Source: telegraph
SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY
In recent decades there has been a blurring of the lines between high and low art; so too in genre publishing, where pulp fiction has at last shed some of the traditional opprobrium. But the leopard does not change his spots and Philip Palmer’s novel has all the attributes of pulp, albeit with a knowing 21st-century undertone: an undemanding linear plot, a relentless series of increasingly violent scenes, plenty of complex and lethal technology, and little or no character development. On a planet inhabited by hostile creatures, a party of scientists and soldiers come under attack when their robots turn on them. As their numbers are brutally whittled down, the only question is who will be left standing, until a rushed ending with a perfunctory green message.
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Source: io9
12 SECRETS TO BEING A SUPER-PROLIFIC SHORT-STORY WRITER
For many aspiring science-fiction authors, the first frontier of publication is short fiction. A few stories published in the right markets can launch your career. But it helps if you’re prolific. Here are 12 tips on writing more stories faster.
Why should you want to be prolific as a short-story writer? After all, just look at Ted Chiang. He writes one short story every twenty years, and he’s become a living god of science fiction, with stories like “Exhalation” justly receiving tons of awards. But he might actually be the exception.
There are a couple of reasons why you might need to be more prolific than Ted Chiang. First of all, short-story writing is a skill that takes practice, and the first few dozen stories you write probably won’t be that good. It takes lots of practice to create a winning short story.
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Do think you have what it takes to be a short-story writer?
