Category Archives: Blogs

Doctor Who: Paterson Joseph Replaces Matt Smith…?

No press releases, no nothing…  Everything is all very “hush-hush” since the news regarding the Doctor’s new companion for 2010 (Karen Gillan), who could pass for a younger Professor Riversong might I add.  However, there is nothing to quell these rumors at the moment… Only that Paterson Joseph may have replaced Matt Smith (or maybe the English actor was always in the driver’s seat to begin with).  Then there’s this photograph below.  What is Doctor Who writer Stephen Moffat planning? 

Paterson Joseph

Official BBC Doctor Who Homepage:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

Supposedly Tennant already filmed the regeneration sequence.  I’ve seen the pics where he’s in a lot of pain, staggering, and a pre-2004 Billie Piper — yes, she returns for the two-part Christmas finale — along with her mother Jackie, bump into the soon-to-regenerate David Tennant.  Tennant encounters Ood Sigma at one point (again!), but it is unknown whether he makes it back to his TARDIS alone or not (according to Russell T. Davies, alone, because back in 2004 Rose Tyler would not have known the Doctor.  It’s said, however, that the ending is both a “surprise” and a real “tearjerker”. 

But how do you explain these sudden rumors of Matt Smith being replaced, and the Paterson Joseph pic? No recent photographs of Smith in his new Time Lord outfit at the very least? Nothing else leaked? Or is the pic above really bogus?

Previous Doctor Who links (related to Matt Smith):

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2009/01/05/doctor-who-matt-smith-is-not-the-eleventh-doctor/

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2009/03/16/doctor-who-series-five-monsters/

 

Lawrence Dagstine: “The Death of Magazines…”

…Or, the BEST BLOG EVAH! This made my day.  But then I think the “smart” folks out there knew this kind of thing was going to happen ages ago.   Next to go is print-on-demand; that’ll take time, and LSI will be like rare relic baseball cards in the age of the MLB steroid scandal — a specialty market.  And a collector’s pastime.  It’s more like the music industry.  Props go out to The Magazine Death Pool.  Credit given where credit is deserved.  Also, to the following comments below.

STARLOG MAGAZINE – R.I.P.

Starlog1

The Magazine Death Pool:

www.magazinedeathpool.com

Science Fiction Linkage:

http://www.magazinedeathpool.com/magazine_death_pool/2009/04/starlog-rip-april-2009.html#comments

Paul Riddell wrote: “I agree that the Internet is one of the reasons why “Starlog”, “Cinefantastique”, “Sci-Fi Universe”, and a plethora of other magazines went under, as their core audiences are generally so cheap that they use both sides of the toilet paper. That cheapness, though, is the real reason. Advertisers weren’t interested in buying ad space because the only response would be from “reviewers” who wanted freebies and from pocket psychotics who wanted to bitch about how they weren’t being hired for their obsessive knowledge of “Star Trek” trivia. On the newsstands, the copies would either be read and then discarded or shoplifted. Oh, and just try to get the cheap bastards to buy a subscription, even if the publisher got the subscriber copies out before the newsstand copies appeared, instead of three weeks to a month later. The only thing more pathetic than the science fiction media magazine market is the science fiction short story magazine market, which is why the few literary science fiction magazines left will probably be making the deadpool within the next year. I have money down on “The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction” being the first casualty of the season.”

Shoplifting is a little pushing it.  To be honest, with advertising aside, my money was on F&SF until about 2011-2012 tops.  I guess time will tell; after all, there are only so many infusions and bailouts.  Many old-school writers and editors who work these publishing ends will most likely be shoveling snow to pay their mortgages and make ends meet.   The Age of Freelancing is here, people, hold on.  We are now our own bosses and our own vacuum cleaner salesmen forever!  Obscurity is going to take on a whole new meaning.  In ten years time, Borders and Waldenbooks will not exist.  Hold on to your royalty checks.  Content-wise, things are about to get bumpier!

Edited to Add: Be sure to also check out the Sept. 08, 2008 entry.

Doctor Who: Series Five Monsters…

New Monsters! It’s about time… Hmm, am I making any sense? I don’t know, I might not make any sense ever again.  Fanboy-ism aside, and as a science fiction writer to boot, I’m here today to declare my love yet again for one of the longest running shows in TV history.  That’s right — Doctor Who! Torchwood would probably come in second or third for me.  And, as we all know, David Tennant regenerates after this year and becomes The Eleventh Doctor.  This role will go to the then 27-year old Matt Smith. 

regeneration_stunt

Now I will admit, at first I wasn’t too keen on the idea of Smith taking over the role; I had fingers crossed for Paterson Joseph, Adrian Lester, or even Colin Salmon.  But I guess it’s only right that we give the boy a chance.  After all, Stephen Moffat is a remarkable writer and it’s as if he were born to lead such a fantastic show.  Also, Matt Smith promises to bring a lot to the role as the Doctor — retracing the 70’s show model, Matt and Stephen? — and you know these newbies, one night they’re nobody, the next they’re a guaranteed success and eating the pie from the Actor’s Guild.  Matt Smith you have my attention.  I will give you a chance, I promise.  But what adversaries will you face? What monsters will you go up against? What surprises does Moffat have in store for us in 2010?

