#i am convinced the writers of star trek were high for at least some of the show

[bad-girl-coven]

Blockshade of the Threshold babies in celebration of their birthday <3

[scripttorture]

Torture in Fiction: Star Trek, The Next Generation, The Chain of Command

This one was a request from @aspiringwarriorlibrarian and well since I usually start these things with a statement of bias as well as a plot summary I think I should probably say that I wouldn't have come across it on my own. Star Trek is one of the longest running sci fi series in the world, genre defining and remains incredibly popular to this day. But personally I've never really enjoyed it. For two episodes I thought this was probably worth giving a go and I am glad I did. While I still didn't particularly enjoy them these episodes are an interesting example of how torture gets used in science fiction stories.

Once again I am rating the depiction and use of torture not the series or episodes themselves. I'm trying to take into account realism (regardless of fantasy or sci fi elements), presence of any apologist arguments, stereotypes and the narrative treatment of victims and torturers.

These two episodes take place as tensions are mounting between the Federation and Cardassians. Picard and two of his crew are tasked with a secret mission: illegally entering Cardassian space, breaking into a research facility and destroying the bio-weapon the Federation believes is being produced there. This turns out to be an elaborate ruse to capture Picard. Picard is drugged, interrogated and reveals truthful information under the influence of drugs. He is then tortured, first using a combination of stress position and deprivation and later with a high tech implant designed to cause maximum pain.

His torturer, who is mostly presented as calm, collected, well informed and cultured, repeatedly asks Picard how many lights there are behind him. There are in fact four but the torturer bluntly tells Picard that there are 'five' and hurts him for 'incorrect' answers. The torturer also lies to Picard on multiple occasions and plays mind games. He says that Picard is free to go, since he isn't 'breaking' under torture, then says that if Picard leaves a colleague will be tortured in his place. (The woman in question isn't a Cardassian prisoner but Picard has no way of knowing this).

Military 'diplomacy' eventually leads to Picard's release. Before handing him back to the military proper the torturer makes one last attempt to 'prove' he's effected Picard. He offers Picard a bribe, a life of comfort and leisure, if he'll only admit there are five lights. Picard stares for a long time then spits out that there are four.

Later on the Enterprise he tells the ship's therapist that he saw five lights.

I'm giving it 5/10

The Good

The writers and crew consulted Amnesty International for this episode and there are points when that advice really shows through.

There's a point early on when the episodes shift from truth drugs to a very realistic and well handled torture scene. The torturer gives Picard the opportunity to 'cooperate' and when he refuses Picard is manhandled into a stress position. His hands are cuffed above his head and his clothes are cut off. The implication is that he's left like that at least over night and possibly for anything between 12-24 hours.

During this the torturer makes several deliberate attempts to humiliate Picard. Aside from forcibly removing his clothing he refuses to address Picard by name, saying that he'll refer to him as 'human' from now on. These efforts to dehumanise and denigrate are very in keeping with real life and I feel like the episode handles them well. Both actors do a great job portraying this.

Patrick Stewert's acting generally is superb throughout by turns pained, exhausted and defiant. He does an excellent job with the script putting a real power and passion into his lines.

The torturer also tries to manipulate Picard several times and lies to him. At one point Picard is told that he's too 'strong willed' and they're letting him go, only to be told that the torturer will then have to move on to a captured colleague. Unless of course Picard chooses to stay. Which Picard does. I think this was a brilliantly handled moment; it neatly showed a realistic form of emotional abuse and manipulation on the torturers part while also showing that torture hadn't changed Picard's strongly held beliefs, including his duty to protect his friends.

Throughout the torture scenes Picard resists and he resists nonviolently. The scenario and the way his injuries are acted makes it clear that violence resistance is beyond him: he just doesn't have the physical ability to fight effectively. But he consistently refuses to give in to his torturer's demands. He speaks against torture. He confronts his torturer over letting a child into the torture chamber (as a witness). He attempts to smash one of the devices used to torture him. He bluntly tells the torturer that he is pathetic and continues to do so as the torturer hurts him.

