Author: Richard Parry

Speak: About a Very Special Dog

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When I sat down to read Speak, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Familiar with Paddock’s work by way of Postcards from Gliese, I suspected it’d sucker-punch me right in the feels. I wasn’t disappointed. I think we should start with what this book is like, or maybe who might have written it. It reads like a Gaiman novel – the way the prose rolls of the page feels very much like The Ocean at the End of the Lane. It’s urban fantasy, but not with vampires (sparkling or otherwise): Speak is about people you might know, in a town like that small one you vacationed at last year, doing marvelous things. The story starts with Ellen in the firm grip of her ordinary life. She’s got a father who makes military school instructors look like Barney. Her mother Read More …

Sci-Fi “Research”

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I’m spending a little time looking for a new megastructure to deploy, and I found this handy post: [Cold, Laser-Coupled Particle Beams] It’s given me some insight into a new weapon – check out the laser weapon web. Imagine a network of lasers, where each can carve through 15mm of aluminum per second at a distance of 1,000 klicks. Join, say, 3,000 of these together, with construct/AI intelligence controlling the targeting, and you’ve got yourself a weapon that will leave an impression. In the Ezeroc Wars universe, power is a solved problem due to the prevalence of high-efficiency fusion reactors, as well as some pretty epic battery tech that makes your iPhone’s cell look prehistoric. Couple this web with Endless Drives and ship to any location you fancy, primed and ready to fire. Crystal minds don’t suffer from humanity’s space Read More …

LA Frederick’s Parry Spotlight

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And my, how it shines. You might recall my interview of same! Frederick put a gun to my head last year and extracted answers, but has been sitting on this until now – no doubt as revenge for my recently released copy on him. Please to enjoy. [AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Richard Parry]

Another Sample: Tyche’s Lost

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I’m pushing 45,000 words on Tyche’s Lost. It’s shaping up! To see how we’re getting along, I thought I’d introduce you to Forrest Blake. He’s a … survivor on Viukde Gamma, raised in a cultish society. It should come as no surprise the Ezeroc are behind it, which makes it a rough ride for our heroes, Chad and Saveria. Usual caveats. First draft. No grammar checking. Confusion reigns! I hope you dig it anyway. Inside the Altar, Forrest found undergrowth making its home. The space was blessedly free of vermin, but that was expected of a holy site. Gods wouldn’t allow their temple to be desecrated. He didn’t know which way to go. The air felt cool, the night following on his heels. Ahead, Gravedigger awaited. She was planning to kill his gods. He wound through the starship, finding a Read More …

Thin Air: Not Quite Cyberpunk, But All The Way Awesome

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I’ve said before, Richard K. Morgan is the author I most want to be like when I grow up. I discovered him through his Takeshi Kovacs novels, and gobbled his backlist. I’ve loved his take on fantasy, and think his Black Widow comic story is the best in print. The video games are excellent; his story-based work gets the nothing-but-net 5/5 from distinguished critics like Giant Bomb. I say this to help you understand my excitement on the release of Thin Air. Let’s get into it. Our story starts with protagonist (…not quite a hero) Hakan Veil, financially marooned on Mars. He busts up a nightclub, murders a few people who need killing, and winds up in jail for his trouble. Veil’s not your usual down-and-out. He’s ‘retired’ from some pretty epic special forces. He’s competent, but not in the Read More …

Meet L.A. Frederick

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I’ve been wanting to do this interview for a while. It’s old-skool text, not the hip new YouTubes, because LA Frederick is based in England, and while they do have the electric on, they don’t have a very compatible time zone with New Zealand. It’s not us, it’s them. Anyway, I got an opportunity to interview a kindred spirit: find out how we view things from writing practice through to stress management. Please to enjoy this latest author interview. Intro: tell me who you are, what you write, and why. L.A. Frederick here, a sci-fi & fantasy writer who started scribbling down ideas in 2012 and from then on out the bug to write wouldn’t leave. I write because I have a hundred different story ideas in my head bursting to get out – across all manner of genres under Read More …

Where I Talk About the Reader Survey: 2018 Edition

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Like I did last year, I did a reader survey for 2018, and because I lack originality, I’m sharing the responses again. It’s worth rehashing the same warning label: Self-reported results are troublesome, my sample size is small, and my unconscious bias flavors my results more than most people spice a good curry. Despite all that, let’s see what the people want, shall we? Feeding the Beast First on deck is what people want me to write next. Heavily implied within this is what people might pay for, and daddy needs to make rent. Lo! The responses are below, with a surprising twist: It’s not surprising people want more Ezeroc Wars. This is my most popular series by far, despite Night’s Champion getting more reviews (I dunno, are supernatural suspense fans more likely to leave a review?). The surprises come Read More …