She Climbed in Bed with Forgotten Hands Still Clinging to Her Flesh.

She woke me up in the middle of the night when she came and sat down on the edge of the bed. She was crying. "Honey," I said, "what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she lied.

"My darling," I whispered as I sat up and wrapped my arms about her, "what's happened?"

She started crying and laid her head against my shoulder, "They won't stop stealing my stuff!"

"Who won't?"

"The Forgotten Realms!"

Look, I get it. The Forgotten Realms are the most popular setting for Wizards of the Coast and have been for a long time, but do they really have to steal all the Greyhawk lore for it? I mean if you're going to keep taking stuff from Greyhawk why don't you just fucking release Greyhawk!

Too much to ask? Probably.

Nobody Makes It Out Alive Free PDF

So one of the things that I've gotten a lot of request for over the last couple of month is a PDF copy of the short story Nobody Makes It Out Alive which followed an actual game that occurred. Today I'm happy to announce that I have finally gotten it completed with some revisions. Nothing major was done that might change the story. Clarifications to the text were made, a few misspellings were corrected, and the grammar was cleaned up to make sure that the story flowed better overall.

This story is still under my copyright and cannot be included in anyone else's publications without first receiving permission from me. That said you are free to share it with as many people as you like so long as it is linked back here and there are no alterations to the document or the text.

Hope you all enjoy it!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FILE

Or

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ORIGINAL ONLINE VERSION

You Say You Want More But You Never Really Mean It

So I got an e-mail the other night asking me if I was planning on releasing any short stories soon. The answer is yes. Yes I am.

More later.

The Book Shelf: Leviathans of Jupiter by Ben Bova

The Leviathans of Jupiter follows Deirdre Ambrose from her home in Chrysalis II to Jupiter and into an adventure of a lifetime with the massive Leviathans within its depths. The pacing of the book is fast and the 500 page volume is easy to quickly read in large chunks as Bova's writing style is pitch perfect for the adventure within. 

Where Bova excels in this novel is when he's describing moments of action - the Faraday's first trip into Jupiter's endless sea, the crew's first contact with the Leviathans - and in moving his characters quickly through the plot, developing them along the way into nuanced and relatively complicated individuals. But it is in the development of those characters that a major weakness for this novel is exposed: the interpersonal relationships make no sense. 

The main villain of the book, Katherine Westfall, goes from being power hungry to a full blown psychopath without any reasonable explanation. Which is a shame because early in the book it's easy to root for her, as well as, Deirdre and her friends. Westfall is manipulative yet her drive makes her relatable and then she suddenly shifts gears and becomes a psychopath with no warning beforehand. It's as if the woman who's trying to become your company president suddenly decided that instead of bribing people to get what she wants she takes a .38 and starts shooting people. It just makes no sense with where the character was earlier in the book. 

Then there are the romantic relationships. These just appear to come to fruition without any explanation or actual, real build-up and yet we're supposed to accept that these are meaningful to the characters in a way that simply doesn't happen. It's an upsetting aspect of the book that found me putting it down and wondering why it was done.

The Leviathans of Jupiter is a book that succeeds on many levels, yet falls into contrived pitfalls of the author's own making at times. I will definitely be reading another Ben Bova book as this one was very enjoyable other than the few, minor, issues with Westfall and the romances. Well worth picking up if you can find it for a good price.

By the way the cover of Leviathans of Jupiter was made by John Harris and was the whole reason why I originally picked up this book. It's fantastic and I am actively saving money to pick one of the prints from his website.

Leviathans of Jupiter by John Harris

Answering Questions: What Keeps You Motivated - Mark Van Vlack

What keeps you motivated to do the things you do for your blog?