Some of Picard's speeches against torture and his torturer specifically are phenomenal. It's a powerful script in the hands of a masterful actor and the end result is something I feel all torture scenes should be: incredibly emotive and steadfastly on the side of the victim.

They also effect the torturer intensely, taking away any sense that the torturer is in control of the situation or Picard. As Picard continues to verbally antagonise his torturer the torturer slips up and calls him 'Picard'.

Picard states that torture is ineffective both as a means of interrogation and of control 'one wonders why it is still used'. This sounds like it came straight from Amnesty and I really enjoyed it. He also uses what he learns about the torturer, bringing up the torturer's past neglect. 'You are six years old weak and helpless' Picard says, telling his torturer that no matter how bad the pain gets this is how Picard will always see him.

For me this entire scene works very well, it shows torture as cruel, brutish and ultimately pointless. It gives the victim dignity, power and agency without ignoring his pain.

At the end of the episode Picard is shown to be receiving professional help. It's incredibly rare to see a survivor in this genre getting therapy after torture and while it's only a short scene (which has some serious problems) I really appreciated this nod to the fact survivors need long term help to recover.

The Bad

The accurate information the Cardassians have on both Picard personally and the Federation generally isn't in keeping with an organisation that practices torture. Torture reduces the ability of organisations to gather accurate information in several ways. It reduces the amount of information volunteered. It takes personnel away from genuine investigation. It discourages any sort of fact checking. It also causes organisations to fracture and reduces cooperation necessary to intelligence gathering.

The use of so-called truth serums to obtain accurate information is treated as realistic and entirely separate to torture. This is at best misleading and at worst torture apologia. Truth serums don't work. Their use doesn't have to be torturous, but in reality and these episodes they are heavily linked to torture. I feel like this use of them early on undermines many of the good moments that come later.

Picard remembers being drugged and clearly remembers what he said under the influence. This isn't in keeping with how 'truth serums' work. And while it's very easy to imagine a new drug in a sci fi setting like this one I don't think the memory loss side effect is one most torturers would want to lose. Because that memory loss is often used against victims: they're usually told that they did reveal accurate information and betrayed their friends. The memory loss obscures the failure rates of the drug. And that would be an important and ‘useful’ side effect even with sci fi drugs that are more likely to magically 'work'.

While Patrick Stewert does an incredible job acting wise throughout these episodes I feel as though he's been poorly instructed or directed at some points. Immediately after a prolonged (but ill defined) period in a standing stress position Picard has little trouble staying on his feet. He voluntarily stands. He walks a few steps fairly confidently. He does seem to have trouble with mobility in his arms but they're stiff and close to his chest which isn't what I'd expect from the stress position he was subjected to. I'm also not convinced that the make up department did enough to show his injuries. There's no swelling from the stress position and there's little in the way of small bruises and dirt.

One of my notes on these episodes says 'Restraints? Do these aliens have wrists?' Except with rather ruder language.

I admit I was counting down to the inevitable high tech torture device. For a while I thought they might give it a miss and was ecstatic. Then the episode introduced a pain inducing implant, with multiple settings, controlled by a remote and I put my head in my hands. Torture is not high tech. It's not complicated. And any device that would require this level of time, skill and effort to create and use would never get off the ground. (For a more detailed discuss of high tech torture I have a post here.)

I feel like the end of the episode works to undermine many of the positive points. During his therapy session Picard admits that he saw five lights at the end instead of four. He knew there were four lights but his torturer had insisted over multiple torture sessions there were five. This gives the torturer back the power previous scenes gave to Picard; suggesting that the torturer was able to affect and control Picard in exactly the way he intended to. It supports ideas that torture victims can be 'broken' and that torturers have far more power then they in fact do. It undermines what Picard said about torture being ineffective as a means of control.

Together with the beginning of the torture scenario, the successful interrogation via drugs, it feels as though the writers were hedging their bets, unable to quite commit to the idea that torture fails.

