What's New

Sections: May 1, 2007 | April 24, 2007.

May 1, 2007

"'You know, the thing about zeppelins is that they got a bad rap,' Vince says. He's actually twirling a virtual mustache. Nutjob. 'I mean, in the famous "Oh, the humanity" accident only thirty-five passengers died. Out of ninety seven!'"

¶ Andrew Burt: A Sailor on the Sea of Humanity. Short story. Announcement at ipstp.

Summary: "If you'd wiped out humanity, perhaps you'd find time dilation has it's uses . . ."

¶ S. Evans: The Monkey King and the Dragon's Daughter. Short story. Also, a short short. Announcement at ipstp.

"Slowly, Ha Bo uncurls her fingers and turns back to the bindings on Tsessia's right foot. 'I suppose you have a right to know. You're a woman now. But it's a long story, the tale of how the monkeys came to rule the sky.'"

¶ L. Graf and D. A. Graf: Twilight Agency. Comics and written short fiction. Science fantasy. Announced at creator's Website.

Excerpt from "XVII": "The United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth houses some of the most hardened and habitual criminals convicted by the federal government. Many inmates go in knowing they will only ever come out to be buried. The prison also serves as a convenient storage facility for men who may not have been convicted of a crime, but are too dangerous or embarrassing to to the government for them to roam free or assassinate. Like a character from a Dumas novel, these men are kept in solitary confinement, denied contact with other prisoners, and known even to most of the guards only by their number."

¶ Grendelkhan: Consider Licensing. Post at ipstp.

"I encourage contributors to consider licensing their work. Publically posting work makes it free 'as in beer'; I'm talking about making it free 'as in speech'."

¶ Beverly A. Hale: Le Beau Chevalier sans Honour. Poetry. Announcement at the author's blog. Announcement at ipstp.

"Here I sit, with honor fled,
And some would say t’were better dead,
Than not to pray delivery
From life without its 'chivalry.'"

¶ Don Hensley: The Right to Write. Satirical short story adapted with permission of Richard Stallman from his original work The Right to Read. Announcement at ipstp.

"Like everyone, he had been taught since elementary school that sharing writing tools was nasty and wrong – something that only webscabs would ever do. Helping anyone to write anything that might be read by anyone, without payment for the privilege of reading it, would give imprimatur to the downward spiral that is converting the noble calling of Writer into the life of a Pixel-stained Technopeasant Wretch."

¶ Michael M. Jones: A Small Idea. Post at sfwa.

"I have a proposal.

"If anyone actually makes any money off of that phrase, or off of Dr Hendrix's other fine turn of words, 'Wikicliki . . . etc', how about donating some of that money to something appropriate, such as the SFWA EMF, or the Legal Fund, or whatever exists to help our fellow writers?"

¶ Mindy Kalsky: Sorcery and the Single Girl: Chapter 1. First chapter of a romantic fantasy novel. Also, more novel samples. Announced at the author's blog.

Summary: "Witch or not, Jane Madison must deal with her insane work schedule, best-friend drama and romantic dry spell like everyone else.

"But now the exclusive Washington Coven wants Jane to join. This could be a dream come true for the magical misfit, or it could be the most humiliating experience of her life. Either way, the crap's gonna hit the cauldron because Jane is about to be tested in ways she's never imagined – and, pass or fail, nothing will ever be the same."

¶ Heidi Wessman Kneale: The Room. Short story. Announcement at the author's blog.

"She never noticed when the other junior secretary left. It's just that one day, she noticed that she had not seen her for several days or was it weeks? Fired, died, moved to another city . . . who knew?"

¶ Jodi Lee: Prologue to Gabriel Fell. Sample chapter from a dark fiction novel. Announced at the author's blog.

"He puzzled over his reaction to her. This hadn't happened before – he came here to get away from his worries and constant bickering among his brothers. Certainly, he did not agree with the necklace she wore, and was uncomfortable with its meaning. As he was considering this, his attention was again caught by her presence; the sun dappling off the small, discreet yet undeniably viewable silver pentacle at her throat. Wrinkling his brow, he absent-mindedly toyed with his own chain and pendent, an equally discreet but obvious gold cross."

