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Topics - Eric James Stone

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Eric James Stone / "That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made"
« on: June 26, 2010, 06:51:27 PM »
The September 2010 issue of Analog, with my novelette “That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made,” has officially been released.  That means you may be able to find it at bookstores or on newsstands. You can also buy it as a single issue from mymagstore.com. (Don’t worry if they still have the prior issue cover showing; what matters is which issue date they say you are buying. Plus, they will ship to prisons! [For some reason, their site puts a lot of emphasis on that fact.]) You can also download the issue from Fictionwise.com for use in various e-readers. From what I can tell, you can’t buy the issue individually for the Kindle, but you can subscribe and get that issue here as part of your 14-day free trial.

To whet your appetite, here’s how the story begins:

Quote
Sol Central Station floated amid the fusing hydrogen of the solar core, 400,000 miles under the surface of the sun, protected only by the thin shell of an energy shield, but that wasn’t why my palm sweat slicked the plastic pulpit of the station’s multidenominational chapel.  As a life-long Mormon I had been speaking in church since I was a child, so that didn’t make me nervous, either.  But this was my first time speaking when non-humans were in the audience.

The Sol Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had only six human members, including me and the two missionaries, but there were forty-six swale members.  As beings made of plasma, swales couldn’t attend church in the chapel, of course, but a ten-foot widescreen monitor across the back wall showed a false-color display of their magnetic force-lines, gathered in clumps of blue and red against the yellow background representing the solar interior.  The screen did not give a sense of size, but at two hundred feet in length, the smallest of the swales was almost double the length of a blue whale.  From what I’d heard, the largest Mormon swale, Sister Emma, stretched out to almost five hundred feet — but she was nowhere near the twenty-four-mile length of the largest swale in our sun.

“My dear Brothers and Sisters,” I said automatically, then stopped in embarrassment.  The traditional greeting didn’t apply to all swale members, as they had three genders.  “And Neuters,” I added.  I hoped my delay would not be noticeable in the transmission.  It would be a disaster if in my first talk as branch president, I alienated a third of the swale population.

This story is the most “Mormon” story I’ve written, but it’s completely understandable to non-Mormons — there’s no way Analog would have published it otherwise.

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Date:  Saturday, June 12, 2010
Time: 3:00pm - 6:00pm
Location:
Dragons & Fairy Tales Books & Games
3535 E Ranches Parkway, Suite A
Eagle Mountain, UT 84005

Come celebrate the release of YEAR'S BEST SF 15, which contains mystory "Attitude Adjustment," plus stories by Robert Charles Wilson, Bruce Sterling, Nancy Kress, Ian Creasey, Gene Wolfe, Peter Watts, Sarah L. Edwards, Alastair Reynolds, Brenda Cooper, Mary Robinette Kowal, Stephen Baxter, and others.

I'll be talking about writing and then signing books.

Facebook Event Link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=130584190292162

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Eric James Stone / "An Early Ford Mustang"
« on: June 02, 2010, 11:59:56 PM »
My short story "An Early Ford Mustang" is now available in the latest issue of InteGalactic Medicine Show.  IGMS is also sporting a new look.

But for me, the real value in this issue is Von Carr's story "Sister Jasmine Brings the Pain," about a nun in post-apocalyptic America trying to rescue her robotic, zombie-fighting dog. Go read it now.

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Eric James Stone / "Rejiggering the Thingamajig"
« on: November 18, 2009, 02:13:20 AM »
My short story "Rejiggering the Thingamajig" (which happens to be my current favorite among my published stories) is now available in the January/February 2010 issue of Analog Science Fiction magazine.  The Orem Barnes & Noble had three copies when I checked.

Here's the beginning, to whet your appetite:
Quote
The teleport terminal had not been built with tyrannosaurus sapiens in mind.

Resisting the urge to knock human-sized chairs about with her tail, Bokeerk squatted on the tile floor, folded the claws of her forelimbs together, and concentrated on her breathing.  Meditation would calm her nerves.  What should have been a two-minute waystop as she switched to a different teleport line had stretched to three hours, and being the only passenger in the terminal creeped her out.

The cheerful voice of the customer service AI roused Bokeerk from her trance.  "It is my pleasure to inform you that the cause of the technical difficulties in the galactic teleport network has been found."