Miscellaneous

There are several things I don't like about the way these episodes chose to characterise the torturer but I'm not sure they're inaccurate/impossible so much as over used. Over the course of the episodes we find that the torturer is cultured, knowledgable, had a childhood characterised by neglect and that he can be quite sociable when he chooses. The result is a sort of Hannibal Lecter-esque figure, an affable 'psychopath'. It's not impossible for torturers to have these traits and the lack of research on torturers makes it difficult to pin down 'typical' characteristics. But most of these do go against what we know of torturers in a general sense. Organisations that torture generally actively screen out people with mental health problems, making a severely traumatic childhood an unlikely background. The mental health problems torturers develop as a result of torture make it more difficult to socialise, stay calm, form friendships and keep them. And a lot of the people who join these organisations do so because they're poor. They don't have a lot of perceived opportunities other than these organisations. As a result they're more likely to have been denied educational opportunities.

I feel like this pervasive image of the well educated, sociable torturer owes a lot more to a handful of figures from the Second World War then it does to torturers generally. I don't think it's a stereotype that encourages torture but it might hamper our understanding of torturers and that understanding is crucial to stopping them.

Overall

I think my overriding impression of these episodes is that they're confused. There are moments that feel incredibly true to life, incredibly accurate and incredibly powerful. Patrick Stewart's acting is phenomenal, but it feels as though he's been poorly instructed. He's showing pain, but often in the wrong places. His mobility isn't affected in the ways I would expect.

Alongside this there are a lot of moments, lines of dialogue and narrative choices that undermine the well handled moments. There doesn't seem to be any real reason for some of this, a lot of it seems to be expectation: that this is what genre fiction 'should' do. Things like the ridiculous implant designed to cause Picard pain, the use of so called 'truth serums' and the moment right at the end where Picard admits he saw five lights. None of these things actually seem to add to the narrative and I can't help feeling the only reason they're there is convention. Some of it, such as the Cardassians unrealistically getting accurate information via drugs, doesn't seem to be convention so much as narrative laziness. The writers felt the Cardassians needed to get information about the operation Picard was part of, but couldn't be bothered to come up with a realistic way they could get that information.

These choices don't just cast doubt on the accuracy of Picard's powerful speeches against torture. They undermine the moments when the story shows torture failing.

For me this leads to a story which feels like it's hedging its bets: the authors couldn't quite decide whether they wanted to commit to portraying torture well or not.

The moments when they used Amnesty's advice seem incredibly clear to me. As are the moments when they ignored it, or didn't think very hard about the implications of what they were writing.

I'm sometimes asked why I write so much in response to the questions I get. It is a lot more work but this is why. Because I think without presenting authors with detailed information on what they're trying to write, how it works and what the implications of particular plot lines are… well this happens. We fill in the gaps in our knowledge with the background radiation of popular culture. We fall back on the conventions of the genre without thinking about how they apply to the scenario we're writing.

These episodes went much further than I expected in terms of good and powerful moments. It's a shame that they don't stick to that throughout. For me that doesn't come across as due to lack of trying or lack of information, it feels to me as though it's due to holding on to genre trappings or quick narrative fixes without considering what they imply.

And that makes it a very good pair of episodes to review. There's a lot to learn here from both the good and bad moments.

So thank you this was a really good choice.

Disclaimer

[theprocrastinatingalien]

Star Trek - New Golden Era?

Back in the late 90s we had what most fans would call 'the golden age' of STAR TREK.

We were at the point where we had two series running at the same time (DEEP SPACE NINE and VOYAGER) as well as the movies starring the cast of THE NEXT GENERATION.  All in all, it was a great time to be a part of the fandom.

Then the franchise lost it's stride a bit, and we entered the dark ages - no Trek whatsoever. Sad times.

Luckily, STAR TREK has now been reinvigorated!  In 2009 we got the first of JJ Abrams' movies. Set in an alternative ('Kelvin') timeline, we got to see younger versions of classic iconic characters such as Kirk, Spock and McCoy. We've had three movies now with this young cast (lead by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto), and we're expecting to have two more over the next few years.  In theory the fourth movie should start shooting next year, and at some point we might be treated to a story pitched by Quentin Tarantino.

