As a writer who collects planetary disasters for my Portal Authority series, I found another candidate Contract for Master Blasters. The Devil, as always, is in the details, so I’m taking a closer look to see whether this could be a good fit. A recent study, A Global Environmental Crisis…
Leave a CommentAs I’ve pointed out in a previous post, there’s a lot of fantasy mixed in with most steampunk. I don’t say this is a bad thing. I’ve read and enjoyed Gail Carriger’s charming comedies of manners. But, as a writer, that ain’t my style. So, sending the well-mannered vampires off…
Leave a CommentTo stay in business, first you have to find the work. Then you have to find the people to do the work … Chapter 2 The Sanctuary Contract What usually comes first is the contract. Ira Gershwin 578 Days to Flare Season (Contract Entity Estimate) Chimera Base, Executive Level Conrad…
Leave a CommentThe Sanctuary Contract – Portal Authority #2 My editor tells me I’ve managed to avoid sequelitis, and this story is different from the first one. I’ve tried to change it up and keep from boring the reader. There are lots of different planetary catastrophes, so I’ve go material to work…
Leave a CommentThe march of the Information Age has made many things obsolete, and one of the smaller ones was the game of Six Books, which was memorialized by G. Harry Stine in an Alternate View column in the March 1993 issue of Analog. The game assumes that the player is going…
Leave a CommentWelcome to the New Year, which we may all hope will be better than the old year. Today’s post is about a lesser, but still significant, disaster whose effects have already been seen of late on a small scale and historically on a much larger scale. Mega- tsunamis. My attitude…
Leave a CommentAs a small gift to anyone who might stop by on this housebound Christmas season, I have just posted a Sherlock Holmes story with a touch of science fiction to it. Enjoy. The Disappearance of James Phillimore is here.
Leave a CommentWhen you take on the impossible mission, you need a team for the mission. Chapter 3 Headhunting If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur. Red Adair Risk Enterprises Corporate HQ, San Francisco 977 Days to Portal Closure “Interesting.” Elroy Risk looked up…
Leave a CommentAgency vs. Autonomy As part of my ongoing quest to improve my craft, I’ve been doing a lot of reading and watching videos on the craft of writing. I enjoy the ones from Overly Sarcastic Productions, and there are lots of others. My own longer perspective gives me more of…
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