Distracted From Distraction By Distraction

Thanks for stopping by here, but

2006-05-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

You want to head over to www.jackmangan.com . That's where you'll find all of the latest Jack Mangan info. I've even stopped posting here when new episodes arrive, so - you'll want to head over there. Thank you!!!

Jack Mangan Deadpan: Episode 4. John Buccigross cha cha cha

2006-04-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Oh the good old hockey game is the best game you can name.

Introbabble

Chris Fisher bumper

Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women plugging

Sixteen Pieces at a Time plugging

Spherical Tomi plugging

Brooklyn Bluesman ad

Stolen Rap/Hip-Hop lines

Mike Nelson bumper

John Buccigross interview

-quick break-

Stolen Comedy Lines

Dumbass Memories

Tee Morris bumper

-end quick break-

Second half of John Buccigross interview

Thanks for the donation/~~begging~~ humbly requesting more donations

Original Music: “Kool Katz” from the Matt Mango CD release, “The Wishing Bridge”.

Fin

Download Jack Mangan's Deadpan episode 4.

Sixteen Pieces at a Time - 3rd place winner

2006-04-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hey check it out!

My short story, “Sixteen Pieces at a Time“, has been posted over at SFReader.com. It won 3rd place in the 4th Annual Firebrand Fiction/SFReader Short Story Contest - 2005.

Give it a read. Check out the 1st and 2nd place winners too.

FYI: RE: duelofthefates e-mail

2006-04-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Don’t you hate messages that begin with FYI?

I used to tout my duelofthefates at@at gmail dot.dot com address as the way to get into touch with me. But - in an effort toward e-mail simplicity, I’m going to pack that one in mothballs. . . and only check very occasionally. If you want to get in touch with me, then use one of the other e-mail addies (the most recommended one is listed on the sidebar at www.jackmangan.com). Don’t send stuff to the duelofthefates gmail address unless you’re ok with a long wait.

Thankie.

Jack Mangan Deadpan Podcast: Episode 3. Tee Morris speaks!

2006-04-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

April 19th, 2006

You ready for a third?

I had the honor and privilege of hanging with Tee Morris at ICE Escape - and we recorded this interview in the lobby. We had fun chatting, and I think you can hear that.

Download Deadpan episode 3

Introbabble

Mike Nelson bumper

Balticon Podcast promo

Highbrow/Lowbrow (plus shameless Dirk Moonfire plugbabble)

Podiobooks promo

First part of Tee Morris interview

(Break for one minute)

Stolen comedy line

Mark Forman promo

(End one-minute break)

Second half of Tee Morris interview

Outrobabble

Donate!

Original Music: “Candles II”, another instrumental guitar piece by me, Jack Mangan (This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. 2006. Originally published 2001 by Paradigm Shift Records.)

YIS

Funny

2006-04-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

http://www.slibe.com/image/74093e76-googlein20years_/

Just in case you didn't know

2006-04-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

This is now my 2ndary blogsite. The new place to dwell is over here at www.jackmangan.com.
You already knew that, right?
And check it out, there's a shiny button on the sidebar over there that allows you to donate money to my broke ass.

JM Deadpan: Episode 2. Mike J. Nelson is here!

2006-04-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

I guess one could say that Mike J. Nelson is SOL to be on my podcast. Take a minute to stop laughing. OK.

Download Deadpan episode 2.

or even better:

Subscribe to the podcast.

Introbabble
Mark Forman bumper
Props
Unrelated Thought
I Should Be Writing promo
Stolen Rap/Hip-Hop lines
Tee Morris bumper
Mike Nelson Interview
Spherical Tomi promo
Duel of the Fates Exhibition Match: Alien vs. Predator (with special guest star: Karen from Kalifornia. Thanks SO MUCH to KfK and Smokin’ Joe!)
Plug time!
Outrobabble
Karen From Kalifornia bumper
Original Music –- “Love Is Never Distant”, by me, Jack Mangan (This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. 2006.)
Fin

Top 33 songs in iTunes.

2006-04-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

OK, so it's been awhile since I posted here. The move is underway, with the truck full of my heaviest boxes and furniture headed over to my new address: www.jackmangan.com.
In the meantime, this spot is not abandoned yet; check out something I used to do a lot at THIS blog, but have not done in quite awhile:
My iTunes player's Most Played tracks. With 11 songs tied for 23rd place, I figured I'd just list the Top 33, rather than Top 25 with a bunch of honorable mentions.... Yes, I have GWAR, Overkill, and At the Gates in my Top 10. You heard song #12 during the first episode of Jack Mangan's Deadpan. Readers of "The Unsolvable Deathtrap" should get a kick out of #24.

1. Vanity Fair ~Mr. Bungle 43
2. Is There Love In Space? ~ Joe Satriani 33
3. Wine ~Jack Mangan 28
4. Organ Donor ~DJ Shadow 27
5. Saddam A Go-Go ~GWAR 25
6. Dad and Dog ~Fredo Viola 24
7. Did My Time ~KoRn 23
8. playing with spiders-skullkrusher ~Overkill 23
9. Slaughter of the Soul ~At the Gates 22
10. Miss Misery ~Elliott Smith 22
11. Rumble ~Link Wray & His Ray Men 22
12. Spirit Man ~Mango 21
13. Defender ~Manowar 21
14. Asteroid Speed Highway ~Matt Mango 21
15. The Enemy ~Anthrax 20
16. Tears of Liquid Mercury ~Jack Mangan 20
17. Lost In Space ~Aimee Mann 19
18. Hallowed Be Thy Name ~Iron Maiden 19
19. Solfeggietto CPE Bach ~Leslie Bridges 19
20. Time Is Running Out ~Muse 19
21. Red Right Hand ~Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 19
22. West End Girls ~Pet Shop Boys 19
23. THE SWARM ~AT THE GATES 18
24. always a woman ~billy joel 18
25. Waltz #2 (XO) ~Elliott Smith 18
26. Microphone Fiend ~Eric B & Rakim 18
27. Mountain Song ~Joe Satriani 18
28. The Crown and the Ring ~Manowar 18
29. Watch The Children Pray ~Metal Church 18
30. Horrorscope ~Overkill 18
31. Fight the Power ~Public Enemy 18
32. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face ~Roberta Flack 18
33. U Can't Hold No Groove ~Victor Wooten 18

Trouble connecting to www.jackmangan.com ?

2006-04-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

Some people have reported problems hitting www.jackmangan.com
Can you see that site? Or are you getting the "Under Construction" message?

There are already 31 comments - so apparently this is isn't affecting everyone and every browser.

At last! Jack Mangan’s Deadpan Podcast: Episode #1

2006-04-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

Your order is up. Two scrambled eggs and one extra-cheesy podcast. Please tip your server.

No RSS is available yet - but I'll have that set up soon. I had a fiction segment in this one - but Mr. Mennengha and I agreed that it would be best to postpone that, since episodes 2-5 are already brimming over with content. So the fiction is out. Some of you have been kind enough to give me content - - if you don't hear it here, fear not! Your stuff will be in episode 2. What *is* in this episode:

Introbabble
Mark Forman bumper
More introbabble
Highbrow/lighbrow
7th Son Podiobook promo
Unrelated Thought
Stolen comedy line
Morevi promo
Stolen rap/hip-hop lines
Getting a Leg Up promo
Spherical Tomi promo
Dumbass Memories
Music: "Spirit Man" Mango
Outrobabble/plugs

And I think that covers everything. Like the podcast itself, these announcement plugs will improve with time.

Spirt Man Bluesman

2006-04-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

See? I haven't abandoned this blog!

You ought to listen to Mark Forman anyway, but I'm especially psyched for the latest episode, because he spins my old band's song, "Spirit Man". Steals a slight bit of my thunder, since that tune will also be in Deadpan #1. Coming soon, I promise!!!

www.jackmangan.com

2006-04-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't seen it yet, I've launched www.jackmangan.com in support of the Deadpan podcast.
I'm not going to kill this blogspot just yet, but eventually, I think that will become my full-time news and info center.

Duel of the Fates 2

2006-04-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

The final 3 episodes of DotF 2 are available at Podiobooks. Enjoy!!!!!!

Carpal Tunnel sucks, btw.

Spherical Tomi Print News

2006-03-31T11:26:00.000-08:00

Since April begins tomorrow, and any announcement made on April 1st is rendered dubious, I'll drop the news here and start the promotion machine:

The "Spherical Tomi" softcover print chapbook is set for release sometime in April! It will be available for order from Project Pulp and Shocklines. From what I understand, I'm going to sign my name on a limited number of them.

So there you go - - if you're interested in the story, but you're not an e-book reader, then you'll soon be able to get your hands on an honest-to-goodness, real live book version.

This is an unofficial announcement

2006-03-30T11:29:00.000-08:00

The publisher has posted this announcement on a messageboard, so I assume he'll be ok with me mentioning this here. . .

My *other* nightmarish future traffic system story, "Crash Day", has been accepted by Pendragon Press (based out of the UK) and will appear in their 2nd Triquorum release, sometime around December 2006.

Yes, it has some things in common with "The Unsolvable Deathtrap", but they're not connected in any way, save for my name in the byline. "Crash Day" is a novella, for one thing, and lives in a much more elaborate, intricate setting.

Incidentally, Triquorum: One looks pretty intriguing. . .

I had some stuff to tell you. . .

2006-03-29T21:53:00.000-08:00

. . . but it's slipped through the steel sieve of my mind.