Trek has always been best on the small screen though, and last year we finally got a new series to call our own in STAR TREK: DISCOVERY.  Currently we're getting monthly 'SHORT TREKS' as we await the second season in the January.

Now, let's be honest, not everyone is enthralled by the Trek we have right now.  There's a negative sir within the fanbase that can't (or won't) get onboard with the movie line at the moment, as it's not 'prime', and there's a similar issue with DISCOVERY, as it's a visual reboot and some people just don't like change.

What we've got right now, is Trek for a new generation.   It's mindful that the Trek we knew grew a little stale, and they're appeasing to modern audiences.  For the franchise to survive, they have to.  This post isn't about all that though.  This post is about the fact, that there is a LOT more on the way.

Aside from DISCOVERY we can now expect at least three more series on the way, with the potential for more. 

PICARD

It was a massive surprise when Patrick Stewart himself revealed he'd be returning to STAR TREK, picking up 20 years after Jean-Luc Picard's last adventure.  This will likely be an ongoing series (originally it was believed to be a limited outing)… and it's going to bring a different take on the character.  Presumably the visuals will be more in line with what we see in DISCOVERY, but we don't know that for certain.  Right now we now Stewart is onboard, there are currently no plans for other TNG actors to appear, and one of the writers and producers on the show is Michael Chabon, a Pulitzer prize winning writer who just served us a well received SHORT TREK.

LOWER DECKS

Whilst it won't be the first animated series for Trek, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, will be the first to be billed as a half-hour comedy.  That, in itself, is a departure from the norm, and might take a bit of getting used to.  We'll have a chance to do just that, as it's already got a two season order.  It will be written by Mike McMahan, a self-claimed fan of the franchise, and the creator of RICK & MORTY.  This comedy will focus on - as the title suggests - those that we don't normally get to see.  No captains, chief medical officers or engineers.  Our main characters here will be on a lesser starship and will likely be the 'janitor' getting the rubbish jobs.

We now have another series in the works...

SECTION 31

Whilst many thought Section 31 would be at the heart of DISCOVERY - and they certainly had a presence - the second season is likely to include more of the shady faction of Starfleet, touched upon in DEEP SPACE NINE and ENTERPRISE.   We now seem to have a whole series dedicated to them, and it's likely to be lead by none other than Michelle Yeoh, reprising her role of Philippa Georgiou, the Mirror Universe Emperor.

It's exciting, isn't it!  Isn't it?  The fact we've got so many plans for Trek coming at us… yes.  Although what those series are going to bring us might cause a few neck ticks.   As I've already mentioned, not all fans are welcoming to the current offerings, and as these new series are likely to be within the same direction, not everyone will be open to them.

Speaking personally... I AM excited, although a little cautious. I was VERY excited about the PICARD series.  A little surprised it's an ongoing series though.  Let's be honest, Patrick Stewart isn't getting any younger, and I can't help thinking a one off limited series would've been a better idea - a swan song to the character.   As to the animated comedy, it's definitely the least favourable idea of the three for me.  I've not watched RICK & MORTY, but I'm not a fan of the animation style, and I worry LOWER DECKS will share that visual.    I'll give it a go, of course, but I'm not entirely convinced it's the right direction for the franchise at this point.  I do like the idea of the SECTION 31 series, although I can't honestly say I'm excited by Emperor Georgiou being the lead... again, I'll give it a try.  I am more than happy enough for more Trek in my life.   I just hope the quality is there.

One fear is that we will find ourselves over-saturated by it all. Honestly, with DISCOVERY and the movies, that's already a fair amount to focus on.  The PICARD series is a good inclusion, as there's many who are yearning for adventures beyond NEMESIS and VOYAGER, and this series will give us that.  I guess, as it's SO  different, the animated comedy can work alongside them easily enough.  Not sure we need the SECTION 31 series just yet though. 

