WISHES

The world of online fiction is full of the most wonderful, wonderful people who give their skills absolutely freely to help and support the rest of the community. Artists and technicians and publishers and writers and poets and reviewers and combinations of all – they are out there giving endless hours to this glorious expression of creativity that has grown up in the ether.

And now the walls between the outside world and the digital world are cracking nicely, letting the well worn practices and expectations of the old flow into the gentler waters of the new. Sadly the old is somewhat polluted and those surfing the inflow are so used to the shit they don’t notice the smell. I could wish it wasn't so.

I’ve said often enough that society should value its Artists and that valuation should include ensuring Artists can eat and sleep under a roof at night. I have always believed that an Artist has every right, if they so choose, to sell their work for a fair price just as any primary producer or manufacturer can.

I am still no wiser on how that is going to be possible in this new world. And I see the tips of pyramids already rising from the flow, with the many below all being encouraged to give their gold pieces to those one step higher on the slope -- put a down-payment on the dream, I'll teach you how to do it all. Cash and all major credit cards accepted. I could wish it wasn’t so.

***

What is more important is that there are many superb examples of independent Art being offered for sale in the market place.

I just discovered that one of my favourite webfiction writers has produced a volume available for purchase. Short Lean Cuts by Alex Pruteanu is available through Amazon here and Barnes and Noble here.

"The surreal, morbidly amusing novella of a self-obsessed, hypochondriac ex-academic living in present-day America. Follow his musings, rants, and wacky encounters with savage characters during his day job as a house cleaner, as he heads toward what he believes is a resolution to his life."

I started reading Alex’ little gems when I discovered webfiction and loved them from the first encounter. I hope sales are absurdly successful. You should all go and have a look.

Two very fine poets have joined forces to produce ‘a collection of 30 collaborative poems trying to find a balance between apparent contradictions’. meeting through the wall by Francis Scudellari and nooshin azadi. I have had an opportunity to read some of the poems they have created at flashing by and it is worth your time to do the same for free. Then buy the book.

The next book I have not read and have to speculate on at this point. The Aeon Calling by Garth Erickson is available in print and download at Lulu.

"Sex, Death and Time - A dark, multi-layered journey through the obsessed and haunted mind of Alex Brown. War in Africa, rain in Glasgow, and a shit-load of monkey business in-between. Alex's mind is alive with the pre-apocalyptic world, but focused only on Susan - the one woman he cannot have."

Twice five star rated, I look forward to reading this as I have been wholly enjoying style snippets at the author’s blog.

Another recent release I have had recommended is Automatic Assassin by Marc Horne. The recommendation comes from Moxie Mezcal - which alone makes it worth the time to check out.

More praise:

“Twisted sci-fi and black comedy, like imagine if Douglas Adams were a violent sociopath” — Moxie Mezcal, author of ‘Concrete Underground’
“I am enjoying Marc Horne’s surreal sci-fi thriller. It is part Kurt Vonnegut and part Magic Roundabout and part Village of the Damned.” — Quiet Riot Girl, famous blogger
“It rocks! The most fun SF/literary story I’ve read in a while.” — Berit Ellingsen, author of ‘The Empty City’

eFiction Magazine July Issue is on the virtual shelves now.

This month showcases shorts from Madison Woods, Nathanial Chambers, Myra King, Pam Hawley, Ryan Dorrill and SL Berg. Also, poetry from Debbie Montaner, and the brilliant serial, Blood Binds from Tonya R Moore continues.

Essie Holton reviews:

Fission Chips by MCM
In the House of Five Dragons by E.D. Lindquist and Aron Christensen
The Mystery Box by Eva Pohler
The Virus Coder’s Girl by MCM
Who Is He To You? by Monique D Mensah

And Joshua Willey looks at Sam Shepard’s collection Day out of Days.

PDF subscriptions and downloads are free from the eFiction Magazine site, or subscribe through Amazon for kindle. Once you start to read, you will want to find back issues, and they are all available here.

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I could wish there were not already huge sites full to brimming with work which so ably fits the derogatory stereotype for self-published titles. I could wish too, that they were not drawing crowds as devoted as the True Beliebers and just as easily pleased. But you know what they say: wish in one hand, shit in the other, and see which one fills fastest.

I could also wish I had more positive energy to share in this post, but the truth is I don’t, and I just covered the wish thing.

I hope your life is bringing you all the joy you could ever wish for. There now, that’s a start on positivity; after all, tomorrow is another day.

Lxxx

ps. And you could always go and have a look at Touchstone at 1889 Labs. Just click your heels together three times [and the thumbnail of the cover to the side there once] and say to yourself, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place...."