So in the meantime, check out the genius of one of my all-time favorite journalists: DJ Henrik X. Be sure to take a good long look at his picture before you start reading his marvelous words.

Oh wait - - I've just remembered my announcement. . . but it's not urgent. Go read DJ Henrik X.

Another positive review for "The Unsolvable Deathtrap"

2006-03-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

Check out the latest review at Whispers of Wickedness.

My second favourite is The Unsolvable Deathtrap by Jack Mangan, a writer relatively unknown to many though if this story is a benchmark for his talent then he should go far. Describing the mundane and routine life of a taxi driver that is turned literally upside down, Mangan's prose is uncluttered and pared down to the bone, which makes for a thrilling story, spoilt only by the fact that the protagonist knows who Clint Eastwood is - the technology within seems to suggest a faraway future, yet the Man with No Name is still ever-present?

--(His favorite was Sundowner Sheila by F. Gwynplaine McIntyre)

You've heard this week's Wingin' It! shows, right?

2006-03-24T11:53:00.000-08:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger.... I assume that you've already heard Wingin' It! and the Wingin' It! voicemail podcasts for this week. If not, then you really should. Tee Morris and I were both in the studio to hang with the boys. The large quantities of alcohol didn't dull the wits. It was a fun, funny episode.
Download them both:

Wingin It!
Wingin' It! Voicemail

Early-to-bed, Early-to-rise

2006-03-23T13:02:00.000-08:00

"Early to bed and early to rise.
Makes a man or woman miss out on the night life."
Early to Bed - Morphine

Cory Doctorow posted an interesting link at boingboing about HOWTO become an early riser. Now, I tend to be nocturnally productive (squash those naughty thoughts, you). During the new dawn hours, I usually feel too sluggish and yucky to do any quality work. I can barely manage the milk, cereal, bowl equation at that hour. I remember hearing ages ago that Prince (you Sexy Motherfucker) preferred to work overnight as well.

But - -
Statistically, it would appear that 4am risers are more productive. My friend Demon (not his real name) accomplishes a staggering amount of projects in any given week - - and he's up every day before the sun. In that BoingBoing post, Cory Doctorow says he's always been an early riser - - and he's nothing if not productive.

And what about its impact upon all other aspects of life? Are earlybirds happier overall than night owls? More social?
What are your sleep habits like - - and how do you think it affects your overall day? Your creative output? Your happiness?
Should I make an effort to change my ways, and become an early riser?

Bill DeSmedt. . .

2006-03-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

. . . posted a comment at the bottom of my SFReader review of his novel, "Singularity"!
He did this mainly to promote the Podiobook version of his novel. Wow, Podiobooks are taking over!!

If you read his comments, you'll note that he took my criticisms with a sense of humor. He even plugged the "Spherical Tomi" Podiobook - - classy move!

I did illustrate a few bothersome points when I reviewed "Singularity", but I also gave it 4 stars. I said in the review's opening paragraph: " I can damn-near guarantee that you won't dislike Bill DeSmedt's Singularity." An honest reviewer couldn't really offer a more solid endorsement.

How was ICE Escape?

2006-03-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

Fantastic! My hat is off to Mary Erickson and her team; they put together a really great event.

I had the pleasure and good fortune of speaking to Ginjer Buchanan. She's the Senior Executive Editor of Penguin Putnam's Ace Science Fiction & Fantasy division. I view our 10-minute-or-so conversation as a major event in my writing career. Whenever you meet a powerful name in the industry, whether they be a writer, editor, or agent, you can only hope that they'll be friendly and professional. Ginjer Buchanan way exceeded my expectations in both regards.

I also met a number of intriguing authors and editors this weekend (Ravyn Crescent, 19-year-old YA author --- I could never, ever, ever have written a novel at 19. Brian Hades of Edge books.), and also enjoyed the opportunity to hang out with my Dragon Page friends.

And of course - - I also must give a shout-out to Tee Morris! We traded interviews for our podcasts, and just had a great time just cold-chillin' and taking in the Conference.

My Music in Mark Forman's MindField

2006-03-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

You can hear two of my instrumental guitar pieces in the background during Mark Forman's latest Mindfield Podcast.

Thanks for playing the tunes, Oyabun!

A note from Pete Allen

2006-03-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

AM I CRAZY????? (a word from our sponsor)

I've slashed prices! Prices so low, you'll swear I've lost my mind! Spread the news in your blogs, wake the kids and phone the neighbours! All CGP ebook prices on fictionwise slashed to prices straight out of the 60's!

Be the first on your block to read these rare ebook classics!

http://fictionwise.com do a search for "creative guy publishing" and tell them Uncle Pete sent you!

Status of the Deadpan

2006-03-16T10:02:00.000-08:00

Status: (coming soon)
So in case you're wondering - - Jack Mangan's Deadpan podcast #1 is still set to launch. Much of the recording is done for the first episode - - - First podcast episodes always suck - but I'm trying to make this one sound somewhat professional. As soon as I know the target release date, you'll know the target release date. Barring personal disasters, I predict it will be out by the end of the month.
I am in process now of scheduling an absolutely amazing, incredible, magnificent interview with an absolutely amazing, incredible, magnificent guest! This interview will not be a part of the first episode, but I will run it in the not-too-distant future. I'm hoping to make it a part of Jack Mangan's Deadpan, episode #2.

I actually have 2 great interviews already confirmed - - and more in the works.

Watch this space for official announcements.

Flying High with the Brooklyn Bluesman

2006-03-15T00:14:00.000-08:00

Hey, I'm the recipient of a shout-out in Mark Forman's latest podcast. My name is listed alongside Tee Morris. Cool.
I have yet to listen (I will tomorrow), so I hope the shout-out doesn't say, "That Jack Mangan is a sphincter-boy".

How is it that the hippest guy in America lives in Taiwan?

Possibly the funniest thing I've read all year

2006-03-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

Thing from John Cleese

It seems kind-of old, so you may have already read it - - but I only discovered it today.

"The Unsolvable Deathtrap" reviewed in IROSF

2006-03-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

Reviewer Lois Tilton covered Interzone #202 in the latest Internet Review of Science Fiction, and had lots of nice things to say about my short story, "The Unsolvable Deathtrap".

It even got the bold Recommended stamp!

I'm doing a live music performance!

2006-03-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

Hey to all friends local to Phoenix! I'm going to be doing an evening of ambient acoustic guitar -- Friday April 14 from 7:30 to 10:30 at the Jug 'n Barrel Wine Bar and Bistro in Glendale, AZ.
I have lots of original material, but my set is also loaded with covers translated for solo acoustic guitar.
If you're free, and in the area, then come on down! It's a really nice place.

I'll post again as the date approaches, with more info.

This link tells a pretty sad, frustrating story

2006-03-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.kermitscommunity.com

Take a look.
I signed the petition.

Jack's Deadpan Cast

2006-03-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm about to type these words. . .

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The Jack Mangan Podcast is coming! The working title is "Jack Mangan's Deadpan"; the show is in final stages of development, and will soon be unleashed as a new Farpoint Media venture.
Content will include:
Skits,
Interviews (whenever possible),
Readings of original Fiction,
Appearances from my wife's voice,
Occasional Duels (of the Fates),
and so much more. . .!

I expect to have the first episode ready by the end of March; the plan is to release one 30-minute episode according to a bi-weekly schedule. Stay tuned to this blog for further details.

And yes. . . I fairly recently declared (in a comment at this very blog) that I wasn't going to launch my own podcast. . . well. . . things have changed. I'm ready to add the Full-Time Podcaster hat to the stack already perched atop my noggin. They will all scatter in a pleasing spectacle when my head explodes.

Subscribe to the Duel of the Fates 2 Podiobook!

2006-03-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

I have something new to plug and push!

My Duel of the Fates 2 series recently wrapped up on the Dragon Page Wingin' It!, and is now available as a Podiobook! Go ahead and subscribe - the first round is available now, and the final 3 battles will soon be posted as well. And while you're at it, join up to hear the first Duel of the Fates tournament too, while you're there.

Because you already subscribe to the Spherical Tomi podiobook, right?

Street Corner

2006-03-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

Back in September 2005, I recorded myself reading my poem, "Street Corner", and posted the mp3 at both the Internet Archive and Ourmedia. This poem was something that consumed me about 10 years(!) ago, and which I've fine tuned on only a few occasions since. I don't claim to be a poet, don't pretend to understand what your contemporary poetry reader or connoisseur wants. Full disclosure: I've submitted "Street Corner" to at least 7 poetry markets (I'd submitted a few times before I began to keep submission records), and seen it rejected everywhere. The one editor who liked it couldn't use it due to the length. In spite of this, I find the collage of rhymes and imagery personally meaningful, which is why I released an audio version for free over at Ourmedia. I like it. Who knows? Maybe you'll find some connection to it as well.

In this interim between my professional announcements and news, I give you ----- "Street Corner".

Street Corner

Welcome to the place where you now find yourself,

Cursing and questioning the fate you’ve been dealt.

You rail and scream against this Typhoid sentence,

Humbled before the city’s mindless omnipotence.

On the first corner, an A-frame reads, “Pave the earth”,

On the second corner, a woman screams through childbirth.

Third corner, skyscrapers rise from tectonic shifts,

And then there’s you, with orange suit and cuffed wrists.

The city’s your judge and court is in session,

You’re sentenced to hard time at this intersection.