We have no real timescale plan but the way I see it, I think CBS want DISCOVERY to start each year (January time), we're just off from the second season.  We could then have the PICARD series possibly September time?   The cartoon could overlap either.   But where does the SECTION 31 one come?  In 2019, or held back until 2020.  I reckon the first option.

TREK needs to be a little careful.  Don't rush it.  Don't think we need a Trek on screen every week of the year.  Realistically I plan to turn out for whatever you send our way... but don't get carried away and drop it all on us and burn yourselves out.  What we've got now, and what we know we've got coming are more than enough to be getting our heads around right now.

I have such high hopes for DISCOVERY season two, and rooting for the movies to get their casting into place, and I'm very excited about the PICARD series.  For me, the rest can wait for a moment.  

But that's possibly just me.  Still, once again, it's a great time to be part of the fandom.

[albanlakepublishing-blog]

February Alban Lake Spotlight

Mike Morgan, Author

For our very first interview, we have Mr. Mike Morgan, a prolific and excellent author. He was kind enough to take time to answer our questions; but first, a quick bio for Mike:

 Mike Morgan lives in Iowa with his wife, two children, and increasingly infirm cat. After careers in the UK, Japan, and Texas involving accountancy, freelance illustration, non-fiction writing, and teaching, Mike now does improbably complex things on computers for a living. When he's not worrying about the cat or tidying up his kids' toys, Mike gets overwrought about politics and attempts to write short stories. It's possible his two hobbies get muddled up from time to time. He has written for several publishers in the UK and the USA, with pieces in anthologies, comics, and magazines. Follow him on Twitter as @CultTVMike, where he posts about all things sci-fi. Oh, OK, it's mostly Doctor Who.

 My website is: https://perpetualstateofmildpanic.wordpress.com/

 My latest project is this month's Outposts of Beyond.

  And on to the interview . . .

 Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

 A: I've wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I looked at book covers as a young child, maybe five or six, and thought, "I want my name on a book." When I got into comics with 2000AD and then Star Wars Weekly, this would be when I was 7, that desire spread to wanting to be in the credits boxes in comic books, too. Unfortunately, as I got older, it became apparent that selling work wasn't going to be as easy as I'd initially thought.

 I tried for a sustained period in my twenties to break into comics, but never got anywhere. At one comics convention in Bristol, while hauling my portfolio around, I got chatting with Matt Brooker, who was brutally honest with me. "Look," he said, "There's nothing particularly wrong with the way you draw, but there just aren't any openings. We hire on maybe one or two new freelancers a year and they have some quirk. You draw well, but there's nothing unique. To develop that style, you need to put in thousands of hours of practice, and you're not going to get paid for that. You don't strike me as independently wealthy, so I doubt you can afford to do it for free. So..."

 He was right. I was dirt poor. I got a job in accountancy, which I hated. But at least I could go back to affording food.

 Later, after years of doing things I loathed, and then teaching for several years in Japan, I immigrated here to the U.S. Starting a new career in Texas, I worked for seven years as a technical writer and editor, which helped me fine-tune my knowledge of English grammar and punctuation and gave me first-hand insight into how hard it is to express complex ideas in plain, no-nonsense sentences. I got enough feedback to sink a fleet of Titanics and developed a tough skin to criticism. I also learned how important it was not to treat my fellow writers the way I was treated, and I became a mentor to some of the newer team members. Although the working environment was hostile, I did love the act of writing and I found joy in helping others improve their written work.

 While all that was going on, I was continuing to put out one or two pieces of my own writing. Teaching in Japan gives you a lot of spare time, so I'd started floating a few things past publishers. Moving to Texas, I was determined to keep that up, but stuck in a car for three or four hours a day on a hellish commute, working tons of extra, unpaid hours, and starting a family didn't leave a lot of spare time. It was only with our move to Iowa, where I still am now, that I found a better work-life balance and was able to kick the writing into high gear. To my inordinate surprise, I discovered that publishers wanted to print my short stories. Not only that, but readers showed every sign of liking them. I was flabbergasted.

