2021-08-19 12:00
Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco have developed a computer program to translate the brain waves of a 36-year-old paralyzed man into text: Scientists Translate Brai… Read More
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Alien Romances Blog
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A by-invitation group blog for busy authors of SFR, Futuristic, or Paranormal romances in which at least one protagonist is an alien, or of alien ancestry.
2021-08-15 16:04
Disclaimer: Comcast has been down for the last 3 days with no end in sight, so I am limited. Bad weather!Bad Actors: Goodreads.com is a site for readers and thick-skinned authors. Allegedly… Read More
2021-08-12 12:00
Kameron Hurley's latest LOCUS column focuses on how to evaluate feedback from editors: When Should You Compromise? Her guiding principles are "Understand the story you are trying to tell" an… Read More
2021-08-08 16:05
The Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare, had the sad and cynical Jacques explain that all the world is a stage, and all people are actors, acting out predestined parts.Jacques, by the way… Read More
2021-08-05 12:00
Is the public ready for a RoboDog on the police force? New York City, Honolulu, and the Dutch national police force have tried a robotic police dog nicknamed Spot, created by Boston Dynamics… Read More
2021-07-31 13:51
If you are a member of Authors Guild or SFWA, and based in the USA, you have until August 15th, 2021 to find out if LIG Solutions might be right for your health care needs.SFWA links:https:/… Read More
2021-07-29 12:00
An old song laments, "I talk to the trees, but they don't listen to me." Apparently, however, trees listen to each other. Some of them communicate among themselves by means of a symbiotic fu… Read More
2021-07-25 12:37
Can an app wreck your life?Apparently, so. From Electronic Freedom Foundation to RedState, dark cautionary tales abound. At bottom, it is data brokers to blame, and you really cannot stop th… Read More
2021-07-22 12:00
What accounts for the current fad of present-tense narrative in fiction? Most of the time, it makes my teeth grind with annoyance. Even a recent urban fantasy novel by Charles de Lint veers… Read More
2021-07-18 21:46
If we publish, we promote. There's no avoiding it.If we have assistance, increasingly, it has to be willingly given (or subcontracted), and the willingness has to be properly defin… Read More
2021-07-15 12:00
Another LOCUS article by Cory Doctorow on monopolies and trust-busting: Tech Monopolies He begins this essay by stating that he doesn't oppose monopolies for the sake of competition or choic… Read More
2021-07-10 14:00
Sharing favorite recipes is a great way for authors to reach new audiences, and ever so subtly to promote a book that perhaps mentions a particular dish. Often, authors will get togeth… Read More
2021-07-08 12:00
Over the July 4th weekend, columnist David Brooks wrote about the importance of storytelling: America Has a Great Story to Tell Skipping past the explicitly political content, I was particul… Read More
2021-07-05 13:58
Privacy is very important to many individuals, creators, artists... and erasing privacy is highly profitable for crooks, advertisers, copyright infringers, data miners, evil-doers.In 2018, l… Read More
2021-07-01 12:00
When extraterrestrials visit our planet, or vice versa, will we be able to communicate with them? This article discusses the issue of learning alien languages: If We Ever Came Across Aliens… Read More
2021-06-29 17:00
AfterthoughtsPart 4Assembling An Opening Scene Afterthoughts haven't been indexed yet.Part 1 https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2021/04/afterthoughts-part-1.htmlPart 2https://… Read More
2021-06-27 14:28
Disclaimer: as far as I know, "Scamsaurus" is a made-up word, and I made it up moments ago. I googled Scamsaurus, and was offered a choice of dinosaurs, among them Samosaurus or Camosa… Read More
2021-06-24 12:00
"Virtual help agents" have been developed to perform many support tasks such as counseling refugees and aiding people to access disability benefits. Now a software app named Woebot is claime… Read More
2021-06-22 17:00
When Should You Give Up On A ManuscriptPart 7How To Climb Over The Wall That Hit You Index to "When Should You Give Up On A Manuscript" https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.co… Read More
