Category Archives: Speculative Fiction
Book Launch Countdown — Working With Agent Smith!
Here’s the deal.
You can’t get published without an agent.
You can’t get an agent unless you’ve been published.
Anyone see a problem with this scenario?
Getting published WITHOUT an agent:
The story of our “Conquering Depression” book is a fairy tale. It never should have been published. My pastor and best friend, Mark Sutton asked me to help him write a book on depression since I had just recovered from two years of counseling for my depression. He wanted my medical angle on depression and he would give his counseling angle on depression. We sat down and wrangled out a format — a thirty day plan for conquering depression. The idea was that anyone could break a habit in thirty days. And, when you are depressed, you can’t take things in large chunks. You’re lucky to swallow small bites. Take one day at a time, was our feeling. We started working on it in the early summer and by Halloween, we had a finished outline, the first week or seven chapters, and a book proposal. Now, what to do with it?
Here’s where it gets weird. Mark was going to Nashville the second week of November to hold a marriage seminar. We had met an editor we will call Ben when he was at a major Christian publisher in the Northwest. Since that time, Ben had been hired by Broadman & Holman and was now living in Nashville. What if we got Ben to give us some advice on a good publisher for our book? Maybe he would know if the current market would welcome a book on depression.
We met with Ben at lunch on a Friday and I had the book proposal in a clear binder on the table. While we were waiting for Mark to come to the table, Ben picked up the binder and asked, “What is this?” I was supposed to keep my mouth shut but I told him briefly it was a book proposal for a book on depression from a Christian point of view. His eyes widened and he frowned. He frowned! Then he said something I will never forget. “Since we’ve moved to Nashville my wife has really struggled with depression and we can’t find a good resource anywhere. I’ll take the book.”
We signed the contract that next January. It was just that easy. No, it was a God thing!
Working WITH an Agent:
It wasn’t long until a man contacted Mark and wanted to be our agent. He was highly recommended and I saw my opportunity to get “The 13th Demon” published. At that point, I had shopped the book around without success for a year and a half as an unsolicited manuscript.
We will call my new agent Frank. Frank promptly got to work putting together a book proposal. He asked for my first six chapters and then I got a bill for $400. I was puzzled. What was this bill for? It was for editing my first six chapters. Now, I have learned since then that an agent will edit your chapters if you are a new author. But, Frank had never mentioned he would charge me for this service either in our talks or in our contract. I was a bit disturbed, particularly when he suggested some substantial changes that sounded suspiciously like he didn’t understand fiction writing at all. But, I paid the bill and made the changes. Then, I started getting copies of my rejection letters and the letters had been copied onto the back of someone’s manuscript pages. Maybe this was normal for an agent, but it was disturbing to think that somewhere one of his clients had a copy of a rejection letter on the back of a page from MY manuscript. Two years passed and I never heard a word from Frank. I got the occasional rejection letter and finally, Mark and I called him only to discover he was now being sued by a former client, AND was under indictment for fraud. We fired him! Two and half wasted years!
Lesson to be learned: Read your contract carefully and have it checked by an attorney. Really research your prospective agent. Ask up front what expenses you will be responsible for. And, check out a reputable source such as the Writer’s Digest Guide to literary agencies.
Agent #2: Four months later, Mark was at a retreat in a western state and he ran across a kind couple who asked him to have a seat at their table. In the course of the conversation, it turned out the man was a literary agent and by the time Mark came home, we had a new agent. This time, the agent was with a major literary firm out of New York City. And, right off the bat, it was easy to see this man was vastly different and far more professional than our previous agent. However, I ran into an instant problem. He refused to represent my fiction! What? I want to get my fiction published. This was what I had lived for; dreamed for; hoped for since I was 13 years old. And yet, he steadfastly refused to even read my fiction and told me, “Fiction has to be stunning to get published. Forget fiction and stick to your non-fiction.” We went back and forth for two more wasted years. He decided to leave his firm and go back out on his own and he let me out of the contract. He was a kind man and he taught me a lot. But, our relationship was very frustrating.
And so, as I wrote in yesterday’s blog post, I decided to self publish. And, after getting “published” and establishing a “track record” I was given a list of five agencies by a good friend of mine who insisted I needed to find an agent and become respectable and go the traditional route of publishing. The first two agencies turned me down. But, the third agent, Jeff Jernigan was kind and supportive and understood that I had a working knowledge of the publishing industry particularly after working with BookPros and his words were this, “When you get you next book finished, contact me. We’ll sign a contract and I’ll get you a publisher.” And, that is exactly what he did!
