altariel: (Default)
altariel ([personal profile] altariel) wrote2005-04-12 03:24 pm

Hollow Men excerpt

You can now read an excerpt from Hollow Men at Psi Phi.

Edited to add: Forgot to say; I have an article about writing in the current issue (#120) of Star Trek Magazine.
ext_6322: (Arthur masochist)

[identity profile] kalypso-v.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 07:56 am (UTC)(link)
I'm getting a 403 error message.

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 07:59 am (UTC)(link)
Hm, the link is working for me. Try this:
http://www.psiphi.org/cgi/upc-db/excerpt/0743491513.html

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 08:06 am (UTC)(link)
Or else try the link off this page:
http://www.psiphi.org/cgi/upc-db/

[identity profile] dberry.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 08:14 am (UTC)(link)
You write Garak brilliantly. :-) Lookin' forward to this one.

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 08:30 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you! :-D I really hope you enjoy it!

[identity profile] communicator.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 08:23 am (UTC)(link)
I liked that a great deal: I don't know DS9 very well, but I thought that conversation and the train of thought progressed beautifully

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 09:21 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you; I'm really chuffed it works for you :-)

[identity profile] crossbow1.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 08:28 am (UTC)(link)
It looks wonderful! I've always loved how you write Garak. Can't wait for the book!

Also, why have I never heard of "psi phi"? That's like the nerdiest site name ever. You'd think I'd be all over that.

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 08:37 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you, I really hope you enjoy it! :-)

Psi Phi is a great name, isn't it? It's one of the best sites for updates on Trek books, and also has a books bulletin board.

[identity profile] dberry.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 09:17 am (UTC)(link)
FWIW, David Henderson called the site "Psi Phi" after the science fiction club at Bradley University which he founded. Image

[identity profile] psiphiorg.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 10:32 am (UTC)(link)
And David Henderson, in turn, would be me. :-)

davidh

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 10:54 am (UTC)(link)
*waves!*
(deleted comment)

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 12:07 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm really delighted that you like it :-)

Garak can often slide points past people persuasively...

I should be getting my author copies of 'Hollow Men' very soon and would like you to have one - can I email you about that?

[identity profile] glitterboy1.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 09:57 am (UTC)(link)
That's great, A. Thank you for the pointer! I liked the shifts as the conversation went on, the inability ever to be completely sure how things are going with Garak.

An article, too! Cool. Exclusive insights 'r' you.

[identity profile] glitterboy1.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 09:58 am (UTC)(link)
Sorry, plus, of course, Garak's outrage at democracy in action. Hee!

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 10:16 am (UTC)(link)
I certainly had fun with that ;-)

[identity profile] glitterboy1.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 10:19 am (UTC)(link)
I rather thought you did. I was chuckling away, myself.

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 10:17 am (UTC)(link)
I'm delighted you enjoyed it, thank you!

Exclusive insights and a shot of my mug. What else could you hope for?

[identity profile] glitterboy1.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 10:18 am (UTC)(link)
a shot of my mug

That's the one that says "Step AWAY from my COFFEE!" ? ;-)

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 10:54 am (UTC)(link)
That's the one - it has teeth too.

[identity profile] katlinel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 01:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Eeeeeeeeee!

You know, when I read your writing, there's often an innocuous sounding phrase that just gets to me. In this excerpt, it was this one:

The sky above was blue and unruffled.

Of course, I still haven't seen enough DS9 to know whether this is in character, but Garak, as in all your writing, has a compelling presence that makes him worth reading about, even when I know nothing about him.

Oh and something else about the phrase made think of something. My perception of ST is that whenever they do an episode of ST set on Earth, it's always blindingly sunny, with a very bright blue sky. I don't know whether that's because it's always California, and of course, it doesn't match my perception of Earth weather (mustn't grumble), but I entirely sympathised with Garak's watering eyes, because ST Earth has that effect on me too. (Of course, ST experts will then point out a hundred episodes where this isn't the case, but I'll re-iterate that this is my perception which doesn't have to agree with any shared reality.)

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-13 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
I'm chuffed to bits that you like it! :-D (And I quite liked that sentence too *g*)

Love your thoughts on the sunshine. The two-part story that Hollow Men draws on definitely shows a very sunny Californian Earth, so I was trying very much to evoke that feel. Of course, Garak prefers it much darker.

(That two-parter, btw, is in the fourth season: 'Home Front' and 'Paradise Lost'.)

[identity profile] katlinel.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 01:31 pm (UTC)(link)
And another thing.

Should the interview of your exclusive insights be titled "Una McCormack: Writing's Bitca"?

(And don't think I didn't toy with the idea of "Una McCormack: Writing's Butt Monkey".)

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-13 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
I was thinking of "Una McCormack: It's Not All Work Work Work!"
(deleted comment)

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-13 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
Glad you like it! :-D

The magazine probably won't be on the shelf by August, but I can put my copy in my bag!

[identity profile] popehippo.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
DEUS.

Should have taken that gift subscription when I had it. >

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-13 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
D'oh!
trixieleitz: sepia-toned drawing of a woman in Jazz Age costume, relaxing with a glass of wine. Text: Trixie (Default)

[personal profile] trixieleitz 2005-04-12 04:50 pm (UTC)(link)
excerpt: Me like :) Eagerly awaiting the whole thing.

Will keep an eye out for your article, but, knowing the magazine import industry in this country, it's probably three months away and five times the price. Perhaps I'll just read the article at the rack ;)

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-13 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
Glad you like the excerpt! :-D

Hm, I suspect the magazine might well take several months to get to your part of the world...
trixieleitz: sepia-toned drawing of a woman in Jazz Age costume, relaxing with a glass of wine. Text: Trixie (Default)

[personal profile] trixieleitz 2005-04-13 02:05 pm (UTC)(link)
The BoT did a recce - he found one solitary copy of 119, wrapped in plastic to deter rack-readers (boo, hiss!). So there might be a copy of 120 in a month or two. I'll have to grow myself some razor-sharp fingernails in the meantime.

Ah, I remember the heady days of the B7 radio plays, there were several B7 articles published around then. I had to wait for eons for the things to turn up here.
(deleted comment)

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-13 01:58 am (UTC)(link)
It's set right after 'In the Pale Moonlight'. Glad you enjoyed it! :-)

[identity profile] mgkellner.livejournal.com 2005-04-12 11:03 pm (UTC)(link)
I am always amazed at how well you do DS9's characters. Garak contemplates a peace rally, I love it.

Is that you on the cover?

mk

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2005-04-13 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
Very pleased that you like it! :-D

The person on the cover bears an uncanny likeness to someone that looks completely different from me...