¶ Michele Lee: Corpse Blood. Sample  chapter from a dark urban fantasy novel. Announced at Wyrdsmiths. Announcement at author's blog.

"'Miss Hall, can you give us a statement?' a voice shouted.

"'Seeing as I just arrived I bet you know more than I do at the moment.' Raven smiled. It didn't quite reach her pale gray eyes. The press didn't notice. They couldn't see past the dark sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Raven moved forward and the cameras and mini recorders moved away. Even with her high profile they gave her wider berth than they gave the other cops, even the ones in charge. Their tenacity faltered around her as if instead of just risking a slammed door or a few insults they were facing something genuinely dangerous."

¶ lost_due_east: Untitled contribution. Short short. Announced at ipstp.

"So there's this guy who pisses off this
gypsy, right? I mean, don't all the best
stories start out that way?"

¶ Malin: Conduct Unbecoming. Short story. Originally published in Historimorphs. Announcement at Wyrdsmiths.

"With each day, he grew more confident and got to know the others in his all-morph regiment. They were a diverse lot, from raccoons and possums to a couple foxes – most canids were special attachments to other divisions for use as trackers. They bantered and joked when they were traveling or resting, but when they did their daily drills they were serious and intent, and Richard felt more and more proud of himself with each drill as he mastered various skills. He was becoming a useful part of his regiment, and began to look forward to the chance to prove himself in real combat."

¶ Andrea Miccaver: Believe. Short short. Also, seven more short shorts. Announcement at ipstp.

"A woman walked by, an angel at her back. The angel glowed fiercely, the shinning sword at its hip the only thing brighter. The old man saw so few angels these days. People didn't believe in them like they used to, and it was fact that in order to be protected by something, you had to believe in it."

¶ Paula Helm Murray: The Most Profane of the Sacred. Heroic fantasy horror short story. Originally published in Eldritch Tales. Announced at the author's blog.

"My service to the Queen was the last bitter effort of the evil creature I once was; wonder why she summoned me? I've a feeling she does not want a custom saddle."

¶ The Philosopher At Large: Bluebeard's Bride. Illustrated short short. Announced at the creator's blog.

"The whole of the great house is
still, still as a breath held against
hearing, waiting, half in dread and yet
half-hoping for interruption, for the
jarring of door opened, footfall on the
stair, voice in the vaulting – but no
such rescue, alas, is to come."

¶ William Shunn: Inclination. Audio book of the novella, with accompanying text. Originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction. Announcement at ipstp.

"The Manual tells us that in the beginning the Builder decreed six fundamental Machines. These are his six aspects, and all we do we must do with the Six. We need no other machines.

"I believe this with all my heart. I do. And yet sometimes I seem to intuit the existence of a seventh Machine, hovering like a blasphemous ghost just beyond apprehension."

¶ The TurboNerd: Welcome. Post at ipstp.

"Welcome to the International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant's LiveJournal community."

¶ Wheatland Press: Assorted Online Stories. From a publisher of literary science fiction and fantasy, primarily anthologies and single-author collections. Announcement at the press's blog. Short fiction by Celia Marsh, Bruce Holland Rogers, Jenn Reese, Mikal Trimm, Jeremiah Tolbert, Robert Freeman Wexler, M. K. Hobson, Heather Shaw, Robert Urell, Ray Vukcevich, Michael Jasper, Tim Pratt, Greg van Eekhout, Robin Catesby, Laura Anne Gilman, Darin C. Bradley, Ben Peek, Haddyar Copley-Woods, Richard Wadholm, Josh Roundtree, Forrest Aguirre, David J. Schwartz, Jay Lake, Steven Utley, and Lisa Tuttle.

Excerpt from "Don Ysidro," by Bruce Holland Rogers: "A little after the priest came and went, I died. Word spread. People came to our house. My family asked first for things of mine that they wanted. Then the other neighbors. Don Francisco stood near my body and said, 'Don Ysidro, may I have your shovel? I need one, and your sons-in-law can dig new clay for Susana."