I can’t sing his praises enough! Jeff has been a wonderful agent. He went the extra mile in my contract negotiations. And, in our conversations he would say things like, “I will see to it you become a successful author.” He was encouraging from day one and he has delivered far and above my expectations. It took me ten years to find a good agent who believed in me, but it was worth the effort and the struggle.
Don’t give up. Take my advice and develop a “track record” of some type through contests, blog posts, essays, whatever you can find to show that you are a good writer and one day, you will find an agent who will make all the difference in the world. It happened to me and it can happen to you!
Book Launch Countdown — Self Publishing? Really!?
My debut novel, “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye” is available this week and my launch party is Friday night, October 7th, 2011 from 6 to 8 P.M. at Brookwood Baptist Church (corner of I49 and Bert Kouns) in the Well, the coffee shop. I will be introducing the ink*well, a regional Christian artists’ community and speaking briefly on “One Book’s Journey: How to Get Published”. Those who purchase a book are entered into a drawing for one of the following: an Ipad2, a nook touch, and a Kindle WiFi. Coffee and snacks are complementary. You can take a look at the flyer by clicking on: bruce-flyer
So, six years passed between finishing “The 13th Demon” and seeing it arrive in book form. During that time, I had two different agents and that will be a story for tomorrow. Rejection after rejection after rejection. I’m used to rejection. It is my way of life. I am a radiologist and we are at the bottom of the food chain in medicine. Even though we are the doctors who tell your doctor what is wrong with you based on your CAT scan, MRI, Ultrasound, Xray, Mammogram, etc. we “don’t get no respect”. I remember a vascular surgeon once told me, “Listen here, boy. You are nothing more than a [expletive deleted] photographer and don’t you forget it!”
My first rejection came during high school and I have the letter signed by Ben Bova editor of Analog Science Fiction magazine. But, I believed in “The 13th Demon”. I would continue to fight on. After battling with my two agents, I went commando for a while, so to speak. I decided maybe it was time to self publish. In 2006, self publishing was a growing business but still lacked respect. The Kindle was out but no one had accomplished any success with self publishing on a Kindle.
I did my research and had to choose between iUniverse and Xlibris. iUniverse had this package that guaranteed my book would be on a shelf in every Barnes & Noble in the United States! I should have read between the lines!
I pulled the trigger in July, 2006 and sent in my finished manuscript. I hired my good friend, Jeremy Johnson to illustrate the cover. Jeremy had been drawing and illustrating since he was a boy and we had developed not only a great professional relationship but a lasting friendship. Jeremy’s works were outstanding. I wanted my cover to stand out on that front shelf at Barnes & Noble!
I should have known something was up when I got back the editorial evaluation. It was several pages long and had this concluding statement: “Your manuscript does not qualify for the Editor’s Choice award.” What did that mean? No shelf at Barnes & Noble! That was in the fine print I neglected to read. Not only that, I could guarantee the Editor’s Choice Award by hiring a book doctor for something like $6500! If I needed a book doctor, I needed to forget being an author!
I was so discouraged and upset. But, then something clicked looking at the editorial comments. When putting together a book proposal for a traditional publisher, you want them to have the best six chapters in the world! So, I realized I had shuffled my story around to put the best six chapters at the front, when in reality they belonged in the middle. I redid the story as if it were occurring in real time and added sixteen chapters. The book was completely rewritten in six weeks and I sent in the manuscript. We went through four more editorial “corrections” mainly for spelling and grammar and I authorized the final galley proof. In November, 2006 my first copy of the book arrived. I was ecstatic! The cover was awesome. But, as I read the book, I realized that somehow one of the earlier manuscripts with 25 errors in it was the one sent to the printer instead of the final edit! I was livid. But, I couldn’t prove it. They had a sheet paper saying I had approved the final edit.
With my first book, “Conquering Depression” Mark Sutton and I realized the biggest problem with publishing a book was seeing to it that everyone heard about it. We squandered our advance on advertising because our publisher was doing NOTHING to market the book! I was determined NOT to make the same mistake with this book. I did some research and hired Phenix & Phenix to be my publicity agent. They accepted me but there were some buzz words I picked up on in our conversation that troubled me. Things like, “You won’t do well in bookstores, so let’s focus on the Internet.” And, “We don’t ordinarily take a POD, but in your case the book is too good to pass up.”
