Mark Sumner's Blog
February 9, 2016
Another episode of On Whetsday is available
When cithians saved humans from a dying Earth, they gave them a place to live and food to eat. They gifted the humans with the valuable information that they are not smart enough, not strong enough, not up to the challenge of playing a role in galactic civilization. In a city where many races meet, the cithians have taught humans to know their place: in the ghetto. Out of the way. Year after year, the cithians have carefully managed a small and gradually shrinking population of humans. Moving them from place to place. Giving them different environments. Watching how they react.
When humans cured the plague called "smallpox," they didn't destroy all their examples of the virus. At least, not right away. They had to keep some on hand, just in case. Just in case somewhere out there, the disease was still lurking. In case they had to fight it again. They kept tiny examples of the virus, secreted away in very secure places, so they could study it. So they could learn what made it so deadly for so long, and how they could protect themselves against anything the disease might do in the future.
These two situations... have everything in common.
Give the podcast version a try at
https://soundcloud.com/devilstower-64...
When humans cured the plague called "smallpox," they didn't destroy all their examples of the virus. At least, not right away. They had to keep some on hand, just in case. Just in case somewhere out there, the disease was still lurking. In case they had to fight it again. They kept tiny examples of the virus, secreted away in very secure places, so they could study it. So they could learn what made it so deadly for so long, and how they could protect themselves against anything the disease might do in the future.
These two situations... have everything in common.
Give the podcast version a try at
https://soundcloud.com/devilstower-64...
January 30, 2016
On Whetsday Web Event – text and audio
Starting tonight at 10 Eastern, 9 Central, the text of my new novel, On Whetsday, will be released as a series of articles on the front page of Daily Kos (dailykos.com) and as audio podcasts on Soundcloud.
I'm very excited about this book. I think it's the best thing I've written in a decade, and it's chock full of those literary doodads... what are they called? Oh, yeah. Themes and metaphors.
The book itself is going to be available soon from Word Posse, but I encourage you: give it five minutes. That's all it take to read episode one. And I think you'll be hooked. I know you'll enjoy the fantastic art by Amy Jones.
If you listen to the audio version, you get a bonus of an intro by mystery writer, Rett Macpherson. Plus, the book itself is ready by actor / voice artists Raymond Shinn.
The text will show up at dailykos.com promptly on schedule, but it you want to be sneaky, you can get to the audio right now.
I'm very excited about this book. I think it's the best thing I've written in a decade, and it's chock full of those literary doodads... what are they called? Oh, yeah. Themes and metaphors.
The book itself is going to be available soon from Word Posse, but I encourage you: give it five minutes. That's all it take to read episode one. And I think you'll be hooked. I know you'll enjoy the fantastic art by Amy Jones.
If you listen to the audio version, you get a bonus of an intro by mystery writer, Rett Macpherson. Plus, the book itself is ready by actor / voice artists Raymond Shinn.
The text will show up at dailykos.com promptly on schedule, but it you want to be sneaky, you can get to the audio right now.
January 24, 2016
New book coming up... in an interesting way
Starting next week, my first original novel in... let's just say, my first new novel in a long time, will start appearing on the web.
The book, On Whetsday, will appear as a series of chapters on the blog, DailyKos.com. It will also appear as a series of podcasts.
On Whetsday will also be a book (both paper and ebook variety) from Word Posse, in March.
I'll also be putting some excerpts and info here. So... hey, I'm still in business.
The book, On Whetsday, will appear as a series of chapters on the blog, DailyKos.com. It will also appear as a series of podcasts.
On Whetsday will also be a book (both paper and ebook variety) from Word Posse, in March.
I'll also be putting some excerpts and info here. So... hey, I'm still in business.