"I said, 'Take it with my blessing.'"

¶ Wyrdsmiths: Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Wyrdsmiths Stories. From a Twin Cities area speculative fiction writers' group. Announcment by member Kelly Mccullough at sfwa. Short fiction by Eleanor Arnason, Douglas Hulick, Naomi Kritzer, Kelly Mccullough, Lyda Morehouse, and Sean M. Murphy.

Excerpt from "Grammarian's Five Daughters," by Eleanor Arnason: "The mother thought for a while, then produced a bag. 'In here are nouns, which I consider the solid core and treasure of language. I give them to you because you're the oldest. Take them and do what you can with them.'"

¶ Stephanie Zvan: The End of Eternity. Short story. Announcement at the author's blog. Announcement at Wyrdsmiths.

"Dr. Richardson knew he was spending too much time with the dead girl. On the rare occasions he made it home, Sandra gave him those corner-of-the-eye looks, the ones that said, 'I know I married you for better or for worse, but how much worse is it going to get?' He didn't know how to answer without admitting to them both that Meryaset held some fascination for him that Sandra just . . . didn't."

April 24, 2007

"I feel my heart digging
its own grave"

¶ Al_Zorra: Dark Moon Murmuration. Short story. Also, a seven-part essay on vampires and ballet. Posted at sfwa.

Summary: "A Gothic Tale of Conjure & Family Love In the Upper South."

¶ Kathryn Allen: Incubus. Short fiction. Also, "some short bits of fanfic, and a random piece of unpublished novel." Post at sfwa.

"The first time – the first that I remember – I was ten years old. I jerked awake with a scream ready on my lips, escaping from a nightmare I had suffered through several times in the previous month, to feel his weight and sense his shadow in the darkness."

¶ Aimee C. Amodio: Cutter. Short fiction. Also, more short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"Things said and stored warred for space. Boys would like you if you wore makeup and dressed a little nicer.

"Is this what going crazy feels like?"

¶ Marie Brennan: Calling Into Silence. Short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"Someone had to have done something wrong. Ngwela had no way of knowing; only the women of the tribe could be present when spirits were called, and so her dance of opening was her first and only experience. But they had drawn spirals on her palms, white against the darkness of her skin, and they had stiffened her hair with paste, and they had put the beads of amber and coral and turquoise around her ankles and wrists and neck, and they had given her the drink that would help her open herself to the spirits. She could see nothing in that which seemed wrong, no point at which someone might have made a mistake.

¶ Emma Bull: Man of Action. Song lyrics. Also, planning to post more works in the coming week. Post at sfwa.

"My therapist had quite a lot to say
When I explained I was unmoved by chocolates and bouquets.
'What are you looking for in love,' she asked, 'that you can't find?'
I said, 'The smell of cordite would brighten up my day.'"

¶ Amy Sterling Casil: Perfect Stranger. Science fiction short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"When at five months of pregnancy, Carolyn went for a high-level ultrasound that determined Denny had HLHS, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to try gene therapy."

¶ Amanda Downum: The Drowning City. First three chapters of a novel. Also, short fiction. Posted at sfwa.

"The Mariah dropped anchor, and the crew bustled to prepare for the port authority's inspection; already a skiff rowed to meet them. The ship had made good time, light in the water, laden only with olive oil and wheat flour from the north.

"And northern spies. But those weren't recorded on the cargo manifest."

¶ Linda J. Dunne: Scarecrows. Novelette. Post at sfwa.

"I was five years old when Mom turned into a scarecrow."

¶ Charles Emery: A Man and His Maniac: The Bunkie Story. First three chapters of a novel. Also, short stories and articles. Post at sfwa.

Summary: "A book about a dog and his man."

¶ Rhonda Eudaly: Leporidaphobia. Short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"Kendall jolted awake, a terrified scream locked in his throat, pajamas and bedding soaked with sweat. He tried to slow his racing pulse as he frantically scanned the room. There, that movement in the shadows – was it the twitch of long ears? That creak – was it the thump of large feet?"

¶ Sheila Finch: Sequioa Dreams. Originally published in Amazing Stories. Post at sfwa.

