25 Apr 2007

More Progress on Rewrite

posted in: personal news, Sunborn, writing | 0

After yet another rewrite of the opening of Sunborn, I feel as if I’ve finally got it. I haven’t yet heard from my writing group or my editor, but this version—a hybrid of my original approach and the alternative version I’d attempted on editorial request—feels right to me. We’ll see if others agree. (And eventually, we’ll see if you the readers agree.)

Progress was impeded somewhat by two rites of getting-on-in-years: a routine colonoscopy (not bad in itself, but the preparation—oy!), and a few days later, a kidney stone. (!!) I’ve gotten off easy on the kidney stone, so far; it wasn’t fun, but neither was it the excruciating pain I remember from a previous incident, years ago. But an X-ray says it’s still there, so it ain’t over till it’s over. If you hear a muffled scream, that could be me with a fist in my mouth. Right now, though, I feel fine. (Another glass of water? Why, thank you—don’t mind if I do.)

12 Apr 2007

Kurt Vonnegut, 1922 – 2007

posted in: farewells, science fiction, tributes, writing | 0

Kurt Vonnegut has died, from brain injuries resulting from a fall. He was 84. (See New York Times obituary.) An iconoclastic writer, he had a big influence on me during my college years, circa 1970. I remember first encountering his work with Cat’s Cradle, which I started and at the time didn’t finish. It just didn’t grab me, somehow; probably I was looking for something more like “normal” science fiction. I also tried Player Piano and didn’t like that, either; it was too normal, and seemed like just another take on the familiar Brave New World theme.

But then he came to give an informal talk at Brown, where I was in school, and I went to hear him. I was an aspiring writer, and he was a sensationally popular author. In person, he was fascinating, very unassuming and welcoming to questions from the students. I remember someone asking him what his favorite novel was (I believe this was before Slaughterhouse Five), and he said that he had had the most fun writing The Sirens of Titan. That title had seemed so preposterous to me, so unserious (I was pretty serious about my SF back then) that I hadn’t even thought of reading it. But I got a copy of Sirens—and I loved it. Somehow that story infected me with Vonnegut’s sardonic sense of humor and absurdity, and from there I went back and tried Cat’s Cradle again; and it was all different this time. On the second attempt, I thoroughly enjoyed it, too. Finally I read Slaughterhouse Five, and that one did me in, not just for the heavy-hitting themes inspired by Vonnegut’s witnessing of the Dresden fire-bombing in World War II, but for the silly stuff, as well. The line, “Kazak wuzza dog. Kazak wuzza dreat big chronosynclastic infundibulated dog” has been embedded in my mind ever since. (I hope I got that right. I typed it from memory.)

Reading those books was an intense emotional and intellectual experience for me, but one that was never repeated. His later books didn’t do it for me, and my world-view now is pretty different from what it was when I was in college, so I don’t know how the books would stand up to rereading. But I’m profoundly grateful to him for what he gave me then and there, when this aspiring writer needed it.

Rest in peace, Kurt Vonnegut.

11 Apr 2007

Writing Blues

posted in: personal news, quirky, Sunborn, writing | 0

You know, sometimes rewriting can be kind of fun, and sometimes it really sucks. Currently, I am in the latter phase, trying to redraft the opening section of Sunborn in a way that will grab new readers, as opposed to smoothly moving returning Chaos Chronicles readers back into the story. I’ve been working on a new version for a few weeks now, and ran one attempt past my writing group tonight. While there was some disagreement among the group about what worked and what didn’t, there was nevertheless general agreement that it’s not there yet. I’m still waiting to hear what my editor thinks, but I suspect he’ll agree. I told him that trying to restructure the opening felt like trying to fit bricks into a Mason jar. That’s still pretty much what it feels like.

Rrrrr. I shoulda’ been a cat herder.

11 Apr 2007

Easter Coda

posted in: personal news | 0

I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend, especially if you celebrate Easter. Ours was, well, interesting. Came home from church to find that our boxer, Hermione, had devoured an entire 9-ounce solid dark chocolate Easter bunny! Not just any chocolate, but Williams Sonoma chocolate, which had come as a gift. Oh yes, plus a 3 ounce Lindt Easter bunny.


So she was right up there close to the level of toxicity. Which meant we got to give her hydrogen peroxide to make her throw up (and she did—ugh!) and then spend the afternoon taking a trip to the doggie E.R. to be checked and fed liquid charcoal. What fun! (She’s fine, and at no time did she actually act sick or bothered in any way. Well, except when I gave her the hydrogen peroxide.)

