Pictured: foreshadowing!

Created by a shadowy figure of mystery known [...]]]> During the run-up to Bubonicon (which was swell, by the way – there, that’s my con report) Scott Phillips asked me to join him, Scott Denning, and John Jos. Miller on a panel late Friday night about the blog they all write for called Cheese Magnet.

Pictured: foreshadowing!

Created by a shadowy figure of mystery known only as Tanzi, Cheese Magnet covers every aspect of what I call “pulp culture:” that which is straightforwardly and unapologetically entertaining, fun, and escapist. Which takes in everything from movies to rock to the always weird and often wonderful covers of the actual pulps.

I said, “sure.” As naturally I would. Especially since I’d been a long-time fan of Cheese Magnet. Being as I like those things too.

At some point I did mentioned the irony (okay, I totally whined, I admit it) of being on the Cheese Magnet panel but not being on, well Cheese Magnet.

And in the fullness of time – that being, if I recall right, at the suave pre-con party thrown at the house of Patricia Rogers and the aforementioned Scott Denning, the Hostess and Host Supreme – Scott Phillips (you think you have trouble keeping your Scotts straight?) asked me, “So why aren’t you writing for Cheese Magnet?”

And I answered, truthfully, “Because nobody’s asked me to.”

“Well, I’m asking you.”

“And I’m saying yes!”

And so it was done. It was duly determined that I should use an idea I’ve entertained for years about a recurring column I originally thought to do here (yeah, like that’s worked out so well) called Vic Milán: Action Guy! Which would basically wage the War Against Crappy Action/Adventure Entertainment. The good fight.

I had ideas of what I’d do for a starting post – and no idea when I’d get the time or energy to write it. I’m pretty seriously snowed under here, what with stuff contracted for plus a modest little volume I like to call The Dinosaur Lords.

And then today it all hit me like an axe wielded by Conan the Barbarian himself – in the form of a question asked in all innocence on my Facebook Wall, “What/who is Frazetta?”

Now, the short form answer (after a few preliminary sputters of outrage) is and can only be: the greatest science fiction and fantasy illustrator of all time.

The long form – well, for that, please click through to my very first Cheese Magnet column, Action Guy #001: “What/who is Frazetta?”! And once you’re there, why not graze among the other wonders to be found?

So imagine my surprise when I opened the door late this afternoon to get the mail, and discovered a big box awaiting me on the porch. A big box full of big books.

This book:

A [...]]]> When Emma barked this morning, and I saw the UPS dude across the street, I reckoned the delivery wasn’t for me.

So imagine my surprise when I opened the door late this afternoon to get the mail, and discovered a big box awaiting me on the porch. A big box full of big books.

This book:

A Quarter Century of Heavy Metal Mayhem!

Presenting BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction.

So, wow! My contributors copies came! Yay! I totally spaced they were supposed to be on their way.

And … holy crap, it’s gorgeous.

Why, you wonder, did a $60 giant ass hardcover book suddenly appear at my doorstep. Contributors’ copies!

A semi-secret project I may’ve alluded to earlier in the year was picking one of a number of pictures from BattleTech products of the past and writing a story about it for an upcoming anthology. I picked this picture:

Cassie comes to call...

I found it haunting and evocative. Also the image of (what was arguably) a woman with long, black hair riding whatever the hell that is put me irresistibly in mind of everybody’s favorite borderline-sociopathic scout, Cassiopoeia Suthorn. (Or maybe she’s only my favorite.)

There were plenty of other candidates. One thing that I’ve always loved about the BattleTech products was their generally fantastic artwork. That and the giant robots. Although of course they’re not robots at all, but powered suits of armor – forty foot tall suits of armor.

But that’s the image that most fired my imagination. Naturally I called the story that arose from it “Ozymandias.”

This book does not disappoint. As the title suggests, it’s a celebration of a quarter-century of that artwork, as well as the enormous body of fiction that’s built up in the universe. And the many, many plates of artwork herein, some of which I’ve seen before, many I’ve not, are eye-popping.

Plus there’s a passel of other fine yarns in there, by the likes of Randall N. Bills, Robert Charrette, Loren Coleman, and the Southwest’s own Michael A. Stackpole, to name but a few. So, serious awesomeness.

It’s not out yet – due in November – and there’s little info and no pre-order option on the Amazon page. Still, if you’re of a mind to, fall back by in a few days and bang on the first image, the title, or the link in the preceding sentence and check it out. See how easy I make it for you?

Now, I don’t expect my faithful friends and fans to dig out sixty bucks for this one. It is, after all, just one story of mine.

But if you have any interest in Battletech, the games or the fiction, and happen to have $60 burning a hole in your pocket…

Update: And yes, the story does involve Camacho’s Caballeros. Not just Cassie.

Also: dang, the art in this book makes me long for a BattleTech movie.

And speaking of Wild Cards … over on his Not A Blog blog, That American Tolkien Guy reveals the [...]]]> Randolph Carter* of Grinding to Valhalla interviews me on Wild Cards, gaming, and the craft of writing. Results are pretty good, think I. Please give it a look and, should you feel moved, pass it on.

