Punk Ethos: Experimentation in the SFF Indie Space by Adrian M. Gibson “Everything I do, writing, touring, travelling, it all comes from the punk and hardcore attitude, from that expression - from being open to try things but relying on yourself, taking what you have into the battle and making of it what you will, hoping you can figure it out as you go. Make some sense of it.” —Henry Rollins Deciding to self-publish has been a long process for me. For years, I had the desire to go the traditional route, but interviewing authors on my podcast...
Guest Review: The Automaton by Ian Young
By Bill Adams Synopsis Humanity is on the cusp of extinction. Deteriorating populations threaten the planetary economy and risk the collapse of humanity itself. In desperation, human-like machines are built to serve where man no longer can. These are the Automata. Five thousand years later, humankind no longer walks the Earth, but has ascended beyond biology to float above Earth in a hemisphere-spanning supercomputer. When an anomaly arises on Earth that not even a post-biological civilization can comprehend, XR-345x — a long deactivated top-of-the-line automaton — is awoken in a derelict facility deep within the overgrown jungles of Africa. With help from Hank —...
Guest Review: Tears of the Maelstrom by Timothy Wolff
By Bill Adams Summary: With Vaynex on the brink of civil war, Tempest Claw struggles for peace among his people, many of whom seek vengeance for their lost deity. As the recession grows deeper, one thing remains clear: Tempest will either find common ground with his brethren, or a tomb buried within the sand. Serenna Morgan struggles in her new role as Guardian leader. With insufficient time to mend the emotional scars from the last Harbinger, she must prepare a scattered team to defend the realm from old enemies reemerging in the South, along with a new divine nemesis scheming...
Guest Review: River in the Galaxy by Natalie Kelda
by Bill Adams Summary When Merlon's parents disappeared, his world fell apart. When his best friend died, he lost the ability to enjoy life. For Captain Merlon Ricosta, Lanier's death, two years prior, feels like yesterday. But when a map from his parents is discovered, he decides to push aside his grief to get closure and follow the route they vanished along eighteen years ago. Despite political trouble, Merlon leads his crew into the unknowns of strange galaxies in his quest to find out why his parents never returned. In River in the Galaxy, Merlon fights to keep his crew...
What’s all the fuss over SPFBO and SPSFC? Guest Post By Palmer Pickering
What’s all the fuss over SPFBO and SPSFC? You may be wondering why SPFBO has become the hottest Indie Fantasy contest around, and what is its younger cousin, SPSFC? Mark Lawrence, prolific author of several trilogies, (e.g. grimdark “Broken Empire Trilogy”/”Prince of Thorns,” and other fantasy sub-genres including his latest release, “The Book that Wouldn’t Burn”) and published by Ace, suffered from “survivor’s guilt” of a sort, when he landed a book deal that he considered lucky circumstance while many of his peers who were also good writers did not get a deal. He wanted to provide a platform to...