This is what I learned that iUniverse neglected to tell me. Self publishers produce POD books, print on demand. You order the book. It’s printed and shipped within 24 hours. But, bookstores don’t carry PODs. Why? They can’t return them! There is no warehouse holding already printed books! You buy PODs and you’re stuck with them. Therefore, bookstores will NEVER carry a POD on their shelves. My dream began to fade and I panicked. I had made a huge mistake. But, Phenix & Phenix reassured me and we launched a two-month campaign and I sold a lot of copies for a POD. I entered my book in every contest that took independent books. I won third place! I garnered surprisingly good reviews. I was so impressed with Phenix & Phenix that I decided to use their publishing company for my second book.
BookPros was the self publishing arm of Phenix & Phenix. But, it was like night and day from iUniverse. First, they guaranteed conventional distribution. A bookstore could return your product. Why? Because the author was the publisher. This meant spending lots of money but the author had total and complete control over the product. How much money? Oh, I’d say I spent close to $30,000 on the second book. That included all the up front cost of producing the book, the print run for 2500 books, the publicity campaign and the warehousing, and a trip to Los Angeles for BEA. It gave me a whole new perspective on what a publisher invests in a book.
My second book, “The 12th Demon: Vampyre Majick” did very well. It won first place in religious fiction in the USA Book News contest. It got better reviews than the first book. And I actually recovered about half of my investment. The vice president of BookPros was very honest. He said the model he sees at his institution consisted of authors who wanted to produce their book, get a track record, and then find an agent. He said you lose money on the first book, break even on the second, and make money on the third. He was right about that first statement. As part of their service, I attended the BEA, Book Expo America, in 2008 in Los Angeles and signed over 65 books. I met other authors, including one of my favorites, Robert Crais. I met my idol Ray Bradbury. I met Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner. My favorite story is meeting Alec Baldwin and I can’t share the specifics just yet. It involves several choice curse words! And, because of my “track record” and my attendance at BEA, I asked a fellow author friend of mine for a referral to a reputable agency. The third agent I contacted, Jeff Jernigan agreed to be my agent. And, here I am three years later with a re-release of my first book and a five book contract with a major publisher.
By the way, BookPros went bankrupt in the spring of 2011. God took care of me and I was with them when I needed to be. They accomplished for me what I needed accomplished. I really miss the kind people and wonderful workers at BookPros. It was a class act operation and the writing world is poorer for its passing!
So, that is how self-publishing worked for me. It started out as a disaster, but it turned into a boon! Tomorrow – the Agents!!!!!
Book Launch Countdown! Where Did You Get the Idea?
My debut novel, “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye” is available this week and my launch party is Friday night, October 7th, 2011 from 6 to 8 P.M. at Brookwood Baptist Church (corner of I49 and Bert Kouns) in the Well, the coffee shop. I will be introducing the ink*well, a regional Christian artists’ community and speaking briefly on “One Book’s Journey: How to Get Published”. Those who purchase a book are entered into a drawing for one of the following: an Ipad2, a nook touch, and a Kindle WiFi. Coffee and snacks are complementary. Here is a pdf file of the flyer for the event: bruce-flyer
I often get asked, “Where do you get your ideas from?” For “The 13th Demon” I found inspiration from two ideas and two questions. One way to develop ideas for a story is to ask “What if?”
My first “What if?” question was this. What would happen to an assassin, a mercenary, a special forces individual if that person became a Christian? Could they continue in their job? How would they deal with the past? Would they be changed fundamentally or would they be compelled to continue to kill? I wasn’t sure of the answer, but the possibilities intrigued me. I filed that question and answer away for future consideration.
My second “What if?” question was this. If a person is a Christian and develops amnesia, would they still remember they are a Christian? Is the conversion experience so powerful, so complete it transcends memory loss? Or would the person “forget” they are a child of God? If they did, what does this mean, theologically? I filed that question and answer away for consideration.
Now, the third contributor to my story was not a question. It was a situation. Good ideas can come from real world situations. My church was sitting on the corner of a typical neighborhood intersection, buried away from the growing part of town in an area that was “transitioning” (whatever that means). My pastor, Mark Sutton, had felt called to our church for one reason: to move this vibrant, growing church a mile down the street to a major intersection where it would be easily accessible and very visible. However, the first and greatest obstacles were our own church members. About 25% of the membership did not want to leave the building. I was stunned. I had given money to expand this building, but it was not the church. The membership was the church. The building was just that, an inanimate object. But, some of our membership worshipped the building. It was like an idol, erected for the world to see and for some of us to worship. Their passion for staying in the building often exceeded their passion for winning others to Christ. The battle was long, brutal, and costly. But, in the end, my pastor’s vision and God’s will prevailed and we moved to the location God had first shown Mark on the day he drove through our region. And so, I wondered. What would happen if a building became an idol? What if the building was like a living, breathing creature that could be possessed by evil and thus become the beginning point for the downfall of good, unsuspecting church members? I filed that idea away for consideration.