Official BBC Doctor Who Homepage:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

I know the one monster I don’t want to see anymore is The Daleks — NO MORE! They’ve been done to death.  Russell T. Davies abused them enough, I think.  I love the Cybermen, don’t get me wrong… but please exit right.  And it’s safe to bet that the Sontarans were just a “one-time” gig.   I want monsters that harken back to the Baker years.  Or they should be, at the very least, considered.

matt-smith-doctor-who-1

I have read rumors (and they are only that), that the “Weeping Angels” will be making their return.  I’ve seen The Sea Devils being tossed about the Net.  The Troclafane were mentioned on one “source” forum, but I hope they weren’t serious.  And like the Sea Devils, my money is on the Ice Warriors all the way! I wouldn’t be surprised if they are a major villain in Series Five. 

There are so many monsters that haven’t returned, that should.  I mean, what about the Nimon? These were Minotaur-like monsters who could shoot you down with their horns.  In the insect department, you have the Wirrn, who are most memorable from Baker’s second story, The Ark in Space.   A Horror of Fang Rock-like story involving the Rutans would be kind of interesting.  Or how about using CGI to remake The Gravis and a new sort of Tractator? Perhaps The Zarbi? No, even better, how about the Rani?

nimon

As I get ready for PLANET OF THE DEAD, I wonder what surprises are in store for Matt Smith.  And us… 

What monsters do YOU want to see return to Doctor Who? Would you like to cast a vote?

Come, take a Doctor Who poll with me…

For another Matt Smith/Doctor Who related poll, go here:

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2009/01/05/doctor-who-matt-smith-is-not-the-eleventh-doctor/ 

Like monsters? Then read my latest collection, FRESH BLOOD.  There’s plenty to be had there, in PG-13 color:

https://lawrencedagstine.com/books-anthos/ 

 

Cheers,

Lawrence R. Dagstine

Amazon’s Kindle 2: “The Wave of the Future…”

Ten to fifteen years ago, a new technology was developed called print-on-demand (POD).  Publishers and small authors alike who didn’t know any better explored it as a means to getting their works into print.  The Web, fairly new by publishing standards, helped become a vehicle for this phenomenon.  Back in those days you didn’t have to worry about garages or basements filled with over 500 or more titles not being sold.  No, you could order two or three at a time without having to sweat. Vanity presses took the most advantage of this, but now anyone and their mother can become a writer-turned-printer-turned-publisher (if you get the gist).  Still, no matter how far POD has come, no matter how much it has been utilized and what it is capable of, media in the form of a virtual entity will eventually – no, I’m sorry, inevitably – reign supreme.

Amazon’s Kindle 2: http://www.amazon.com/gp/…548931&pf_rd_i=507846

So toward the end of February 2009, Amazon’s new eReading gadget, KINDLE 2 makes its stunning debut.  You can go and preorder it now for a mere $359.00 – kind of steep, if you ask me – or you could wait five to ten years until every book, magazine, and news periodical known to man makes the switch regardless.  And that goes for the unknown or semi-popular ones, too. Think about it: saving trees and saving money, even saving shelf space unlike ever before, while being able to listen to music, read your favorite blogs, and go wireless on buses and subways or the road.  Amazon and Sony know what they’re doing.  In these tough times, where publishing companies are laying off hundreds if not thousands, where pro and non-pro magazines are folding left and right or going on hiatus, companies like Amazon are taking small steps through the cracks into what I call the ‘future of written word-related media’.

E-publications are more cost-effective than print.  So get with the program now, before it’s too late.  I’ll miss hardcovers and paperbacks like every other reader or writer from my generation. But if we don’t assimilate now, we may be missing out on a mighty fine resurgence.  Only in a different format. 

What do you think of the Kindle 2, or eBooks and eReaders in general? 

Come, take a KINDLE poll with me…

Cheers,

Lawrence R. Dagstine

M-BRANE Science Fiction, February 2009… (Coming Soon!)

With Arkham Tales, Atomjack, and Necrography just around the corner, I would have to say that this will probably be my last story acceptance for the year 2008.  I’ll have about 30 stories coming out over the next 12 months to some very fine and familiar publications. However, there’s a new magazine that will be available in print and PDF format come February.  It’s a monthly.  The pay isn’t big, but with subscriptions and good authors that could change.  A very likable venue, too.   Simple looking.  It’s called M-BRANE SF.  It looks very promising, and Christopher Fletcher is an extremely nice editor.  He also does reviews and SF analysis, too.

