Nebulous thinking

The SFWA annual Nebula weekend is going on in San Jose. Yawn. Last year I attended, but that was because my mother and sister live in Northern Virginia, and the awards were held in D.C., so I double dipped. I didn't stay at the hotel, I stayed with my family.

The Science Fiction Writers of America is chock-full of snobs and elitists, and the PC in the organization is bone-crunching and barbaric. There's really no active role for someone like me. I sounded them out last year with a run for office. After the briefest of exchanges I ran away from my campaign and started the process of organizing a writers group that won't piss on you if you believe in God or America.

Last year the SFWA announced the results of the annual election at the Nebula Weekend. This year, they announced them weeks in advance. I suspect this was the result of the dissident candidacy of Ted Beale. The in-group candidate Steve Gould trounced Beale, 444 to 46, but totalitarian political systems cannot tolerate dissent and I'm sure they wanted to all be happy going into the magic weekend. I'm surprised they even counted Beale's votes, and I'm sure they will expel him in the near future.

Beale was hateful and provocative, but hey, you don't gain anything by playing nice with such a bunch of inbred self-righteous snobs.

Beale's candidacy was a Parthian volley against outgoing President John Scalzi. Scalzi's PC henchman and enforcer, Jim Hines - who lives in Michigan - decided to run for South Central Regional Director against Lee Martindale of Texas, who beat back the challenge 71-64. I used to get along pretty well with Lee, but it seems when she found out I was a Christian she turned he back on me. She won't even speak to me. No big deal, Christians are used to being treated like shit in this heathen Godless country (she is a bona-fide pagan).

BUT she still does a good job, and is representative of the membership of the group, so I voted for her and urged others to do the same. Hines learned - like Beria did after Stalin died - that people don't trust the head of the secret police. They're always afraid they will be next.

I would like to think that as times goes by the SFWA will practice tolerance, if not acceptance, of people who believe in God and Country and those old-fashioned concepts. But I doubt it. Like an exclusive trade union taken over by organized crime, it really is just a PC enforcement racket.

Parked in the aerodrome

Well, "Great White Ship" didn't win in the Final Four. I'm actually somewhat relieved, the tension over the competition was a bit of a distraction.

When the Daily Science Fiction bracket madness started in March, I lobbied for support, but I actually lost track of it for a number of weeks and it advanced at least a couple of rounds without my paying any attention. I picked up the trail again when it made it to the Sweet 16, and since then I've lobbied for support. I spent time on Facebook posting messages, and that takes time.

I'm proud of the story, and I think it did very well for an old-fashioned "Sense of Wonder"-type story, which isn't really fashionable in speculative fiction any more.

Late yesterday, just before 5 p.m. I made a last-ditch effort and messaged everyone in the newspaper to please visit the web site and vote for me. One staff member visited the site and read it, and I was quite pleased that he said he really liked my description of an East Texas thunderstorm:

"It's like God dumps a big tin bucket of water on top of your head, then drops the bucket over your head, and then he pounds on the bucket."

I always like that piece of business, and I was glad he liked it, too.

The Great White Ship is back in port, and being refurbished for its next voyage, which will be the lead story in my forthcoming reprint collection from Fantastic Books, "The Clock Struck None".

"Great White Ship" sails again

The first official Daily Science Fiction Longer Short Story March and April (and Part of May) Madness - DSFLSSMAMM for short - single elimination 64 story brouhaha, commenced March 1st with daily face-offs. It features the 64 longest stories published in 2012 (only one story per author).

A poll, featuring two stories in head-to-head competition, in on the website each day. The winner advances. Ultimately a single story will win the coveted Favorite (Longer) Short Story of DSF Year 2012. The top two stories receive an illustration by artist Seth Alan Bareiss.

My story "Great White Ship", originally published almost exactly a year ago - May 15, 2012 - has made it to the Final Four.

"Great White Ship" is on the Tangent on-line Recommended Reading list for 2012. Obviously, I'm partial to it. Please vote!