"I'd almost finished the research for my dissertation in Yosemite National Park when the Xt'la first – appeared. I was going to say arrived, but that implies we saw them coming. We didn't. One day, we looked up and there they were. No one ever found a trace of their ship orbiting Earth, though it must have been, the physicists said. I have no opinion on that; I'm a botanist. Awesome technology! the papers called it when the story finally got out. I think that's journalese for 'We dunno what happened.'"

¶ Diana Pharaoh Francis: The Cipher – Chapter 2. Posts at sfwa.

"Despite the urgency of the siren and Wexler's orders, Lucy remained a moment to look into the spyglass."

¶ Stephen Granade: Write a Text Adventure with Inform 7. Article. Originally published in PC Plus 245. Post at sfwa.

"Text adventures were some of the earliest computer games. A generation of hackers cut their teeth on ones such as Infocom's Zork. Graphical games have long since taken over the commercial games market, but a vibrant independent community has kept text adventures, also known as interactive fiction, alive."

¶ Sacchi Green: Home from the Sea. Lesbian erotic short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"'I'll wait there all afternoon,' Romy had written, 'and the next day too. Please come, Sage.' Romy had never said please to me."

¶ Larry Hammer: The Myrmidons. Historical fantasy short story in verse. Originally published in The First Heroes: New Tales of the Bronze Age, edited by Harry Turtledove and Noreen Doyle (Tor Books). Post at sfwa.

"The plague came out of nowhere. No one knew
What god or goddess sent it, and the signs,
When not ambiguous, were all too few:
The oak leaves still, the livers whole and fine,
From left and right the birds flew in straight lines,
    And worst of all, the tea leaves all refused
    To form a pattern readers could have used."

¶ M. K. Hobson: Domovoi. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Also, more short fiction. Posted at sfwa/ipstp.

"'You're a murderer and a rapist, and there may be no hope for you,' Winnie says to Ryan on a rainy afternoon at the end of the story. 'But if there is, I will find it. I will remake you.'"

¶ M. C. A. Hogarth: "The unedited beginning of the Calligrapher/Shame novel". Also, a serialized novel, short fiction, and art. Post at sfwa.

"Let me first put your hearts at ease by saying that I do not blame you for the unfortunate events that saw the House of Flowers remade."

¶ Michael M. Jones: The Spellweaver's Tale. Short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"The river was high, and Gabriel knew there was going to be trouble. He could feel it in his tail. It was that eerie combination of stillness and anticipation that always put his fur on edge and made him want to yowl for his mother."

¶ Kol-isha: NaNo Novel. Post at sfwa.

"I still dream about her.

"That sounds stupid I know. I bet it gets said all the time. Some girl ends up in their thoughts, and they tell people, 'Oh god, I'm still in love, even though she's gone.'"

¶ Rosemary Lake: The Witch Princess. Fairy tale. Also, more fairy tales. Post at sfwa.

"'Wait, wait!' said the oldest doctor. 'There is one remedy. You will have to take a bath in . . . er, ah . . . in the blood of . . . er . . . some prince of nobler birth than your own!'"

¶ Mur Lafferty and the Lulu vlog: The Line, Webisode 13. Science fiction video. Post by Emma Bull at sfwa. Post by Steve Eley at ipstp.

Summary by Emma Bull: "Word has come back from the future: IPST Day will change the world. Lulu.tv has the feed from 2027."

¶ Jordan Lapp: Leaving the Grand Design. Short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"Hayden knocked on the metal door of the meeting room timidly, then stepped back. Normally he stayed well away from the Watchers of Exile, but tonight he had no other choice. If he didn't act now, his sister was going to die."

¶ Anne Leckie: Bury the Dead. Short fiction. Includes links to other online fiction. Post at sfwa.

"It's the first Thanksgiving since Grandpa died."

¶ Machineplay: The China Doll. Short fiction. Post at sfwa. Post at ipstp. Post at papersky.

"Ezri woke the moment the steeple bells started to chime, and was on her feet before the last note rang out. She looked at the glass of days on her dressing table and crouched down to see that the pearly white sand inside was, indeed, aligned with the gold-etched line that she'd been waiting for."