 I look back now and I see my name on a book cover and my name in a comic book credits box and I'm glad I never completely gave in. One of my best friends, Kath, said this to me years ago and it stuck with me: "What I like about you, Mike, is that you keep on trying." I'm sure she's forgotten ever saying that to me, but I remembered, and I've tried to stay that way.

  Q: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

 A: Oh, a 'quirk'! I have yet to develop one with my drawing, but with my writing...? Editors have often told me, in withering tones, that I over-write. You only have to glance at the length of this interview...

 Also, as part of over-egging a box full of puddings in every story, I tend toward the proliferation of pleonasms. And uncalled-for alliteration.

 If you catch me doing it, slap me.

  Q: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

 A: I watch lots of science fiction and read comics. I really enjoy reading stories to my two kids at bedtime, too. Honestly, with two young kids in the house, I spend a lot of time taking endless delight in everything they say and do. I try to carve out a few moments every day to remind my wife how much I appreciate her.

  Q: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

 A: I've had 10 short stories published professionally, with two more coming out in the next couple of months. A couple of those were my Titanville stories, which were published together in an e-book by Nomadic Delirium Press, getting me my first solo front-cover credit. I have a dozen more stories in slush piles as we speak, so one or two more will probably work their ways through to acceptance this year – that seems to be the typical ratio of stories sent to stories accepted.

 I've also had a few stories in charity anthologies, and a couple of poems (one was about Star Trek and was printed by Iron Press in a collection sold throughout a major high-street chain of bookshops in the UK), a few non-fiction articles about the long-running BBC TV series Doctor Who in various tomes, and a comic strip script in the British small press comic Futurequake. Another comic script is being drawn now, as it happens, for Futurequake. We're hoping it'll be included in the Spring issue, but we'll see how that goes.

 Oh, and I worked for a short while at an online word mill, putting out articles about sci-fi. You can find them at WhatCulture.com. They accumulated about three million page-views, I think.

  Q: What inspires you to write?

 A: I am drawn to the act of wrenching something into existence through the blunt application of imagination and willpower. I am compelled to create. For better or worse, you guys are on the receiving end of that compulsion.

 When it comes down to deciding what I'm going to write about, I think there are some themes I keep returning to: the beauty in the world, the triumph of love and kindness over indifference and cruelty, the eternal fight against injustice, how any attempt to simplify the complexity of the real world down into stark black-and-white concepts will lead to hate and death...

Also, I love writing characters who are flat-out wrong. There's nothing more fun and more human than someone who is utterly convinced about the rightness of a cause, and that cause is based on an utter misunderstanding. Really, that type of thinking characterizes most of our species' history. People who are wrong deserve our sympathy, our help, our love, not our derision. Anyway, that's some entertaining stuff to write about.

One final thought – I don't want to be a downer but I do feel time pressing on me. Nothing like worrying I'll be dead in a few years to spur me to get some writing done.

 Q: Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes you?

 A: I try to have a clear idea of what the story's about before I get too far down the rabbit hole of writing. Preferably, I have an end worked out as well, even if that ending changes by the time I get to it. Sometimes, I'll start the story with the end and work my way backward to the beginning. But there should always be a purpose to a story, even if that purpose is to have fun.

 Every time I carve a tale out of the disorganized mess of my thoughts, the process seems different. One time, the whole story will spill out of me in a rush. Other times, I have to sit down and think through what I'm trying to express.

 Every now and then, a neat idea will occur to me, but I can't find a way to get a coherent plot out of it. Then, a second, entirely different idea will come to me, and I find mashing the two disparate strands together into the same reality brings the whole thing into focus.

 For example, someone having giant spiders in her home and not being bothered by them because they're not in any way dangerous is a neat mental image, but it's not a story in itself. But, add a second strand: imagine there's a neighbor whose job is to twist facts to meet political dogma and that neighbor comes into contact with those spiders... what happens? Does she believe the objective truth that they're completely safe to be around, or does she react with emotion and twist reality to meet that baseless viewpoint? After all, that's her job.

