Monthly Archives: February 2009

Listing to Starboard

Posted on February 24, 2009 by midiguru

Too many books, too little time. Today I’m thinking of focusing on fantasy (rather than science fiction). For one thing, it’s a healthier market. If I’m going to start writing books again, a healthy market would be a nice thing … Continue reading →

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The Future

Posted on February 23, 2009 by midiguru

As I grumble my way through a stack of recent science-fiction novels, I take heart from an essay written by Gary Westfahl that’s up on the Locus website. He analyzes with considerable clarity why the predictions made about the future … Continue reading →

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Reading: Cauldron

Posted on February 22, 2009 by midiguru

The galaxy is huge, ancient, and only sparsely inhabited, and most of what we’ll encounter when we get out there is weirdly mysterious. That’s the premise of Jack McDevitt’s novel Cauldron, a finalist for this year’s Nebula award. McDevitt writes in … Continue reading →

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Reading: The Face

Posted on February 16, 2009 by midiguru

Science fiction didn’t start with Star Trek! As part of my ongoing research into the genre, I’ve been reading a few SF novels that date back to the early part of the 20th century. Today it’s time for a peek … Continue reading →

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The Art Business

Posted on February 15, 2009 by midiguru

Many artists are adept at self-mystification. We like to feel that our best works come from some mysterious well (call it the unconscious or God, your choice). We hope to visit that unconscious well often, and we fear that if … Continue reading →

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Write a Book? Why Bother?

Posted on February 11, 2009 by midiguru

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by one of my colleagues in the music technology publishing world. It seems an editor at Hal Leonard had contacted him and asked if he’d be interested in writing a book on … Continue reading →

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Mirrormask

Posted on February 7, 2009 by midiguru

Prowling around Netflix, I stumbled on a blurb for Mirrormask. Written by Neil Gaiman, so I knew I had to see it. Wow! Jaw-droppingly good. So good I watched it Friday night, and then again Saturday night. Visually stunning, conceptually … Continue reading →

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Reading III: Year’s Best

Posted on February 7, 2009 by midiguru

Wandered into the library and grabbed the 2003/4 edition of The Year’s Best Science Fiction. The first story, William Barton’s “Off on a Starship,” is challenging me. It’s clever, and a fitting opener for an anthology, but after finishing it … Continue reading →

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Collision Course

Posted on February 7, 2009 by midiguru

I’m continuing to work through The Artist’s Way with a group — one chapter per week. I’m finding the exercises in Chapter 5 very helpful, but I sense I’m on a collision course with Chapter 6. In Chapter 6, “Recovering … Continue reading →

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Reading II: Thorns

Posted on February 5, 2009 by midiguru

Just finished Robert Silverberg’s Thorns. Thematically, it’s about two people whose lives have been changed in fundamental ways by technology. They aren’t happy about it, but at the end they learn to embrace both their new selves and their suffering. Thorns … Continue reading →

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