¶ Laurie D. T. Mann: Muse of Fire. Horror short fiction. Originally published in Midnight Zoo. Post at sfwa.

"There I was, washed up at twenty-seven."

¶ mattador: Snapshots. Short fiction. Also, more short fiction. Posted at sfwa.

"Do we track the paintings, or do the
paintings track us?"

¶ Kelly Mccullough: The Uncola. Science fiction short fiction. Originally published in Cosmic SF. Plus, contemporary fantasy short fiction. Includes a link to blog entries with IPSTP Day contributions from Eleanor Arnason, Douglas Hulick, Naomi Kritzer, Lyda Morehouse, and Sean M. Murphy. Posted at sfwa.

Summary: "A near future snarky science fiction piece about the ungoing cola wars between the big brands."

¶ Steven E. McDonald: The Janus Syndrome. Science fiction novel. Originally published by Bantam Books. Also, links to poetry recordings and music, and links to short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"Area Fourteen loves handing me need-to-know assignments. Usually the stuff I didn't need to know was the crucial stuff. I did a lot of fast talking and even faster running."

¶ Catherine Mintz: How Do You Say "Goodbye". Sample from the novel The Beyal Translator. Post at sfwa.

"Pulling her feet awkwardly to one side, the conscript concentrated on not smelling, not hearing, not seeing, not feeling.  Safe, safe, she was safe.  No one would hurt her if she stayed silent and still."

¶ Jaime Lee Moyer: Twilight. Originally published in On Our Way to
Battle: Poetry From the Trenches, edited by Samantha Henderson (Carnifax Press). Also, another poem and short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"Our eyes meet in silent farewell,
Your weary smile mine alone
Before you fade into the whirl
Of jars and spices on the shelf."

¶ Derryl Murphy: Last Call. Science fiction short fiction. Originally published in On Spec. Post to sfwa.

"Jackie laughed. 'Jesus, Allen. NASA must owe you some big if you can get patched through from building the station just to talk to a fetus.'"

¶ A. Nakama: Web-Elf Woes. Flash fiction. Also, three pages of script for a webcomic. Post at sfwa.

"It's hard being a web-elf. Nobody knows what we do to keep the internet running smoothly. We scamper from server to server repairing broken links, quelling flames, and gathering stray pixels. We do what we can to herd Wikipedia – but we can't make it fabulously interesting all the time. Sometimes the truth just slips in by accident."

¶ Jennifer Pelland: Immortal Sin. Originally published in Tales of the Unanticipated. Post at sfwa.

"It's easy to dispose of a dead body when you're a doctor."

¶ Dusk Peterson: The Breaking. Historical fantasy novella. Post at sfwa/ipstp/papersky.

Summary: "The prisoner knew that the Eternal Dungeon was a place where suspected criminals were broken by torture, and he was prepared to hold out against any methods used against him – except the method he could not anticipate."

¶ Robert Reed: Wellsprings of Genius. Short fiction. Original published as a French translation ("Aux sources du génie") in the magazine Galaxies. Post by Scott Clark at sfwa.

"Nobody, not even Anwar, can see what's happening inside Anwar's skull."

¶ Matt Ruff: Cannibals & Bibliophiles. Op-ed piece. Also, another op-ed piece. Post at sfwa.

"While I appreciate all sincere attempts to defend my livelihood, I see an obvious flaw in the Guild's moral logic: if the buying and selling of used books constitutes stealing, then authors themselves are among the biggest thieves."

¶ Will Shetterly: Little Red and the Big Bad. Short fiction. Originally published in Swan Sister, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling (Simon & Schuster). Also, more short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"You know I'm giving the straight and deep 'cause it's about a friend of a friend. A few weeks back, just 'cross town, a true sweet chiquita, called Red for her fave red hoodie, gets a 911 from her momma's momma. The Grams is bed-bound with a winter bug, but she's jonesing for Sesame Noodles, Hot and Sour Soup, and Kung Pao Tofu from the local Chineserie – 'cept their delivery wheels broke down. So Grams is notioning if Red fetches food, they'll feast together."

