The Final Frontier

I love Star Trek in all of its reincarnations and adaptations; I even watched the cartoon series with great fervor. I love reading sci-fi too. I’ve written some short sci-fi stories, but until now never attempted a novel.

Why? It’s hard. And it’s not my bailiwick; fantasy worlds also must be constructed, but I know my fairies. I’m also fairly well versed in world religions, so with a little research, I can successfully add a spiritual element or two in between the elves and dryads.

But sci-fi…whew. Aliens have to make sense; you can’t have them be all bug eyed and green skinned and then have them prancing around on earth, um, someone would notice. The science has to make sense. A unique culture must be invented. Language. Arts. Social mores….eeeeeeek.

But I’m doing it. Sci-fi is something I haven’t done yet. Since I've read a lot of it, at least I’m familiar with the genre. And, although I can’t add fairies, I might just be able to sneak in my signature spiritual bit.

It’s scary. But I’ll try to boldly go where I’ve not gone before…

Dresden Files

I’ve just read, no, consumed, all of the available Dresden Files books, including a collection of short stories in the same world. They are riveting, fun, exciting, can’t put ‘em down sort of books.

For you writers this may be no surprise, but I can no longer read for pleasure as well as I used to. That is an unfortunate side effect of the writing profession, I’ve come to realize. I’m constantly worrying if I will unconsciously steal something, I assess why this book is popular, and….I see things my own publishers nag me (rightly so) about…overused words, favorite phrases, “mistakes” in narrator voice.

Jim Butcher does all of those. I’ve found myself mentally whacking out unneeded words and substituting others for his favorites. He pops from 1st person narrative to using an omnipresent first, which is a little jarring.

But you know what? His books are SO good, so fast paced that I don’t do my editing thing nearly as much. The man can tell a story. His characters, well, I love them. I would like to meet them. I want to be friends with them. Well, some of them. His monsters are very creepy. And just when I think he can’t take the plot any further, I mean really…he’s on book fourteen for heaven’s sake…he does.

These books are true escapism, even for a writer. But be warned: once you start you can’t stop.