Thursday, 7 November 2013
One Man's Opinion Review of Welcome to the Multiverse (sorry for the inconvenience)
Hi all, This is a link to a ones man’s opinion video Review of Welcome to the Multiverse (Sorry for the inconvenience) by Ira Nayman. Review by Stephen B. Pearl Address: http://youtu.be/T5h0pObBYf4 Hi all, This is a link to a ones man’s opinion video Review of Welcome to the Multiverse (Sorry for the inconvenience) by Ira Nayman. Review by Stephen B. Pearl
Thursday, 12 September 2013
INDIE HORROR LIT PANEL taken at Fan Expo 2013
Given that I am an infrequent blogger at best I thought this might appeal to some.
This is a video in six parts of the INDIE HORROR LIT PANEL taken at Fan Expo 2013
The small press publishing scene has always been a vital part of the horror lit movement. Panelists DARRELL DRAKE, STEPHEN PEARL, KAREN DALES and ALISSE LEE GOLDBERG explore the pros and cons of going indie and how to best get the word about your frightful tales out there, without the aid of big publishing. Moderated by Monica S. Kuebler.
Addresses:
Monday, 19 November 2012
World Fantasy Con 2012
WORLD FANTASY CON
What follows is a somewhat belated love letter to the organizers volunteers and all other people involved with the World Fantasy Con held in Toronto in November of 2012.
To you one and all, I offer my deepest thanks. The check in ran like a well oiled machine taking only seconds to obtain the full kit which included a con badge holder that I am using at all other cons do to it’s functionality. A pocket for the con pass that leaves space for my business cards. A pocket on the back for other peoples business cards that I take. A pen holder that actually holds a pen, you know what I’m saying about ‘pen holders’, and an inner pocket to hold a pad of sticky notes. It is a brilliant example of good design. I must not forget to mention the book bag I was instructed to retrieve from another room. I admit to being a little bemused by this latter item, but with a shrug I went to the room indicated and picked up a fine canvas bag that I am sure will serve me at cons for years to come. The best part though was the stack of books filling it to near overflowing. I have heard from others the bags weighed about fifty pounds. I’m not sure, but there were enough books there to keep my lips moving while I read for a year or more.
This brought me to one of the great examples of the forethought people put into this con. A table had been set up which was effectively take a book leave a book, so that people could fine tune the contents of their book bags. This may seem a small thing, but I find that the small things add up. I noticed this one, I’m sure the con in general was resplendent with little bits of intelligent forethought that I didn’t notice because they blended so seamlessly into the event.
Karen Dales, fellow Dark Dragon author and good friend, http://www.karendales.com/ put me up for the event so we had driven in together. Leaving our book bags in my car we proceeded to the dealer’s room and began setting up the Dark Dragon table http://www.darkdragonpublishing.com . Again no glitches. The tables were in place, our location clearly marked the room was open, clean, smoke free and no one had been allowed to block the entrance.
After carting the merchandise in I left Karen to finish setting up the Dark Dragon table while I went to do my panel.
WHITHER THE DARK ARTS?
Psychic detectives were popular throughout much of the twentieth century, and in the 1960s the novels of Dennis Wheatley played heavily on the Black Mass and other occult practices. Do psychic detectives still have “legs” in the technological world of the twentyfirst century? The overtly occult is more common in secondary worlds. Why is this? And will psychic detectives and the dark arts make a comeback?
Stephen Pearl (M), Richard Gavin, Derek Kunsken, David Sakmyster, Mark Teppo.
Despite a bit of a slow start and being one panellist down, (his flight didn’t get in until 3PM) this went well. The audience was large considering it was 2:00PM on a Thursday and the first panel of the convention. The conclusion was rather obvious. We agreed the paranormal PI is still around he / she is just being called a wizard, Ray McAndrews, Harry Dresden, or a necromancer, Anita Blake or one of the other traditional titles given a practitioner of the paranormal arts.
The sound system in the panel rooms was the one small persistent glitch that plagued this convention. In all it was very minor.
Then it was back to the Dark Dragon table.