You’re a documentary of a soul standing alone,

In this burning place, scored by the beltway’s drone.

Hopeless solitude found before the camera eye,

Cinematic stillness broken by the city bird’s cry.

You watch films of the war on the first corner’s screen,

Across from that, Kurosawa shoots a scene,

On the third corner, a samurai commits suicide,

And then there’s you: conveying loss of pride,

The director yells Cut and they take down the set,

Shooting is finished where these streets intersect.

Sunlight seeks passage through the shroud of smog & clouds,

But the sun’s not welcome here; there’s no life allowed.

Can’t touch the filth, the stains, the grime, the scum,

Because in the sun we’d see what we’ve become.

On one corner fight diseased rats and pigeons,

Across a man is preaching his religions.

The third corner whore reminds you that you knew her,

And then there’s you lying face down in the sewer.

Lips spread wide, your tongue pressed against the grate,

With open mouths you both silently await.

Drinking deeply the city’s discarded potion,

As it passes through the intersection towards the ocean.

You pull the sludge and nicotine into your lungs,

The noxious vapor burns on your atrophied tongue.

You fraternize among- but you’re just graffiti,

Painted and forgotten on the walls of the city.

Nefertiti grows obsolete on the first corner,

Across is Zeus, flanked by wiseguys and informers.

On the third corner stands the resident godhead,

And then there’s you, envying the undead.

They come to tell their tales and seek Zeus’ protection,

You’ve never felt so alone at this intersection.

Over this place’s stink you struggle just to think,

The curb is your bar, you order another drink.

You find that you can’t keep from facing towards the sky,

With footprints on your chest and saliva in your eye.

On the first corner stumbles W.C. Fields,

On the second corner a pusher blatantly deals,

On the third corner I sit and observe,

And then there’s you, quietly waiting to be served.

I buy you a shot and send it in your direction,

We’re all regulars at this intersection.

Your life is a sex motel; doors say do not disturb,

There’s no privacy; you catch the smell of herb,

Sitting on the curb, this new smell accents the stench.

You sink further down like a soldier in a trench.

On the first corner wait the dreaded undead,

They envy Frankenstein’s monster and the life it led.

We all look in awe, on the third corner lurks death,

And then there’s you, all alone and out of breath.

This is a sex motel, but you can’t get an erection,

Check out anytime, but you can’t leave the intersection.

The ancient mariner’s ship sails through the streets,

But the ill-fated vessel sinks into the concrete.

Cruising the metaphor, enigmatic ferryman,

Avert your eyes, he recruits passengers where he can.

Siddhartha sits first corner listening for the Om,

Alone; across the way Jim Morrison reads a poem,

On the third, a wise man feeds his stray pets,

And then there’s you, not remembering to forget.

Full of regret, you look back to when life was better,

Before this intersection, the day that you met her.

Covered with mucus you stand there among them,

Skin and hair greasy and matted with phlegm.

A paradigm, you don’t even have a pair of dimes,

Couldn’t pry one off of the pavement from the filth and grime.

One corner’s Captain Ahab, and in the street’s a hearse,

Across from that the Sphynx is dealing out its curse.

Third corner on the curb a test tube of Ebola.

And then there’s you, drinking your can of flat cola.

The E. Coli dies on burgers cooked to perfection,

The smell permeates throughout the intersection.

William Gibson’s dead channel sky looms above,

Your lost love is all you allow yourself to think of.

Like Edgar Allan Poe dreamt of lost Lenore,

Quoth the suspended traffic light, “Nevermore.”

Yonder perches a raven with blackest feathers,

Across a beautiful happy couple together.

On the third corner stands the image of despair,

And then there’s you trying desperately not to care.

You give heart to feelings too dark to mention,

And you ponder despair at hell’s intersection.

Impatient inpatient standing at this crossroads,

Internet junkie- a virus in your download.

The world passes you by: enemies strangers and friends,

_The end_; you silently know- someday this will end.

You depend on fate’s pendulum to set you free,

When you’ll wash away the scum, when the streets will be empty.

On all three corners, locked doors with exit signs,

And then there’s you, silently biding your time.

Someday you’ll log off and speak in another dimension,

But for time present you’ll live death at the intersection.

Spherical Tomi Meta-Episode Released

2006-03-04T22:28:00.000-08:00

The story is done, but there's one more Spherical Tomi episode. It's a the meta-episode, containing extra details and information and thanks and --------- more outtakes!!!!!!!!!! I will periodically update this episode, but other than that - the ST podiobooks is done. Finished!

Here's the description at the site:
Post-story meta-episode. Acknowledgements. Submitted listener names are read aloud here. Spherical Tomi notes and trivia. Nearly four minutes of outtakes! Listening to this episode is not required to follow the story. Thanks for subscribing, everyone! - - Jack

ST Meta-episode posted

2006-03-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

I've posted the Final Spherical Tomi meta-episode! I imagine it will be up at Podiobooks in a few days. . . I'm grateful (and relieved) that some of you sent me your names -- you'll hear me read them during that final installment.
If you haven't yet sent me your name, but would like to be counted as a Sphericalhead, then don't worry! It's not too late! I will periodically revise that meta-episode as new listeners request to be included. Just send an e----------------mail to:

duelofthefates
at
gmail
dot
com

I'll let you know when meta-episode version 2.0 (or 3.0, 4.0, etc.), is released with your name added to the crowd.

FYI: I won't add your name unless you expressly request it! So even if you write to tell me that you enjoyed Spherical Tomi, I won't assume that you want your name read in the meta-episode. I will write you back, but I won't put you on the spot and ask about adding your name. . .
If I wanted to hassle people in that way, I'd set up a card table in front of the supermarket or the library.

I'll post here when the meta releases!

What do I get out of all of this. . .?

2006-03-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

I'm absolutely in this writing game because my nature demands it. That's the one true motivator behind all of my creative endeavors; it's what drives me to continue to hone my technique and craft, and to (hopefully) continue to evolve and get somewhere near a level of ability that I find almost satisfactory (I don't feel like I'm even close, at this point). I love Spherical Tomi, Dirk Moonfire, The Unsolvable Deathtrap, etc -- don't get me wrong! I've looked back on many completed stories or projects with pride. That's part of the whole author's experience, and it's a wonderful feeling. I just want to get better, and I want my output to get better and better.

All of your wonderful, positive feedback is not meangingless, of course -- quite the contrary! It inspires me like nothing else during the work's more difficult stretches. I feel deeply touched every time I receive a new e-mail or comment from someone who enjoyed something that I've created. (Now would be a good time to say thanks to all of you who've ever sent me compliemntary e-mails! Thank you everyone!!) Connection, praise, feedback, wealth, recognition, fame -- I've been blessed with 4 of those 5 to at least some small, modest degree through my creative output, and call me Hollywood, but they all feel great.
The elusive 5th? Wealth. I enjoy my day job immensely. But still. It would be nice to make a comfortable living through my creative endeavors.
There, I've said it.
My trips to the ATM are sometimes like hitting a slot machine; I push the buttons, but I never know if any money's going to come out. At those moments, I do wonder when James Cameron will show up, bearing huge canvas sacks labeled "$" for the Spherical Tomi movie options.
Sigh....
But even without James Cameron, I'd gladly go on 'til the end of my days improving my craft, writing my stories, and hopefully continuing to receive such nice, complimentary e-mails about them.
I don't think I need to defend my creative integrity, but I suppose I just did anyway. Did this whole rant make any sense at all?

--Afterword--
Read the comments to this one ...
As I explained to JR after he pointed out my inability to count:
"This entire post was the result of a night of very little sleep... Attach spigot to over-tired, cranky brain and let it flow..... And of course, as you noted, I probably should have given it another read before posting :) First rule of writing: don't go forth with your first draft!"
I should edit it and revise the post, but f**k it. I'll just leave it here in all of its raw id glory.

Ice Escape

2006-03-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm officially on for the ICE Escape writers conference, March 17-19 in beautiful Mesa, AZ. Thanks so much to Mary Erickson for getting my situation straightened out!

Anyone else out there planning to attend?
I missed last year's ICE Escape, but I hear that it was a fantastic success. I'm looking forward to making the most of this year's event.

The Wishing Bridge CD and more of my music

2006-02-27T09:51:00.000-08:00

I've been playing guitar for about 16 years now. Prior to my life as a writer/podcaster, I was a musician in a New Jersey band, fronted and financed by Matt Mango. We released 2 independent CDs, "The Wishing Bridge" and "Be the Light". I had a hand in 17 of the 21 tracks on both CDs, plus both albums' "hidden" songs. Naturally, I feel deeply connected to each of those songs, with fond memories of developing them in Matt's basement, the recording and mixing sessions at JMM Studios, and in some cases, playing them live on stage. But even when I step back to as objective a spot as I can, I still think there are some truly magical moments throughout both CDs. It was a great time, and I'm thrilled to have the music to remember it. You've heard an excerpt of "Asteroid Speed Highway" at the beginning of each "Duel of the Fates" episode, and a piece of "Kool Katz" at the end. Both tracks were on "The Wishing Bridge".

You can actually check out and order your own copy of "The Wishing Bridge" CD at http://www.theorchard.com/dist/releaseInfo.php?upc=669910559727 . I've also spotted it listed in Best Buy's online CD catalog, but I'm not sure what would happen if you placed an order there. Matt Mango has also asked that I gave out his phone number, so you can contact him directly and request a CD. I don't think I'll post his phone number here, though. If you want to contact him, then send me an e-mail and I'll give you the number. He said that "Be the Light" is there at The Orchard as well, but I didn't see it.

