Category: About Writing

Reading: The Mercy of Gods

Book 1 of The Captive’s War, a series by James S. A. Corey, published by Orbit in 2024

Science fiction through and through, the action begins on Anjiin, an Earth-like planet home to the humans in the story.

It’s a complex set-up saved from immediate confusion by a two page prologue introducing the Carryx, along with—it must be said—a bunch of exotic sounding people and planets that are not mentioned again.

Confusing. And yet, also on the first page, the speaker, the keeper-librarian of the human moiety of the Carryx, using just four words seems to summarize the plot.

But of course these authors (Yes, two authors now not really hiding anymore) using the one nom de plume. They wrote The Expanse an eight volume series that I enjoyed very much and apparently also wrote the screenplay for the TV series, also very good. Knowing their pedigree, I have expectations.

When I heard that they were starting another series, I wondered if they could repeat their success without repeating their worldbuilding? They covered a lot of ground in The Expanse I thought, and it’ll be hard to imagine another whole different universe.

I haven’t read a story for quite a while that takes nearly the whole volume to intro the protagonist. Though a bunch of humans make it in quite early in the piece, which thankfully gave me a few people I could relate to, they are not the primary characters.

Their names are similar but not the same as ‘our’ names. Dafyd is one of the humans. So is Campar. Night Drinkers are one of the alien groups.

There are maybe half a dozen alien tribes to get acquainted with, and they are much more alien than usual. Their various biologies are rendered in detail and I was reminded of their main features often enough that I could learn them.

There are re interpretations to get used to. Librarians are not the librarians we know. A medry … just does not ring a bell. A moiety is a term I last met in anthropology.

There’s much much more. Reading is ongoing.

Cory Doctorow: Proud to be a Blockhead

Under the above title was going to be a link to Doctorow’s post of that name, but I don’t think so. Not yet. The link I pasted turned into a wall of text, virtually unreadable. So, again, this post will be the ‘About Blogging’ … how often already this year have I tagged a post that way?

Because what happens usually when I click on a Share Button, the title of the article/post to be shared and its URL are copied and saved on a virtual clipboard. Then, when I click and copy on a place in my post of my choosing ... usually after I’ve introduced the article/post as I intended to do here … the article/post will paste into the position directly under the title and shove the intro to the bottom, or into a never-never land where it can never again be found. (Yes, that is a hint to myself to save a draft though I’m not sure if that’ll work.)

I can but give it all another go.

Lol, this is a straight-out quote that reverberates in my head … from one of my own fictions, and when I say or think those words, I always feel like I’m hovering over Tardi Mack (trucker and surfer starring in Mongrel [published] and Meld [still being edited]) saying it while he is giving x y or z problem another go.

Intro

I’m proud to be a blockhead the same as Doctorow. Quoting from Doctorow’s article … “the most laughably false statement about writing ever uttered is Samuel Johnson’s notorious “No man but a blockhead ever wrote but for money”: … Yep. I’m definitely a blockhead.

There’s so much in this article that resonates with me, that I relate to, the whole article is rich with quotes about ‘making art’, creative endeavors of all kinds, how badly musicians are paid, and that by Spotify that people tell me I ought to be ashamed of not using them in preference to Apple Music, for example. All of them guilty of the same practices?

Why it’s important to read and read lots, how writing is a way of thinking, a way of working stuff out. While Doctorow is afraid his luck will run out in relation to his writing career, I’m often afraid that the internet will fall over and how easy that will be when it does, with all the links in the chain from me here typing this to you opening WordPress or your mail service, and reading. And there’s much more.

So I thought you might as well read the original … https://pluralistic.net/2024/12/21/blockheads-r-us/

Ecosystem 1

Saw this idea, I’ll get his name later, and am going to try it. Drag you along with me, of course!

A handful of soil and a slurp of water since the soil was quite dry. Wack the lid on and watch what happens. Did that a few hours ago.

Now, at 3.45 pm, telling me there’s life in there exploring its new boundaries.

The tiniest of worms/nematode? Makes me wonder did I add too much water?

Can even see its gut with food in it?

Lodestar 61, Scrim

About five years ago, I reworked what would’ve been the next couple of chapters to submit to Worldbuilding Magazine, for an installment they were running on relationships, V3I3: Gender & Relationships

Since I was extracting the story from an ongoing Lodestar Saga and wanted eventually to be able to come back to it—as I am doing now—I changed Srese’s name and backstory. But, although she is called Kate in this chapter and has a whole different history, she is still Srese. As you will see.

Scrim’s parts in the whole deal have not changed, and that part of his life–as it is described here–fits in well with what’s coming for him.

Enjoy!

61. Scrim & Kate (aka Srese)Download

Cat Diary 14

We have a new thing in the garden. Ha ha, bet I tricked you there. It’s irony, of course. Of course you didn’t know cats do irony. I assure you I have no difficulty woth it.

Any way, the new thing. The boy brought it. I think he’s trying to soften me up.

After the man and the boy and the prancing foal-child left, the old woman brought the new thing inside. Set it on a dessert plate and on the home-made kindergarten chair.

Within easy reach, she said.

An invitation I could not resist.

Cat Diary 13

I’m laying here impatiently waiting for the next thing.

These are the cross roads, you understand? The place where I’ll be ready for anything. A couple of cat-lengths southwards of my tail the old woman is having her breakfast.

Behind my back is the kitchen where food is stored. In front is the primary space for playing and hunting. Northward is my den, where I have my water well, my bed and my wood for scratching.

Sniff. Sniff. Oh, I’ll just take another turn through the woodland. I believe I may have missed a cache or two of kibbles. The old woman keeps finding new places.

Kibbles both inside and on the top? I made short work of them!

Then it’s time for her to clean the den.

I’m looking forward to an uninterrupted day. Both Friday and Saturday we had far too many visitors for my comfort. I spent most of Friday under the couch, and a good half of Saturday under the big bed.