• I stumbled across http://www.thetatteredscroll.com this week. There you can find many current fantasy ebook deals, including two RA Salvatore ebooks currently priced at $4.99 (that’s $3 off the usual digital price). It’s nice to have someone willing to go through what’s out there and find the cream of the crop.
• http://www.starwarsuncut.com/ has released a remake of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, comprised entirely of 15-second fan clips. I watched a few minutes and have to shake my head at the originality of some of the submissions.
• I love beautiful artwork. Naomi Novik has posted a beautiful piece of fan art by Daniel Govar, a dragon based on her Temeraire series.
• MIT unveiled In Europe the Hiriko electric car, a windshield mounted car that folds up to take up one-third the parking space of an average size car. A pilot program for the little sci-fi looking buggy is set to begin next year.
• I see Steven Spielberg is considering creating a Moses epic for Warner Bros. Will it going to be more fantasy or faith? I guess we’ll see.
• Last year, Tor Forge gave away copies of Templar One (EVE, #2) by Tony Gonzales. Well, they’re at it again. Five copies are available on Goodreads. Deadline is February 24, 2012. (The book is based on the MMORPG game, http://www.eveonline.com/) For a peek at the action-packed trailer for the game see the publisher’s book page.
• Here’s one that cracked me up: The 10 most undignified deaths in SFF, according to the Facebook followers of io9.com.
• Care to contribute to one man’s attempt to list the family tree of every character in Lord of the Rings? http://www.lotrproject.com/. I wish him luck.
• Giveaway: To kick off the Year of the Dragon, Tor is giving away four copies of the Wheel of Time prequel, New Spring: The Graphic Novel by Robert Jordan, Chuck Dixon, and Mike S. Miller. Speaking of WOT, the publisher is also offering 10 copies of the first book in the series, The Eye of the World. The deadline for both is February 24, 2012.
• Giveaway: Another offering by Tor on Goodreads — The Stolen Throne by David Gaider, the prequel to Dragon Age: Origins, the role-playing video game from Bioware. Deadline is February 24, 2012.
• Here’s some geek news: University of Washington researchers have created a game, Foldit, where players can decode and create protein shapes to help scientists learn how proteins work and help with drug research for HIV and Alzheimer’s cures. Gamers, go forth and save the world! More on this story on CNET.
• Minecraft and Zelda unite! Here’s a video showing the Hyrule Temple built in Minecraft. Now that must have taken quite some time.
• Want to up your geek-cred points a tiny bit? Tell people you know where to find the video showing the Lego Man in Space, footage shot by 17-year-olds Matthew Ho and Asad Muhammad using a weather balloon and makeshift Styrofoam spacecraft to send a Lego man 15 miles up into the stratosphere. To make it easy, here you go:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I think that’ll do it for now. Have a great weekend, everyone! If I missed any good links, leave a note in the comments. I love to hear from you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Martyr stared at the equation on the whiteboard and set his pencil down. He didn’t feel like practicing math today. What did math matter when his expiration date was so near?

His wrist still throbbed from Fido’s teeth. Martyr touched the strip of fabric he’d ripped from his bedsheet and tied around his wrist to stop the bleeding. He hoped the wound would heal before a doctor noticed it. A trip upstairs to mend it would be unpleasant, as the doctor would likely use the opportunity to perform tests. Martyr shuddered.

So begins Jill Williamson’s Replication, a novel that explores the ethics of human cloning and God’s purpose for our lives. Couched in the pages of a suspenseful story, Replication follows the struggles of J:3:3, a human clone nicknamed Martyr because of his dedication to protecting the deformed Brokens from cruel clones who also live at the secret underground Jason Farms facility. Innocent, intelligent and curious, Martyr’s greatest desire is to see the sky before he expires on his eighteenth birthday.

Next we meet Abby Goyer, who comes home from school to find her apartment empty, all furniture, pictures and even her cat gone, the apartment stripped down to carpet and bare walls. She calls her dad, who tells her that they are leaving Washington DC and moving to Alaska — the plane leaves in three hours. Already rocked by her mother’s death from cancer, Abby reaches her new home and tries to navigate her way through the uncertainties of a small-town high school. The first person she meets, an arrogant jock named JD Kane, seems to show up everywhere she goes, much to her chagrin. Despite his good looks, his obnoxious and sometimes scary behavior causes Abby to avoid him at all costs.

The story takes a turn when Abby meets Martyr, a boy who eerily looks just like JD. Then things get really strange when Martyr tells her there are fifty-five boys living at Jason Farms and that he has less than one month to live before he expires. Abby tells him about the Creator of the Universe and how he has a plan for Martyr. But she falls into danger when she tries to uncover the truth; Martyr is torn between finding his intended purpose, caring for the Brokens, and wanting to be with Abby, the one he is convinced he was meant to have.