I’m pretty sure Hermione and Moonlight the cat are channeling our departed beagle friend, Sam. Neither one used to get into serious trouble from stealing food, etc. But recently Hermione has been thieving food all the time, and the cat has learned to get up onto the pantry shelves so that she can knock her food container onto the floor. Sam, tell them to stop!

10 Apr 2007

Saturn—Curiouser and Curiouser

posted in: quirky, science, science fiction, space, writing | 0

So, I don’t pretend to really know what’s going on out there at Saturn, but the images coming back from Cassini really are telling a strange tale. On the one hand, we have Saturn’s north pole:

which is clearly a hex-wrench socket of alien design, though we don’t know its function with certainty (could be to open up the planet, could be to adjust its orbit, could be something even more fiendish).

And then we have Saturn’s south pole, which at first glance appears to be the place where you stick a Saturn-sized inflation needle to maintain internal pressure with, presumably, a giant bicycle pump:

But a closer look reveals that the south pole is…well, you decide:

Now you just tell me that’s not an eye. The window onto the soul of Saturn. And if it’s not related to a whale’s eye, I’ll eat my hat.

Who says the space program doesn’t pay its own way with dividends of new knowledge. Remember Senator Proxmire? If he’d had his way, we wouldn’t know any of this stuff.

By the way, these photos are all from JPL and NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. I love those guys, don’t you?

9 Apr 2007

Teens Only SF/F Writing Workshop

posted in: science fiction, writing | 0

Our general SF workshop for all ages had to be canceled, unfortunately, because of too few people registering. (Too bad, our workshop last fall was packed, and was a great group.)

We are, however, offering one other workshop—a writing workshop for Teens Only. It’s to run during the public school vacation week, which starts April 16. Here’s the blurb, as it went out to some local email lists:

This notice is for teen writers (and parents of teen writers)! Are any of you (or your kids) aspiring fantasy and science fiction writers, or do you have friends who are? Starting during April vacation week, I’ll be teaching a teens-only writing workshop along with fellow Arlingtonian and veteran SF/F writer Craig Shaw Gardner. We’ll be leading three 3-hour afternoon sessions of discussion and brainstorming to help you get moving with your fiction, followed by two Saturday sessions for group critique of your completed stories.

Be ready to write, stretch your mind, and write some more! You’ll learn the craft of writing—and just as important, the art of workshopping, with the support of your peers.

So who the heck are we, that we would propose to mess with your minds this way? Well, between us, we’ve written forty-some novels and a like number of short stories. My work has been a finalist for the Nebula Award, and Craig’s has made it to the NY Times bestseller list. We’ve both even written Battlestar Galactica novels, based on the new series! You can find out more about us by visiting our web sites at http://www.starrigger.net/ and http://www.craigshawgardner.com/.

The workshop costs $200, runs April 16, 17, 18 (1:00–4:00 p.m.)—that’s school vacation week—and then will be followed by two Saturday sessions, April 21 and May 5 (also 1:00–4:00) to workshop the stories you’ve written.

We’ll be meeting at Pandemonium Books and Games in Central Square, Cambridge. (For directions, visit the Pandemonium web site at http://www.pandemoniumbooks.com/.) You must register in advance. You can pick up a registration form in the store, or request one by email from me. Don’t delay!

For more information, call Pandemonium at 617-547-3721, or email either of us at jeff [at] starrigger.net or csgcsgcsg [at] aol.com.

–Jeffrey A. Carver

So if you’re local to the Boston/Cambridge, Massachusetts area, and you are a teen (or have a teen in your house) with an interest in a cool writing workshop, get in touch! Preferably right away!

31 Mar 2007

Electric Airplane (How Long Is Your Extension Cord?)

posted in: Flying, technology | 0

Although I have a private pilot’s license, it’s been some years since I’ve had enough coinola in the bank to do anything with it. (The most I ever managed to do was rent a plane once in a while to go for a local pleasure flight. Or, more frequently, rent a plane to go up and do some practice touch-and-go landings. Still, I always loved it.)

I think all the time about taking it up again sometime. But one thing that’s always bothered me is the additional air pollution you create when you go up in a small plane. It’s not like they’re awful—but they don’t have catalytic converters to clean up the exhaust, and for that matter, most of them burn leaded fuel. (Necessary to keep the cylinders cool.)