2021-06-20 17:15
In times of inflation, art appreciates. When cash (or bonds, or equities) lose value, people spend. They buy art, precious metals, property, stamps, and alcohol.By the way, the cost of an Am… Read More
2021-06-17 12:00
A speech language pathologist, Christina Hunger, claims to have taught her dog, Stella, to "talk": Can That Dog on Instagram Really Talk? The communication method depends on a soundboard lik… Read More
2021-06-15 18:00
AfterthoughtsPart 3Grimdark in Genre Fiction Part 1 https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2021/04/afterthoughts-part-1.htmlPart 2https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2021/06/a… Read More
2021-06-13 13:27
Decadent thought leads to decadent language, which leads to even more decadent thought... and a vicious vortex of decay and corruption ensues. Is the process accidental or deliberate?In "Pol… Read More
2021-06-10 12:00
In the June issue of LOCUS, Kameron Hurley writes about how she gets from the beginning of a story to the end: Endings and Beginnings I'm always interested in the techniques used by other wr… Read More
2021-06-08 18:00
AfterthoughtsPart 2Good and EvilSee? I told you there'd be more afterthoughts. Part 1 is:https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2021/04/afterthoughts-part-1.htmlPart 2 is in response t… Read More
2021-06-06 13:15
There's talk on the author discussion boards about Scribd. Is it legitimate these days? I have email records of DMCAs for my books and stripped "document" versions of my books going back to… Read More
2021-06-03 12:00
I've just finished rereading THE HOLLOW PLACES, by T. Kingfisher, inspired by Algernon Blackwood's classic tale of cosmic horror, "The Willows." Her earlier book THE TWISTED ONES is a modern… Read More
2021-06-01 18:00
Reviews 67Hell Bent by Devon MonkA Broken Magic Novel Reviews have not been indexed yet.Hell Bent by Devon Monk was published in 2013, but is relevant today because the worldbuildi… Read More
2021-05-30 12:16
Summer time, and the drawings are easy. Or are they? Disclaimers first, which is always a good policy. I am not a doctor, not a lawyer, and do not have stock or any other interest in Un… Read More
2021-05-25 17:38
Reviews 66The Collegium ChroniclesNovels of ValdemarbyMercedes LackeyReviews haven't (yet) been indexed.https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005V220K0For staying power in publishing, Mercede… Read More
2021-05-23 16:25
Handshakes are back! Today, I am at the Amelia Island concours d'elegance, where classic cars and safe hands are very much top of mind and some of the world's best insurers o… Read More
2021-05-20 12:00
Do animals have culture, defined as the customs of a particular social group? Not too long ago, established science would have answered with a firm negative. Now, however, several examples o… Read More
2021-05-18 18:00
How Long Should A Chapter BeThis may become a Part OneA Chapter should be long enough to complete its structure and set up the next chapter or end the book. A chapter ENDS on a CLIFF-HANGER… Read More
2021-05-16 20:09
Which is nothing to do with the alimentary canal, nor with being Ernest. Please forgive today's brevity. After four days since my second Covid shot, I am still near-prostrate. Back… Read More
2021-05-13 12:00
Cory Doctorow's latest LOCUS column analyzes the difference between quantitative and qualitative measurements and the pitfalls of depending solely on the former: Qualia He begins with exampl… Read More
2021-05-11 18:00
Reviews 65Mercy Thompsonnovelsby Patricia BriggsReviews haven't been indexed yet. Search Reviews on this blog to find more.Patricia Briggs has been mentioned in the following post… Read More
2021-05-08 12:17
Science Fiction Writers of America is partnering with Worldbuilders to hold a week-long silent auction starting on May 10th from 12:00 pm Pacific and the auction site: http://bitly.com/sfwaa… Read More
2021-05-06 12:00
Recently I've watched several Tarzan movies, including two of the classic Johnny Weissmuller films. It's always annoyed me that this version of Tarzan is so inarticulate, speaking in broken… Read More
2021-05-04 18:00
Reviews 64Transgressions of PowerbyJuliette WadeTransgressions of Power is not a Romance, but it is intrigue with Relationships as the story driver, political revolution as the plot driver… Read More
2021-05-02 16:54