I know that Matt is still doing the songwriting and recording thing, and plans to (hopefully) release his "truthRISEup" CD sometime in 2006.

I also recorded some solo instrumental guitar pieces back in 2001, plus two with vocals with my wife. You heard some of that music during the Spherical Tomi Podiobook. I plan to release them independently sometime in the near future -- and maybe some stuff from the "Wishing Bridge" and "Be The Light" CDs as well. You'll hear about it here when I do.

My catalog

2006-02-25T20:26:00.000-08:00

I've received so many nice comments lately from Spherical Tomi fans (is the moniker: "Sphericalheads" sticking?) who've expressed a desire to check out my other stuff. So here, while I have your attention, is a list of some of my recent work and where you can find it:

Spherical Tomi. Available as an e-book *OR* as an 11-episode Podiobook. (order from Fictionwise - and/or - subscribe to the Podiobook. Subscribe to the Podiobook!!!! Subscribe to the Podiobook!!! It may eventually release in print, but don't hold me to that.) In two words: Dark, edgy, ambitious SF. Some people have said they loved the action sequences, others have said they loved its depth.

The Unsolvable Deathtrap. A short story published in Interzone #202. In two words: dark, edgy, with a satirical touch. (check the magazine rack at your local bookstore - or order online)

Duel of the Fates, seasons 1 & 2. A podcast series featured on Dragon Page Wingin' It! and its own Podiobook. In two words: satirical, irreverent, irrelevant, irreversible. (check out Wingin' It! archives - - or even better - - subscribe to the Podiobook series)

Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women. A novella in Creative Guy Publishing's anthology, "Amitvyille House of Pancakes, vol 1." In two words: satirical, weird, comic, sexy, non-PC. (order the print version at your local bookstore, at Amazon.com; order the e-book at Fictionwise). This will soon be recorded and released as a Podiobook. I have 100% completed sequel written; I'm just trying to decide what to do with it.

Supremacy: A Laser Tag Memoir. An essay on Photon in the Internet Review of Science Fiction #7. In two words: Non-fiction about my misspent youth on the smoky Photon field.

The Last Cyberpunk. Short story published on the Neometropolis website. In two words: seems to garner strong reactions, both negative and positive. Dark, edgy, with a satirical touch. (read it right at the website)

Note how that word, "satirical", keeps popping up.
This is not a complete bibliography, but it's a start. Thanks for your interest!!! Happy reading.

Duel of the Fates 2 - Final results

2006-02-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

Can you read the text in there?
Here are the official results of the DotF 2 Final Battle. If you have yet to listen, and want to be surprised, then read this post no further.

I hope those of you who've already listened were surprised and entertained.
Thanks for a second great season everyone!

The future of Duel of the Fates will be. . . . . . . . . . . .

AHOP reviewed at Tangent online

2006-02-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

That's the good news. The bad news is that the guy kind-of bashed my story, "Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women". He didn't hate it, just said it didn't suit his tastes:

"It clearly takes talent to jam a story full of almost every trite Golden Age science fiction trope, but Mangan has managed to do just that."
After a bit of plot summary: "Sound like fun? Then you’ll enjoy this story. As for me, so-bad-they’re-painful science fiction flicks of the 1950s are funny only if the Mystery Science 3000 gang are on hand to make jokes."
"He not only tries to skewer overused plot devices, but also attempts to wring humor from bad writing techniques." -- bad writing techniques?? Buddy, that's my actual prose! ;)

So that's not exactly a scathing review, and he liked the other stories. . . so good. Hopefully it will sell a few more copies of AHOPs 1 & 2.

So why blog a negative review? Because it's not really THAT negative a review; someone might read the review and be inspired to check out "Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women"; and there's no such thing as bad publicity, right?
I really want to drill those 6 words plus ampersand into your head: "Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women"
"Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women"
"Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women"

Duel of the Fates 2 Finale

2006-02-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

All things must pass, and the Duel of the Fates 2 tournament is no exception.

Get the Finale here, as part of Wingin' It! Show #49.

I stopped in join the crew for this week's Wingin' It! to send off the podcast segment. Thanks everyone for being a part of it. You guys voted for the 8 participants - - you guys chimed in and voted TD-0013 into the Finals. It was a lot of fun.

People are already talking about DotF III.
OK, there will probably be a third tournament, but it will be at least a few months into the future, and will likely be very different from the first 2.

FYI: The now-completed 2nd season will soon be added to the Duel of the Fates Podiobook - so you can enjoy it all over again! Woo hoo.

Spherical Tomi Podio Complete!

2006-02-20T08:32:00.000-08:00

Hello gang! In case you hadn't already noticed, the final story episode of the Spherical Tomi Podiobook has been posted! I still intend to post one more - a wrap-up meta-episode, but the story is complete. Until the sequel, that is. . .

Thanks to all of you who have already contacted me to be counted. I'nm going to record that soon, so if you want to get in on the first round, contact me soon! If you want to be named, and you don't reach me in time, then that's fine. I plan to periodically update that file with all of the new additions. It's never too late.

Thanks for listening and subscribing - - and if you haven't yet subscribed, now is the time. You'll be able to hear every epsiode without having to wait for the next to release.

Duel of the Fates Tournament standings

2006-02-17T11:24:00.000-08:00

And here is the tournament tree - TD-0013 and Dr. Evil are set to compete in the Final battle!
It's recorded and will be available mid-next week. Thanks for coming along for the ride everyone! It's been a fun season!
One more sentence that ends with an exclamation point!

Dirk Moonfire Podiobook Casting closed.

2006-02-16T22:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who has come forth and volunteered to read parts for the upcoming podio version of my Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women Podiobook!
I think we have enough people onboard (not too many, I hope), so we're going to close the doors.

Hey, if this grand experiment is a success, then maybe we'll do the same thing when I podio the sequel: "Dirk Moonfire vs. the Golden Thing"*.

*(I haven't published DMvtGT yet; I'm currently at work on a third, and I may combine the 2--or 3-- into one spectacular full-length novel. Stay tuned.)

Spherical Tomi - Final episode

2006-02-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

No, not yet! Soon.

I'm just posting to follow-up on my statement at the end of Episode 10.
I wasn't kidding - - Are you a subscriber? You're definitely welcome to send me your name and/or handle, and a personal message of some sort. Use the "duelofthefates" gmail email address; send me your message. Stand up and be counted!! I already have a few names - - be sure that you're mentioned with them!
We only want want genuine listeners and readers, of course, so please answer this question in your e-mail - - what are the names of the decahedron-shaped fighter ships from planet Cerberus?

Thanks everyone for listening and subscribing!!

Overguestage

2006-02-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I elected to drop in at the Draco Vista studio again this weekend to hang out with the Dragon Page boys - - and Summer. I was more observer than participant this week, but it was still a good time, as always. Got to meet Charlie the Beer Guy. My official excuse for my overguestage was, of course, the 2nd round DotF2 battle between Ash and TD-0013, to determine who reaches the Final round against Dr. Evil.

I will be there again next weekend for the DotF 2 Final battle. It's gotten to the point now, where if the DP guys were vowels, I'd be the letter "Y".

Oh -- and here's my delayed response to Evo's boardgame question, since I drew a blank in studio: Scorched Earth (the old DOS PC game - - you sit and wait forever for your opponents to take their turns - - that qualifies as a board game). There were also a bunch of Harry Potter-based boardgames we used to play more often.... Not to mention Trouble (the one with the d6 pop-bubble in the middle).

Spherical Tomi Episode 10

2006-02-13T14:46:00.000-08:00

Sphericalheads, take note! ST Episode 10 is out and available.

Only one more story episode will follow this one - - we're almost there.

If you're subscribed, then check your podcast catchers. If not, then -- subscribe!

State of the Duel of the Fates 2

2006-02-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

Duel of the Fates - Round 2 has begun!

2006-02-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

Hear the Dr. Evil vs. Gandalf duel on this week's Wingin' It! Show # 47.

I kinda like this one, myself.

And now for something completely different. . .

2006-02-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

. . . A man with a unique guitar.

OK, so I thought I'd have some news to post by now - but - I have nothing until tomorrow.
In the meantime, check out this amazing display of dexterity. Forget that the guy looks like a cross between Nigel from Spinal Tap and Blackie Lawless from WASP - - that's a pretty impressive performance. Check out those tendons on his forearms - - they look like they're about to snap and decapitate everyone in the first three rows.
He was apparently the guitar player for the 80s shred band, Nitro. I don't actually remember him; I just remembered the singer breaking glass with his voice.

Note to Evo Terra

2006-02-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

Evo - read your interview with Daniel Shaurette of Is This Thing On?
"Some people like Jack Mangan who did SPHERICAL TOMI. You know Jack's deadpan. I mean the boy seems to have no emotions coming out of his mouth. That's an OK delivery style. The nice thing about podiobooks are that it is different than an audio book."

If I was capable of emotion, those comments would hurt me very deeply.

*Note to everyone else: The Spherical Tomi Podiobook Episode 10 is posted and will be available soon.

Duel of the Fates 2 Round 2 Matchups

2006-02-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

Here are the results of the DotF 2 tournament first round:

Dr. Evil defeated Terminator and will now face Gandalf, who eliminated The Six Million Dollar Man.
TD-0013 beat Starbuck and will now face Ash, who overcame Thor to reach the second round.

