Guest Blog: Karina Fabian on Writing Science Fiction.

Once upon a time, very long ago (okay, back in April), we had a guest blogger -- Karina Fabian, author of .... a whole lot of novels, and editor of Infinite Space, Infinite God II.

Guess what: she's back, with a new book, Mind Over Mind, a science fiction / fantasy piece (and there are reasons it's a bit of both), so I decided to keep her blog topic simple.

I asked her to blog "On the joys and wonders of writing SF."

She gave me a top ten list.

Here we go.....

Top Ten Reasons to Love Reading or Writing Science Fiction

From the Home Office in FabianSpace

1. Explore Strange New Worlds. Whether it's traveling to another planet, exploring the future, or even seeing how the past would change if you altered some aspect like, say sticking a small West Virginia town in the middle of the Black Forest in 1632, you will find something completely new.

2. To seek out new life. This doesn't have to mean alien life, either. A science fiction setting can give new life to an old plot, or a new way at looking at our own society. Recently, I revisited an old favorite, ALIEN NATION. A sci-fi cop show from the 90s, it was really more about racial issues in a big city.

3. To boldly go! It's sometimes easier as a writer to explore a controversial issue in a way that will make people think when you put it in a setting that's removed from the present day society. Science fiction also gives you a means to take chances. Nichelle Nicols (Uhura from Star Trek) was one of the first black women on television to have a substantial role, and was as a result a role model for thousands of women and Blacks.

4. Because it's part of our culture. How many of you recognized the lines from the first three reasons? We know without an explanation what someone means by warp speed. Ray guns, transporters, aliens, time travel--none of these are unknown concepts, even when they aren't everyday objects.

5. To explore the impossible. Or at least the impossible right now. Did you know a lot of technology we take for granted and are developing right now was first suggested in science fiction? We have 3-D faxes--replicators! Arthur C. Clark first talked about satellite communications years before we launched our satellites. NASA is working on VASIMR drives for spaceships, and Japan recently launched its first solar sail craft--ideas made known in science fiction stories while still far-off theories in scientific journals.

6. To explore ideas. How would humans act if a plague knocked out 90 percent of the population? What if we always fought wars through computers? What if humans could live forever? What if you could go back in time--but only for eleven minutes a shot? Some ideas can only be examined in a science fiction setting.

7. You can learn a lot while enjoying the adventure. Science fiction writers often have to do a lot of research into everything from physics to genetics to animal sciences in order to craft convincing stories. Writing is a great way to learn things--but many times, much of that information comes out in the text, too, and not in a boring "just the facts" manner of a textbook.

8. We are a technological, forward-thinking society. Why shouldn't our literature reflect that?

9. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. Science fiction and fantasy are a big genre. Eighty percent of the top grossing movies in the US are science fiction or fantasy (source: http://www.irosf.com/q/zine/article/10131), and the number of books--and readers-continues to grow.

10. It's sheer escapist fun. 'Nuff said! 

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About the Author: Karina Fabian

After being a straight-A student, Karina now cultivates Fs: Family, Faith, Fiction and Fun. From an order of nuns working in space to a down-and-out faerie dragon working off a geas from St. George, her stories surprise with their twists of clichés and incorporation of modern day foibles in an otherworld setting. Her quirky twists and crazy characters have won awards, including the INDIE book award for best fantasy (Magic, Mensa and Mayhem), and a Mensa Owl for best fiction (World Gathering). In May 2010, her writing took a right turn with a devotional, Why God Matters, which she co-wrote with her father. Mrs. Fabian is former President of the Catholic Writer’s Guild and also teaches writing and book marketing seminars online.

Looking back on 9/11, ten years later.

[A more clinical and objective view can be found here.]

When I first walked into English class at St. John's University, it was a little before 9am. The professor was one Dr. Robert Forman.  He was always entertaining, and there's something about him that tells you he cares that you learn something in his class.