Replication, an inspirational YA novel, is set to reach stores in January 2012. The book is Jill’s fourth published book, following on the heels of her award-winning Blood of Kings fantasy trilogy. You can find her online at: http://jillwilliamson.com/

For more information regarding Replication, here are my affiliate links for Barnes & Noble and Amazon. In addition, you can watch two trailers for the book here, one from Abby’s point of view and one from Jason’s.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

• Giveaway: Tor is giving away several books on Goodreads. Entry deadline for all these is December 17, 2011. Click on the book titles for the contest links. Each of these will not be released to the general public until February 28, 1012.
• Touchstone by Melanie Rawn.
• The Scar by Sergey Dyachenko and Marina Dyachenko.
• Living Proof by Kira Peikoff.
• Cain at Gettysburg by Ralph Peters.
• Arctic Rising by Tobias S. Buckell.
• More Tor giveaways. I think these books are already out. Deadlines for these contests are also December 17.
• An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor.
• A War of Gifts (Ender’s Saga #5) by Orson Scott Card.
• Giveaway: Future Lovecraft, An anthology of scifi stories and poems inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Book was released December 6, 2012. Contest deadline is December 31, 2011.
• In fantasy art news, I’m sad to say that Darrell K. Sweet died this week. Among his many works, he created the artwork for Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. You can see several of his artwork on this Tor blog post.
• Speaking of the Wheel of Time books, you can purchase a 24k gold-plated bronze Asha’man dragon pin. If you know what this is, you have an automatic membership in the unofficial circle of geekdom.
• Just in time for Christmas, how about a gingerbread AT-AT? Amazing. I love the candy canes underfoot. <snicker>
• And finally, here’s a video, just for fun. Have you heard of The Piano Guys? These guys are amazing musicians. One of their latest pieces is a Star Wars parody entitled “Cello Wars: The Phantom Chellist.” Not all their pieces are humorous, but this one is too funny. Here you go:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I hope you’re enjoying the holidays so far.  Until next time, happy geekdom to you. May all your Christmas dreams come true.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

If you have trouble bringing up the page, here’s the direct link:
http://implausibleblog.com/2011/10/30/euro-cosplay-championships-2011/

What about you? Do you have a favorite costume? I’d love to hear about it. Just leave a note below — and a link if you wish.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

• Let’s start off with an Amazon freebie: James Rubart’s Book of Days is currently free for Kindle. I’ve read this and it’s a pretty entertaining speculative Christian novel. (Correction: The offer was for a limited time only and has since expired.)
• Cherie Priest’s steampunk Boneshaker is coming to the big screen! Here’s the news article…and here’s what I thought of the book.
• Because I love the stars (after all, what’s SFF without the stars??), here’s a gorgeous picture of the Milky Way taken in the Cook Islands.
• It’s about time somebody put together an SFF survival guide for geeks! Here’s io9′s SFF Ultimate Survival Guide for December.
• Geek news alert! Cyborg insects could be first responders in rescue situations. Pretty cool little beetle they’ve built.
• It’s Christmas — time to shop for that hard-to-please geek in your life. Don’t worry! Just visit http://www.thinkgeek.com/ and your troubles are over. Seriously, the kids and I spent more time than I care to admit browsing through this website, finding things that I never knew I needed until now. How about umbrellas? Everyone needs one, right? There’s the Broadsword handle, the Blade Runner style LED model and, my teens’ favorite, the Samurai sword handle.
• More movie news: Doctor Who is coming, the product of efforts by the BBC and David Yates (who directed Harry Potter). The search is on for screenwriters. Know anyone?
• The anime bucket list: Tor.com brings us Ten Anime Series You Should See Before You Die. As if that wasn’t enough, they also posted Ten Anime Films You Should See Before You Die. That should keep you busy for a while.
• Interested in reading about a cyborg Cinderella? When I put it that way, it sounds rather odd, but the excerpt posted online is really quite intriguing. You can find an exclusive excerpt of Cinder by Marissa Meyer here. I want to read this one.
• How about the U.K. man who got a new prosthetic arm with a smartphone dock built-in?

Finally, I leave you with a bit of Christmas cheer, SFF style:
The Sith Who Stole Christmas. I love this!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do you have a favorite geek holiday moment or link? Please share!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy the season.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Because my son is an avid Star Wars fan, I am aware of the gist of the Star Wars books, but Deathtroopers is an entirely different type of book from all the others. Let me suffice it to say that this is the first zombie book I’ve ever read. Zombie books will never be my favorite genre, but I admit this one was pretty easy to read. Joe Schreiber wrote the book with one action scene after another, making it a very fast read.

In case you want to read it, I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say I found a couple of surprises in the middle of the book, which served to increase my interest level.

