A FAREWELL TO DRAGONSCLAW
This is the last issue of Parapet that will appear on Dragonsclaw. As of August 1998, View from the Parapet will be a monthly column in Exodus Magazine. My fantasy serial, The Adventures of Alaric Swifthand will remain on Dragonsclaw, so this move will not be a complete departure for me.
Dragonsclaw was the first place in which my work appeared on the web. I would like to thank not only the staff of Dragonsclaw, but also the readers who took the time to let me know their thoughts. Overall, the reaction to both this column and Alaric has been more than favorable and I want you all to know how much I appreciate your support.
I would also like to thank Mark, my good friend and proofreader. He's been involved with Parapet and Alaric from the beginning, so if there are any typos, they're not my fault (sorry, Mark). Without his efforts, there would have been a lot more commas.
What does this move mean? It means that more people will be seeing Parapet than ever before, which means even more feedback. The column will remain a forum for me to discuss anything that captures my imagination, and as always, I will pull no punches.
Now enough of this waxing maudlin and onto today's agenda. I'd like to say a word about Jackhammer. Jackhammer is a weekly online magazine that centers itself around a question of the week. I have sold several articles and short stories to this 'zine and in spite of that, it remains impressive. The centerpiece of Jackhammer is the message board where people are invited to drop by to discuss the week's question.
There have been several, but my favorites so far were Eternal Life: All it's Cracked Up to be?
and The Afterlife: Party in heaven or six feet under? You can't imagine the kind of warped but entertaining conversations that do go on (and on and on). In theory, the idea is to discuss the topic of the week, but often that question becomes a springboard for the conversation to bounce off in many an unpredictable direction.
In addition to its message board, Jackhammer has stories and articles in each issue, also linked to the question of the week. The stories are of a speculative nature, encompassing SF, fantasy and horror. All are well written, entertaining and often thought provoking. The magazine is just a sample of what one can do with the Internet, given a good imagination, some free time and great amounts of insanity. This is the most fun I have on the web.
Webmaster Matthew Moon has setup an intuitive interface that allows for easy navigation. You don't need to be Einstein to navigate through the 'zine (nor would it help, considering the fact that you'd be dead if you were) and the new colors are vibrant enough to wake me up, even on Monday morning. Mr. Moon is also a regular on the message board.
Raechel Henderson is the editor of Jackhammer and often her comments can be found on the board, as well. Though I have never met her, it is not difficult to see that she is a deeply thoughtful person, even if she does like some of my work. There are indeed so many regulars that I can't mention them all, so you'll just have to come and meet 'em for yourself. Or click on "About" from the main page and check out the list of what Raechel calls repeat offenders.
I feel as if I have become part of the Jackhammer family and hope that you'll all take the time to drop by and take it in. Add your thoughts to the message board or just read the stories and articles. Either way, it'll be well worth your time.
Other news this month, issue eight of Exodus magazine is out and believe me, it's the best yet.
The off-line version is particularly outstanding. SF/Fantasy artist Duncan Long, a talented artist whose work often appears in Exodus, illustrated my short fantasy story The Devil's Dawn.
This is one of the few times I have ever seen my work professionally rendered and I must say, he's done a wonderful job. I especially liked the protagonist's reflection in the dagger. That was a VERY nice touch.
It also seems that there is a very good chance that Exodus is about to go semipro. I'm certain I'm not supposed to be discussing this yet, but so what! After all, with the editor halfway across the country, what's he gonna do to me? I love the Internet!
While nothing is yet definite, several strategies are being discussed to raise money to pay authors and artists. If sponsors can't be found, Exodus may become a subscription based magazine. My guess is it will still be free until October or so, so make certain you check it out before then. And, of course, it is the only place where you'll be able to find View from the Parapet, which in itself will be WELL worth the subscription price, whatever it is. (Many would call this conceit, but I am just egotistical enough to call it candor).
On the home front, The Adventures of Alaric Swifthand is not all that far from completion. While most of the story has been roaming around my head for months, there are a few fine points on which I can still not decide. So in the interest of democracy, I thought I'd take a poll and use the results to steer the story. Think of it. You can be one of the happy few that help make history by helping to decide Alaric's future. All you need is an opinion and an e-mail account. Leave the rest to me. Here are three questions that I would like you to consider.
1. At the end of book 2, should Alaric and Theona part ways?
2. At the end of book 2, should Alaric manage to rid himself of the sword of truth?
3. Would anyone like to see Baron Kelrak meet Alaric or his daughter again?
Feel free to e-mail me with answers to any or all of these questions and any other ideas or questions you might have. The only thing I won't give away is what happens next.
Finally, you're all invited to visit my webpage, Steve's SF and Fantasy Home Page. Not only will you find news about my work on the web, but also about magazines, other authors and fantasy and SF in general. Let me know what you think, I'm always eager for new opinions.
See you all on Exodus next month.