You put a good deal of work into this blog, sometimes not so fun tedious work and yet you always seem to have two or three large projects going. Whut up wit dat? Reason for asking: I am far less ambitious on my blog and even I burn out every three or four months. What stokes the furnace that is Charles? - +Mark Van Vlack

What keeps me motivated is that I set goals for my blog and push myself to get there. When I first started I just wanted to get 1 person to read me which I thought would never happen; and then +Jens D. found me (god bless him) and started commenting on my blog. So I made a new goal that I would get 25 people to follow my blog. Then 50, then 100. Each time I achieve a goal I make a new one. I'm incredibly goal oriented so doing that is a big motivator for me. Right now my goal is to get the blog up to 2,000 page views a day (I'm currently hovering right at 1,250 page views every day for the last couple of weeks).

As for the tedious stuff, like publishing my blog statistics and reading everyone for the Best Reads Series, if it wasn't fun I wouldn't do it. I like looking into things, investigating, and reading what other people are doing. It keeps my mind sharp and gets me to rethinking my own ways. Now as for things like fixing the banner and tweaking the layout I'm just never satisfied and I can't stand to have my name attached to things that I don't find up to a level I want representing me. 

 

Oh, and large projects are just fun - especially when you're doing them with other people that you really like and respect. 

Did that answer you question Holmes?

Answering Questions: The Hugos - Multiple

Why don't you support my side of the Hugo controversy - multiple. 

I know this may come as a shock to some of you, but while I like reading about the Hugo controversy and doing things like making a complete list of all the Hugo Award Winning Novels, I don't really give a damn about the controversy itself. To me it's no different than any other award show that allows anyone with enough money to vote. In other words it has no meaningful impact on my life. 

The Sad Puppies voting block has made their presence known. If you don't like it vote No Award or organize your own voting block for next year to make sure your favorite authors are on the list. That's about as much of an opinion as I have about it. 

Oh, and I hope +Jeffro Johnson wins in his category. I like him.

Answering Questions: Where's Project X Sitting? - Multiple

I got a lot of questions about the various projects that I'm working on right now. Most of them were either about the Americas Campaign, Artisan Toolkits, or Let's Forget the World and Be Friends. So I thought I would just cover all the ones I got asked about right here.

Star Cairns: This project has gone into limbo because I got bored with it and wanted to wait until Fifth Edition came out. Well, Fifth Edition is here and I'm still not feeling all that excited about this project. I've still got the file on my computer (which I managed to save from being deleted during the computer reset) and I work on it from time to time. It's just a long time in-between periods when I feel like opening it up. 

We Used to Go On Grand Adventures: This short story started out as probably the best thing I've ever written. It certainly is one of the things that I'm most proud of on the blog. The first two parts seemed to just explode out of me, but part three has been coming out like molasses. I've got the draft in Blogger, it's just no where near ready to launch. 

Americas Campaign: Still working on this project but getting the map done has proven to be a real pain in the ass. My son keeps drawing on them when I'm not looking - which is always a problem with two year olds. I'm currently working on a post about Horses in the Americas.

Let's Forget the World and Be Friends: This project is currently going on in the background. It's got more authors than ever before and I think you'll all love what we're working on. Should be out late June /  early July if everything works out.

Answering Questions: Political Leanings - Multiple

I'd be curious to know more about your politics, though, Charles. I've always assumed that you were kind of a liberal guy, but the closest I see to some of these viewpoints comes across from some of my (many) conservative friends. I'm not judging. I have friends from both sides of the spectrum. I'm just curious where you fall. - +Dan Head*

A joke among my friends is that I'm the most liberal person any of them know. Personally I think of myself as financially conservative and socially liberal. Which means that I believe that we should do things like recognize gay marriage, provide medical coverage for everyone, fund the arts, invest heavily in education, and the like - BUT if we do anything that costs money we have to find a way to pay for it. There are no blank checks being written.

If you'd like to talk about any specific issues let me know and we can discuss them. I'm generally good with talking about most anything.

* Dan actually asked his question before the Q&A call went out but due to the large number of people who asked me about this I decided to use his version as it came first. I hope Dan doesn't mind.

Answering Questions: A Strange Thing Happened This Time

I love doing these Dyvers Q&As because you never know how many you're going to get or who's going to ask you a question. But this time a couple of really interesting things happened. First I got almost all of my questions through e-mail (a complete reversal to how things normally go) and a lot of people asked the same questions with slight variations. So I'm going to just combine their questions into a single post using the person who asked first for the wording of the question.