Bokeerk perked up and rose on her hind legs, remembering just in time to duck her head so it wouldn't bang the ceiling lamps.  "Please send me to Krawlak," she said.  It was unlikely that any of her eggs would hatch for another few days yet, but she was anxious to get home.

"It is with the utmost regret that I must tell you that will not be possible at this time," said the AI, with a tone of such abysmal sorrow that Bokeerk's eyes could not help but moisten with sympathetic tears.  "I require assistance in repairing the problem."

Bokeerk lowered herself into a squat again.  "When will help get here?"  She looked at the time display on the digital assistant strapped to her left forelimb.  She had now been stranded for three hours and fifty-two minutes.

"I estimate a spaceship carrying a repair crew could be here within twelve years," said the AI.  Its voice seemed to have lost the customer service aspect.

"Twelve years?"  Bokeerk's voice made the ceiling lamps tremble.

"Without the teleport network, repair crews are limited to slower-than-light travel.  However, I believe we can avoid such a long wait if you will assist me."

"I don't know anything about repairing teleports," said Bokeerk.  "I illustrate children's books.  I'm on my way home from the Galactic Children's Book Fair."

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Eric James Stone / "Attitude Adjustment"
« on: July 03, 2009, 11:28:06 PM »
My story "Attitude Adjustment" is in the September issue of Analog, now available at the Orem Barnes & Noble (and presumably at others, too).

Here's how it starts:
Quote
Danica Jarvis switched off the Moonskimmer's main engine, and her stomach lurched in the familiar way that marked the change to zero gravity.  She fired the attitude thrusters, turning the mushroom-shaped ship until it floated head-down over the Moon, so the long stem of the engine wouldn't get in the way.  The clear diamondglass of the Moonskimmer's hull allowed an unobstructed view of the lunar landscape.

From her pilot's chair in the center, she looked around at the eight tourists strapped to their seats along the circumference of the cabin.  "This is the fun part of the trip.  Unbuckle your seatbelts and float while you enjoy the view."

"Fun?"  A teenage boy -- Bryson Sullivan, according to the manifest -- snorted.  "Can we go back to the Hilton now?"  He sported a bright purple datavisor and a shaved head.

Danica mustered her best be-nice-to-the-people-who-pay-my-salary grin and said, "Don't worry, Eddie and I will have you back to Luna City before the basketball game tonight.  Right, Eddie?"  Lunar-gravity basketball was a major tourist draw.

"Yes," said Eddie, the Moonskimmer's A.I.  "Our total flight time is less than two and a half hours.  You'll get to see the far side of the Moon, something fewer than a thousand humans have seen with their own eyes.  You should enjoy it."  Eddie's voice was enthusiastic.

The boy rolled his eyes, then opaqued his visor.

Danica decided to ignore the useless brat and turned her attention to the rest of the passengers.  She pointed to one of the craters below and began her routine tour-guide patter.

#

"Okay, folks, if you'd please return to your seats and buckle up," said Danica, "I'm going to turn the ship so you can see the Earth rise over the lunar horizon."

It took a couple of minutes for everyone to get settled.  For most of the tourists, this was their first zero-gee experience, and it showed.

"Wait, I want to try zero-gee," said Bryson.  He began unbuckling his seatbelt.

Danica couldn't believe it.  The kid had stayed in his seat the whole time, probably playing videogames on his visor. 

"I'm sorry," she said, "but we--"

Fwoomp!

The Moonskimmer jerked sideways, then lunged forward at its maximum acceleration of 0.75 gee.

Bryson yelped as he hit the floor.

...


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Eric James Stone / Hugo Award pimpage
« on: January 26, 2009, 08:55:29 PM »
I feel kind of embarrassed touting my work for awards, but I'm sure I'll get over it.

The Hugos are awarded by members of the World Science Fiction Convention, which anyone can join by paying about $50.

Out of my stories that were published last year, I would like to draw your attention to two.

My short story "The Ashes of His Fathers" (Analog, May 2008) received several recommendations for the Nebula Award, but its eligibility was cut short by the new Nebula Awards rules. However, it is still eligible for the Hugo.  Here's an excerpt from The Fix's review of the story:
Quote
And if all of Analog’s stories were as good as “The Ashes of His Fathers,” the magazine might sell substantially better.
Read "The Ashes of His Fathers" for free on my website.