If I were to suggest that you could whiten your teeth by gargling with your first-of-the-morning urine, and you decided to try it and it made you ill, you probably could not sue me succes… Read More
2021-04-29 12:00
This week I watched a video lecture on creativity delivered by Kermit the Frog. It started with a celebration of the Big Bang as the original creative act (although without references to a D… Read More
2021-04-27 18:00
Afterthoughts Part 1In anticipation of there being more afterthoughts - plus a number of reviews and commentaries on long series of books - I put PART 1 in the title. At the momen… Read More
2021-04-24 21:03
If yours is small, April 26th is your day to shine. "Yours" meaning your IP enterprise. Why, because April 26th is World Intellectual Property Day, and for the entire week, the wo… Read More
2021-04-22 12:00
Volume 31, Issue 1 of the JOURNAL OF THE FANTASTIC IN THE ARTS includes an article by Dennis Wilson Wise on the literary development of EPVIDS (evil, possessed, vampire, demonic swords). He… Read More
2021-04-20 18:00
Theme-Character IntegrationPart 17Building a Lead Character from ThemePrevious posts in this Theme-Character Integration series are indexed here: https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2014… Read More
2021-04-18 12:10
There was once a man who bought an original sketch in an inventory-draw-down sale. The sketch was done during the course of employment by a moderately well know designer. So far, so good.&nb&hell…Read More
2021-04-15 12:00
RWR, the official magazine of Romance Writers of America, has a regular article series called "Your Writing Coach," by Shirley Jump. In the April 2021 issue (alas, planned as the final print… Read More
2021-04-13 18:00
Passover Muffins with Almond FlourThis blog series on Romance genre blending with Science Fiction, and how the inside of a writer's mind grinds fine ideas and churns out novels, is winding d… Read More
2021-04-11 14:11
Greenwashing has been a "thing" for some time. Now shareholders are making proposals based on it.What is greenwashing? My spellcheck doesn't like the word. Apparently, it is the environmenta… Read More
2021-04-08 12:00
Kameron Hurley's newest LOCUS column discusses making a fresh start with the turn from winter to spring: Plotting the Way Forward Noting that the ancient Romans marked the New Year in March… Read More
2021-04-06 18:00
Theme-Story IntegrationPart 8 Game Theory And Public Relations One way to craft an immersive world into which to drop Characters is to take two elements of the "real" world, combin… Read More
2021-04-03 20:01
Income for "creatives" is estimated to have dropped 42% in the last decade, according to the Authors Guild, and the Supreme Court of the United States, and some of the Southern States are no… Read More
2021-04-01 12:00
Here's a website that lists all the official, quasi-official, or just plain weird celebratory and commemorative days in the year: National Day Calendar Every date has multiple entries, so yo… Read More
2021-03-30 18:00
Sime~Gen praised on Twitter byForgotten Realms writer Ed Greenwood The title says it all. I was participating in a Twitter Chat ( #scifichat) one Friday when Ed Greenwoo… Read More
2021-03-27 22:03
In Russia, they have "Face Pay". One pulls down one's mandated Covid-19 mask to be recognized, and ones bank account is debited, or whatever.Large pharmaceutical businesses in America have a… Read More
2021-03-25 12:00
Last week, from Thursday through Sunday, the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts held its annual conference (normally in Orlando) virtually. Last year they skipped it com… Read More
2021-03-23 18:00
Star Trek FanzineTakes My Name, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, To The Moon I have an article in the fanzine, SPOCK’S KATRA, which will be sent to the MOON! Here’s th… Read More
2021-03-21 22:14
David Oxenford's Broadcast Law blog is always informative, well written, and copyright-related. Recently, he discussed why, perhaps, "The Wind Done Gone" was a transformative adaptation of "… Read More
2021-03-18 12:00
Here's an article about sea slugs that purposely decapitate themselves: Decapitated Sea Slugs It's believed they occasionally "jettison" their bodies to get rid of parasitic infestations. Th… Read More
2021-03-16 18:00
Reviews 63A Peace DividedPeacekeeper #2 by Tanya Huff Here is a 2017 title by Tanya Huff, A Peace Divided. It is #2 in a Trilogy, which is a follow-after series abo… Read More