I’m not sure which day anymore, but I made the acquaintance of Charles de Lint http://www.sfsite.com/charlesdelint/index2.htm while I was at the Dark Dragon table. We spoke only briefly but he seemed a friendly, gracious fellow and he accepted the gift of a copy of Nukekubi http://www.stephenpearl.com/Books/Books.htm#N with fine form. It’s always nice when a great talent is married to a degree of class and good humour. I also, finally, managed to remember to give Tanya Huff http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/tanya-huff a copy of Nukekubi, something I’ve been meaning to do for months. Tanya is as nice as everyone says she is. We’ve chatted on a couple of occasions, but I’ve always forgotten to gift her a book until this time.
The dealer’s room closed at six pm each night and the con stopped programming from six to eight pm. When I saw this on the schedule I thought they were mad, but really it created a wonderful period of time to mix and mingle. The first night I went to a restaurant with the authors of Dragon Moon Publishing http://dragonmoonpress.com/?product_page=1 . As nice and as talented a group of folk as you would ever want to meet. Karen Dales was along as well we whelps of the Dark Dragon were made welcome.
What I didn’t know at this point was that I could have been up in the con suite feasting on Chinese food. The next day I learned that the con suite was serving real food. After this discovery they became my choice for grazing throughout the con. Continental breakfast, sandwich and salad bar for lunch and on the respective nights Chinese, Greek, Jamaican. I felt like a hobbit that won the lottery. And once I found the secret, quiet, back room where they hid the pop I was laughing.
The conversations were wonderful. Everybody knew something of fantasy and or writing. On balance the attendees were nice, pleasant people. There was alcohol available, in extreme amounts when the parties got going on the Saturday, but I didn’t see one person who drank themselves past happy to stupid.
The autograph signing afforded me the opportunity to get some long awaited signatures. I came one step closer to accomplishing what is becoming a minor quest for me. I intend to get Mercedes Lackey’s autograph. I’ve tried for the last year and something always gets in the way. This convention I managed to make it into the same room with her twice. I heard her speak and came within three meters of her but alas the quest continues. It gives me something to look forward to. I sold one book during the autograph session and of course signed it. It was really more a meet and greet and it served its purpose.
The art show was impressive and the reception they had for it was something else. Howard Fox www.howardfox.com won the art competition. Smoked salmon, and other hors-d’oeuvres were combined with free lemonade and ice tea as well as coffee and a cash bar to make a classy atmosphere. If you’d plunked the guests in tuxes and evening gowns no one would have batted an eye. Of course we were a bunch of authors, editors and publishers, so jeans and a T shirt fit in well enough. I had a lovely discussion about medieval weaponry with a gentleman, it took me back to my days in the SCA.
All in all the World Fantasy Convention was magnificent. To those who planed and executed this event thank you, you did brilliantly and have my greatest appreciation. If people don’t talk about how good a convention this was for years to come then there is something wrong with them.
Ankh em Ma’at to you one and all.
Stephen B. Pearl: www.stephenpearl.com
Author of:
Tinker’s Plague: A post-apocalyptic, science fiction, medical and political thriller, ISBN 978-1-933157-30-6 Available in paperback and e-book formats from Draumr Publishing: http://www.draumrpublishing.com/store/cart.php?target=main
Slaves of Love: e-book: A futuristic detective story of love and madness.
The Hollow Curse: e-book: A centuries spanning tale of love and obsession
Nukekubi: A paranormal, detective novel, ISBN 978-0-9867633-6-6 - eISBN. 978-0-9867633-7-3 Available in paperback and e-book formats from Dark Dragon Publishing: www.darkdragonpublishing.com
Friday, 21 September 2012
1st Locke St. festival interview.
Hi all,
I recently spent a day selling at the Locke St. festival in Hamilton Ontario at the Epic Books table. While there I did several interviews with some of my fellow authors. I’ll be posting them all over the next few weeks but here’s the URL for the first of them: http://youtu.be/9r4TI6e4rcg
Friday, 13 July 2012
Guelph Faery Fest 2012
HI All,
I spent the weekend of June 23/24, 2012 at the Guelph Faery Fest: http://www.faeryfest.com/ and thought a brief report was in order.