The first person I saw was my classmate Tony.  I said hello, and he asked, "Did you hear something about a plane running into the World Trade Center?"

And I laughed.  All I could think is what idiot could have missed noticing that there were two rather large buttersticks in the sky right in front of him?

I explained that to Tony.  He agreed, and I gave it no thought at all for the rest of the 90-minute class.

I went from one class to another -- Christian Spirituality and Mysticism, 10:40am, taught by a priest whose name I can't recall right this moment.  He was not only pleasant, but happy.  He was also very Italian, and joked about it often.

When I arrived, the professor wasn't there, and someone came into class saying that classes were canceled.

Huh.  That's odd.

I went to the nearest inter-university phone and called my father -- who was an Assistant Dean at SJU.  I called, told him my class was cancelled, and how are you doing?

"Come to the office."

Ok .... click.

Walking from one building to the other required that I cross from Marillac Hall, past Council and Newman Halls -- a narrow corridor outside that was as well directed as any sidewalk intersection without a traffic stop.

Ironically, it was afforded the best view of the Manhattan skyline that the University had to offer, without going into the university library --- SJU is, for the record, the highest point in Queens.

But, I didn't stop for a second. My pace was quick and even, mainly because there were so few people in my way -- for once.

Though there was one odd bit of business going on at the time, something I found odd even before I made it to my father's office: there were clusters of people with their cell phones out.  After the third such group, I felt like I was in a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

I walked into my father's office at the other side of the library, and before I could even open my mouth, my father said, "Planes have crashed into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.  The twin towers are gone, and the Pentagon is burning."

And I remember this quite clearly, because I had a little red notebook with me at the time ... my first thought was "Didn't Tom Clancy already write this novel?"

My father suggested I go to the library, and observe the skyline.  by the time I got there, the library was locked.  So I walked back to the terrace I had just gone over.

Instead of a skyline, there were ground based storm clouds running from south to north.  I stood there for an unknown length of time, completely focused on it.  I didn't even notice my acquaintance Andy walk up next to me.

"I can't wrap my mind around it," he said.  "I can't believe they're gone."

 If I replied to him, I don't remember.

Nerd Rage: DC Reboot as "One More Day" gone mad.

Let me start by saying that this title is horrifically overblown.

Everyone who has kept up with the blog (or has even read the top five most read posts)  knows my opinion on Marvel.  I dislike how they screw with characters for their movie properties, or dissolve marriages in an arbitrary and capricious fashion with a ... deal with the devil? For most of this, I initially blamed Joe Quesada ... then I realized that most comic book arcs are proposed a year in advance, and I realized that Marvel would be feeling the effects of Joe Q at least until 2012.

My main complaint was that Marvel had MASSIVE, WORLD CHANGING STORIES...... that changed absolutely nothing at all.

When I initially discussed DC Comics, and what they've been doing, my complaint was that they kept shaking up their universe so much, the dust never had time to settle before they had another damn crisis. We were being Evented to Death.

And now, DC is having yet another "event," where they rewrite large parts of their own history.

In the past, when DC did this sort of thing, it was to make life easier on everyone.  DC Comics had the original "Crisis on Infinite Earths" in the 1980s as a way of consolidating their myriad universes -- Golden Age, Bronze Age, Silver Age, the Dark Ages -- and make them one universe.

Now it's starting to feel like One More Day all over again. (more below the break)

Terror is also a form of communication: Intimidating Characters

When I write a character, I like to have them a little vague.  This doesn't necessarily mean that they're all mysterious.  In fact, one of the most vague characters in A Pius Man, is the most blunt, and the most straightforward, and the person who's seemingly the most willing to tell you exactly what's on his mind.

Sean A.P. Ryan: mercenary,self-described cleanser of the gene pool, and he lists his resume in terms of property damage and body counts.

While blunt, Ryan doesn't necessarily have to be evil. After all, you have comic book characters like Wolverine who slash hordes to pieces all the time, and his kill count is probably somewhere in the thousands by now ... assuming he doesn't get rebooted into being a hippy....