Be sure to listen next week for the Dr. Evil-Gandalf battle.

New image.

2006-02-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

It took me long enough to change my Profile image, huh?
I've finally dropped Picasso's Old Guitarist and replaced it with the Spherical Tomi cover.

Beauty, ain't she?

Recordings

2006-02-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

Two bits of recording news from my personal home studio (a Windows PC and a Logitech mic in the middle of my living room):

The Gandalf vs. Dr. Evil Doodle of the Fates battle is wrapped and recorded and submitted. Thanks for your comments - and keep 'em coming - but the battle is decided.
Your feedback can still help to determine the winner of the TD-0013 vs. Ash duel, however. I've already received a few e-mails on that one. I will probably record/submit that one on Feb 7th - so there. Feb 6th is your deadline.

The other recording news item:
Spherical Tomi Podiobook recording has wrapped!! Thank the bakenokawa! Episode 10 is 90% finished editing, and I hope to have it out to you in a few days. Episode 11 will follow shortly after.

Third Place in the SFReader.com

2006-02-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

Good news everyone! My short story, "Sixteen Pieces at a Time", placed 3rd in the SFReader.com 2005 Short Fiction contest! I got the bronze medal - w00t! According to their contest guidelines, all three stories will be published sometime in April of this year. I'll post here the moment it's available.

1st Place: "A Question of Faith" by Corie Ralston.

2nd Place: "The Craven" by Ed Knight

3rd Place: "Sixteen Pieces at a Time" by Jack Mangan.

http://www.sfreader.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2188

Congratulations to Corie Ralston and Ed Knight.

New DotF 2 battle is out.

2006-02-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

I know I just gave you an .mp3 link... but here's another: http://www.dragonpage.com/archives/wingin_it_-_show_46.html
Let's make it clickable.
To celebrate the end of the Duel of the Fates 2 Tournament's First round, I showed up at the Draco Vista studio to hang out during Wingin' It! Easily the wildest show I've ever heard, or ever participated in. Even if you hate my DotF, you want to listen to this one.

And of course - the battle this week is Ash vs. Thor.

Guest appearance on the latest KAMN podcast

2006-01-31T09:29:00.000-08:00

Download the latest Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas podcast; I flipped out with them to discuss Neal Stephenson's uber-juicy Cyberpunk novel, "Snow Crash".

It was a lot of fun, even though Summer was out of commission with the flu. David and Joe are really bright, funny guys, and I came away with lots of new insights into the book. I'm going to listen to it today - - I hope I don't sound like a big fool.

---I'm digging the post show discussion in the "Comments" section.

Interzone #202

2006-01-30T14:41:00.000-08:00

I just received my copy of Interzone #202 in the mail today. Wow! What an impressive-looking magazine. I'm simply floored. And Rik Rawley's artwork for my story, "The Unsolvable Deathtrap", is fantastic! I'm blown away.
Carlos Hernandez also has a story in there, right before mine, which I'm eager to read. Speaking of Carlos - - you must finish reading this and click over here. Marvel. Reread in awe. Mutter aloud to yourself.
The idea is so clever and engaging. . .. Go have a read. It's a short one.

#2

2006-01-28T20:20:00.000-08:00

Well all the signs were there, so no one is too surprised to see Earthcore overtake Spherical Tomi as the number one Podiobook. Alas, ST has slipped to number 2. . .

Curse you, Scott Sigler!!! It's on now!!!!!!!!!!!

Doodle of the Fates - current standings

2006-01-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Here is the updated tournament tree. If you haven't listened yet, and you want to be suprised, then don't look at the image below.

Yes, the mighty stormtrooper advances to the next round. He awaits the outcome of the Thor-Ash tilt to see who his next opponent will be. The second round is starting to shape up -- e-mail me and let me know if you have any strong feelings for any of the remaining characters.

Remember that you can vote for DotF Duel outcomes

2006-01-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

I received a friendly but disgruntled e-mail yesterday, protesting the outcome of the TD-0013 vs. Starbuck duel (No spoilers here - at least not until I post the updated standings tomorrow).
After airing his grievances with the results, the e-mailer said, "So…like the election of 2000, I’m appealing to the Supreme Court…and being struck down."
Great e-mail! Always feel free to send me any and all thoughts about completed and/or upcoming duels.
But - - I just want to remind everyone that unlike the 2000 election, your votes count! (That's another political joke. See previous post.) If you feel strongly about an upcoming duel, then go ahead and send an e-mail! I'm letting your votes outweigh my own natural inclinations to decide the DotF 2 battles. The TD-0013 vs. Starbuck duel outcome was decided by your votes. Thor vs. Ash is recorded already, but the Fates of the second round and finals are still undetermined. . .

Politics

2006-01-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

Read up top. I'm not a highly political person, but I've made 2 political jokes so far in DotF 2, so I ought to set the record straight, lest any kee-JERK yahoos try to pigeon-hole me and my stance.
This won't be a pro-reactionary essay to satisfy cult-minded morons - this also isn't going to be some brave manifesto - just giving a general idea of where I'm at.

Republican vs. Democrat, Liberal vs. Conservative, Right-wing vs. Left-wing - - this kind of thinking is bullshit. All of those labels ought to describe tendencies at most, for any intelligent, thinking person. If you're starting at one of those places and using that as a framework to basically make your decisions on all issues for you, then you're a moron. Go join a cult. Double that if some big-mouthed talking head is feeding you those opinions.

I believe in intelligence, integrity, objectivity, diligence, dedication, honesty, and hard work. I believe that our elected government representatives should uphold the ideals of equality and freedom for all, and should legislate and govern with ONLY the best interests of the people in mind. These people should not be swayed by lobbyists, big-money contributors, or their own prejudices when making important decisions. Does our current government meet these standards? You tell me. . . (Actually -- don't).

So if you're upset by jokes about political parties, figures, or issues, or if you interpret a particular political stance in any of my fiction or non-fiction that bothers you, then that's your problem. I have never sought to promote or incite some political agenda through my work, and I never plan on doing so.

New Wingin' It, New Duel of the Fates today

2006-01-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

This is the one you've been waiting for -- TD-0013 (The Dragon Page's own cranky stormtrooper) vs. Starbuck http://www.dragonpage.com/archives/wingin_it_-_show_45.html

Entertaining Wingin' It! episode too. Karen from California's contributions get better every week. Good stuff from Mur and TD-0013 himself too.

And check it out - - it counts as a bonus drink in the Dragon Page Drinking Game any time I mention "Spherical Tomi" on the air.

By the way --- THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

2006-01-23T10:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to those of you who've donated money to the Spherical Tomi - and the Duel of the Fates - podiobooks!

The books are available for free and always will be, so there's no obligation at all to give anything. But for those listeners who have - - I salute and thank you! Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Spherical Tomi - Episode 9 is out

2006-01-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

Spherical Tomi, the number 1 podcast in the land, is in its final stretch. . . Episode 9 is out and available for download at Podiobooks.com.

And yes, ST is still holding the number 1 spot on their chart! So if you haven't yet subscribed, then go ahead and Get Spherical! It's free! Find out for yourself what drove it to the number one spot. (because hell if I know. . .)

And incidentally, I'm only tooting my own horn here, not trash-talking the other PB contributors. Tee Morris's books is awesome, and he's a great guy. Morevi is HIGHLY recommended. I have yet to do Scott Sigler's Earthcore, but I hear only raves about it. Once Tomi's recording is done, I plan to subscribe to that one. And there's also a podiobook of the Duel of the Fates first season....

Duel. Of. The Fates. Tournament Grid after week 2

2006-01-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

Here are the updated standings:

So now the top-seeded Dr. Evil and the lowest remaining Gandalf are a lock to meet up in the second round. What will the other matchup be? TD-0013 vs. Ash or Thor? or Starbuck vs. Ash or Thor? Find out what happens in the next episode when the smartmouthed XY stormtrooper and his new iPod face off against the XX Starbuck. The duel is recorded and ready to launch.

Incidentally, I'm glad people have been such good sports about my Six Million Dollar Man cracks. As a character, he and his sound effects are unforgettable TV/SF/pop culture icons. But for me--that's as deeply as I connect to the character and the franchise. Sorry.

So who should win when Gandalf and Dr. Evil meet? E-mail me at this address, or at: duelofthefates aaaat gmail dot commmmmm. unless you're a spammer.

Interzone reviewed at BestSF.net

2006-01-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

The issue of Interzone with my story, "The Unsolvable Deathtrap" , has been reviewed. http://www.bestsf.net/reviews/interzone202.html
My story didn't get a particularly glowing review - - but the reviewer gives a positive impression, overall. For those who know and like my writing, I think you'll recognize that UD is pretty representative of me. Heavy on style and imagery, with healthy, manageable doses of darkness and edge. This one has its humor too - - the Billy Joel moment that the reviewer references is one of the best scenes I've ever written.

Carlos Hernandez is also in there, and his story was called "A short and effective piece." The reviewer's conclusion about the whole magazine?

Conclusion.

All this for only £3.50???? If you aren't a subscriber, subscribe. If it's in a bookshop near you, buy it.

Cool. Thanks to BestSF.net for the nice review.

The Spherical Tomi Podiobook is number 1!