So I was cheered today when I got my email newsletter from AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association), which had a news item titled: “Environmentally Friendly Aircraft To Take Flight This Year.” It seems Boeing is working on a fuel-cell powered airplane! Here’s an excerpt:

An emission-free experimental aircraft, powered only by a fuel cell and lightweight lithium-ion batteries, could take flight this year. Boeing researchers and industry partners in Europe announced the Fuel Cell Demonstrator Airplane project on March 27. The aircraft is currently undergoing systems integration testing to prepare for ground and flight testing. The aircraft uses a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, which converts hydrogen directly into electricity and heat without combustion, and lithium-ion batters to power an electric motor with a conventional propeller. The fuel cell will provide all of the cruise-flight power, while the batteries will power takeoff and climb phases of flight. Francisco Escarti, managing director of Boeing Research and Technology–Europe, said that the fuel cell and batteries likely won’t power a commercial passenger airliner, but that “demonstrations like this help pave the way for potentially using this technology in small manned and unmanned air vehicles.”

Now, that’s the airplane I want to win in a sweepstakes!

28 Mar 2007

By Saturn’s Hexagon!

posted in: quirky, science, science fiction | 0

At last—a new oath for space opera heroes! And a really cool feature on Saturn’s north pole—an enormous hexagonal feature, viewable in the infrared, that rotates along with the planet’s rotation. Check out the Saturn hexagon at JPL’s web site, including motion picture images from the Cassini spacecraft. (Thanks, Charlza, for the link.)

There are the usual typical scientific attempts by scientists to explain the phenomenon (atmospheric vortexes, dynamical patterns, blah-blah-blah). Nobody even mentions the most obvious explanation:

It’s a giant hex-wrench socket left by aliens! They’re storing the brains of abductees in the center of Saturn!

My God, what else might they be doing???

28 Mar 2007

School Committees and Other Snake Wranglers

posted in: personal news | 0

Well, a big chunk of my day today (evening, really) got chomped by a school committee meeting. No, I’m not on our local school board—I wouldn’t take that job at the point of a gun—but I’ve found myself at their meetings a lot more than I ever dreamed possible. Tonight’s occasion was a special session for public input on whether our superintendent is out of his mind for not renewing the contract of our middle school principal. (Hint: He is.) The woman he’s trying to get rid of is extremely capable, immensely popular, and unanimously supported by the staff and faculty of the school. Everyone loves her, including me and my family. (Even after my younger daughter pulled out to home-school, she continued to support and encourage us.)

The school committee blocked out two hours for public input, and even though neither of my kids is in middle school anymore, I felt I should put in a statement of support for her. Which meant taking some time to write it first, then waiting my turn for a very long time, sitting in the school gymnasium. Tons of people turned out. Thirty-some spoke, including me, and all but one or two were adamantly in support of Ms. Bouris. It was pretty amazing.

But did we have any effect, other than emotional? Too soon to tell. The school board cannot legally overturn the superintendent’s hiring decisions, and he didn’t show much sign of wavering. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, I learn more and more about local governance. As the great late House Speaker Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local.”

I saw myself on TV later—in an incredibly poor-quality video feed to the community access cable channel. I thought I did okay. I also thought: man, that dude needs a haircut, something fierce. Shouldn’t his wife tell him, or something? (Oh wait—she did. About three weeks ago. Okay, now I believe it.)
______________

By the way, Daisy the Goose continues to lead the pack in search phrases that bring people to my blog. (Some portion of it, anyway.) But someone recently did a search for “snake propaganda,” which I thought was sort of interesting. Why would someone do that?

22 Mar 2007

Ultimate Science Fiction Writing Workshop

posted in: science fiction, writing | 0

For any of you in the Boston area…

I will soon be co-teaching a 10-week SF and fantasy writing workshop, along with Craig Gardner. Here’s the official press release:

The Ultimate Science Fiction Writing Workshop starts its second run! Two veteran SF/F writers—Jeffrey A. Carver and Craig Shaw Gardner—will teach elements of the craft and tricks of the trade, and conduct intensive workshopping of your work. This is a serious workshop for people seriously seeking to improve their science fiction and fantasy writing. It’s a workshop for people eager to work hard, and willing to learn.

Between them, Jeff and Craig have written forty-some novels and a like number of short stories. Jeff has been a Nebula finalist, and Craig has made the NY Times bestseller list. Both have wide teaching experience. For more information about Jeff and Craig, visit their web sites at http://www.starrigger.net/ and http://www.craigshawgardner.com/.

The workshop costs $400, starts April 2 at Pandemonium Books and Games in Central Square, Cambridge, and runs ten Monday evenings, 7:30-9:30, from April 2 until June 11 (Memorial Day excluded). Advance registration is required. You can pick up a registration form in the store, or request one by email from the instructors. Don’t delay!

For more information, call Pandemonium at 617-547-3721, or email the instructors at jeff [at] starrigger.net or csgcsgcsg [at] aol.com.

If you’re in our area, and you’re an aspiring writer, I hope you’ll come join us!

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