Courtesy of my pal Dave, I learned that Lois Tilton at the Internet Review of Science Fiction had some pretty nice things to say about my story “Off-Track Betting” from Flurb #7.
One of the things I like best about this review — aside from the fact that Ms. Tilton recommends my story — is how well she summarizes its content:
When Xian was young, her family sold her to the People’s Colonial Circus. Now she is living on the ice miner Tian Hou and has sold her body to the Motes, nano-sized aliens that attempt to communicate to humans by contorting the bodies of human Dancers into messages. Like everyone else, she bets on the outcome of the messages, but the government has been tracking her bets and now it is suspicious about how much she knows.
Simple, straight, and to the point. I really wish I could summarize my own stories with such economy. That’s something I’ll have to work on.
In other news, I know that I’m long overdue for a meaty blog post. After all, so much has happened: I’ve moved to a new neighbourhood, attended Ad Astra (where I was a triple panelist, and my friends showed up, and it was awesome), done a colloquium, registered for more Japanese lessons, started a new story…the fun just never stops, and apparently, neither do I.
Except for now, of course, when I catch up on Dollhouse and try to decompress. Later, there might be analysis of the con (what of it that I can remember, aside from Doug Smith calling me a “fucking great writer” or Liana K. scratching my scalp) or a list of the things I enjoy most about being here (quite possibly, it’s the way the baristas at my coffee shop sample their perfume for me when I walk in, proudly thrusting their wrists under my nose just so I can be included in their conversation). But that will be later. Not now, later. Now is for television, and experiments with red beans and rice.