The fourth factor in the book’s story was my growing interest in apologetics. One of my favorite authors, Michael Crichton, had written two of my favorite books, “Andromeda Strain” and “Jurassic Park”. I loved how Crichton took science, history, and philosophy and built a compelling, fast paced story around the facts. It would be much later that I realized how “facts” could be perverted to fit a story in the best seller, “The Da Vinci Code”. Crichton did not pervert the facts. He let them serve as the power behind the plot. I wanted to do this with the science, the history, the philosophy, and the facts behind my growing knowledge base in the defense of the Christian faith. That is what “apologetics” was all about. Finding the truth in the Christian world view. But, how to do this? How could I write a book around the science and the history I had learned? I filed that idea away for consideration.
I did not know it, but the stage was set for my book. After completing the manuscript for “Conquering Depression” in June, 1999, I made a deliberate decision to take six weeks off and read. I had been hired by LifeWay to write for their online “Extra” publication and I had gotten seriously behind on my reading. A good writer is also an avid reader. So, I put aside any desire to write and made the decision that by the first of August, I would have chosen which one of my many novels in various stages of development would become my first novel to complete and submit for publication. It was time for my fiction!
As the weeks passed, nothing happened. I read a lot. But, every time I looked at my novels, I felt nothing. No spark of passion. No desire to finish the story. Cold, cruel indifference. Now, I was getting worried. After all, I had been working on “Conquering Depression” for nine months and now I was writing four articles a week so my writing was disciplined and well honed. If I didn’t start on something soon, I was worried I would lose the spark!
July 31st came and now I was desperate. I had no idea what I was going to start writing on the next day. And, then, I got it. I have done this so many times. I get a good idea. I pick it up and hold it up to God and say, “Hey, God! Look at this great idea I’ve had. I’m going to do this for you and you are going to bless it! Aren’t you lucky to have me?”
Seriously, have you ever done this? I have. Many times. And, every time, my efforts end in disaster. God has to wrench the “good idea” out of my hands so He can put His “God idea” in its place. Then He says to me, “Bruce, I want to invite you to participate in the work I am doing by accomplishing this one thing. And, when you accomplish this one thing that is ideally suited to your gifts, talents, and skills, then I will bless you.” And, the wrenching part? It hurts like, well, like “hell”! In fact, it is a taste of hell for hell is ultimately all about me!
That evening, as this realization dawned on me, I was terrified. For, I realized that “Conquering Depression” might be the only book I ever write. For someone who has written since he was 8, this was a terrifying possibility. Nevertheless, I swallowed nervously and prayed the most humble prayer I could muster. “God, forgive me for being so arrogant and proud. If the depression book is the only book I ever write for you, then I accept that. If I never write another book, I accept that. I want to do your will. I give my writing over to you completely. It is yours. Show me what I should do.” And, with tears in my eyes, I climbed into bed and slipped into a troubled sleep.
At 4 A. M. I awoke, sat bolt upright in the bed and realized the entire story of what would become “The 13th Demon” was in my head. It was there like a hurricane developing over the gulf, ill defined but recognizable. The pastor and his church possessed by an evil presence. The mysterious man with amnesia, bent on revenge as the pastor’s only hope. And, a community on the brink of disaster. It was all there. I started writing immediately and by noon had written sixteen chapters. It was the first of August, my deadline and by the 30th, I had completed the rough draft of “The 13th Demon”. God had answered my prayer with a story I had never contemplated; a genre I had never considered; and a book series that would occupy the next two decades of my life.
The title came later out of the blue just as some of the characters surfaced while I was free writing the story. During my research, amazing things happened that I could only call miraculous. But, it would prove almost impossible to sell the idea. For you see, in 1999 the world of Christian publishing was not ready for a Christian “thriller” or “science fiction” or “horror” novel. I was turned down by the best. And, every time the reason was not because of the poor quality of the writing. I was turned down because the story was too edgy, too violent, too harsh. I had one editor from a major Christian publisher tell me she loved the manuscript but that “No one in the CBA will ever publish your book.” She would prove to be right and it would be seven years before “The 13th Demon” appeared in public. That story I will talk about tomorrow!
