Published: "In the Shadows of the Empire of Coal" in Stupefying Stories 1.11!

Guess what?  My coalpunk short story, "In the Shadows of the Empire of Coal," was recently published in Issue 1.11 of Bruce Bethke's Stupefying Stories!  I'm super excited about it (duh) and how you'll all snatch up a copy ($1.99 on Kindle or Nook -- iTunes links pending still).

If you really love me, you'll buy a copy and write a review.

Excuse me while I go squee in the corner!

Publication: "Little Blue Planet" in Phantasmacore

Hurray for flash fiction! I've recently had my story, "Little Blue Planet," published at Phantasmacore. Astute readers may notice that the story is a near-parody of a certain movie. Think of it as a serious version of those "How the Movie Should Have Ended" things.

Hope you all enjoy the story! Go over there and leave a comment.

Movie Review: Tron: Legacy (Strange Horizons)

In case you missed it, the fine folks at Strange Horizons have published my review of Tron: Legacy.  The review is focused on the worldbuilding, rather than the general quality of the film.  Hopefully you all find it interesting.  Do leave a comment there!

You also might want to see my brief, general review of Tron: Legacy here (where I put my score of the film, which isn't in my review at Strange Horizons).

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go jump up and down with excitement for an hour.

P.S.:  I don't suspect you could have missed my review, since it went up today.  But it's fun to say "in case you missed it."

Publication: "To Paint the Kingdom Red, Part Two" in Residential Aliens

The second and final part of my fantasy short story, "To Paint the Kingdom Red," is up at Residential Aliens!  Check it out and leave a comment letting me know what you think.

My First Publication: "To Paint the Kingdom Red, Part One" in Residential Aliens!

You read that right.  I've had my first short story published in Residential Aliens.  The story has been split in half due to length, but the first part is currently available here.  Part two will be available in October.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go jump up and down like a lunatic for an hour.

My Essay on V and District 9 Published! (Crimethink)

I think I've mentioned a number of times on my Twitter account that I have been working on an essay on the television show V (the new one) and the movie District 9. Well, that essay is now officially published and available to read online on Crimethink: Politics and Speculative Fiction.

The table of contents for the project is as follows:

Politics on the Page
"No News Is Good News: What Science Fiction Leaves Out of the Future #1" by Gary Westfahl
"War: What Is It Good For?" by Lisa Agnew
"Space Opera Rules; But By Whom?" by Ross Hamilton

Speculative Ideologies
"Reason, Sexuality, and the Self in Libertarian Science Fiction Novels" by Greg Beatty
"Speculative Fiction & Political Struggle: The 'New Wave' of the 60s & 70s" by Jordan Humphreys

Recent Media
"The Future’s Bright? A Review of Shine: An Anthology of Optimistic Science-Fiction" by Deborah Walker
"Political Allegory: Receptions and Their Implications in V and District 9" by Shaun Duke (that's me!)

Race and Gender Politics
"Engendering Utopia: From Amazons to Androgyny" by Ruth Nestvold and Jay Lake
"Aliens at the Office Christmas Party: How to Write Subtle Discrimination" by Romie Stott
"Transracial Writing for the Sincere" by Nisi Shawl

That's a pretty impressive table of contents, don't you think? And, the cool thing is that this will eventually be a print publication, with all proceeds going to support Doctors Without Borders! For me, it's a win-win. I got an paper published and the publication of that essay may go towards helping people around the world, which makes me feel very good indeed. I'll let you all know when the book becomes available and I expect you all to buy it, even if you have interest in reading the essays. Heck, buy it and give it to an SF nut or something! Or, you can just give $20 to Doctors Without Borders instead, if you so choose (not sure if that's how much the book will cost, but I suspect not).

Oh, and if you have the time to read my essay, I'd appreciate thoughts and opinions. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go scream and run around my apartment in a fit of excitement.