And speaking of Wild Cards … over on his Not A Blog blog, That American Tolkien Guy reveals the Michael Komarck final cover for our next Wild Cards tome, Suicide Kings, due out in December from Tor. For a bigger look at the awesomeness, click here.

That American Tolkien Guy denounces fanfic.

In other news … I’m getting more and more done on my writing, both revising Dinosaur Lords and writing my next Deathlands yarn, Green Hell. There can’t be said to be a downside to that, yet I’m finding it hard to strike a balance between doing my actual profession and the necessity of updating this blog, here.

I’ll work it out. I hope my entries prove entertaining enough to keep my friends and fans clicking back here, sporadic as they are.

*Doesn’t Randolph Carter sound as if it should be the name of a pulp hero? Or a Lovecraft protagonist? Or is it just me?

Wait - he is.

But first, since computer problems are so seldom visually exciting (unless they involve, say, actual flames shooting out, which fortunately mine have not,  so far) a somewhat dark but adorable picture of my cats:

Brother and Sister: [...]]]> The main reason I’ve been generally incommunicado for a while is that I’ve been afflicted with major computer woes.

But first, since computer problems are so seldom visually exciting (unless they involve, say, actual flames shooting out, which fortunately mine have not,  so far) a somewhat dark but adorable picture of my cats:

Brother and Sister: TJ and Squeak

For me computer problems, especially with my primary writing computer, are like a loose tooth. I can’t … let them … alone. So of course, that’s what I’ve had.

Within a year of buying my second Toshiba Satellite notebook computer I started having problems with my power input. The major upshot was that I came home with a new AC power adapter. And without just over a hundred bucks I’d had when I set out.

Then the old adapter started working again. Sort of.

But I kept having problems. Sometimes I’d just stop  getting power input into the computer. Then I’d have to wiggle the plug around until the power input light came back on. Which it kept getting harder and harder to persuade it to do.

Then, what’s now several weeks ago, it started becoming all but impossible to charge the battery. I backed up my writing files. Then I started doing research online, which suggested the Toshiba had chronic problems with power input. The most common problem seemed to involve the jack connections loosening. On the inside. On the motherboard.

Solving which, it seemed, would involve soldering.

Now, not only do I know nothing about soldering, I know little about the innards of laptops. I’m fairly handy with desktop hardware – I built my desktop from components – but that’s a breeze. Notebooks are cranky.

My good friend Steve Kubica kindly lent me a soldering iron. Which left the problem of disassembling the computer. Add, well, actually soldering. The Internet did provide me instructions on both those things. Still, I felt trepidation.

Then at the house of John and Gail Miller I ran into a friend of theirs named Steve Wix, who turned out to work at Sandia. He knows a thing or two, or many, about computers. He also had a laptop he needed to disassemble. We agreed to help each other. Since Steve lives way the heck and gone up in the mountains, and I live down by the river (love that song), John kindly offered his house as a meeting point.

So after two Saturday afternoons monopolizing the Millers’ coffee table, and imposing on John’s easy-going nature (though I hope we didn’t sorely test it), the Toshiba was back together without any parts even left over. And, mirabile dictu, it booted right up!

But it still didn’t charge. Curses!

My boon pal Larry (Yes, I’m blessed with many excellent friends. Yes, I made myself a burden to most of them in the course of this fandango) helped me find out that neither adapter plug was in fact supplying power. Even though the Kensington third-party adapter I’d bought had a pilot light showing power was going as far as the socket the interchangeable power tips fit into.

The good news here is that Kensington is sending me a replacement tip free. The bad news is it may take a week yet toget here.

Now, I’ve got a second computer – the Frankenbox desktop referred to before. For various reasons in the last couple years I’ve preferred to do my writing on my notebook. And the desktop’s Win98 (my choice), which means I can’t update my security software or even my Firefox browser on it, making it a little dicey for Internet duties. While I’m fine writing on my desktop I really miss the Toshiba, and basically need a portable.

As it happens, I’ve been hankering for one of these here now newfangled netbook computers. So, needing a portable computer and not knowing whether poor Toshi, Jr. will ever be resurrected, I bought myself one: a nifty black ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10.1-Inch Netbook, which I got in a package deal with an Asus DVD-ROM external drive at Newegg.com.

Which has brought its own set of hassles, as breaking in a new computer tends to. After some initial problems (a tendency to zoom text in and out at random whenever I used the touchpad) got resolved I’ve gotten to like it more and more. It still has some hitches in its getalong, and frankly I hope Toshi, Jr. comes back when the new power tip arrives.

But for what I got it for – being just absurdly portable – it does a damned fine job. So I’m pleased. Mostly.

Today I also nerved up and tried using a USB adapter that I got to hook up Toshi, Jr.’s hard drive to the EEE. To my near-astonishment, both it and the HDD worked fine. I got various nonessential files transferred. Now if I can figure out how to get Thunderbird to open my old email files I can even answer a couple emails I got just before the notebook crapped out.

We shall see. This has gone on far too long and far too late as it is. Later…

Now all that remains is to assemble the pieces I have painstakingly gathered together. Then launch The Process.

Next – World Domination!

