It's been a long time since I have blogged. Life has been busy, and I have saved most of my writing energy for writing (there is a lot in the pipeline, which I am very excited about). But, in the last few months, I have released three novelettes. A novelette is longer than a short story, but much shorter than a novel. In this case they are all about 10,000 words or 40 pages long, and take about an hour to read. The "gumbo" in the title of this post refers to what the dish might be if you mixed all three stories together. You see, there is quite a bit of thematic overlap and I think they would go together nicely. Lots of similarities: sci-fi; looking at how technology effects our lives; relationships; and consciousness. But lots of differences: small and intimate vs. big and sweeping; contemplative vs. action/thriller. Plus, as with any good gumbo, there is a secret thematic ingredient that runs through all three of these stories and really ties them together (secret, of course, until you read them). I think if you mixed all of them together and simmered them for a good long while it would make a fine fiction gumbo, with a satisfying blend of textures and flavors. So, here's what's on the menu:
Probability: Resolve In a future New York City, Nan did what any mother would do--what she had to do to protect the child under her care. Someone died, and now she is on trial and must defend her actions; her very existence is at stake. For her the rules are different; Nan is not your normal Nanny. This is a novelette (approximately 9,000 words or 35 pages long long). Available from: Amazon.com BarnesAndNoble.com
The Turing Test Will Be Televised: Walter is an old man, one of the oldest. He just wants to live a quiet, simple life with his wife Camille and watch his favorite reality show, “The Big Hookup.” It is being broadcast live from the Moon this season with a new twist: one of the gentleman suitors isn’t human--he’s an artificial--but the female contestant doesn’t know.It’s a test. Can she tell which one is the artificial? Can Walter tell?Walter knows artificials, and is sure he can spot it, but things aren’t going to go quite as planned.This is a novelette (approximately 10,000 words or 40 pages long). Available from: Amazon.com
Ghost Hacker, Zombie Maker: Ghost Hacker (noun): an individual that uses programming knowledge and social engineering to repair or alter the virtualized neural duplicates of the deceased (commonly called "ghosts"). Zombie Maker (noun): bullets with a biological payload that makes their victim compliant and malleable for a short time before causing catastrophic damage to the neural tissue resulting in a painful death. Boss used to have a career as the lead animator for a high-end virtual actress. Boss used to have a life, and a name, and the face he was born with. Now that is all gone and he makes his living fixing the virtualized neural duplicates of the dead. He's a Ghost Hacker. But now, even that is at risk. Somebody is shooting Zombie Makers at him and he's afraid he's been found. All he's got is his wits and his best friend Lucy--a virtual of Boss's creation--to figure out how to save what he has left. Ghost Hacker, Zombie Maker is a sci-fi thriller. This is a novelette (approximately 10,000 words or 40 pages long). This ebook also contains "Hacking the Ghost," a short Ghost Hacker story. Available from: Amazon.com BarnesAndNoble.com