BACK TO MYSTICON IN ROANOKE

We're delighted to have been invited back to the Mysticon conference coming up in Roanoke next month.  It's a fantastic gathering of writers, fans, cosplayers, and scifi film buffs that had been on hiatus since the days of Covid and is rebooting this year.  We'll hope to have some new picturess to post soon, so stay tuned to this station!

AN APPEAL TO ASIAN FANS

Here in North America we hear of the strength of the science fiction community in Asia, especially in Chinese-speaking countries, but we receive far too little information.  Apart from a few wonderful classics such as The Three Body Problem and related masterpieces, we have little news of the vast sci fi audience in that part of the world.  I know I am not alone in craving more information on the development of science fiction writing in Asia.  

Several specific questions include: How many science fiction magazines exist either in Chinese, English, or other languages?  How accessible are these publications in bookstores?  What kinds of publishers exist for full length novels or novellas and are these mainly devoted to speculative fiction or do they also publish in other genres?  What sorts of science fiction support groups are popolar in Asia?  Are there sci fi conferences for the general public to attend or do authors gather at smaller conferences to discuss their work?  Are there separate categories within sci fi for subgenres such as military sci fi, hard sci fi, social or anthropological sci fi, cozy sci fi, etc.?  Are there sci fi books stemming from films, such as the Star Trek novels or Star Wars novels?  

We are particularly interested in such questions because the sci fi scene is evolving quickly here in North America.  Some of the mosts established print magazines in English seem to be having trouble maintaining a hard copy presence.  Online magazines seem to be proliferating and organizing themselves more closely.  POD publishers of novels seem to be declining and small press publications often have an ephemeral status, rapidly coming and going in ways that can leave authors and fans baffled.  "Big 5" publishers rely mainly on literary agents as a go-between in the story procurement process and the world of agents also is in rapid transition.  Some groups of authors attempt to solve the publication problems by collectively working on anthologies, but these efforts often face funding and distribution bottlenecks.  It would be most helpful to have an idea of how our Asian colleagues are finding answers to their creative questions.  Please feel free to follow and post your reactions on this site.

                                        Jim and John, writing as J. M. R. Gaines

  

 BIENVENIDOS AMIGOS DEL SUR

We are delighted to welcome new viewers from the republics of Ecuador and Argentina to the Forlani Universe and hope that you will enjoy our posts, stories, and books!

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY!

A NEW STORY TO COME SOON

No, it's not snowing here on the Rappahannock in June, but we feel in good spirits because a new story just got accepted for publication.  The upcoming issue of Virginia Writers Project will contain our latest Forlani Saga story, Essedt, which features Garanian characters (reptilians) on the colony world of Garan Bis.  They must struggle with the imposition of a new totalitarian order on their society that was once based on individual virtues, even if it means paying the ultimate price for resistance.  We hope to be able to post a link soon.  Stay tuned.

 Hello New Fans From the Global South

A special welcome to our new viewers from Brazil and Vietnam!  Be sure to follow our posts for more information about science fiction and our own publications available on Amazon.

 RAVENCON 2025 

You never know who you'll run into at a sci fi con.  How about a vampire?  This is the great Count Gore de Vol, who for over a decade hosted Creature Feature to television fans in the Washington, DC area.  He took time out from his busy schedule presiding over the cosplay at the con to take a picure with me.  Check out his webpage for memorabilia.  It's always a pleasure to see this terrific fellow.

 We're Going Back to Ravencon!

We're returning to Ravencon 2025 this weekend in Glen Allen, Virginia.  This time we're giving ourselves a break from panels, having spoken in a dozen in our last 2 cons, and we're taking time out for some gaming and listening.  These cons stimulate out minds for more creative work.  Last year we had six publications in sci fi and we're hunting for fresh ideas for more short stories, poems, and chapters for Earth Regained.  Stay tuned for more news as we plunge into summer...