Book Launch October 7th!
Click on this link and you can view the flyer for the book launch.
I’m giving away an iPad2, a nook, and a Kindle so check it out and be there:
The Book is Here!!!
“A gripping look into the supernatural. Bruce Hennigan will keep you turning pages — each one a little scarier than the last.”
Mike Yorkey, coauthor of Chasing Mona Lisa and the Every Man’s Battle series.
There is no feeling in the world like finding that awful, yellow orange envelope on the table and then realizing it is from your publisher, and yes, then seeing that it is just the right size for a book, and yes, yes, opening it to find — TA DA! — the very first brand spanking new copy of your debut novel!!!!!
I am holding the first advance copy of “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye”. The quote above is on the top of the very back of the novel!! And, it has my NAME on it! I’m the AUTHOR!!!
Okay, slow your breathing! Calm down! Change your underwear!
Sorry, TMI.
It’s official. The book is here. So, plan on being at Brookwood Baptist Church in the Well, the coffee/book shop on October 7th at 6 PM to 8 PM. Buy a copy of my book and you will be entered into a drawing for one of the following: a 32GB iPad2, a Nook Touch, or a Kindle WiFi. The only catch is you have to purchase a book to enter the drawing and you have to be present at the drawing to be eligible for one of the three prizes.
I’ll be talking very briefly on “One Book’s Journey: How To Get Published” and answering some questions before the official book signing. I’m hoping local Christian artists will show up and become a member of a new local Christian artist community, the ink*well. So come out to Brookwood Baptist Church, corner of I49 and Bert Kouns, Friday, October 7th at 6 PM and have snacks and coffee and cold smoothies and celebrate the release of my debut novel!
Now, excuse me while I continue to pinch myself!!!
I Want to Meet YOU at a Book Signing!
Book Signings.
Are they a thing of the past?
With all the emphasis on ebooks, one would think no one goes to a book store anymore.
Check out my take on that on my recent blog post over on Just the Write Charisma author blog.
Now, here’s the deal. I want to do book signings. My book comes out in October and I am planning a three week book tour. So, I want to come to a store in YOUR area. But, I need help and I need it FAST.
If you would like to get a signed copy of my new book, “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye” go to your nearest bookstore and give them this webpage address (www.brucehennigan.com) and tell them you want me to come and do a book signing.
Why?
Because I will do MORE than just sign books:
- I will talk, at the book store’s request, on How To Get Published.
- I can talk, at the book store’s request, on God Versus Science: The Playing Field Today
- I can talk, at the book store’s request, on Powers of Darkness: Are Demons Real?
- I can talk, at the book store’s request, on Publishing Today: Traditional, Self Publishing, or Ebooks. What is right for you?
- I can read excerpts from my book.
- I will bring lots of tiny, fun giveaways.
- I am a people person and I want to meet YOU.
So, I need YOUR Help. Call, email, visit your local bookstore TODAY and ask them to contact me for a possible book signing. I want to meet YOU.
The Final Summit — A Book Review
“The Final Summit”
By Andy Andrews
Thomas Nelson
God is no longer playing around and He is angry. David Ponder, successful businessman and philanthropist now holds the fate of humanity in his hands. Gabriel visits David Ponder on the day Ponder’s world is falling apart and informs him that he is in charge of a Final Summit of the greatest thinkers and leaders of history to determine the answer to one question. If these “Travelers” can answer the question successfully, then humanity will continue. If not, well it’s the flood all over again!
“The Final Summit” is a book of ideas. It is also a novel rich with fascinating characters from throughout history brought together to wrestle with this question: What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization? And the answer is only two words!
David Ponder has met Travelers before. He received from seven great historical figures the Seven Decisions for Success and turned his failed life into a life of not only financial success, but a life of helping those around him in need. Now, his wife has passed away in her sleep leaving him alone and without a plan for the rest of his life. It is into this despair that Gabriel returns with a new challenge. Ponder is to lead the Final Summit and oversee hundreds of famous figures from history to answer the ultimate question for humanity. Ponder, understandably, is dismayed that he is chosen to lead such a meeting. But, he accepts the challenge.
In a time and place of undetermined location, Ponder meets with his co-chairman, Winston Churchill and soon, five other Travelers chosen by Gabriel at God’s direction, sit at the summit table to answer the question. Time is of the essence and a great hourglass shows the passing minutes.