¶ Janni Lee Simner: Dragon Offerings. Short fiction. (Story linked above changes monthly.) Post at sfwa.

"Aimee and I had been leaving Oreos behind for years, since we were little and Aimee was afraid the dragons might eat her. I'd always known dragons didn't eat people, and by now Aimee knew too, but that didn't stop us. Neither did the fact that no dragon had ever claimed our chocolate offerings."

¶ Charles Stross: Missile Gap. Alternate history novella. Originally published by Subterranean Press. Post at sfwa.

Summary: "It's 1976 again. Abba are on the charts, the Cold War is in full swing – and the Earth is flat. It's been flat ever since the eve of the Cuban war of 1962; and the constellations overhead are all wrong. Beyond the Boreal ocean, strange new continents loom above tropical seas, offering a new start to colonists like newly-weds Maddy and Bob, and the hope of further glory to explorers like ex-cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin: but nobody knows why they exist, and outside the circle of exploration the universe is inexplicably warped."

¶ Karina Sumner-Smith: The Voices of the Snakes. Myth retelling, short fiction. Post at sfwa.

"'Hello poison, hello grave-specter, hello nightmare,' the little green grass snake called, his tiny voice high and all his sibilants hissed. He flicked his tongue and uncurled his sleepy coils. 'Hello dung heap, hello monstrosity, hello ruin.'

"It was his morning ritual, and all his greetings were for her."

¶ Connie Wilkins: One-Eyed Jack. Short fiction. Originally published in Strange Horizons. Post at sfwa.

"He might have been reduced to one eye, one arm, and scarcely more than one good leg, but Lightning Jack lacked nothing in between."

¶ Edward Willett: Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star. Young adult science fiction novel. Originally published by Roussan Publishers. Post at SFWA.

Summary: "After a lifetime of sleeping in alleys and flop houses, Kit's musical talent is discovered, and he is remade into Andy Nebula.

"Well-fed, content with a warm bed and contract, Andy begins to wonder why every previous 'Sensation Single' star was a flash-in-the-pan. Little does he know that the answer lies with the off-world Hydras and their taste for music and flash, a drug forbidden to humans. And that he is their next fix."

BANNERS

Kirby Crow.

Mary Dell.

Leigh Dragoon.

John Scalzi.

CLOTHING

CaféPress.com 1.

CaféPress.com 2.

POSTS

Creators often posted their thoughts on IPSTP Day when linking to their creations. This section lists other posts in celebration of IPSTP Day.

¶ Michael Capobianco: International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day = World Book and Copyright Day. Posted at sfwa.

"I hope that we all can acknowledge that International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day/World Book and Copyright Day should represent more than just authors' right to put their work up on the web for free. The day should also celebrate the right of authors to publish their work in any fashion they see fit, and the right to limit access to electronic versions of their work."

¶ Catherine Mintz: Dancing on the Screens . . . Posted at sfwa.

"International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day should properly be celebrated by posting, linking, reading, listening to music composed by the performers, not to mention looking at art."

¶ Will Shetterly: International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day and International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day is coming! Posted at sfwa.

"On the internet, we're all pixel-stained technopeasant wretches."

USERPICS

To see any relevant credits for the userpics, go to the user's LiveJournal profile page and click on "View all userpics." To reach a user's LiveJournal profile page, add the following to the user name:

.livejournal.com/profile

bren_cameron.

cmintz.

coffeeem.

deedop. Larger version.

lauriemann.

papersky.

stillsostrange.

wyldemusick.

[ HOME ] [ IPSTP Day ] [ E-mail ]

This text, or a variation on it, was originally published at duskpeterson.com. Quotations are copyrighted in the names of the authors; check the original sources for the copyright terms. All other text, copyright © 2007 Dusk Peterson. Some rights reserved. The text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0). You may freely print, post, e-mail, share, or otherwise distribute the text for noncommercial purposes, provided that you include this paragraph. The author's policies on derivative works and fan works are available online (duskpeterson.com/copyright.htm).