But I digress.

However, in the case of Sean Ryan, he's working for the Vatican ... he's supposed to be training priests and nuns in nonlethal combat.  His third scene in the novel has Sean crippling an opponent -- not many people recover well from a shattered kneecap.

And people wonder why I make the Pope a suspect in A Pius Man ... if he's hired this lunatic, almost nothing could be put past him.

But, do you necessarily need violence for a good, intimidating character?  Heck no.  All you need is the implication that there will be very, very, very bad things that happen if someone crosses him/her.

Frankly, all you need is a reputation.

For example, take a clip from the tv show Doctor Who -- a series about a time traveling alien (there's a reason why there are Romans and spaceships in the same scene) ....




This is someone who has a reputation and is not afraid to use it.

Characters answering surveys: Scott "Mossad" Murphy

Have you ever gotten an internet survey?  It has strange questions like your favorite foods, and flavors, that sort of thing.

Ever wondered what would happen if you had a novel character answer one of those?

I decided to have a little fun this week, so I decided to fill one of them out last week as my character Sean A.P. Ryan, mercenary, security expert, and weapon of mass destruction..  You've seen him mentioned on the sight, you've probably even read some of the short stories, including his "origin".

This week, I'm working on Scott "Mossad" Murphy, who you've also seen around the site a few times.

Yes, I'm a strange, strange person.....

***********

1) Your Name: Scott Murphy
2) Nicknames: "Mossad."  "The Goy," and "Hey, you."
3) City where you live?: Israel ... just Israel ...
4) School?: Harvard, Yale, University of Massachusetts.
5) Parents Names?: They're in WitSec, so, technically, I don't know them.
6) Eye color?: Dark Blue
7) Hair?:  .... It really depends on the light and the angle.
8)Pets?: None.  I've buried my fair share of Goldfish.
9) Siblings?: Yes, damnit.
10) Best Friends: I've got people I know from  the office.
12) Best Enemies: James Bond, the movies, and the people who make them.
13) Can you dance?: Do you count running?

Favorite TV Shows
Comedy: Burn Notice
Drama: MacGyver.
Reality Show: Night Court.
Science Fiction: Any Bond Film.

Favorite actor: Alec Guiness

WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING:   That could be considered work product.

WHAT CD's ARE IN YOUR PLAYER RIGHT NOW?: Mozart.

WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?: Biohazard logo

FAVORITE BOARD GAME?:  Chess

FAVORITE MAGAZINES: Security Magazine

FAVORITE SMELLS?:  Usually that I'm still breathing is a good sign.

WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?: When your cover has been blown before you're ready.

BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD?: When the cover isn't blown at all.

ROLLER COASTER SCARY OR EXCITING?: Scary as hell -- where I live, that's a target.

HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE?:  I don't have a phone, I answer dead drops.

FUTURE CHILD' NAME? If I get someone to spawn with, I'll let you know.

DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST? No.  Fast driving gets you noticed.

DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? Yes, and it has a flash-bang grenade inside, just in case.

STORMS - COOL OR SCARY? They're only cool when I'm locked down in my house. Otherwise, they're just distracting, and they can sound too much like gunfire..

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? : Volvo

IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE:  I have a very long list. I want to interrogate all of them.

FAVORITE DRINK? Bailey's Irish Cream -- I can drink them all night and not even get a buzz..

EVER BEEN IN LOVE?:  I'm a goy in Israel. When would I get an opportunity?

WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? File boxes.

FAVORITE COLOR CLOTHES TO WEAR:  Beige.

Do you believe in Heaven/Hell: Of course there's a hell, I live in the middle east. I'm already there.