2021-03-14 11:39
Margaret Carter's post "Problems With Monopolies" on Amazon, DRM, and Cory Doctorow struck me as so interesting that I am devoting my blog time to a reaction. "A rentier is someon… Read More
2021-03-11 13:00
Cory Doctorow's LOCUS article for this month delves into a lot of background about markets and monopolies that's new to me: Free Markets He begins by explaining that the classic threat to th… Read More
2021-03-09 18:00
Reviews 62Battle GroundDresden Files #17byJim Butcher Reviews haven't been indexed yet.Here are a few previous posts discussing Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series and worldbuilding with… Read More
2021-03-07 22:23
One thought... and a second one.My first thought on hearing that EBay has the will and the ability to remove all Dr. Seuss books from sale was, "Does that prove that they have the ability to… Read More
2021-03-04 13:00
Any Superman fans here? I mostly enjoyed the first two episodes of the new series SUPERMAN AND LOIS on the CW network, although for me neither this program nor the older series SMALLVILLE me… Read More
2021-03-02 18:00
How To Learn To Write Part 2 How do writers influence their audience? Part 1 ishttps://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2012/07/how-to-learn-to-write.htmlPart 2 is my ans… Read More
2021-02-28 12:26
Disclaimer: my title does not refer to either the Qualcomm tool, nor to the Polandball character (who is, apparently, "easily offended by questionable content"). I made the word up, th… Read More
2021-02-25 13:00
Since I'm currently revising a paranormal romance novella under consideration by one of my publishers (addressing changes the editor requested), naturally I've been thinking lately about the… Read More
2021-02-23 18:00
Reviews 61ForgedAn Alex Verus NovelbyBenedict Jacka Reviews have not yet been indexed. To find them search for the Label, Reviews.We looked at MARKED, #9 in Benedict Jacka's Alex… Read More
2021-02-20 15:10
Time is short for those who might like to sign up for a free Trademark Basics Boot Camp webinar run by the USPTO. The deadline to register is February 22nd (Monday!).https://www.uspto.gov/ab… Read More
2021-02-18 13:00
Kameron Hurley's new LOCUS essay reflects on her first ten years as a published author: How to Survive a Decade in Publishing Her first series went through three publishers, the last of whic… Read More
2021-02-16 18:00
Worldbuilding for Multiple Alternate UniversesPart 5Why Are There Alternate Universes in Your Reality? Previous parts in this series:Part 1 - Star Trek Fan Fictionhttps://aliendjinnrom… Read More
2021-02-14 17:24
For anyone who has ever thought of having a photograph copied and inked onto their body, or --possibly-- thought of putting a copyrighted photograph onto the skin of a fictional character, t… Read More
2021-02-11 13:00
The sending of Valentine's Day cards became a mass-market phenonmenon in the nineteenth century, especially after the introduction of postage stamps in 1840. In early decades, cards were oft… Read More
2021-02-09 18:00
Worldbuilding For Multiple Alternate UniversesPart 4How To Make Ghosts, Vampires, and Demons Real Previous parts in this series are:Part 1 - Star Trek Fan Fictionhttps://aliendjinnroman… Read More
2021-02-07 18:02
If Thom Tillis is the Harry Potter of Copyright protections for authors, who would you cast as Lord Voldemort? Another Senator? Or someone in Big Tech? Our sprightly hero (Thom Tillis) has p… Read More
2021-02-04 13:00
Here's a guest post in LOCUS by Mike Chen, discussing the undervaluation of friendship in contemporary culture, particularly in fiction: Like a Friend He praises friendship as "one of the co… Read More
2021-02-02 18:00
Worldbuilding for Multiple Alternate UniversesPart 3What Makes an Idea Too Crazy? Previous entries in the Worldbuilding for Multiple Alternate Universes Part 4 are:https://aliendjinnrom… Read More
2021-01-31 15:13
NFFF sounds like a something you'd see in a grunt bubble in a comic book fight scene, and perhaps that is why the .org is also known as N3F.Have you heard of it? The acronym-free form is The… Read More
2021-01-28 13:00
Recently I've read several bestselling first-person, canine-viewpoint novels by W. Bruce Cameron, the trilogy A DOG'S PURPOSE, A DOG'S JOURNEY, and A DOG'S PROMISE, plus a stand-alone book… Read More