M-BRANE SCIENCE FICTION

Issue # 1 and #2 Coming Soon!

nasa_image1

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES/SF REVIEWS:

http://mbranesf.blogspot.com/

I don’t know who the first two issues consist of yet, but since I could not find a banner, I thought this public domain pic of a space shuttle entering the atmosphere would be cool.  In other news…

FRESH BLOOD, my collection from Sam’s Dot Publishing, has currently surpassed the 60,000+ word mark (making it novel-length).  Also, writers have been emailing me in regards to my hiatus rumors.  Other than Sam’s Dot… YES, where smaller genre publications are concerned, 350 publishing credits will mark a form of retirement for me, and 2009 will not only be a year off… but a year of book promotions, outlining projects, direction, new ideas, and most important, change…

Happy Holidays everyone.

Other New Entries: “Magazines”

Lawrence Dagstine: why I write short stories…

Many an aspiring author — and professional, too — has asked me over the past year why I write short stories.  Or, at the very least, why I choose to.  Naturally, it’s a field you won’t get rich from.  Matter of fact, if you happen to be one in that ten-thousand median author range to be on the lookout for, chances are you probably won’t even break the $5000 mark per year from all sources “writing-related”.   If you write novel-length genre works, major houses will usually yield print runs of 3000 copies.  Everybody wants a piece of the pie; the only thing is, there is no pie.  There are so many micro-presses these days that anybody can become a writer.  In most cases, this has screwed up the marketplace; I blame this slow literary death on technological globalization.

So what do we do to assure ourselves a cut and immortality? We annex and fan-club the profession.  This isn’t a terrible thing, but it’s all we’ve got right now until we come up with a better game plan, right? At the same time, I also believe we shouldn’t write for the masses because you never know what might work or what might not. 

October 1927 Copy of Short Stories Magazine

October 1927 Copy of Short Stories Magazine

The writing game is the extra income game, but it’s also the poor man’s game.  Which brings me back to my original topic: why short stories? Hey, why not? Life is short, and you should get your voice heard no matter what the venue.  That’s my philosophy.  But rather than tell you what motivates me to write short stories, why I prefer it over the long form (not to say there isn’t anything in the works; that’s for another day), and why I still persist at it… Well, I decided to search the Internet for like-minded individuals.  People who prefer to write short stories, too.

The first is Bev Vincent (author of The Road to the Dark Tower).  Every once in a while I do find a little gem of a post over at Storyteller’s Unplugged.  Bev is always astute and charming in his posts, and with this particular blog entry, he practically took the words right out of my mouth.  Because these are my very same thoughts.  Along with that, I’ve provided a few other links on why it really doesn’t matter, why sometimes it does, and on how what I mentioned above is so true… Life being short, so just submit…

WHY WRITE SHORT STORIES by Bev Vincent (Storyteller’s Unplugged):

http://www.storytellersunplugged.com/why-write-short-stories

 HOW MUCH DOES WRITING PAY by Nut (The Writer’s Coin):

http://www.thewriterscoin.com/2008/09/04/how-much-does-writing-pay/

 MY WIFE IS RUINING MY DREAMS by Chris Cope (Life Files):

http://www.theindychannel.com/family/16557240/detail.html

Also, the last time I did a post of this nature I forgot to stress the importance of an editorial filter, and I didn’t focus enough on non-fiction writing.  My last rant was geared more toward genre, and I apologize for that.  However, in the same fashion, I’d rather you read “How” and “Why” I do it (and what’s to be had from it), from the likes of others, rather than myself.  And in their own words.

HOW TO WRITE FOR MAGAZINES by Jason Arnopp (Bloggery Pokery)

http://jasonarnopp.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-write-for-magazine.html

SMALL PRESS MAGAZINES: SHOULD YOU BOTHER? by Bruce Boston

(Sam’s Dot Publishing/Writing World.Com)

http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/boston.shtml

THE AMATEUR vs. PROFESSIONAL MYTHOS

FREELANCE PROFESSIONAL WRITERS HATE AMATEUR WRITERS by Lance Winslow

http://ezinearticles.com/?Free-Lance-Professional-Writers-Hate-Amateur-Writers&id=227821

HOW WRITERS CAN BENEFIT FROM THE SHORT STORY MARKET by Paul Turner 

http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/how-writers-can-benefit-from-the-short-story-market-469055.html

WHAT MAKES A WRITER A PROFESSIONAL by Bruce Byfield

http://brucebyfield.wordpress.com/2007/06/08/what-makes-a-writer-a-professional/

INTERNET SMACKDOWN: THE AMATEUR VS. THE PROFESSIONAL by Tony Long

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/theluddite/2007/06/luddite_0621

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and submit that story.  As the professionals mentioned in the links above, these are the same exact reasons “Why” and “How” I do it.  And always remember, just because you’re not getting a piece of the pie, doesn’t mean you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. 😉

Cheers.

Lawrence R. Dagstine