Posted inGorelets: Unpleasant Poems

Fortune Cookie: A Parable

The waiter brought us our check on a little silver tray, bowing while politely setting it beside my plate. Atop the scribbled paper were two fortune cookies, wrapped in wax paper, which suggested they were homemade. "Oooh," Paul said from across the table, reaching out. I playfully slapped his hand away. "I already told you, Paul. Dinner's on me." He kept his hand wavering in the air. "That doesn't mean you get all the cookies." He went for the tray again. I moved it out of his reach -- which was fairly easy because he was sloshed on pear wine.…
July 25, 2011Posted inGorelets: Unpleasant Poems3 Comments
Posted inAmbulations

Many Genres authors at Confluence 2011

Speculative fiction authors from our writing guide, Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction, were all over the place at the Confluence sf/f/h convention this weekend. Coeditor Heidi Ruby Miller and I hosted a 'literary beer' talk about the book that was a highlight, among other things. Here are some photos from the book signing event. In the photos, the MGOC writers are the ones wearing the buttons: Heidi Ruby Miller, Jason Jack Miller, Lawrence Connolly, Diane Turnshek, and myself. (Timons Esaias was there too but eluded my camera.)
July 24, 2011Posted inAmbulations3 Comments
Posted inAmbulations

Confluence 2011

Various photos I took at Pittsburgh's annual science fiction, fantasy and horror convention, Confluence, this past weekend. I'll post shots of the 'many genres' book signing at the con in the next post. See if you can figure out which one is the wax figure. Otherwise, you'll see: Lawrence Connolly, Chris Ferrier, Ann Kopchik, William H. Keith, Eric Beebe, Paul Anderson, KT Pinto, Chris Pisano, John Alfred Taylor, Mary Turzillo, Brea Ludwigson, Robert J. Sawyer, the Alpha gang.
July 24, 2011Posted inAmbulations
Posted inArnzen News

Book Signing and Events at Confluence SF Conference (Pittsburgh, 7/22-23)

This weekend (July 22-23rd, 2011) I'll be attending Pittsburgh's annual Literary Science Fiction convention, Confluence. Here's my schedule of events: Friday July 22, 5:30pm Jr Suite Michael Arnzen Fiction Reading Friday 6pm Jr Suite Literary Beer: informal chat about the book, MANY GENRES, ONE CRAFT: LESSONS IN WRITING POPULAR FICTION with editors Heidi Ruby Miller & Michael Arnzen Friday 10pm Willow Room HORROR PANEL: "Growing up Scared: How What Scares us Changes as We Age" Michael Arnzen (Moderator); Paul Anderson; John Alfred Taylor; Lawrence Connolly Description: "From monsters and gore to conspiracy and untrustworthy senses, the things that scared us…
July 21, 2011Posted inArnzen News2 Comments
Posted inData+Errata

New Post to The Popular Uncanny blog on “The Uncanny Valley and Intellectual Uncertainty”

Just added a new essay to my theory blog on The Popular Uncanny:  "The Uncanny Valley and Intellectual Uncertainty" -- a review and reaction to an interesting cognitive study just published on the brain's response to the uncanny valley. If you don't know what the Uncanny Valley is, then see Wikipedia.  Or watch this video from Popular Science online:  
July 16, 2011Posted inData+Errata