The fest was a wonderful event. I don’t think I have enjoyed myself as much at an event in years. From the Board of Directors: T Shawn Johnson, Glenn Roberts, Rick Avery and Monika Ptok-Byard, down to the newest of volunteers the people were wonderful. You got the sense that everyone was there because of a love of the event. The acts on the main stage ranged from solid to fantastic, some of the musical performers were absolutely brilliant. Story tellers, singers, a stage magician and the 404’s improve comedy troop were just a few of the delights the weekend offered.
The jousting was truly impressive. As a past member of the Society for Creative Anachronism I know a bit about armour and the suits the jousters were wearing combined beauty and function. The war horses are big majestic animals. The sight of three year old humans sitting atop these huge examples of the equine breed as they were led around the list after the joust couldn’t help but bring a smile to your face. This was a feature the jousters offered where for Five Dollars they would let people mount up and then lead the steeds around like a pony ride. If these steeds were ponies a house cat is a tiger. J
The merchants were what one would expect for the venue, but the quality was good. I didn’t see a single stall where I thought the person needed to take some more arts and crafts lessons.
While I didn’t get to try my hand at any of the games of skill, set up at the back of the grounds by the river, they did have Archery, a fire the ballista, catapults and several other opportunities to see how you would fair with weapons from ancient times.
Con-G, Guelph’s Anime and Geek culture convention: http://con-g.com/ set up an area where the little ones could make their own dragons out of egg cartons.
It seemed like half the people in attendance came in costume, and if you have any whimsy in your soul you couldn’t help but smile. On a more adult note, if you are a hetro guy and have a pulse you have to love these events. Hay, I’m married, monogamous and love my wife. I’m not dead yet.
The Author’s tent, where I spent most of my time, was situated by a line of shade trees close to the secondary stage. The combination of the shade trees and tent canopy made a lovely micro climate a good three degrees cooler than most of the grounds. People came to check out the books by myself, Stephen B. Pearl: www.stephenpearl.com , Jana Laiz: http://janalaiz.com/ and Professer Klunk: http://www.professerklunk.com/ as well as Jewellery by Joy Hughes-Pearl, she’s the cute woman with the chubby guy armed to the teeth that keeps hovering around. J Amongst us we covered reading from pre-school, Professor Klunk, through young adult, Jana Laiz, and into adult, Stephen B. Pearl. I also had T shirts and book bags for sale.
The weather was lovely having only a light shower early on on the Sunday and a brief period of moderate rain close to closing on the Sunday. The oppressive heat of the previous week was mercifully broken. The mosquitoes were a minor annoyance but these were kept largely under control.
The English country dancing, that ended the Saturday, looked interesting but more interesting was the prospect of a sunset stroll through Riverside Park with my beloved wife of twenty six years. The park is beautiful with lots of animals such as racoons, geese, beavers, otters; we saw several racoons during our stroll. The park is also the perfect place for the Faery Fest. The glade around the floral clock that graces it is like something you’d expect to see in Rivendell from Lord of the Rings. The remembrance garden that parallels a stretch of the river is nothing short of breath taking. It would be worth visiting Guelph simply to walk through this lovely place.
Getting back to the dancing. I didn’t partake. A few too many leaps from lifeguard towers onto concrete decks coupled with the tork of eggbeater kick have left my knees a little less than generous. This coupled with a distinct lack of rhythm and being rather self-conscious makes me a bit of a wall flower. The folk who did partake seemed to enjoy themselves, and I must admit it is a sight to see a host of winged Fay prancing about to the sound of live musicians.
The event was wonderful and the people nicer than I could have hoped. If you have an open heart, a sense of whimsy and kind words to share, I truly suggest you drop in next year. I’ve already decided to go.
If I can figure out my editing software there will be images to follow. Until next time, may the Divine, no matter what you perceive it to be, walk with you.