2006-01-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

Check out the new Podiobooks charts -- As of today, Spherical Tomi is number 1! woo hoo! That's for the Top Ten category, described as "the list of the most popular books by number of subscriptions in the last thirty days." I repeat: woo hoo!
It's also in 6th place on "Today's Most Popular Subscriptions", which may or may not be a tracking of all subscriptions for this 24-hour period, not sure.
ST is also in 3rd on the All-Time list.

Thanks to all of you who've subscribed. Spread the word! Let's keep ST high up in the rankings. But don't neglect the other titles over at Podiobooks either. . . There are a lot of talented folks doing great work over there. I'll feel no grumpiness or resentment when Earthcore (or some other book) jumps up to the number 1 spot. Hey, I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts. With your help, I hope it lasts at least a little while longer.

I'm going to celebrate - and say thanks to the subscribers - by posting Episode 9 tonight.

Duel of the Fates 2 released today

2006-01-18T09:48:00.000-08:00

Six Million Dollar Man vs. Gandalf is out on the Dragon Page Wingin' It! #44
This one is bound to piss some people off.

Evo isn't there for this DPWI, but Mike's wife and TD-0013 are -- and it's still a really entertaining episode. And Joe Murphy is in full effect!! Great stuff, Joe.

Go have a listen.

Who's that guy?

2006-01-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

My friend Jeff is many things, but primarily, he's the founder of a new film rating method -- one which is destined to leave archaic stars and thumbs up/thumbs down assessment systems in the past. This revolutionary new method stems from his and his co-horts' appreciation of Michelle Pfeiffer's greatest film to date: Grease 2.

The rules are simple: Good films are awarded a number of T-Bird jackets in correlation with the film's level of quality. So "Toy Story" "Star Wars" Episodes 3-6, "Jurassic Park", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "The Godfather, part 2" -- these films would all get 5 T-Bird jackets.
Watchable-but-not-great movies like "Star Trek 3: The Search For Spock", "Bruce Almighty", "So I Married an Axe Murderer", the "Die Hard" sequels -- these would get fewer T-Bird jackets.

Bad movies are not given T-Birds, but rather Pink Ladies jackets. The more Pink Ladies, the worse the film. So the Fantastic Four movie would get at least 3 Pink Ladies, if not more. Bicentennial Man: 5 Pink Ladies. Star Trek V: 4 Pink Ladies. Highlander 2 The Quickening: 5 Pink Ladies.

OK, so it's really just a cleverly disguised 1-10 rating system, but -- I still fully expect it to someday supplant Ebert's thumb gimmick.

Another plug/reminder for Interzone #202.

2006-01-13T13:54:00.000-08:00

My short story "The Unsolvable Deathtrap" is in Interzone #202.
If your local bookseller doesn't carry Interzone, then special order a copy, and tell them that they ought to stock it every month! Of course, you can also subscribe over at their site.

And -- this is not the last you'll hear about "The Unsolvable Deathtrap". . .

DotF2 Tournament tree

2006-01-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

So there you go. Next episode: Lee Majors and Ian McKellen will face off.

Duel of the Fates round 1 Bonus Material

2006-01-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

Spoiler-free, for those who have yet to listen to the Dr. Evil vs. Terminator battle.
Warning though -- I will post the official tourney tree tomorrow, Friday the 13th of January, which will display the winner. But hey, you can still enjoy these duels, even after you know the outcome, right?

I knew I wanted acronyms for the first battle's Rotating Category, but wasn't sure who the contestants would be, so I wrote some up for each of the likely/possible characters. Here are the bonus jokes:

Conan -- California Only Nominated Ahh-Nuld.
Highlander -- His Ignominious Gall Has Left A Nasty, Disastrous End Result (hmm, must be talking about those Highlander sequels.)
Gandalf -- God Awful Nasty Disastrous Animated Lousy Film. (sorry, Rankin-Bass)
Thor -- Tiny Hammer, Overcompensation Reasons.
TD-0013 -- These Droids - 0013.
Starbuck -- She’ll Try And Reinvent Benedict’s Unforgettable Cool Kid.
Ash -- Awesome Smartass Hero.
Six Million Dollar Man -- Since Its Xylophones Mix Into Little Leafy Invisible Onion Noodles, Don’t Order Light Lemon Artichoke Refreshments. Might Arrange Nicely. (makes perfect sense to me)

You can hear Dr. Evil's and Terminator's acronyms in the episode.

Duel of the Fates 2 underway!

2006-01-11T14:06:00.000-08:00

I made a personal appearance at the Draco Vista studios for Dragon Page Wingin' It #43 to launch the official Doodle, ahem, Duel of the Fates 2 tournament! The first week is number 1 seed Dr. Evil vs. the 8th place finalist, Ahnuld's T-800 Terminator. Thanks Brad P for the nice comments. JERSEY!!!!

The whole hour and twenty three minutes was a blast. Those guys are the best.

Check out the show and enjoy. Bonus mateiral to be posted here either tonight or tomorrow - and Friday-ish I'll post the tournament tree.

Spherical Tomi Podiobook - episode 7

2006-01-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

To followup on this issue - for those who've had problems receiving Spherical Tomi ep 7 from Podiobooks.com, Chris Miller has set up a nice direct link for you to get the episode:

http://www.podiobooks.com/blog/2006/01/11/spherical-tomi-ep-7-problems/

Apologies! This should remedy the problem and get you back on track. Episode 8 will download as expected (we've received no reports to the contrary).

If you do have any more trouble, then don't hesitate to let me know. Thanks for listening!!

Spherical Tomi Episode 8. . .

2006-01-09T23:30:00.000-08:00

. . . is up! http://www.podiobooks.com/podiobooks/book.php?ID=31

Go give it a download. And enjoy! It's a pretty good one. Number 9 is recorded, and currently in edit state.

Incidentally ST subscribers, if you were/are having any problems receiving episode 7, then PLEASE PLEASE contact me. I will see that you get the episode - stat.

OK, must get away from the computer monitor now before my eyeballs begin to fizzle and smoke in their sockets. . . .

Preds/Eds Readers Poll

2006-01-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/

You can nominate and vote in a number of categories for the best SF/F books, short stories, etc. of 2005. The poll runs Jan 1-15. There are lots of categories, so you can head over and cast your votes. I have yet to do this myself, but I definitely will before the deadline is up.

And no, I'm not planning to nominate my own stuff. I'm not asking you to either (really I'm not! though I won't discourage you either) -- there's lots of worthy stuff already nominated. I know AHOP 2 is up for best artwork, and CGP is nommed for best publisher. "Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town" is there for Best Novel -- as is Tee Morris' latest. SFReader is in there for best Writers' Forum. Go have a look, cast a vote or two.

Spherical Tomi Podiobook Update

2006-01-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

I've spoken to the men behind the scenes at Podiobooks.com.

Everyone's back from their vacations and all of the little troubles are being resolved.
If you received a double of Spherical Tomi 6.5 in place of episode 7, that has been or will soon be resolved. A thousand apologies if this happened to you; I don't know if you'll need to download ep7 manually or what. Let me know if you're having any troubles.
Episode 8 is also uploaded and set for imminent release.

Episode 9 is fully recorded. There will be more after that one, but the end is in sight!

2005, cont'd

2006-01-04T20:07:00.000-08:00

I knew I'd left out something really important.

In 2005, IROSF published my essay, "Supremacy: A Laser Tag Memoir". I don't know how that slipped through the cracks of my memory; I was so proud to have it accepted at such a prestigious market as IROSF -- and thrilled to have old Photon compadres read it and contact me. Here's the link again, in case you never read it.

Also ----- In the previous "2005" post, I briefly mentioned how Cory Doctorow quoted my SFReader review of his novel, "Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town". I probably shouldn't omit the fact that I turned in 9 book reviews for SFReader.com, and 9 film reviews for SFWatcher.com. I worked hard to put those together and make them insightful, useful guidelines for prospective readers/viewers, and I shouldn't neglect to mention them here.

I think that about covers it, though there may still be other things that have fallen through the sieve. . .

2005

2006-01-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

This past year saw a number of geek highlights for me:

Spherical Tomi was released as an e-book, and then later as a Podiobook in progress. The reception has been great so far. Thank you all.

My story, "The Unsolvable Deathtrap" was accepted for Interzone #202. This is huge.

Amityville House of Pancakes vol 1 was released in 2004; but the book, along with my "Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women" story within its pages, saw a few glowing reviews in 2005. (Barnes & Noble newsletter, SFReader.com)
Incidentally, DM fans, I completed a solid draft of a Dirk Moonfire sequel in late December. It has 3x the laughs and the thrills of the original. More news about that as it develops.

2005 was also the year of Duel of the Fates! Which, I think started off with peopel shrugging and scratching their heads, but soon snowballed into something fairly well-known and pretty special. It helped me to become somewhat known in the podcasting community, helped establish me as a frequent guest of the Dragon Page shows, and was a lot of fun. That's also available as a Podiobook, as you probably know.
2006 is starting right off with Duel of the Fates 2.

