Polaris Schedule

Over the last few years, I've come to associate the Polaris convention with the arrival of summer. Thanks to my work schedule I've had lots of free time before and after to make sure I can arrive early and stay late. This is my first year as a participant and I'm excited about the discussions and activities that have been lined up by the programming staff (whom I'd like to thank in advance for the lighter schedule on Sunday).

Here is a tentative list of the discussions and events I'll be at during the Polaris convention next week.

• Sherlock: A New Game Is Afoot - Friday 7pm 
• "Duel at Badlands Junction" (film screening and Q&A) - Saturday 12pm
  
• Let's Have A Death Match - Saturday 4pm
• When Live Action Gets Animated - Saturday 5pm
• The Evil Dead-Third Time's the Charm  - Saturday 11pm
• Bonding Over Books and Beer - Sunday 3pm

"Estimated Time of Arrival" - Review

Adam Shaftoe at Page of Reviews has been kind enough to write a thoughtful review of "Estimated Time of Arrival".

I have to agree with just about everything he wrote and was pleasantly surprised at a few readings I hadn't considered. Getting to read a thoughtful and insightful response to one's work is truly one of the joys of writing and I'm very appreciative of Adam taking the time to look at my bit of light fare about near-light speed travel.

"Estimated Time of Arrival" can be read at Ray Gun Revival.

Ad-Astra Panel Schedule

My tentative schedule for Ad-Astra is as follows:

Chi-Zine Table

- Saturday 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

A Bit of the Old/New Ultra-Violence?

- Saturday 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

The Future is Fascist 
- Sunday 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Rapid Fire! Flash-length Fiction 
- Sunday 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Book Trailers: Sale or Fail?

- Sunday 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM 

Duel at Badlands Junction Screening

- Sunday 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

Estimated Time of Arrival

Raygun Revival has just published my story Estimated Time of Arrival.

It's one of the first stories I wrote when I decided to start submitting last year. My intention was to write a story that might have appeared in Stephen Leacock's Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town if that book had been set in the far future on some terraforming colony in deep space. It fell slightly short of that mark but it does have a few laughs and you can read it here.

Friends of the Merril Contest

The winners of the innagural Friends of the Merril Short Story Contest were announced today. I offer my sincere congratulations to Sarah Enals, Jason Ridler, and Dr. Philip Edward Kaldon and look forward to reading their stories as soon as they're available.

My story, The Mobius Garden managed to get to the short list, where it is good company with works by Kari Maaren and Suzanne Church.

Thanks as well go to contest runner Michael Matheson for humanizing what could have been a very impersonal process. Lots of judges, writers and readers gave their time and talents to support the finest SF library in Canada and hopefully this will be the first of many such contests for a worthy cause.

Upcoming Stories

I am pleased to announce some stories of mine have been accepted at various online publications:

• Saskadelphia will appear next month in Farther Stars Than These.
• Estimated Time of Arrival will appear sometime the next two months in Ray Gun Revival.
• Longing to Play the Oboe will appear this summer in Jersey Devil Press.