Who is the person(s) you despise most?:  The guys in HR.  Bastards rejected me ... twice.
What is your computer desk made of? Oak. And hidden compartments.
What did you do last night?: Got tied up and thrown in a trunk with a bag over my head. It was all according to plan. Honest.
Dream car?: Volvo
Have you ever won any special awards?: Nope. Wouldn't dream of being noticed like that.
Do you like to dance?: Nope.
 Fast or slow?: Slow ... otherwise, they may notice you.

What is the stupidest thing you have ever done?:  I'm an American Catholic in Israel, working for Mossad. Isn't that enough?

Month in Review: August, 2011

After 10% of my daily audience gave me feedback that told me that I needed to cut down on the blog posts, I decided to give in.  And, when the posts drop from nine posts a week to four or less, a week in review seems like a waste of time, not to mention padding.

So, I'm going to see how easy it is to do a month in review. In all likelihood, it won't be too overwhelming.  But we'll see.  And, it's easy enough this month, because the first week was already wrapped up and summarized here, in what might be the last week in review.

Everyone probably remembers the four part author review of the works of John Ringo, which included free books for every one of his series.  They were broken down into Thrillers, Epics, rewriting Greek history as scifi, and the warrior ninja for God.

The music blogs this month were heavy on Tom Smith: some songs about video games, smashing faeries and the Blue Oyster Cult, a return to Firefly, and the Wiki Pirates, and blogging like the end of the world.

I also had some writing blogs.  A little bit on editing, and some more about fighting and writing with Krav Maga.

I did a self defense review of my articles on self defense, mainly because it seemed like a good idea at the time.

And, I decided to have some fun this week.  I had a character of mine answer an online survey.  It was amusing. I also think some of my characters may be on drugs.

Well, that was easy.  Let's see how September goes.

Next month, we have the return of author and guest blogger Karina Fabian, and she'll talk to us a bit about her upcoming novel Mind over Mind, starting on September 13.

See you then.

Self defense Review: DSK, Oslo, Pens as weapons, and Krav Maga.

You might remember a while ago, I posted a list of articles I have written for Examiner.com, about self defense in New York City.

I'm still writing for them, and it's still around.

First things first: there's a self defense seminar in the city on 9-11 this year. You might want to look at it.

Pens as weapons. (EDC Tools) A pen is an Every Day Carry tool.  Do you want to know how it can be used as a weapon?

Top ten "improvised weapons." This article pretty much means what it says.

Are you a target? Situational awareness Some people are natural born targets, mainly because they don't pay attention.  Could this be you?

Meeting people from online in real life, part one and part two  -- the title says it all.  After experiencing one or two dates where women have no problem at all accepting a ride from me, it says two things: on the one hand, I have a nice face, and people think I'm trustworthy. On the other, some people might be a little too trusting.

Self defense in New York. Again. Or: Killing people isn't fun. This covers a real life incident that explores the rules of engagement for defending yourself in New York.

Self defense and Child Obesity -- pretty much what it says.

Can New York City become Oslo? After someone tried to blow up Norway, I decided to focus my attention there for a while.

How to Spot a Suicide Bomber in 12 steps.  If you've been on this site a lot, you know this one already.  If not, enjoy.

DSK and Rape. I analyzed the rape charges against a French bureaucrat in New York, and I came up with a conclusion. And that conclusion is that there should be pain.

Levi Aron, Leiby Kletzky, and "stranger danger."  In New York, a little boy was killed, and dismembered.  The real danger would be bringing back an old practice that did no good the first time around.

Oslo, Abdo, a tale of two terrorists. This was the week that everyone tried to blow stuff up.  And I went nuclear in response.

Dealing with a stalker ex.  After listening to several female friends complain about these incidents, I decided there should be a how-to guide.

How to survive a bar fight in five easy steps Exactly what it says.

Parking lot safety. Hunting in the Urban Wild. You are the prey.

Purse-snatching defenses. They want your bag. You're going to hurt them.

Characters answering surveys: Sean A.P. Ryan

Have you ever gotten an internet survey?  It has strange questions like your favorite foods, and flavors, that sort of thing.