This novel is fascinating! It is, at first, an entertaining story where the reader gets to meet many famous historical figures, some well known, others obscure. Just to read the exchanges between Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln are worth reading the book alone. But, the novel serves not only to entertain but to inform.
How would you answer this question? What is the ultimate answer to today’s social dilemmas? Be courageous? Have wisdom? Bring hope? I will not spoil the deliberations of this august panel of famous people. Read the book and ponder on the merits of each answer. There are five successive answers, all of which are almost right. But, there is only one right answer.
I found “The Final Summit” refreshing, exciting, and a wonderful read. It is worth reading and re-reading just for the wisdom of each chapter. There are more good ideas and suggestions in this one book than a dozen inspirational books. I highly recommend it!
Andy Andrews website: Andy Andrews
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
ResAliens — A Website Review Day 2
Today, on Day 2, I will review the short story, Some Assembly Required by T. M. Hunter. Before discussing the merits of the story, here is the bio of T. M. Hunter from the ResAliens website:
T. M. Hunter has always had a fascination with interstellar travel, spacecraft and beings from other worlds. Twice a Top Ten Finisher in the P&E Readers Poll for his short stories (2007, 2009), his stories have appeared in Ray Gun Revival, Residential Aliens, and more. His first Aston West novel, Heroes Die Young, was awarded Champagne Books’ Best-Selling Novel of 2008 Award. His second novel, Friends in Dead, is now available from Champagne Books. More can be found at AstonWest.com.
SUMMARY:
Aston West owns and flies his own spaceship around the galaxy making the most out of life, enjoying the heck out of it when possible, and trying his best to get filthy rich. In other words, he is your typical Han Solo type mercenary out for the next get rich scheme in outer space. He is a likable sort of guy with a ship computer named Jeanie. In this story, West’s ship is in need of repairs and unfortunately, he has no space cash. He lands on the nearest planet only to discover a “paradise” where everything you need is provided. The caveat is what you want is not always what you need.
He soon finds a way to trade some of his precious cargo for the parts needed to fix the ship only to meet a powerful local businessman, Jim Ford, who evidently defies the local mandate and has everything he “wants” and wants everything he can get. West has to trade all of his precious cargo to get enough cash for the repairs and in the process of the negotiations, he meets Mr. Ford’s rather beautiful and seductive assistant, Libby.
It isn’t long before West realizes Libby isn’t exactly human and because she has been “contaminated” by West’s association with her, she has to be “sterilized”. The remainder of the story will have to wait for you to read.
STRENGTHS:
There is an ongoing tension in writing today between using characters that can be regarded as “stereotypes” and using characters that have built in “familiarity”. I won’t argue the merit of either designation except to say it is impossible to create truly unique and memorable characters anymore. The best most authors can hope for is a variation on a well known theme. Aston West is that variation and for me, the interest in this story was driven by my desire to see how an author was going to use this kind of character to develop a spiritual “theme”. In fact, the eventual “theme” if you will was the importance of each individual against the backdrop of a world where everyone has a role to fulfill and they should never step outside of that role or face “erasure”.
This, to me, is a strength in that the author did not overpower the story with the message. The message was a natural outgrowth of the story. It was not contrived or forced. This is a welcome development in Christian fiction.
The message is a strong point for this story. The “secret” of Libby and her final dispensation could have been the end of the story. But, the author took it one step further in translating West’s learning process to the ship’s computer. He left a “rock in the shoe” of the main character and something for West to think about every time he hears Jeanie’s voice.
WEAKNESSES:
The main weakness, if you want to consider it as such, is the familiarity of the character and the story. This is a typical rogue with a heart of gold who reluctantly rises above his selfish desires to help out the damsel in distress. We’ve seen this in so many stories and movies, I’m sure I could make a list of at least a dozen without thinking. But, this is not necessarily a profound weakness. It depends on the reader’s fascination with character.
Rather than be dismayed by stereotype, the author can use it to his or her advantage. In this case, while using a stereotype might be a weakness, this genre almost demands such a character. The story would not work without such a character. So, I leave it up to the reader to decide if ultimately, Aston West is a cliche and a stereotype. Personally, I rather enjoyed his adventure.
CONCLUSION:
I find it a joy and a pleasure to be able to read well written science fiction stories that harken back to the era of Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and other authors of the golden age of science fiction. I don’t have to worry about gratuitous language for the sake of shocking the reader, or, gratuitous sexual situations just for the sake of titillation. And, I can rely on the fact the story will have some redeeming quality of spiritual significance. I had given up reading science fiction but It will be nice to return to well written science fiction.