The second story is "The Robot Sorcerer" (InterGalactic Medicine Show, December 2008).  Because Hugo Award eligibility is based on calendar years, this story hasn't had much time for word of mouth to spread.  But here's an excerpt from The Fix's review:
Quote
The story is personal in scale and filled with mystery, action, and even tragedy. Stone explores many themes: the nature of life, magic versus technology, magic as technology, moral dilemmas, and self-sacrifice being only a few. He does so while also creating a complex plot that doesn’t confuse the reader, establishing depth of character, and describing a rich and fascinating world while also maintaining a good pace. It is, by far, the best story in this issue.
I can't make the story available for free on my website because IGMS still has exclusive rights to it, but you can read the beginning here, and if you want to read the end, the issue only costs $2.50.

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Eric James Stone / Book signing on January 17, 2009 at Orem B&N
« on: January 09, 2009, 10:28:10 PM »
I'll be doing a book signing at the Orem Barnes & Noble on Saturday, January 17, starting at 1:00 pm.  They will have copies of the Blood Lite and InterGalactic Medicine Show anthologies with my stories.  (I believe they may also have a few Writers of the Future anthologies still in stock.)

Here are the tables of contents for the two anthologies:

Blood Lite
The Ungrateful Dead - Kelley Armstrong
Mr. Bear - Joe Lansdale
Hell in a Handbasket - Lucien Soulban
The Eldritch Pastiche from Beyond the Shadow of Horror - Christopher Welch
Elvis Presley and the Bloodsucker Blues - Matt Venne
No Problem - Don D'Ammassa
Old School - Mark Onspaugh
The Sound of Blunder - J.A. Konrath and F. Paul Wilson
An Evening with Al Gore - Charlaine Harris
Dear Prudence - Steven Savile
A Good Psycho is Hard to Find - Will Ludwigsen
High Kicks and Misdemeanors - Janet Berliner
P.R. Problems - Eric James Stone
Where Angels Fear to Tread - Sherrilyn Kenyon
A Very Special Girl - Mike Resnick
Loveseat Solitaire - D.L. Snell
I Know Who You Ate Last Summer - Nancy Holder
Bitches of the Night - Nancy Kilpatrick
The Bell . . . FROM HELL!!! - Jeff Strand
Dead Hand - Sharyn McCrumb
Day Off - Jim Butcher

InterGalactic Medicine Show
Foreword - Orson Scott Card
Introduction - Edmund R. Schubert
In the Eyes of the Express's Cat - Bradley P. Beaulieu
Mazer in Prison - Orson Scott Card
Tabloid Reporter to the Stars - Eric James Stone
Audience - Ty Franck
The Mooncalfe - David Farland
Cheater - Orson Scott Card
Dream Engine - Tim Pratt
Hats Off - David Lubar
Eviction Notice - Scott M. Roberts
To Know All Things That Are in the Earth - James Maxey
Beats of Seven - Peter Orullian
Pretty Boy - Orson Scott Card
Respite - Rachel Ann Dryden
Fat Farm - Aaron Johnston
The Box of Beautiful Things - Brian Dolton
Taint of Treason - Eric James Stone
Call Me Mr. Positive - Tom Barlow
A Young Man with Prospects - Orson Scott Card

As you can see, my stories are in great company.

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Eric James Stone / "In Memory"
« on: January 05, 2009, 07:22:05 PM »
My short story "In Memory," which was originally published as a finalist in Writers of the Future, Volume XX, has been reprinted online in Apex.  It's free to read.

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Eric James Stone / "The Robot Sorcerer"
« on: November 14, 2008, 02:16:43 AM »
My short story "The Robot Sorcerer" is now available at InterGalactic Medicine Show.  Access to the entire issue is only $2.50.
I think this is my favorite of my published stories.

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Eric James Stone / "P.R. Problems"
« on: October 22, 2008, 05:25:04 PM »
Blood Lite: The Anthology of Humorous Horror is now available, both online and at many bookstores. Along with my story, "P.R. Problems," there's a Harry Dresden story by Jim Butcher and stories by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Charlaine Harris, Kelley Armstrong, Janet Berliner, Don D'Ammassa, Nancy Holder, Nancy Kilpatrick, J. A. Konrath & F. Paul Wilson, Joe R. Lansdale Will Ludwigsen, Sharyn McCrumb, Mark Onspaugh, Mike Resnick, Steven Savile, D. L. Snell, Jeff Strand, Lucien Soulban, Matt Venne, and Christopher Welch.