While I got twenty-five questions they combined down to four so you're not going to see the sheer volume of responses that I've done in the past. Hope everyone who asked a question is cool with this change. 

Now, on with the questions!

The Hugo Award Winners for Best Novel

After reading through the Hugo Awards controversy over the last few days it occurred to me that I don't actually know how many of the Award winners for Best Novel that I've actually read over the years. One? Fifty? None? To remedy that I decided to go through and list all of the winners for Best Novel and build my own reading list out of the group. I figured that if I'm going to all this trouble I might as well share it with the world at large.

Hugo Best Novel Award Winners

1939 - The Sword and the Stone by T.H. White (Retro Awards)

I read this novel when it was included in the Once and Future King. I deeply enjoyed this story when I first read it in high school. My English teacher gave it to us instead of Atlas Shrugged (which is just an awful mess of a book) and we spent an entire nine weeks going over the book looking for all the references and allusions within. Brilliant book and it holds up years later as one of my all time favorite books.

 

1946 - The Mule by Issac Asimov (Retro Awards)

1951 - Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein (Retro Awards)

I actually just picked up this book at my library's used book store. As some of you know I've been working on trying to pick up all of the Heinlein books and this just happened to be the latest addition. Really excited to read it now.

1953 - The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

1954 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 

Read this one in High School too. Good book and an excellent read anytime you get to thinking that certain people need to be eliminated from the conversation because you don't like what they're saying.

1955 -  They’d Rather Be Right 

by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley

1956 -  Double Star by Robert Heinlein 

Another Heinlein novel but one I haven't run across out in the wilds. Good luck buying a new copy instead of used if Amazon's sellers have anything to say about it. $1,854.96 is stupid money to spend on a book you can get used for $2.09.

1958 - The Big Time by Fritz Lieber

Actually picked this one up at the Flea Market last week in a 4 for $1 bundle. I started reading it last night while I was putting my son to bed. Good so far (though I am only 50 pages in).

1959 - A Case of Conscience by James Blish

1960 - Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

This was actually the first Heinlein book I had ever read - and it took me years to crack it's pages. When I was younger I had seen the movie based incredibly loosely on the book and I thought the book would be all but kicking and taking names. But it's not and the back cover made that abundantly clear.

Stupidly I let it sit on my shelf for the better part of fifteen years before I finally opened it up over Christmas and couldn't put it down. Fantastic novel that just hit a real sweet spot for me and made me a huge Heinlein fan.

1961 -  A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr

I actually finished this one earlier this year and what a fantastic book. Easily in my top ten books that I've ever read. Unlike many novels it centers around the inhabitants of a monastery as the world recovers from a nuclear war that nearly wiped us all out. At times it will make you laugh, then hold your breath as things turn very wrong. Brilliant book and I'll be having a review of it up on the blog later.

If you run across this book absolutely pick it.

1962 - Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein  

My current car book. Slow going right now but nevertheless an enjoyable read. 

1963 - The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Already on my wishlist as are nearly all of Dick's novels.

1964 - Here Gather the Stars (alt: Way Station) by Clifford D. Simak

1965 - The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber

1966 - Dune by Frank Herbert (Split Prize)

1966 -  …And Call Me Conrad (alt: This Immortal) by Roger Zelazny (Split Prize)

1967 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

I actually have this one sitting on my to read pile right now. It's about four novels off as I really want to finish Stranger in a Strange Land first. May not happen but it's the goal. 

1968 - Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny

1969 - Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner

1970 - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

1971 - Ringworld by Larry Niven

1972 - To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer

1973 - The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov

1974 - Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke

1975 - The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

My current bathroom book. Really good read so far, but then I've yet to read anything by Le Guin that wasn't.

1976 - The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

1977 - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm

1978 - Gateway by Frederik Pohl

1979 - Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre

1980 - The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke

1981 - The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge

1982 - Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh

I need this book. I need it like flowers need the sun. Someone who's read it please tell me that it's as good as the blurb makes it seem! Please!