No, wait – that’s when I finish The Dinosaur Lords.

Still, I’m really stoked about this Secret Project. Once it gets going I’ll see how my litte cellphone camera [...]]]> Yes! At last I’ve scored the final ingredient.

Now all that remains is to assemble the pieces I have painstakingly gathered together. Then launch The Process.

Next – World Domination!

No, wait – that’s when I finish The Dinosaur Lords.

Still, I’m really stoked about this Secret Project. Once it gets going I’ll see how my litte cellphone camera does for taking pictures. One thing won’t likely be a huge problem: getting enough light. Not on a high desert summer afternoon!

When I was driving back from obtaining the Final Compound, I saw a lady riding down Griegos near my house on a recumbent bike. Yay! Once you go ‘bent, you’ll never repent!

Have to get my ‘bent trike overhauled and start riding again. If there’s a local bike shop that’ll just do it and not give me static.  Suggestions, my fellow Burque-ites?

One of our better covers, yes?

How do I know? The usual: yesterday I heard a truck pull up, Emma barked, and then thump! on my doorstep. Opened the door and there it was:  a little box o’ joy.

The joy’s somewhat mitigated by the [...]]]> I’ve got a new Rogue Angel novel coming out soon.

One of our better covers, yes?

How do I know? The usual: yesterday I heard a truck pull up, Emma barked, and then thump! on my doorstep. Opened the door and there it was:  a little box o’ joy.

The joy’s somewhat mitigated by the fact I’ve been less-than-ceremoniously dumped from writing for the series. Oh, well: it’s still a book of mine published. And that’s something, frankly, I should fight becoming blasé about.

Plus if you turn to the copyright page, as usual, there’s a thoughtful little message: “Special thanks and acknowledgment to Victor Milán for his contribution to this work.” And by “contribution” they mean, of course, “all the words.” It’s a nice touch inasmuch as they aren’t required to acknowledge me in any way whatsoever.

While I don’t get royalties off these books – no biggie, since I never do on the Gold Eagle series, and anyway it’s not as if the conventional publishers are exactly eager to fork out royalty earnings – you can still support this site, and, oh, yeah, me and the pets, by clicking here to buy. Or just click on the pic above. (To read it you will have to wait until July, however, when it actually, you know, comes out.)

Oh, and a heartfelt plea: if you read my Rogue Angel yarns and enjoy them, would you please consider hopping over to the relevant Amazon.com pages and saying so in a review? Much as I know I should ignore it, I grow weary sometimes of getting screwed over by reviewers who appear to believe it’s “bad characterization” to attempt to portray our heroine, Annja Creed, as anything but a) a guy with boobs, who’s b) sociopathic.

Thank you.

Anyway, it’s out, huzzah: [...]]]> Okay, it was yesterday. Sorry. I was socked-in tight writing on my new Annja book – getting near done, here. Also, in the evening I went to a tree-trimming way the hell and gone up in the foothills with one of my Meetup groups. Which, by the way, was fun.

Anyway, it’s out, huzzah: Busted Flush, second volume in our new-generation Wild Cards trilogy, and first in which yours truly has an entry. Three, in fact: short stories called “Volunteers of America,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and “A Hard Rain Is A’Going to Fall” (where do I get those titles?) which form an arc of their own within the Greater Scheme of Things™.

You can check out a(nother) very nice review here at Bookgasm.

In case you’re interested, and since you’re reading this blog I’ll blithely assume you are, I got paid, both in money and Consortium Points, the same as everybody else who did a single story apiece. And this is entirely fair and satisfies me. My overall contribution is más o menos the same length as everyone else’s; it’s just that the exigencies of the project (by which I mean, what George told me to do) dictated that I chop it up in three.

If you’ve been wondering about the fate of The Radical – and, amazingly, I learn there are people who are – he’s back.

As always, you can help support this site, and me, by clicking the above link to buy your copy through Amazon. (No one has yet done this, by the way. Dudes! and Dudettes!) While you’re at it, you can do the same with the prequel, Inside Straight. The Publishers Weekly review quoted on Busted Flush‘s Amazon page is probably right: you’ll find it way easier to track this one if you read the first one, well, first. And you’ll certainly want to be prepared when the third and final volume, Suicide Kings, comes out next year! So why not buy both? They make great gifts!

Well, I am in this one. Big time.

Click for larger image

It’s called, you guessed it, Busted Flush.

It’ll be mega-cool. But don’t take [...]]]> Yes, the new one’s coming out, December 9. I may’ve been remiss (big surprise) mentioning it, inasmuch as last year I assiduously pimped a Wild Cards book in which I wasn’t, Inside Straight.

Well, I am in this one. Big time.

Click for larger image

It’s called, you guessed it, Busted Flush.

It’ll be mega-cool. But don’t take my word for it. (You probably wouldn’t. See how you are?) We got already reviews (scroll down or search.) Indeed, we already got several.

Most of the singling-out variety of praise goes, deservedly, to Melinda, for her interstitial material. Which is what we call the “stuff that holds all the rest of the stuff together.” That babe on the cover with the kindjal is one of her characters, Lilith. You may, uh, want to reserve judgement on her: she has issues.