Webpage & Graphics by Samandi Adams
Copyright (c) 2003-2004 ~ All Rights Reserved
A FAREWELL TO DRAGONSCLAW
This is the last issue of Parapet that will appear on Dragonsclaw. As of August 1998, View from the Parapet will be a monthly column in Exodus Magazine. My fantasy serial, The Adventures of Alaric Swifthand will remain on Dragonsclaw, so this move will not be a complete departure for me.
Dragonsclaw was the first place in which my work appeared on the web. I would like to thank not only the staff of Dragonsclaw, but also the readers who took the time to let me know their thoughts. Overall, the reaction to both this column and Alaric has been more than favorable and I want you all to know how much I appreciate your support.
I would also like to thank Mark, my good friend and proofreader. He's been involved with Parapet and Alaric from the beginning, so if there are any typos, they're not my fault (sorry, Mark). Without his efforts, there would have been a lot more commas.
What does this move mean? It means that more people will be seeing Parapet than ever before, which means even more feedback. The column will remain a forum for me to discuss anything that captures my imagination, and as always, I will pull no punches.
Now enough of this waxing maudlin and onto today's agenda. I'd like to say a word about Jackhammer. Jackhammer is a weekly online magazine that centers itself around a question of the week. I have sold several articles and short stories to this 'zine and in spite of that, it remains impressive. The centerpiece of Jackhammer is the message board where people are invited to drop by to discuss the week's question.
There have been several, but my favorites so far were Eternal Life: All it's Cracked Up to be?
and The Afterlife: Party in heaven or six feet under? You can't imagine the kind of warped but entertaining conversations that do go on (and on and on). In theory, the idea is to discuss the topic of the week, but often that question becomes a springboard for the conversation to bounce off in many an unpredictable direction.
In addition to its message board, Jackhammer has stories and articles in each issue, also linked to the question of the week. The stories are of a speculative nature, encompassing SF, fantasy and horror. All are well written, entertaining and often thought provoking. The magazine is just a sample of what one can do with the Internet, given a good imagination, some free time and great amounts of insanity. This is the most fun I have on the web.
Webmaster Matthew Moon has setup an intuitive interface that allows for easy navigation. You don't need to be Einstein to navigate through the 'zine (nor would it help, considering the fact that you'd be dead if you were) and the new colors are vibrant enough to wake me up, even on Monday morning. Mr. Moon is also a regular on the message board.
Raechel Henderson is the editor of Jackhammer and often her comments can be found on the board, as well. Though I have never met her, it is not difficult to see that she is a deeply thoughtful person, even if she does like some of my work. There are indeed so many regulars that I can't mention them all, so you'll just have to come and meet 'em for yourself. Or click on "About" from the main page and check out the list of what Raechel calls repeat offenders.
I feel as if I have become part of the Jackhammer family and hope that you'll all take the time to drop by and take it in. Add your thoughts to the message board or just read the stories and articles. Either way, it'll be well worth your time.
Other news this month, issue eight of Exodus magazine is out and believe me, it's the best yet.
The off-line version is particularly outstanding. SF/Fantasy artist Duncan Long, a talented artist whose work often appears in Exodus, illustrated my short fantasy story The Devil's Dawn.
This is one of the few times I have ever seen my work professionally rendered and I must say, he's done a wonderful job. I especially liked the protagonist's reflection in the dagger. That was a VERY nice touch.
It also seems that there is a very good chance that Exodus is about to go semipro. I'm certain I'm not supposed to be discussing this yet, but so what! After all, with the editor halfway across the country, what's he gonna do to me? I love the Internet!
While nothing is yet definite, several strategies are being discussed to raise money to pay authors and artists. If sponsors can't be found, Exodus may become a subscription based magazine. My guess is it will still be free until October or so, so make certain you check it out before then. And, of course, it is the only place where you'll be able to find View from the Parapet, which in itself will be WELL worth the subscription price, whatever it is. (Many would call this conceit, but I am just egotistical enough to call it candor).
On the home front, The Adventures of Alaric Swifthand is not all that far from completion. While most of the story has been roaming around my head for months, there are a few fine points on which I can still not decide. So in the interest of democracy, I thought I'd take a poll and use the results to steer the story. Think of it. You can be one of the happy few that help make history by helping to decide Alaric's future. All you need is an opinion and an e-mail account. Leave the rest to me. Here are three questions that I would like you to consider.
1. At the end of book 2, should Alaric and Theona part ways?
2. At the end of book 2, should Alaric manage to rid himself of the sword of truth?
3. Would anyone like to see Baron Kelrak meet Alaric or his daughter again?
Feel free to e-mail me with answers to any or all of these questions and any other ideas or questions you might have. The only thing I won't give away is what happens next.
Finally, you're all invited to visit my webpage, Steve's SF and Fantasy Home Page. Not only will you find news about my work on the web, but also about magazines, other authors and fantasy and SF in general. Let me know what you think, I'm always eager for new opinions.
See you all on Exodus next month.
Webpage & Graphics by Samandi Adams
Copyright (c) 2003-2004 ~ All Rights Reserved