Tomorrow, I’ll look at a thriller with the story, “Snow Angels”.
ResAliens — A Website Review Day 1
It was September, 1966 and I was sitting in front of our new color television set, a short, stocky kid on the soft side of puberty waiting breathlessly for this new show that promised to deliver what Lost in Space had so squandered: real, hard edged science fiction. The opening scene came and left me breathless. The stars filled the screen and a swooshing space ship flew past to the words: “Space, the final frontier . . .” By the end of that episode, the one about Doctor McCoy and the salt vampire, I was thrilled beyond words. Here was a real, honest to God science fiction television show that was gritty, adult oriented and had some pretty scary, but believable monsters.
I was reminded of that day and the feelings evoked in my young mind and heart when I began to read some of the stories on the website, Residential Aliens. Good, old fashioned science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction. A combination of Star Trek, Twilight Zone, and Outer Limits with a good portion of Ray Bradbury’s Illustrated Man thrown in.
Where does the name, ResAliens, come from. Here from the website is the explanation:
ResAliens is short for Residential Aliens. A resident alien is, of course, a foreigner who is residing temporarily in a country not her own – an expatriate of sorts. Believers in heaven (or a “coming new age”) often consider themselves to be simply passing through this world on their way to a better land. The idea is that, although we’re currently inhabitants of earth, we’re really citizens of heaven and thus pilgrims, or aliens, on this planet.
The editor of ResAliens, Lyn Perry, defines his scope of publishing in his guidelines:
“In that I am a believer and follower of Christ, yes. The authors and audience, however, may or may not come from a position of faith. But what I think you’ll find here is a collection of quality stories with a moral or spiritual thread that appeals to the broad and varied interests of fans of speculative fiction.
In fact, we accept stories from people of all walks of faith or from none. From my submission guidelines: “I’m looking for quality speculative fiction with a spiritual foundation. Submissions need not be religious in nature. However, we are looking for engaging stories that are truthful to the human experience while offering the reader something of the eternal.”
I downloaded the Collection Issue 5.5 and spot read some of the stories. I also read “Some Assembly Required” and “Snow Angels” to get a taste of the type of fiction you can find on this site.
Today, on day one, I want to discuss the website content. Then, for the next two days, I’ll review the stories I read listed in the paragraph above.
ResAliens is not just another pretty site. It publishes short stories and the author gets PAID for the story! That ‘s right! You can actually get published and get some cold hard cash. Here are the guidelines and payment options:
ResAliens accepts…
+ Flash Fiction (900 to 1500 words)
+ Short Stories (1500 to 6000 words, firm; 7k to 9k stories are too long)
+ Query First: Serials (2 to 4 episodic installments; up to 20k words)
+ Query First: Poetry/Verse (Limited! Note: This is a very hard sell.)
+ Query First: Artwork/Artist Interview. Email: lyn at resaliens dot com.
We Pay…
We offer a one-time payment of $5 per story or artist interview upon acceptance via PayPal (or $4 via USPS), with the option to waive this payment. We’ll also provide a link to your website and/or project page in your Author or Artist Bio. Upon acceptance, your story will appear in an electronic issue, including but not limited to this online venue.
I counted 86 authors and there are short biographies of each author. If you lie one of the archived stories, you can find out what other works these authors have available. There are also some free downloadable anthologies and a store front for buying more of the site’s work.
Here is ResAliens’ Facebook page:
There is also a discussion forum, a Facebook page, a Storefront, and a Twitter feed.
What kind of fiction can you expect? Here is Lyn Perry’s own words:
Combining spec fic and spirituality, and wanting to contribute to faith-informed genre fiction, ResAliens Press offers fans of science fiction, fantasy, and spiritual & supernatural thriller a quality venue in which to share their passion.
After sampling some of the stories, this idea excites me to no end. Here, in one place are dozens of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative stories with a spiritual center. These are stories that push the edge of inspirational fiction and yet, provide the reassurance that there will be a spiritual focus somewhere in the story. Check out the site! Read some of the free stories.
Tomorrow, I will review the story “Some Assembly Required” by T. M. Hunter.
Web site link – http://www.resaliens.com/
Editor’s blog – http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/
Editor Lyn Perry’s personal blog – http://blogginoutloud.blogspot.com/
CSFF Participants’ links
Noah Arsenault
Brandon Barr
Thomas Clayton Booher
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
CSFF Blog Tour
Carol Bruce Collett
D. G. D. Davidson
Dean Hardy
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Shannon McDermott
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Lyn Perry
Sarah Sawyer
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
What is your God like?