Also, Schreiber did a good job developing the different characters. Each had their own particular voice that was different from the others and accurately reflected their skills and personalities. For me, the characterization and action sequences were definitely the book’s strongest points.

If you’re a Star Wars fan or lover of zombie books, you will probably enjoy Deathtroopers. I’m not an authority on horror books, but I have a feeling that if you are, Deathtroopers might be a little lightweight for you. As for me, it was an intriguing way to drift off into another world for a few hours while keeping an eye on my son’s interests.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Word Reclaimed

Far in the future, the five colonized systems have finally been freed of the curse of religion. By mandating tolerance across all colonies, no one can bring religious persecution upon anyone else. Things have been this way for a generation. Long enough for most of those living to have never known a Torah, Koran, or New Testament, except in stories. And the Kesek secret police work hard to keep it so. So what happens when a bitter teenage discovers a holy book that has been earmarked for destruction? What happens when it begins speaking to him. And now that Kesek is coming for him and his father and anyone else who gets in his way, what is he going to do with this troublesome book? The Word Reclaimedis epic space opera amidst civil war, treachery, and  political alliances as sifting as Martian sand.

And now for the interview. Enjoy!

What led you to write this particular story?

A few years ago I hit upon the idea, what if a man found a Bible in the wreckage of a starship? Then I wondered what it would be like if written religious texts were banned, and faith was regulated. From that came the genesis for “”The Word Reclaimed.”

In a way, The Word Reclaimed reminded me of several really great space operas–like Star Wars and Anne McCaffrey’s novels, among others. What particular books or movies impacted you as you were growing up?

Ah, you discovered the not-so-great secret! I love the Star Wars series and read several novelizations, especially the “Heir to the Empire” and “Black Fleet Crisis” trilogies – those I read in college. I did most of my science fiction reading in high school and college. I thoroughly enjoyed C.J. Cherryh’s “Merchanter’s Luck” as well as the Honor Harrington novels of David Weber.

Oh! And I can’t forget the canceled “Firefly” TV series. Best sci-fi show ever!

Who are your favorite authors, those whose books you’d love to settle down with on a cold winter afternoon or evening?

The aforementioned “Merchanter’s Luck” is one I re-read regularly. I also really enjoy David Drake’s “Lt. Leary, Commanding.” Kathy Tyers’ “Firebird” trilogy is a great one, too.

How long did it take you to write The Word Reclaimed?

The Word Reclaimed is actually the first half of a much longer epic I called “Commissioned.” It took about six years to write the whole works, with most of the work completed during nine months in 2008-09. Jeff Gerke of Marcher Lord Press decided he wanted to publish the novel but asked me to find a cut-off, a cliffhanger of sorts. I did, and “The Word Reclaimed” was born.

Who was your favorite character to write? What is your favorite thing about that character?

Well, my protagonist Baden was enjoyable if only for the fact that he’s an average guy struggling with some real questions of faith and belief. But I’d have to settle on Detective Chief Inspector Nikolaas Ryke of the Kesek secret police as my favorite to write. He’s just mean! It was fun to take one character and see just how much of a villain I could make him.

If you could be any character from a fantasy or sci-fi book, who would it be and why?

That’s easy – Han Solo! Or at least, somebody with his same job description. Come to think of it, I’d love to be on the crew of the good ship Serenity of Firefly fame …

What projects are you working on now?

I am in the midst of rewriting/editing the sequel or Book 2, entitled “The Word Unleashed.” The release date is April 2010. After that, well, I have lots of ideas for this universe.

How can readers find you on the web?

My website, www.steverzasa.com, has the latest information about “The Word Reclaimed” and background about the universe in which “The Face of the Deep” series is set. “The Word Reclaimed” is available for purchase through www.marcherlordpress.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

So far, the video section includes interviews with several authors such as Troy Denning, Aaron Allston, Dan Wallace, and Christie Golden, as well as interviews from ComicCon and movie actors such as Hugh Jackman.

In addition, Suvudu has posted for free download several full-length novels. Here are the titles just posted for August:

- The Briar King: Book One of the Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, By Grey Keyes
- King’s Property: Book One of the Queen of the Orcs Trilogy, By Morgan Howell
- The Brass Bed, By Jennifer Stevenson

Books that were posted previously include:

- Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Skyborn, By John Jackson Miller
- Darkfever, By Karen Marie Moning
- Manifold: Time, By Stephen Baxter
- Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Precipice, By John Jackson Miller
- Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold!, By Terry Brooks
- For Love of Mother-Not, By Alan Dean Foster
- Weapons of Choice, By John Birmingham
- Elric: The Stealer of Souls, By Michael Moorcock
- Kiss of Midnight, By Lara Adrian
- Star Wars Fate of the Jedi: Dramatis Personae

The books are available in pdf, Kindle, Sony Reader, and Scribd.com formats.

Here’s the link: http://www.suvudu.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”