Stories from September and Musings

   So blogging at Black Gate is forcing me to reacquire good reading habits. I'm back to at least a book a week and I've gotten back to reading all the current issues of Beneath Ceaseless Skies.  Lately I'd let the latter slip. That Issue #129 has two great stories made it a little easier.  To read what I thought of the rest go check out my post.

   I'm starting to excavate my S&S shelves to find older books that either I haven't read and haven't gotten a more recent review at BG.  I also want to start getting up to speed on some newer books that deserve attention.

   I know I seemed a little pessimistic last week about writing about S&S but I've gotten over that.  I've been given a great opportunity and perch to unfurl the banners, rally the troops and sign up new recruits.  Okay, that sounds even sillier out loud than it reads, but it's how I want to approach things.   S&S may never have more than a cult following but not for lack of me yammering about it or, more importantly, dozens of excellent writers creating new and exciting stories.  

   I just bought two new e-books: David C. Smith's The West is Dying and the anthology Azieran Adventures Presents Artifacts and Relics: Extreme Sorcery.  The last has stories by friends of this site, Bill Ward and David J. West as well as an introduction by S&S entrepreneur Jason M. Waltz.  It's also got stuff by folks I'm a fan of, including Joe Bonadonna and Steve Goble, as others whom I just might become a fan of as well.  Only time will tell.

I've also ordered two newer (though thoroughly used and very cheap) books by writers I'm not familiar with because of things I've read on the 'net.  Maybe I'll even read them this year.

This past weekend's music for writing turned out to be a selection of heavy duty stoner bands like Nebula and Queens of the Stone Age.  Good stuff.