To give you a taste, here's the beginning of my story:
Quote
P.R. Problems
by Eric James Stone

What annoys me the most about vampires and werewolves is their good P.R. Not that I want a return to the days of villagers with pitchforks and torches, but all the romantic attachment to predators who hunt and kill humans makes me sick.

So when a cannibalistic serial killer started leaving the gnawed-on bones of his victims in public places, did the media label him a vampire? No. A werewolf? No.

The press called him the "Grove City Ghoul."

Those reporters had obviously never heard of fact-checking.

First, we ghouls are carrion eaters, not predators -- hyenas, not wolves. Sure, we like to feast on human flesh, but we find bodies that are already dead and eat them, after they've had a chance to decay a bit. For some inexplicable reason, people seem to think that's more grotesque than the actual killing by vampires and werewolves.

Second, a ghoul wouldn't just gnaw on the bones, he would eat them. Besides being nice and crunchy, they're a good source of calcium. That's why ghouls never suffer from osteoporosis.

We ghouls just have bad P.R. And the serial killer wasn't helping.

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Eric James Stone / "Accounting for Dragons"
« on: April 10, 2008, 08:14:43 PM »
My short story "Accounting for Dragons" is now available in issue 8 of Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show.   The story is accompanied by an awesome illustration of a dragon by Nick Greenwood.

Several friends also have stories in the issue: John Brown, Matt Rotundo, and Aliette de Bodard.

I wrote "Accounting for Dragons" at the Odyssey workshop last year, to read at the Odyssey Slam.

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Eric James Stone / "The Ashes of His Fathers"
« on: March 07, 2008, 05:37:49 AM »
Subscribers to Analog magazine have received or will shortly be receiving the May issue.

You know how some CDs have secret bonus tracks that aren't listed?

The May issue of Analog has a secret bonus story that's not listed in the table of contents.  If you turn to page 60, however, you'll find "The Ashes of His Fathers," by yours truly.

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Eric James Stone / Read "Tabloid Reporter to the Stars" free
« on: February 18, 2008, 07:38:13 AM »
My story "Tabloid Reporter to the Stars" is now available to read for free at Intergalactic Medicine Show.
http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=issue&vol=i4&article=_001

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Eric James Stone / Free stories from InterGalactic Medicine Show
« on: February 02, 2008, 04:45:56 AM »
Edmund Schubert, the editor of Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show, asked me to pass this news along:

Quote
To Readers of Science Fiction and Fantasy everywhere,

When you have something great, you want everyone to know. So you tell people about it. You share it. You pass it along to friends everywhere. Well, that’s what we’re doing with InterGalactic Medicine Show. We want to make sure everyone has had a chance to check out what we’re doing, so we’re offering up a sampling of our stories – for free.
During the month of February we are going to make one story from each of our first four issues available at no charge. Two stories will be set free on February 1st, and two more on February 15th. Just visit www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com and explore the table of contents; the free stories will be clearly marked.

Issue one’s free story will be “Trill and The Beanstalk” by Edmund R. Schubert, issue two’s will be “Yazoo Queen” by Orson Scott Card (from his Alvin Maker series), issue three’s “Xoco’s Fire” by Oliver Dale, and issue four’s “Tabloid Reporter To The Stars” by Eric James Stone. Each story is fully illustrated by artists who were commissioned to create artwork to accompany that tale -- as is every story published in IGMS.

“Tabloid Reporter To The Stars” will also be featured in the upcoming InterGalactic Medicine Show anthology from Tor, which will be out this August (we wanted you to get a sneak peek of the anthology, too). However, the other three stories aren’t available anywhere except the online version of IGMS.

It’s really quite simple. Great stories. Custom illustrations. Free. We’re pleased with and proud of the magazine we’re publishing; now we’re passing it along to our friends and telling them about it. We hope you’ll enjoy it and do the same.

Edmund R. Schubert
Editor, Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show
www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com

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Eric James Stone / Premature Emergence
« on: February 02, 2008, 12:00:13 AM »
My story "Premature Emergence" is now available to read at Baen's Universe.

You can read a little about the writing of this story here.

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