© James Pyles
I just got the digital copy of the Zombie Pirate Publishing anthology “World War Four” which features my short story “Joey.” The book is currently available on Amazon in both digital and paperback formats. Be the first to get a copy and write an Amazon review. On goodreads, it has no reviews yet, but 29 ratings with a compiled score of 4.93 out of a possible 5.
© James Pyles
Cover of the anthology “1929”
When I got home from my day job yesterday, it was sitting on my desk waiting for me. What a thrill.
“1929” Table of Contents
My story “The Devil’s Regret” featured in the anthology “1929”
Cover image for Jupiter planetary anthology
As my regular readers know, so far in 2019, five of my short stories have been accepted for publication, with three of them being currently available. Sadly, as of this morning, seven of my submitted stories this year have been rejected. The most recent rejection stung a bit more than most because it’s Biblical SciFi, which doesn’t have much of a market in mainstream publishing (if you’re interested in finding out more, ping me).
However, I just found out about a few new opportunities and in fact, they need your help.
Superversive Press (yes, you read that right) is a small publisher dedicated to featuring Fantasy and Science Fiction short stories and novels that are uplifting and positive, as opposed to the general trend of “subversive” and dystopian tales typically found in mainstream SF/F. Continue reading
From cover image for “1929: A Zimbell House Anthology”
I didn’t think this would happen so soon, but the three anthologies I’ve been published in so far this year have started to get a bit of buzz.
Pixie Forest Publishing’s “Magical Reality” featuring my short story “The Dragon’s Family” has three 5-star reviews (and ratings on goodreads) on Amazon and goodreads.
Zombie Pirate Publishing’s “World War Four” containing my short story “Joey” has a total of 29 goodreads‘s ratings (no reviews so far) with a total score of 4.93 (out of a possible 5.00).
And even though it only became available for purchase yesterday, Zimbell House Publishing’s “1929” received a single 5-star rating on goodreads, although to be fair, the rating was from the publisher.
Promotional image for Zimbell House Publishing’s anthology “1929”
My short story “The Devil’s Dilemma” is featured in the Zimbell House Publishing anthology 1929, which includes six tales in multiple genres, all set in the year 1929.
Sixteen-year-old Timothy Quinn grew up in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, working as a “printer’s devil,” an apprentice in a newspaper print shop since age twelve. One day, the teen and would-be boxer starts hearing strange news announcements on the radio that seem to come from the future. Then he learns that in the next seven weeks, a ten-year-old girl will be kidnapped and murdered by a notorious serial killer. No one believes his wild tale, so he sets out to confront the killer himself, but will he succeed in saving the life of an innocent child only to sacrifice his own?
“1929: A Zimbell House Anthology” is now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Back cover of the Zimbell House Anthology 1929
Screenshot of my Amazon author’s page
As you can see, I’ve had my Amazon and goodreads author’s pages updated to reflect my current publications in the World War Four and Magical Reality anthologies. The one for goodreads is a little deceptive since goodreads doesn’t let me sort my books by most recently published, so in reality, they are way at the bottom of the list. Not only that, but getting my name listed as a contributor on goodreads is a tad more difficult than doing the same thing on Amazon, since I’m not the editor or lead author. Still, it’s a nice little piece of marketing. Now I can’t wait for people to start reviewing these books in both venues (hint, hint).
Screenshot (edited) of my goodreads author’s page
Promotional image for “Captain Marvel” (2019).
I’ve been watching the Captain Marvel (2019) controversy for a little while and I think I’ve figured out what’s going on, though I’m not sure most people have stumbled onto this idea.
As you probably know, news outlets such as The Mary Sue believe that all of the negative pre-release and now release reviews of the movie are all by men who can’t stand the thought of a powerful female superhero (hello Wonder Woman). Others, such as Bounding Into Comics say this is a total lie and it’s just that the movie isn’t very good and shoves a feminist, social justice agenda down the audience’s throat.
Fortunately, neutral reviewers such as the Associated Press give a much more accurate picture of the film, calling it rather “average”. In fact, on her twitter feed, AP reviewer Lindsey Bahr stated:
Captain Marvel can be the victim of an insane trolling and also an underwhelming movie.
Screenshot from twitter
Bahr is right in that since the movie was released to theaters, there’s been a tremendous amount of trolling of “Captain Marvel” on Rotten Tomatoes. Now I can’t trust any of the reviews that either pan the film or praise it.
But the problem isn’t the movie. The problem is Brie Larson. Okay, let me explain.
Cover image for Kim Stanley Robinson’s novel “Red Mars.”
When reading author Kim Stanley Robinson’s 1992 Nebula award-winning novel Red Mars, I made a decision I rarely consider. I stopped reading before I finished. Yes, it was that dull.
The book is actually the first in the Mars Trilogy describing the colonization, terraforming, and the final result of turning the fourth planet into an Earth-like environment over several centuries.
So what was so dull about the novel? I mean, the first part deals with passion, jealousy, and murder, so you’d think it would be exciting.
It has to be Robinson’s writing style. Even during “the action,” the presentation and characters were about as thrilling as watching grass grow (especially in early March in Idaho). The story is told through the points of view of several of the 100 initial colonists of the red planet, but their lives, even aboard a spacecraft and on the surface of Mars, is so ordinary. I didn’t particularly like or relate to any of them.
Screen shot of my Amazon’s author’s page listing “World War Four” as one of my publications
This didn’t quite workout the way I’d planned. All I wanted was to have a link to my author’s page from the list of authors and editors listed for the World War Four anthology. It’s still not listed alongside Adam Bennett, Sam M. Phillips, and Neal Asher, but if you scroll down on the page, you can find my photo along with a button so you can “follow” me on Amazon. Also, on my author’s page (see image above) you can see WWF listed along with my other publications. Finally.
For other WWF authors (or published authors period) I encourage you to create such pages on Amazon and make sure all of your works at attributed to you there. Great marketing (or at least I hope so).
Poster for the 2005 film “Serenity”
I’d heard of the television show Firefly for some time, so when I got the chance to rent the entire series from my local public library a number of years ago, I jumped at the chance. Needless to say, it was magnificent, a sort of science fiction meets western theme, with sinister, bloated government conspiracy thrown in. Joss Whedon not only created a (rather short-lived) legend, but unwittingly presented the world with an anthem for the libertarian party (which is very much what Whedon isn’t).
Firefly, we hardly knew ye.
Yesterday, again at the public library, I happened to chance upon the “epilogue” of the too soon canceled classic, Serenity (2005), and no, not the 2019 film currently in theaters by the same name which I have no intention of seeing.
[Yes, I know this violates the credo of the pundits at the much vaunted File 770, at least as applied to award-winning science fiction writer Robert Silverberg, that you shouldn’t sample SF/F that’s older than ten years, but so be it.]
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