2021-01-26 16:00
Reviews 60How The Multiverse Got Its Revenge We discussed creating a World for a series of novels spanning multiple alternate Universes here:https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2021… Read More
2021-01-24 18:08
"I ask questions for a living..." Larry King responded to an interviewer of perhaps the most famous interviewer of our generation. Larry King also shared some of his guiding… Read More
2021-01-21 13:00
In Cory Doctorow's early January LOCUS column, he discusses in considerable technical depth the surveillance and privacy (or anti-privacy) policies of big tech companies, mainly Apple but al… Read More
2021-01-19 16:00
Worldbuilding For Multiple Alternate UniversesPart 2Find Some Crazy IdeasPart 1 - Star Trek Fan Fictionhttps://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2021/01/worldbuilding-for-multiple-alternate.ht… Read More
2021-01-17 15:33
"File and furnish a copy of Form 1099-NEC on paper or electronically by February 1, 2021."So says the IRS. That's new, and different. Does it affect you? It might, if you are a w… Read More
2021-01-14 13:00
As we know, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" (Arthur C. Clarke). Conversely, many magical events in older fiction can be duplicated today by mainstream… Read More
2021-01-12 16:00
Reviews 59People of the CitybyMarshall Ryan MarescaHere is a non-stop action series we've discussed before, https://www.amazon.com/People-City-Maradaine-Elite-Book-ebook/dp/B0852PDDC1/https:… Read More
2021-01-09 22:58
Suggested soundtrack: "Eighth Day" by Hazel O'Connor, from the Breaking Glass album and movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBkvcQEGq9k One of my earliest childhood memories is of b… Read More
2021-01-07 13:00
Here are two articles about robotic cats and dogs manufactured to serve as substitutes for live pets: Robotic Pets Help Seniors Avoid Loneliness Can Robot Pets Provide Comfort? A FAQ posted… Read More
2021-01-05 16:00
Worldbuilding For Multiple Alternate UniversesPart 1Star Trek Fan Fiction In August 2020, the creator of the Sahaj Series of Star Trek fan novels asked if she could have a scene where S… Read More
2021-01-03 17:54
Today's theme is about over-reach, surveillance, games, greed and naming rights... of a timepiece. Please decide for yourself which is which.Tech expert and ethical website developer Ibrahim… Read More
2020-12-29 16:00
Interview with Anthony Darnellon Star Trek Lives! 45th AnniversaryHere are 3 versions of an interview Jean Lorrah and I did with a professional (very professional skilled) journali… Read More
2020-12-27 18:15
As long as a former President is deceased, and also his widow (if applicable), the President's name can be trademarked as long as it is not a descriptive trademark. The Lanham A… Read More
2020-12-24 13:00
I've just read a recent book about Dorothy Sayers, SUBVERSIVE, by Crystal Downing. One theme to which the author frequently alludes is the concept of living by an exchange model, an expectat… Read More
2020-12-22 16:00
Mysteries of PacingPart 11Pacing the Character ArcPrevious entries in this series are indexed here:https://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2020/07/index-to-mysteries-of-pacing.htmlMysteries… Read More
2020-12-19 21:12
"Searching for yourself is a bad idea"... at least, it is if a search engine is involved.If you find a bad review of yourself, your works, your services, look the other way. Remember those… Read More
2020-12-17 13:00
Kameron Hurley's latest LOCUS essay discusses empathy versus selfishness and why being the "bad guy" is actually taking the easy way out: It's Easy Being the Bad Guy It's not uncommon to thi… Read More
2020-12-15 16:00
Index to Posts Mentioning C. J. CherryhI seem to talk about C. J. Cherryh frequently, and make references assuming the reader has followed what I've said about her work. Although her work is… Read More
2020-12-12 16:43
On one authors discussion forum this week, there is talk of a so-called scam (which might or might not be a scam) in which authors are contacted by complainants who claim that the authors… Read More
2020-12-10 13:00
That's the title of Brian Attebery's introduction to the latest issue of the JOURNAL OF THE FANTASTIC IN THE ARTS. He discusses how a reader's experience of literature changes under the infl… Read More
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