I can’t help but wonder . . . perhaps no new C. S. Lewis has surfaced in the past fifty years for the very reason that so few writers are starting with the known and speculating from there.
Rebecca LuElla Miller
In the past few days, I have been following two posts: one at www.mikeduran.com about “glorifying God” in our writing. And, then at www.speculativefaith.com a post about how we portray God in our writing. Both of these posts are pale mirror images of each other for they reflect our imperfect human concept of Truth and God.
As a Christian, I believe my job is to do all to further the kingdom of God. If that is glorifying God, then sobeit. Several of the comments in both posts were disturbing to me. One commenter said the God of the Old Testament commanded us to bash babies heads in. I was appalled. Did I get this wrong? Have I read the Bible and missed that portrayal of God? I don’t think so.
So, this brings up a really good point. We all see God through the lens of our experiences of God. God reveals himself in two ways. He reveals himself through his creation as Paul talked about in Romans 1. But, God has also revealed himself through the scriptures and ultimately, through the incarnation. If our experience of God is more “natural” we may be in danger of worshipping the creation; of making the earth and nature into a demigod. If our experience of God is only from the Old Testament, we may draw the conclusion, right or wrong that God is a hideous monster filled only with jealousy and wrath.
If we experience God only through Jesus, we miss out on the mystery and majesty of the trinity. We must synthesize and merge all concepts of God into our experience.
In our postmodern culture, truth is relative and as a Christian writer, I might find myself asking the question “Can truth be known?” This question implies there may not be such a thing as absolute truth. However, in light of the revealed God in scripture and in nature, truth exists. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. And, no one comes to the Father except through me.” That statement is pretty absolute. There doesn’t seem to be any wiggle room. So, if we have truly experienced the God of the Bible, then as writers and Christians we do not ask a question. We make a statement with our writing and our lives. “Truth can be known.”
I was reading these comments in both of these posts because I wanted to be encouraged. Instead I was greatly distressed and depressed. A standard of communication and writing was established. The standard raised here is one I don’t believe anyone writing today can ever meet. Perhaps it is because we are so steeped in postmodernism that we cannot connect with that foundation of reality that drove Lewis and Tolkien and the other excellent authors of the past century mentioned in these comments.
But, we must TRY. Our culture is increasingly post-Christian and we as Christian authors have the onerous duty of trying to reveal truth to a godless, truthless society. It is hard enough to try and meet the standards of these authors. We will fail. But, we must try. We must strive for excellence and quality. And, we must know the God of the scriptures. We will never agree on our knowledge of God for each of us experiences God in unique ways. But, we can respect the Word of God as the revealed Truth as best as any man or woman could have written it.
I just finished Paul Copan’s book “Is God a Moral Monster?” and listened to an excellent podcast, “Straight Thinking” over on reasons.org featuring an interview with Copans. He made the point that much of the depiction of the God of the Old Testament (who commands us to bash in babies’ heads????) is linked to the literary style of writing at the time. Ah, the literary style?
So, even our Old Testament is subject to the same problems we are talking about in these comments. It is written by man, inspired by God, and we must filter the “knowledge” of the authors through their cultural and geopolitical situation at the time of the writing and take the “monstrous” God of the Old Testament with a grain of salt.
I would rather remember the passage where Moses pleaded with God to show Himself. Here, in Walter Wangerin, Jr.’s “The Book of God” is one human’s interpretation of that scripture:
Now, Moses closed his mouth and lowered his hands and turned his face aside. His hair was like smoke. His brow concealed a difficult thought.
Finally, he whispered, “I pray you, O Lord, show me your glory.”
Straightway the wind died. The yellow air stood still. The mountain hushed, as between the heaves of storm.
All at once the Lord God lifted his prophet bodily and set him down in the cleft of the rock. He covered Moses with his hand — that he might not, by the direct sight of the Holy God, die. Then the glory of the Lord began to pass that crack in the mountain, crying, “The Lord! The Lord!”
Only when he was going away did God remove his hand, and Moses saw the back of him.
But while it went, his glory proclaimed: The Lord, merciful, gracious, slow to anger — a God abounding in love. Forgiving iniquity, blotting out sin, but by no means clearing the guilty —
And Moses, as soon as he saw such majesty, bowed his head and worshiped.
Moses started from the “known”, he saw the back of our God and he wrote about his experience. This is the God I know. This is the God I worship. This is the God I write about!
Bruce Hennigan 
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