 Boom – you have conflict. The wrong-headed, fact-denying neighbor suddenly at war with nice, harmless giant-sized arachnids. For no other reason than she can't see the truth in front of her face, which is a very common and very plausible failing. What's more, the story takes on a greater message: we shouldn't twist facts to meet our prejudices, no matter how tempted we'd be to do that if we were in the neighbor's shoes.

 That's where A Spider Queen in Every Home came from, the mingling of two ideas that, on the face of it, can't coexist in a single narrative; but, they can, and that story was picked up and published in More Alternative Truths by B-Cubed Press.

 Lastly, some publishers require that you pitch ideas. There, you have to submit a complete plot, along with character notes, up front. If a pitch is accepted, there's no scope for changing details along the way as you write the actual story. For all you know, by altering the agreed-upon tale without consultation, you might be encroaching upon territory occupied by another story in the same collection.

 When fleshing out a pitch, it can feel like you're working while wearing a straightjacket. But it's an opportunity to find ways of making the piece as entertaining as possible without venturing beyond the plan you gave your word on. I've written a couple of stories based on pitches. Unto His Final Breath in Uffda Press's King of Ages: A King Arthur Anthology was created that way, and it garnered some nice reviews. I really like the world building I got to do in that short story.

  Q: What types and forms of writing do you do? If you're also an editor, what is your niche?

 A: I mostly write short stories these days, but I toy with novels. I do have a novel I'm working on (doesn't every writer?) - but, it's the short stories that sell. I am sneakily putting together various stories that work as elements within a greater whole, so that by the time they're all published you'll find they're a novel-length narrative printed in discrete parts across multiple publishers, books, and media. That's the idea, anyway.

 For example, the Titanville stories stand alone as individual tales, but the intent is to have themes and sub-plots that build as time goes on, without requiring the reader to be familiar with every installment. The Age of Asmodeus stories have a similar approach; there's a history to that world, and each story explores a different sliver of it. As those stories go on, readers will see various characters moving in and out of segments of the series or they'll be referred to. Again, the readers won't need to read every story, but there'll be a sense of events moving forward for those who do.

 With the tales featuring Professor Lazarus, the cumulative narrative will unfold using text-based stories and comic strips. Again, that's the hope. Futurequake, a British comic, has printed one story so far and has another one being drawn at the moment. With the short stories, I've had some luck; Flame Tree Publishing printed Fishing Expedition a while ago. I've written a couple more Lazarus stories since then that I'm waiting to hear back on, so we'll see how that goes.

 But you were asking about types of writing. Occasionally, I have a poem published. More often, I'll get non-fiction pieces accepted. I contribute on a semi-regular basis to the range on media and culture put out by Watching Books. This year, they're printing a volume called You on Target about the Target series of Doctor Who novelizations, and I have two essays in that.

 With editing, I offer my services to small presses who print my stories, with regards to proofreading or checking formatting. I'm always willing to help put out the best publication possible.

  Q: What is your area(s) of subject matter expertise? How did you discover this niche? What intrigues you about it?

 A: With living in Japan for several years, I found writing stories set there pretty easy. Not much research required! There's a story of mine being printed soon by you fine people at Alban Lake Press set in Japan. Kuro no Ken (The Back Sword) is slated for the next issue of Outposts of Beyond. The scenes in Ise City take place twenty minutes down the road from where I lived for three years, and the part in the vast cemetery—I've visited that cemetery and it really is that creepy. I love Japan. Those were some of the happiest years of my life.

 Having said that, I lived for longer in Stoke-on-Trent in the UK, and that was the setting for Reverse Horror Story. Your fine company published that piece in Bloodbond just last year. I had way too much fun putting Stoke-themed jokes into that monster-mash-up. I guess, to answer your question, I'm an expert at shoe-horning places I've lived into my stories. I find having a deep knowledge of the settings makes them feel more authentic.