I was excited to meet Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta (and therefore also K.J. Anderson, Gabriel Moesta, etc.), Michael A. Stackpole, Bruce "Don't Call Me Ash" Campbell, Evo, Mike, Summer, and Joe of the Dragon Page, Tee Morris, Greg Keyes, Dave Dorman, Tom Sanders of Dark Commandos dot com, TD-0013, Kevin A. Murphy, Ken St. Andre, Mike D'Ambrosio, Paul Tanton, along with some other notable names. I ought to include Stephen Eley in that list, though I've only exchanged pleasant e-mails with him. Speaking of pleasant e-mail exchanges, I shared a few with two of my heroes in 2005: Bruce Sterling and Cory Doctorow. Mind you, I'm not attaching myself to their celebrity here -- or insinuating that we're great friends. I just felt honored to exchange a few e-mails with them. They're classy guys. And -- I was absolutely delighted to see Cory Doctorow use a sample of my review for "Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town" on the book's site and at Ourmedia.org.
Most importantly, of course, I met all of you. You guys rock. This community is widely diverse, harsh and unforgiving at times -- f@#king weird at others -- but overall, a huge, never-ending convention of really great people. You give back so much.

And what about 2006?
Well, I plan to see many more publications, to grow and nurture the followings for Spherical Tomi and Duel of The Fates, to supply the resolution that ST fans seek, and to finish the novel that occupied quite a bit of my 2005 focus. What with the suprisingly good Dirk Moonfire sequel, I may even need to consider that franchise as well.... I also have a wonderful podcasting opportunity coming up in January, which I really, really hope pans out (and once it's a certainty, I'll tell you all about it right here).

And I'll see you guys at the local Phoenix Cons! (Are LepreCon and the Nebula awards on the same weekend in 2006??)

Even if the real world goes to hell in 2006, I'm looking forward to a fun, geeky, successful year in this one.

What/who did I leave out?

Final Top25 of the year

2005-12-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

Here's how the Top25 Most Played in my iTunes Player looks to finish out the year:

1. Vanity Fair ~Mr. Bungle 42
2. fear regret and hope ~Jack Mangan 35
3. Myself Within Love ~jack mangan 34
4. One With the Stillness ~Jack Mangan 34
5. temple of earth and sea ~jack mangan 34
6. Is There Love In Space? ~Joe Satriani 30
7. Organ Donor ~DJ Shadow 27
8. Earth Time Pigs Fate ~Jack Mangan 27
9. Wine ~Jack Mangan 27
10. Saddam A Go-Go ~GWAR 25
11. Dad and Dog ~Fredo Viola 24
12. Black Circle Remix ~Jack Mangan 22
13. Dog Diary ~Jack Mangan 22
14. Did My Time ~KoRn 22
15. Rumble ~Link Wray & His Ray Men 21
16. Miss Misery ~Elliott Smith 20
17. Spirit Man ~Mango 20
18. playing with spiders-skullkrusher ~Overkill 20
19. Tears of Liquid Mercury ~Jack Mangan 19
20. Defender ~Manowar 19
21. The Enemy ~Anthrax 18
22. Slaughter of the Soul ~At the Gates 18
23. Waltz #2 (XO) ~Elliott Smith 18
24. Hallowed Be Thy Name ~Iron Maiden 18
25. Watch The Children Pray ~Metal Church 18

These three songs also had 18 plays:

Time Is Running Out ~Muse
West End Girls ~Pet Shop Boys
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face ~Roberta Flack

Note that there's nothing even remotely new in the list, except for the Muse song and my own personal mashups, which are techincally just fusions of old stuff all assembled together. Is this because I'm getting old and creaky? Possibly. I just find so much new music boring, boring, boring. There are some artists who are doing innovative and exciting things, but for the most part -- I've heard it all before.

OK - well happy new year, folks!!

Hello Strangers!

2005-12-29T09:08:00.000-08:00

I hope your holidays were all happy, i.e., not too stressful..........

Spherical Tomi Podiobook, Episode 8 Status: DELAYED. It's recorded, edited, mixed, and all set, but because of the problems they're having, I haven't been able to upload it. Sorry, gang. It's that time of year when vacations delay resolution of technical difficulties.

OK, well, it won't be another 6 days between posts.

-
Jack

Spherical Tomi Episode 7 released

2005-12-23T21:17:00.000-08:00

See? I told you Chris is the man.

Episode 7 of the Spherical Tomi Podiobook has been released. I hope you'll be listening to Episode 8 by the new year.

Happy Whatever.

Keeping in touch

2005-12-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

OK, so I haven't posted in a few days....

Check out podiobooks.com -- A few other titles have had new chapters added today. . . I've submitted the latest ST, and hope to see it up there soon. Don't misconstrue this as any complaint against the folks at podiobooks, by the way. Chris has lots of other obligations, and along with Evo and Tee, has done a pretty bang-up job with the site, in my opinion.
Anyway. As soon as Tomi Episode 7 is ready, I'll post here. Episode 8 should be right on its heels.

Whatever you celebrate in December, I hope you enjoy it.

New review up at SFReader

2005-12-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

M y review of Bill DeSmedt's novel, "Singularity" has been posted over at SFReader.
Been awhile since I contributed anything there -- it's good to be back.

I've got a little black book with my poems in

2005-12-20T16:11:00.000-08:00

Got a bag with a toothbrush and a comb in.

Sometimes, Pink Floyd The Wall needs to be heard in its entirety.

The New Duel of the Fates 8

2005-12-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, here are the 8 characters set to appear in Duel of the Fates 2, as nominated and voted by you:

Dr. Evil (Austin Powers)
6 Million Dollar Man
TD0013
Thor (Norse Mythos and Marvel Comics)
Ash from Evil Dead*
Kara “Starbuck” Thrace (BSG 2005)
Gandalf*
T-800 Terminator (Arnold)

Sadly, Connor Macleod and Conan the Eliminated remained in 9th and 10th place, and did not make the cut. Regretfully, Mansquito will also be left out. The first round matchups will be:

Dr. Evil vs. The Terminator
Six Million Dollar Man vs. Gandalf
TD0013 vs. Starbuck (the new one)
The Mighty Thor vs. Evil Dead Ash

Thanks to all of you for your votes!!! Time for another big announcement... This time, you can also help determine the outcomes of the Duels! If you care, then go ahead and tell me who should win in the first round. Send your suggestions to the same e-mail: duelofthefates aaaat gmail doooot com. I'll honor your votes when determining each battle's outcome. If you don't care -- then don't worry. I'll figure it out.

Polls close at Midnight

2005-12-16T09:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, today is the final official day to cast your votes for the DotF 2 tournament participants. I've said that the polls close at midnight tonight, but really, all votes will be counted until I post the Final 8 here, some time over the weekend.

FYI: The Top 10 haven't changed too too much since I posted them on Wednesday.

Interzone #202, coming soon!

2005-12-15T14:33:00.000-08:00

Interzone #202, featuring my short story, "The Unsolvable Deathtrap", will be available in January, according to their website. I'm proud as hell of "The Unsolvable Deathtrap"; I'm honored to be in there, and very happy to have such a great venue for that story. Judging from the ToC, it appears to be in good company, too.

Also-- check out the snazzy front cover!

And if you scroll down on that page, you'll find a link to artist Rik Rawley's homepage. There, you can catch a glimpse of the art he provided for "Unsolvable". This guy's obviously an edgy, brave, professional talent; he's apparently been commissioned to create images for a number of mid-to-high profile record labels, bands, and magazines. He seems to have been an inspired choice to do the artwork for my story. I have yet to see the full thing for myself -- I can't wait.

Top 10 for now

2005-12-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

Dr. Evil (Austin Powers)

TD0013 (cranky stormtrooper)

Thor (Norse Mythos and Marvel Comics)

6 Million Dollar Man

Kara “Starbuck” Thrace (BSG 2005)

Gandalf*

Ash from Evil Dead*

T-800 Terminator (Arnold)

Connor MacLeod (Highlander)

Conan (of lit -- and Arnold)

People, people --- Six Million Dollar Man??
Who's next -- Horshak? Jim Street from S.W.A.T.?

Two more late suggestions

2005-12-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

I received this e-mail today:

"Here are two characters you need to add to the list:

Dirk the Daring (from the Dragon's Lair games)

Voltron - the defender of the Universe!!!"

(thanks Andre!)

Voting closes Friday at midnight.

Top 25 candidates for DotF 2

2005-12-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

These 25 are still in the running to become America's next top Duel of the Fates champion. It's never too late for new character suggestions, but the polls close on Friday, 12/16, so you'd better make it quick. This list is in order as decided by you, the voters (and OK, a little GOP-style behind the scenes vote-tampering, but nothing too serious... It's a joke. Fanatics, don't send angry e-mails) Only the Top 8 will get in, though! So if your fave is hovering somewhere at or below 8th place, then cast a vote to secure their position. The race is still tight -- Even Dr. Evil isn't 100% secure in the number one spot. E-mail your votes to: duelofthefates at gmail dot com.

Dr. Evil (Austin Powers)
TD0013 (stormtrooper – heard periodically on the Dragon Page)
Gandalf*
Kara “Starbuck” Thrace (BS:G 2005)
T-800 Terminator (Arnold)
Connor MacLeod (Highlander)
Thor (Norse Mythos and Marvel Comics)
Conan (of lit -- and Arnold)
Ash from Evil Dead*
6 Million Dollar Man
Molly from Neuromancer*
Aslan
Dirk Moonfire (from Jack Mangan’s brilliant novella, “Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women”)
Smaug (from The Hobbit)
Beastmaster (not Arnold -- Marc Singer)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)
Buzz Lightyear
The Borg Queen (Star Trek: First Contact)
Spock
Yoda (Star Wars)
Dr. Who
Dumbledore (Harry Potter)
Hulk (Lou Ferigno)
River (from Firefly)
Catwoman

The '*' means that they've dueled once before.

