Publications:
I have a non-fiction piece in my favorite fiction magazine, Asimov's Science Fiction (February 2006 issue). It's titled "Cyberpunk is Alive and Well and Living in—Where Else?—Japan" and is a survey of interesting Japanese anime and manga with cyberpunk themes, such as Ghost in the Shell (of course), Serial Experiments Lain and Battle Angel Alita. Excerpt:
The strange thing about Stand Alone Complex, though, is that throughout, Major Kusanagi never wears any pants. Instead she sports a kind of armored thong. Everyone else wears pants—this isn't some No-Pants Land alternate universe. Only the major goes pants-free. I assume this apparel choice was dictated by high-level executives on the show to keep it interesting to the target demographic: teenage boys and me. The show's writers and artists, though, stage a small protest. In one episode the major attends an important briefing wearing a negligee. When her commander asks why, the major answers, "I have no choice."
SCI FI Magazine asked me to write a Gift Guide for the holidays, with selections that will appeal to all tastes and budgets, but tilted toward the science fiction lover. It covers movies, books, games and gadgets. You'll find it in the December 2005 issue. Sample:
Xbox 360 Ultimate Bundle: Nothing says love like the latest, greatest gaming console that's also a DVD player and, incidentally, a teraflop computer. Way better than a pony. A pony can't even rip music, much less stream media and do voice chat over the Internet.
I also contributed sidebars to an article about the big 2005 holiday movies: King Kong, Zathura, Aeon Flux, Doom, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and The Chronicles of Narnia. All these films come from previous books, films, games or TV shows, so the sidebars give the background on their origins. Such as:
(Regarding Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire): The story of author Rowling's rise to success is a fantasy tale in its own right. Rowling was a single mum on welfare when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. An instant hit with children and adults, the novel garnered numerous awards. A flood of tie-in products followed, an empire was born, and now Rowling is literally richer than the Queen of England. The books trace the school career of Harry, a precocious wizard-in-training who has drawn the ire of the evil Lord Voldemort. Think of Harry as Bart Simpson and Voldemort as a disembodied Sideshow Bob and you'll get the idea.
"Climb, Said the Crow" in the fantasy anthology In the Shadow of Evil from DAW Books. The book collects original stories where evil has triumphed over good, monsters eat the heroes, darkness falls on the land and stays for good. Excerpt:
During one rest, as Jon leaned with his arms along a hand-wide ledge, he heard a familiar flapping. The crow swooped onto the ledge, hopped a few times, and flung down a silver fish. "Got that for you," it said.
"Oh. Thanks. You didn't have to do that."
"Sure I did. If you don't eat something more than berries, you'll pass out and take the quick way down."
Balancing on one elbow, Jon picked up the fish, sniffed it.
"It hasn't been dead very long," the crow said.
"You didn't catch it?"
"Do I look like a pelican?"
"Has this been in your mouth?"
"Crows are very clean animals."
"You eat carrion."
"Shut up!"
"Star Wars Characters A - Z" I contributed a small piece for Giant's big Star Wars spread in issue #5. It's a handy guide to all the Star Wars pantheon, from the heavy hitters to the minor groinks. Such as:
Dack Ralter: Luke Skywalker's snowspeeder tailgunner at the Battle of Hoth in Empire, who gets A) laser blasted, then B) flattened by an AT-AT. Nicknames: Stompy; Matt.
"72 Hours to...Sci-Fi Stardom." Brand new magazine Giant asked me to write a piece that serves as a total immersion short course in the essential science fiction books, movies, TV shows, games, and comics. Here's how the magazine puts it: Want to become a science-fiction expert in three short days? Here's everything you'll need to read, watch, hear and play.
My first pass at the list of core SF resulted in more than 90 items—way too long. Cutting it down to about 50 felt like having to choose which of my own children should live or die. Gateway? Sorry, you don't make the cut. Nor you, The Left Hand of Darkness. Goodbye, Aliens, Outland, The Prisoner.... Tragic. Here's an excerpt:
Day 1, 8 P.M. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, 20th Century Fox)
Alien ambassador Klaatu and his robot pal Gort* come to Earth to tell humanity to knock off all that nuclear bomb crap. The famous phrase "Klaatu barada nikto" comes from this flick. Translation: "Oh God, I've been shot! Jesus Christ that guy just shot me!"
* Played by Lock Martin, the towering doorman of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Giant is targeted at "young men who are passionate about entertainment" and contains reviews, interviews, and sassy fun. Wait, Sassy is another magazine entirely. Anyway, you'll find the article in the December/January 2005 issue, along with Owen Wilson, Kevin Spacey, Parker Posey and lots more good stuff.
I've also written for Wired as well as Science Fiction Weekly and Amazon.com in the online world.
My story "The Well-Made Knight" can be found in the anthology Merlin, edited by Martin Greenberg. DAW Books. This is an anthology of, well, Merlin stories. "The Well-Made Knight" is a bittersweet love story. With swordfights.
You'll find "Sleight of Bride" in Elf Magic, also edited by Martin Greenberg. DAW Books. The story is about cross-dressing elves out for revenge. And it's a retelling of the Norse myth "How Thor Lost His Hammer."
And if you dig around you'll find stories of mine in the anthologies Future Net (DAW 1996), Life Among the Asteroids (Ace, 1992) and as well as the magazines Absolute Magnitude #4 (Fall 1995), tomorrow sf (October 1994), Back Brain Recluse #22 (1994), and Aboriginal SF (#37/39 Spring 1993).
Desperately Seeking
Allegedly my short story "Stealing a Zero-G Cow" was reprinted in the Czech magazine Ikarie sometime in the mid-'90s. I signed a contract, but I don't know if it actually happened. If you find an issue of Ikarie with my story in it, drop me an e-mail. Thanks!
More Me
I used to write and perform in the Los Angeles tentacle of No Shame Theater. Here's an archive of my scripts.
I also dabble in movie scripts, two of which have been made into short films.