1983 - Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov

1984 - Startide Rising by David Brin

1985 - Neuromancer by William Gibson

1986 - Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

I've tried to read Ender's Game nearly a dozen times over the years and have never made it further than forty pages in. My brother swears that I'm missing out but I just can't get into it. I'm planning on giving it another try this summer but honestly it just kind of doesn't trip my trigger. Maybe it's like Robert Jordan?

1987 - Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

1988 - The Uplift War by David Brin

1989 - Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh

 1990 - Hyperion by Dan Simmons

1991 - The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold

1992 - Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold

1993 - A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge (Split Prize)

1993 - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (Split Prize)

1994 - Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

1995 - Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold

1996 - The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

1997 - Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

1998 - Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman

1999 - To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

2000 - A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge

2001 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

I would never have imagined that a Harry Potter book would have won a Hugo Award. It doesn't hurt that this is arguably the best out of the series but it does make me wonder if they weren't reach for some relevance with a wider audience.

2002 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman

One of the few Neil Gaiman books that I haven't read. The man is brilliant so it's definitely one that I must pick up.

2003 - Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer

2004 - Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

2005 - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

2006 - Spin by Robert Charles Wilson

2007 - Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge

2008 - The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon

2009 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Oh Lord how I love this book. Beautifully written with a steady pace that lets you catch your breath just long enough to have Gaiman take it again. Great, great book!

2010 - The City & The City, China Miéville (Split Prize) 

I've never read anything by Mieville but a lot of people that I like have and recommend the novels. I will definitely be picking this one up.

2010 - The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (Split Prize) 

2011 - Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis

As far as I've been able to tell this is the only time the prize was split between two novels and both of them were written by the same author. Certainly makes me intrigued. 

2012 - Among Others by Jo Walton

2013 - Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas, John Scalzi

Man, I love the concept for this book. Definitely picking it up soon.

2014 - Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie

Quick Breakdown (READ/OWN)

1939 - The Sword and the Stone by T.H. White (Retro Awards)
1946 - The Mule by Issac Asimov (Retro Awards)
1951 - Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein (Retro Awards)
1953 - The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
1954 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
1955 -  They’d Rather Be Right by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley
1956 -  Double Star by Robert Heinlein
1958 - The Big Time by Fritz Lieber
1959 - A Case of Conscience by James Blish
1960 - Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
1961 -  A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr
1962 - Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein  
1963 - The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
1964 - Here Gather the Stars (alt: Way Station) by Clifford D. Simak
1965 - The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber
1966 - Dune by Frank Herbert (Split Prize)
1966 -  …And Call Me Conrad (alt: This Immortal) by Roger Zelazny (Split Prize)
1967 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
1968 - Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
1969 - Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
1970 - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
1971 - Ringworld by Larry Niven
1972 - To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer
1973 - The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
1974 - Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
1975 - The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
1976 - The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
1977 - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm
1978 - Gateway by Frederik Pohl
1979 - Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre
1980 - The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
1981 - The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
1982 - Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh
1983 - Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov
1984 - Startide Rising by David Brin
1985 - Neuromancer by William Gibson
1986 - Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
1987 - Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
1988 - The Uplift War by David Brin
1989 - Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh
1990 - Hyperion by Dan Simmons
1991 - The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
1992 - Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
1993 - A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge (Split Prize)
1993 - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (Split Prize)
1994 - Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1995 - Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
1996 - The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
1997 - Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1998 - Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
1999 - To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
2000 - A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
2001 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
2002 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2003 - Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer
2004 - Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
2005 - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
2006 - Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
2007 - Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge
2008 - The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon
2009 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2010 - The City & The City, China Miéville (Split Prize)
2010 - The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (Split Prize)
2011 - Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis
2012 - Among Others by Jo Walton
2013 - Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas, John Scalzi
2014 - Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie

After working my way through the list I've read less than a dozen of the award winners so I've got a lot of books to catch up on. What about you cats? How many have you read? What were your favorites? Which one would you recommend I read next?