Sunday, 8 July 2012
End of Polaris
Well Folks I’m back from my Saturday at the Polaris Science Fiction Convention selling my books; Tinker’s Plague, Nukekubi and the anthologies my work has been included in Samhain, Yule and Morbid Seraphic.
The big news is Polaris as we know it is going the way of the dinosaurs. Yes, it’s growing feathers and taking to the sky, well really it’s being hit with a big rock, no no; it’s suffering a volcanic eruption, naa, its losing biodiversity then succumbing to plagues. Naa, it’s a mix of these and other factors. In sort, it’s dead, Jim! Yes Polaris 26 was the last incarnation of the con in its current form. In the fall of 2013 a new con will arise. Yes the son of Polaris will strap on the electrodes and bring down the lightning and return in a new form to lumber across the landscape of the Toronto science fiction community. Grab your foam pitchforks and shovels and give it a big LARP welcome.
How this new incarnation will be I cannot say, but as for this Polaris it was OK. The roomer mill was working overtime and everybody was curious about the future. Sales were Luke, I am your father, warm at the table I shared with Karen Dales beside Ira Nayman.
I will say this; the cover of the Con booklet is imaginative. An exploding planet with space ships from various SF series flying away from it like escaping refugees ready to colonize new worlds.
The people shooting the Chasing Atlantis Documentary were doing interviews. I took them up on their kind offer to be interviewed. They were extremely nice, pleasant and friendly. Please visit their website at: www.chasingatlantis.ca to find out more about this documentary about the Space Shuttle Program its impact and the impact of its demise. In a sense it was apropos that they were shooting for this documentary at the last Polaris.
I missed the masquerade but saw the awards ceremony. The Darlecks were incredible. The astronomy in the parking lot was interesting with clear skies and “stellar” ;-) views of Saturn and several other celestial objects.
All I can really do now is thank all the folks who have been involved with Polaris in the past and present. For twenty six years you have supplied a venue for entertainment and community, I salute you one and all my good will and best wishes go with you.
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Book Review of Remedy by Heidi Vlach review by Stephen B. Pearl
On rare occasions one is privileged to be present at the start of something spectacular. This, the first book by Heidi, may just be such a privilege. Heidi has an excellent grasp of interpersonal relationships adding a level of depth and reality to her characters interactions that one seldom sees. Her characters themselves are interesting “people” who you not only get to know but want to get to know. The affection, and in some places ire, they hold for each other resonates from the page into the reader’s heart. For myself I found a great camaraderie with Peregrine, a Korvie, an intelligent flying queasy dragon, who has traded a good measure of his health to do a task that needed to be done. Korvie are one of three intelligent races sharing the world that Remedy is set in.
Heidi has done a fair job of allowing the unique biology of her three races to affect their behaviour just when you begin to forget that you aren’t reading about Homo sapiens something happens to remind you of the differences that make the species unique.
The story lines are about duty and striving to do the right thing over the easy thing. Heidi doesn’t make her world overly dark or sickly sweet, she makes it real with people standing up to a horrific event that could crush them. Some fall, others rise and some are held helpless by their own pressing needs.
The writing flows well and draws you through the pages holding suspense until almost the end.
Now what cost the fifth star? This is Heidi’s first novel and it isn’t perfect, very very good though. Her world building could use some work using things like dogs and recognisable plant names kind of jerked me out of the read. There may be an explanation for why these things exist on a world of Korvi, Ferrin, and Aemat but I didn’t find it in the book. The climax came a little early leaving over long for the epilogue. I know some of the factors that lead to this. When one writes about a plague one is torn between the reality which is that plagues peter out and the desire to have a smash of an ending. Still and all it is what it is in the story. This second is a lesser fault because by that point I just wanted to hang with Peregrine and the gang for a few more pages, but the end could have been tighter.
That said I give this book a very strong four out of five stars. Heidi has great talent a fine voice and I hope a bright future as a writer. Anything I saw as a fault will be corrected by experience and as it stands Remedy is a fine work better than most of the fantasy out there and quite unique in both theme and voice.
Congratulations Heidi a well earned four out of five stars. For more visit www.heidicvlach.com .
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