Ever wondered what would happen if you had a novel character answer one of those?

I decided to have a little fun this week, so I decided to fill one of them out .... as my character Sean A.P. Ryan, mercenary, security expert, and weapon of mass destruction..  You've seen him mentioned on the sight, you've probably even read some of the short stories, including his "origin".

Just in case you thought he wasn't weird enough to start with ........

***********

1) Your Name: Sean Aloysius Patricus Ryan
2) Nicknames: Cleanser of the Gene Pool, Mercenary. "Oh crap, it's him, RUN!!!"
3) City where you live?: Hollyweird, California
4) School?: Auto-didact
5) Parents Names?: FBI Agent Elizabeth Tierny, Clarence Ryan, actor.
6) Eye color?: Blue
7) Hair?: Black
8)Pets?: Do colleagues count?
9) Siblings?: Sister, 1, Claudia Ryan
10) Best Friends: See #8
12) Best Enemies: I have no living enemies. At all
13) Can you dance?: Does Capoeira count?

Favorite TV Shows
Comedy: Dexter
Drama: The A-Team.
Reality Show: Star Trek.
Gardening Show: Weeds.
Science Fiction: Wolf Blitzer Reports

Favorite actor: Viggo Mortensen. We've knocked out a few of each other's teeth. A few times.

WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING: The Anarchist Cookbook

WHAT CD's ARE IN YOUR PLAYER RIGHT NOW?: Homemade CD: March of Cambreadth on a loop.

WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?: NRA symbol

FAVORITE BOARD GAME?: Killer Parcheesi

FAVORITE MAGAZINES: Guns & Ammo

FAVORITE SMELLS?: I love the smell of Napalm in the morning

WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?: being thrown out of a fifth story window without knowing what's below you
BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD?: When you discover that it's only a pool.

ROLLER COASTER SCARY OR EXCITING?: I think it's a great target.

HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE?: I screen all of them.

FUTURE CHILD' NAME? Let's see if I live long enough to have them.

DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST? I learned at the FBI driving course at Quantico, I don't know how to drive slow. Italian drivers think I'm insane.

DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? No, a gun under the pillow.

STORMS - COOL OR SCARY? They're cool, especially if I need the cover during a night time insertion.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? : Crown vic.

IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE:  I have a list of people I'd like to meet, they're all dead. I'd like to kill them again.

FAVORITE DRINK? Vodka ... they make great Molotov cocktails.

EVER BEEN IN LOVE?: .... None of your business.

WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? Things the ATF is afraid of

FAVORITE COLOR CLOTHES TO WEAR:  Camouflage

Do you believe in Heaven/Hell: There better be a hell, if only for me to send all of those f**kers there.

Who is the person(s) you despise most?: I have a list somewhere.
What is your computer desk made of? Plexiglass overlay, and three-inch steel plates.
What did you do last night?: I plead the fifth amendment.
Dream car?: "The Beast," aka, the Presidential Limo
Have you ever won any special awards?: Craziest Stunt Man Award. Certified in Krav Maga, Protection Fitness, long Island.
Do you like to dance?: Does Capoeira count?
 Fast or slow?: Fast, because if you move, they can't get you.

What is the stupidest thing you have ever done?: There was an incident with a burning orc suit.......

Music: Blog like it's the end of the world.

I didn't have anything else to blog about today, so I figured I'd just throw a music blog in here ....

First up, Tom Smith .... describing what this job feels like some days.

So, what would happen if you, one day, became a Jedi?

Come to the dark side, we have cookies.

Music Blog: Firefly, Tom Smith, and WIki Pirates.

I've been told that I have waaaaayyyy too many blog posts per day, so I'm cutting back on them.  I'll see how the new posting schedule turns out.

Now, the first song is from Tom Smith, and dedicated to anyone who has ever had to fight with schmucks online.

If you've never seen the TV show Firefly, you might be a little lost. Otherwise, it's just very, very nerdy.