Check out TD0013 jumping up to 2nd place in the voting!! For those who don't know, TD0013 is a rather ornery stormtrooper in the service of the Empire who can often be heard giving a "diff'rent point of view" on the Dragon Page Wingin It! podcast. Notice also that there are a few women in the Top 25, but only one in the Top 8.

Spherical Tomi Episode 7 - not yet

2005-12-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

Did you all have a good laugh with episode 6.5? Good. I still can't believe I released some of those outtakes...
Anyway - I'm posting here to apologize (yet again) for the delay in releasing ST ep 7.
It's being held up in the edit stage because I've hit a section of long conversation.
That stretch of dialogue is fine in the text version (I hope), but I think it needs a trim for an audio version. So I'm doing some minor abridgements, and even adding a few brand-new lines to grout and smooth over the holes from the cuts.

So there you have it. Nothing essential will be cut or changed from the original story, of course; but as of episode 7, the podiobook and e-book versions will have distinct differences.

****MINOR SPOILER ALERT****

Those of you who've read the entire e-book know that there's another long conversation at the end. As of now, I'm not planning on abridging one word of that, but we'll have to see how it feels once it's recorded.

Spherical Tomi podiobook episode 6.5 released

2005-12-10T22:01:00.000-08:00

We've reached the halfway point on the Spherical Tomi storyline, and to mark the milestone, I've released a special, non-story episode. Not 6, not 7, but 6.5.

From the site:
Six minutes of discussion about how the Spherical Tomi book began, along with a few acknowledgments, shoutouts, and funny, mildly embarassing recording outtakes. This episode is not required to follow the story.

Duel of the Fates 2 - updated poll results

2005-12-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

Below are the Top 50 vote-getters so far for the DotF 2 tournament. I'm going to close the polling stations next Friday (12/16), one week from today. Still plenty of time for things to change! E-mail your votes to duelofthefates at gmail dot com. The numbers are still close enough that anyone in the top 50 can make the Final 8. It's not even too late to for your new suggestions to get in, so don't be shy with your character ideas. One thing to clarify though - I appreciate your suggestions for matchups, but I'm really just looking for individual characters for the DotF 2 tourney.

About the list:

I've added some thingies after the names; here's the symbols' legend:
* Was in a Season 1 Duel.
** Was in the Duel of the Fates: Battle Royale live event at Coppercon 31.
### Mike and Evo. I don't think I'm going to have these guys in the tournament. Same goes for the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas. Mike and Evo have received a few votes, but I think ultimately it's funnier in theory than in practice. . . To all of you who voted for them, I still appreciate your suggestions! And I suspect that the Mike and Evo characters will make some kind of appearance during the season. . . I'm not going to exclude TD0013, however, since he is a fictional character.
1-8. These numbers show the 8 characters who'd be IN if the season were to start today.

And finally, here's the list:

1. Dr. Evil (Austin Powers)
2. Gandalf*
Evo & Mike###
3. T-800 Terminator (Arnold)
4. Connor MacLeod (Highlander)
5. Thor (Norse Mythos and Marvel Comics)
6. Conan (of lit -- and Arnold)
7. Kara “Starbuck” Thrace (BS:G 2005)
8. Ash from Evil Dead*

Six Million Dollar Man
Molly from Neuromancer*
Aslan
Dirk Moonfire (from Jack Mangan’s brilliant novella, “Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women”)
Smaug (from The Hobbit)
Beastmaster (not Arnold -- Marc Singer)
TD0013
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars Et Al)
The Borg Queen (Star Trek: First Contact, Voyager)
Tomi (Spherical Tomi – LOVE the Podiobook!)
Data (Star Trek; TNG, Generations, First Contact, Isurrection, Nemesis)
Jayne (Firefly)
Yoda (Star Wars)
Dumbledore (Harry Potter)
The One Ring (Lord of the Rings)
Teal’c (Stargate SG-1)
River (from Firefly)
Ender
Hoban Washbourne from Firefly/Serenity
Sharon 'Boomer' Valeri from new BSG
Wedge Antilles
King Kong
Zombie number 1 (from Dawn of the Dead)
Evo Terra###
Gully Foyle (from Stars My Destination)
Voldemort
Spock
William Shatner (Kirk was in the first season - - not Shatner himself)
Jenna Jameson (from. . . oh you know exactly which movies she’s been in)
Dr. Who
Buffy
Spike
Man from Atlantis
Ed (from Shaun of the Dead movie)
Underdog
Arthur Dent
K!@%& Reeves
Hamlet (hey, he saw the spectre of his dad -- the play has Spec-Fic elements)
Leia Organa Skywalker Solo (Jingleheimer-Schmidt)
Catwoman
Dr. Frank N. Furter (from Rocky Horror)**
Emperor Palpatine**
Ripley (from Alien)

Fantastic Four

2005-12-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

I had a subscription to FF comics for one year, back when I was about 12. I was a huge fan of the John Byrne era. I think Dr. Doom is one of the richest comic book characters, possibly the best comic book villain of all time.
So what went wrong with the Fantastic Four movie?
I'm not going to write a review; I don't have the time or inclination to critique all of its flaws. I'm just expressing my disappointment. I think the movie-making forces behind it had no concern for making a good film; they were apparently only interested in cashing in on the superhero movie trend. I hurried to return the disc to Netflix ASAP, before its badness could infect the other DVDs in my home. . . The hilight of the thing for me was Stan Lee's cameo. Could Roger Corman's infamous low-budget, grade-Z FF movie of the 90s have been that much worse??
I encourage you to read Fantastic Four comics. And I encourage you to rent or even buy this film -- not to watch it for enjoyment, but to ensure that it makes enough profit to warrant a sequel.
And then -- let's get it right in Fantastic Four 2.

At last! New ST Episodes

2005-12-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

Episodes 5 and 6 of the Spherical Tomi Podiobook have been released!

A thousand apologies for the delay.
Check your podcast feeds, go subscribe, or go tell the Podiobooks engine to manually download Episode 5 and Episode 6. We're back on track -- and I plan to upload the next chapters by the end of the week.

DueloftheFates Season 2 voting. . .

2005-12-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

. . . so far.

Below is a long list of the character names that have come up for Duel of the Fates 2. The first round winners from the first tournament (Tomi, Kirk, original Starbuck, and Godzilla) are ineligible for season 2. Sorry Sphericalheads.
This list is in a kind of order, though nothing is carved into stone yet. You still have time to cast your vote and affect the Final 8 for DotF 2. Choose from the list OR send me new ideas. No characters have received enough votes yet to clinch a spot -- your good idea may end up in the tourney. . . maybe even winning the whole thing. . .

The List:

Molly from Neuromancer*

Dr. Evil (Austin Powers)

T-800 Terminator (Arnold)

Hamlet (hey, he saw the spectre of his dad -- the play has Spec-Fic elements)

Leia Organa Skywalker Solo (Jingleheimer-Schmidt)

Ash from Evil Dead*

Connor MacLeod (Highlander)

Boba Fett

River (from Firefly)

Ender

Hoban Washbourne from Firefly/Serenity

Sharon 'Boomer' Valeri from new BSG

Kara 'StarBuck' Thrace

Wedge Antilles

Aslan

King Kong

Zombie number 1 (from Dawn of the Dead)

Evo & Mike

Evo Terra

Dr. Who

Buffy

Spike

Man from Atlantis

Ed (from Shaun of the Dead movie)

6 Million Dollar Man

Underdog

Arthur Dent

Jack Flanders (from the radio serial 4^th Tower of Inverness)

Voldemort

Spock

Cthulhu

Elvis

Gandalf*

Darth Vader*

Batman*

Harry Potter*

Gort (from The Day The Earth Stood Still)

Pinky (from Pink Floyd The Wall)

Pinky (of Pinky and the Brain)**

Dr. Frank N. Furter (from Rocky Horror)**

Emperor Palpatine**

Paul Muad’Dib (Muad’Dib Muad’Dib Muad’Dib Muad’Dib Muad’Dib!)**

Captain Mal (from Firefly)**

Eddie (Iron Maiden’s Mascot)

General Zod (from Superman 2)

The Shrike (from Hyperion)

Dirk Moonfire (from Jack Mangan’s brilliant novella, “Dirk Moonfire & the Nefarious Space Women”)

Zhang Ziyi

The Iron Giant

James Bond

Prospero (from “The Tempest”)

Slash (Guns N’ Roses)

Agent Smith (Matrix)

William Shatner (Kirk was in the first season - - not Shatner himself)

Jenna Jameson (from. . . oh you know exactly which movies she’s been in)

Ged

Loki (Norse Mythos)

Thor (Norse Mythos and Marvel Comics)

Hercules (Greek Mythos)

7-of-9 (from Star Trek Voyager)

Otto (from Repo Man)

Smaug (from The Hobbit)

Catwoman

Conan (of lit -- and Arnold)

Beastmaster (not Arnold -- Marc Singer)

Darth Maul

Wesley (aka the Dread Pirate Roberts)

Ripley (from Alien)

Dr. Peter Venkman (from Ghostbusters)

Alice Cooper

*This character participated in a duel during Season 1.
**This character participated in the "Duel of the Fates Live: Battle Royale", at CopperCon 31, September 2005 in Phoenix, AZ.

Did ya hear me on Slice of Scifi?

2005-12-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

I also sat in for an episode of Slice of Scifi while at the Draco Vista studios. They released it two days ago for your listening pleasure. Fun show!