:45 a.m. Wichita, Kansas: Heading out, patch of blue sky in east. Clouds otherwise. Sprinkling. 7:58 a.m.: Mild traffic. Cloudy. Tantalizing glimpse of blue sky—may be clearer up north. Saw orange sunrise. Am at truck stop outside Emporia, Kansas. About 1/3 of the way. 9:00 … Read more
Oh, have I got something cool today! For many a year, since graphite took over as the lead in our pencils, we authors have unknowing been using a piece of what’s becoming a revolutionary material in the world. It’s Vegeta-level awesome, in my humble opinion. And oh, the things we can do with it! I’m talking about the superhero brother to friendly neighborhood graphite. Graphene. No, seriously, the stuff graphene can do reads like some sorcerer thought this up and made it. Graphene temporary tattoos are being tested for medical monitoring. Scientists are feeding it to spiders, which in turn … Read more
As a humanist with an eye to the awesome possibilities of the future, as well as an author who loves to write science fiction, I’m of the personal opinion that all scientific discoveries or advancements are good things. It’s the way those advancements and discoveries are used that makes science bad. We have plenty of examples throughout history of how this works. Never is this more of a possibility than the current times in the world. We have started to microchip humans. Now, I know what some will say, groan in exasperation really. “But T.A., we already have numerous stories … Read more
Enemies are out there. I’ve seen them. I’ve lived with their insults. I’ve felt their curses, their contempt leaking into the words ‘queer’, ‘gay’, and ‘lesbian’, poisoning them. They’ve projected their own ugliness into the words, turning them into badges of shame. Their virulence pulses within those badges, making those with every right to proudly claim them turn their backs in shame. Hatred has power. It terrifies me. Being brushed with it contaminates me in turn. Every time I’m exposed to it, I feel my own hatred, vibrating with me for the ones who inspired it. I imagine all the … Read more
Back in 2000, Mike Baker (no relation) and Martin Greenberg edited an anthology called “My Favorite Horror Story.” The setup was simple: several horror writers (Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, F. Paul Wilson) were asked to pick a favorite horror story and tell why they picked it. Chosen authors included Robert Bloch, Phillip K. Dick and Japanese master Edogawa Rampo. This anthology appeared before the recent big boom in LGBT-themed genre fiction, so I could select a story for the anthology (if asked, nobody has.) So, which LGBT-themed horror story would I pick as my favorite for an anthology? The story … Read more