 But, to be clear, I've never lived on the enormous asteroid Ceres, the setting of The Library of Ice in this month's Outposts of Beyond. I'd be willing to give it a try, though.

 Being serious for a moment, I keep writing about people who are struggling because I've been through that. Want to be an expert on the poor? Try being unemployed for years on end, not having enough to eat and worrying about losing the room you're renting. That'll give you an understanding of what that life is like. Newsflash – it's really stressful and depressing.

  Q: How do you balance your creative and work time?

 A: I have yet to find any balance, but live in hope. I get the kids to bed in the evening and then try to write. Sometimes, I even succeed.

  Q: Where have you been published? Upcoming publications? Awards and other accolades?

 A: Other than the things I've already talked about, I'd like to mention Nomadic Delirium's Divided States series, which explores a post-USA North America. My contribution to this excellent range was The Wall Is Beautiful. I hope to finish a second story in this shared universe. I was also fortunate enough to have submissions accepted in their Martian Wave and Disharmony of the Spheres collections.

 One other project I'm very proud to have participated in was Metasaga's Futuristica anthology. I had Something to Watch Over Us included in that amazing collection. I can't heap enough praise on that spectacular book; if you like science fiction, you need to own it.

 As far as upcoming releases go, that I haven't already called attention to, I have a story called Buddy System accepted in Myriad Paradigm's upcoming Mind Candy anthology. The intent is for that book to be released in the next few months. I also have something in the editing pile with Red Ted Books, which should be advancing toward publication this year.

 And, yes, it's a fanzine, but I like fanzines, I'm working with the wonderful people who put out the Doctor Who-themed Fannuals to see what they might want from me for their next volume. I'm so in love with the Fannual project; it's incredible fun. It's actually what I'm starting work on after finishing this interview.

  Q: What are you working on now?

 A: Well, Alban Lake announced they were going to do something with ghost stories, so, you know, I thought I'd try to submit to that. *Grins*

 In the pipeline are more Age of Asmodeus tales, more Titanville, more Lazarus, more space opera antics, more of everything I'm obsessed with.

  Q: Who are your favorite characters to write? How did they come into being, and what do you love - or loathe - about them?

 A: I love writing about Professor Lazarus. She gives her life in every story, usually to save the world from some terrible fate. Then, next story, she's alive again, in a world that's transformed. It forces me to reinvent her and her milieu every time. And there's a point to all her deaths; it's leading to something.

 She came into being because I thought, "Hah – killing the lead character every time would be funny." Then I thought, "What if it's the same lead character every time, and there's a reason she keeps coming back?" How does knowledge of her deaths affect her? Where, at a character level, does that propel the over-arching storyline?

 Another fun character was Silas Smith in The Man Who Killed Computers (published in Disharmony of the Spheres). He's able to lie to computers and have them believe what he's saying. Once you realize how he's doing that, it's less amusing, because you also realize that he can manipulate the humans in the story. I love the ambiguity of his character. He tries so hard to convince everyone he's a hero—the story revolves around how others respond to his claims.

  Q: Any advice you would like to give to aspiring writers?

 A: If someone says you need to improve, he or she is probably right. Every writer needs to improve, every day. It's a process that never ends.

 Don't take rejection personally. It's the work that sucks, not you.

 Keep trying. Stories are only published if they're written and then submitted.

 Realize that even after you've had a pile of stories published there will still be more defeats than victories. And that it's OK.

 Anything else you’d like to add that I haven’t asked? For example, what would you like to see more of in your specific genre? In the publishing field?

 We all like to get things for free. But—! Readers: try to pay for that fiction you're consuming. The more the publishers earn, the more they can pay the writers. The more the writers earn, the more they can write. It's a virtuous feedback loop. If you can't find good fiction out there, it's because you won't pay for it.

 Or, you know, you haven't been to Alban Lake's store. There's lots of good writing there.

  Once again, we’d like to thank Mr. Mike Morgan for his time and to thank all of you for supporting Alban Lake and all of these awesome authors and artists.