Tag Archives: Self-Promotion

Wouldja Believe Lovecraftian Horror?

Zounds! After many a voiceover self-promotion, I get to do a writing self-promo!

All seven or nine regular blog readers know that I do write plenty of audio fiction, given my periodic but consistent mention of my space opera Rogue Tyger, the implied adaptations of various folk tales and spooky tales, and occasional rampant, all-around silliness.

But amid all these screenplays and essays here (and endless posts about Star Trek), there haven’t been any short stories.

Until now.

I’m happy to announce that my story, “Final Delivery” is part of a new anthology just in time for your reading pleasure this Spooky Season. I’m in some great company of other indie authors, including: Russell Nohelty, Samuel Barnhart, Drue M. Scott, Blaze Ward, April Steenburgh, Elizabeth Davis, Pierre Demery, James Palmer, Jessica Maison, J.D. Oliva, L.S. Johnson, Bruno Lombardi, L.K. Ingino, Richard Quarry, Ann Gimpel, Sonia Orin Lyris, Pierino Gattei, Rebecca M. Senese, and Amy Campbell.

The collection goes on sale this coming Saturday, October 1st, but you can pre-order it now on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble which should cover most of your e-reading needs (Apple should be coming soon).

What’s the anthology about, you ask? One of my favorite themes: the apocalypse.

In a snap, the apocalypse descends, wiping out almost everything.

Almost.

A few survivors struggle in the ruins, fighting until the bitter end.

After The Fall (A Blaze Ward Presents Special Edition) brings together twenty different visions: some hopeful, some desperate, and some just plain weird. Many different takes on what the world might look like after aliens came down. Or the Elder Gods awakened.

Or if Darkness itself just fell.

Come join USA Today bestsellers and rookies alike as they show you what life might look like After The Fall.

You’ll have to find out if my tale is hopeful, desperate or weird. I will say that it is Lovecraftian and a kind of horror that would be quite at home in an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Enjoy!

Apollyon, Episode 4 “Unfamiliar”

I’ve mentioned previously I have a couple roles in Apollyon, a drama about dealing with a pandemic in a world 150 years from now. I can be heard in the first episode and, now, this one.

If you’re a fan of thoughtful sci-fi, you may well enjoy this. I’m very happy to have been a part of it.

This role was rewarding in a special way because, when I mention I’ve had to deal with estate lawyers, you can guess why. I tried to put some of that voice into Mr. Claver.

Video

Desolate Dreams

Those of you who know I grew up listening to vintage radio will understand that I jumped at the chance to provide a radio announcer voice for that era… and I’m very happy that it’s part of the short film Desolate Dreams, being developed now by filmmaker Kiyoka Rhodes and a fantastic team. Besides the video, be sure to check out their website to learn more about the people working to bring this film to life and how you can support it.

“Prince Prigio” Receives Multiple TIVA Awards

Jabberwocky Audio Theater has been one my main creative outlets in the past few years, which has been simultaneously challenging and fortuitous during the pandemic.

It’s challenging, because one of things we like to do is bring everyone together to record at the same time, an old school method that served many a vintage radio show well for decades. Now we needed to account for various different home recording set-ups, where even equally good home studios can have different sound qualities.

However, it was fortuitous because, unlike filmmaking, we could go ahead and make a whole show, which we did. And not only that, it was one of my absolute favorite fairy tales from childhood: Prince Prigio, a send-up of fairy tales that pre-saged works like The Princess Bride and Shrek.

While doing the adaptation and serving as narrator was rewarding in and of itself, I’d be lying if I didn’t appreciate recognition, as I think the whole cast and crew did a bang-up job — and as a judge from previous years of TIVA Peer Awards, it’s a tough process (they will happily not award anyone in a given category if they feel the submissions were not good enough).

Here are the awards and here’s the link if you want to listen.

  • Peer Bronze: Web Series (Through the Looking Glass)
  • Peer Silver: Acting Voice Over – Audio Narration, Male (Bjorn Munson)
  • Peer Gold: Sound Mixing (William R. Coughlan)

Apollyon, Episode 1 plus Fundraiser

Hey, I mentioned last month that I was in an upcoming audio drama… and it’s here:

The first episode is online, along with a link to a fundraiser which will allow the producers to pay for the rest of the season, including making sure we actors get paid. So, especially if you’re a fan of human-centric thoughtful science fiction, give episode one a listen and spread the word. And if you are able, any ducats would be appreciated.

Apollyon Launches April 21

I’ve voiced a few characters for audio fiction podcasts in the past few months (not including Jabberwocky Audio Theater) and one of those debuts in less than 30 days!

Apollyon is one of those thoughtful science fiction stories that I love. You can learn more about the story and check out the trailer at the website.

More soon.

Typecast During Holy Week

I’ve played a wide number of characters over the years, including henpecked husbands, Shakespearean fools, and villainous muleteers (I know, is there any other kind?).

But one character type I seem to have gotten several times is that of the well-intentioned jerk (an invaluable archetype in a number of training videos I’ve been a part of).

He’s just saying…

So perhaps it’s only fitting that, for a modern, social media kind of passion play, I get to be a doubting disciple. You can check it out on The Tandem Bicycle page on Facebook and evidently also on Instagram.

The first installment is here and the second installment (including a doubting yours truly) is here, with a nice combo segment later.

Based on the text, I pitched it as a modern vlogger/pundit, not unlike some of the pundits you see on TV who don’t really want change if someone in authority will be put out.

Where I’ll Be: Escape Velocity 2019

Wow, has it really been over a month since I’ve posted anything?

Okay, well, I can’t go into everywhere that I’ve been, but I can tell you where I will be this weekend: Escape Velocity!

Escape Velocity 2019 Promo from Museum of Science Fiction on Vimeo.

I’ll be part of two panels and one performance….

Friday @ 8:20pm: Alien: 40 Years of Fright

I get to chat with Charles de Lauzirika all about Alien and such.

Saturday @ 3:30pm: Nostromo 2: Electric Alien Boogaloo

If you don’t know about Jabberwocky Audio Theater‘s live performance lovingly sending up Alien and Buck Rogers, you clearly haven’t been to our website.

But even if you didn’t know until now, join us as we give you more sci-fi references than a Cyberman can shake a Dalek plunger at.

Sunday @ 12:15pm: So You Want to Make a Film? A legally-sound producer’s guide

For those of you who aren’t adverse to making lists and know that producing a film means you need to know what Inland Marine insurance is, this is the nitty-gritty (albeit lightning-paced) panel for you as we go through the unglamorous aspects of filmmaking.

Interview about Jabberwocky Audio Theater

Time for a little shameless self-promotion. Most of my writing these days is for Jabberwocky Audio Theater, so when a sci-fi writer was looking to interview other sci-fi writers about their writing, well, that’s what I talked about.

I also muse about Star Trek vs. Star Wars, sci-fi authors I like, and other fun topics.

Taking Silly Very Seriously

As mentioned earlier this week, I will be appearing at this year’s Escape Velocity on Memorial Day weekend, both presenting a producer’s guide to moviemaking and with Jabberwocky Audio Theater (JAT) doing a live performance.

Last year, JAT did an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic War of the Worlds since it was the 80th anniversary of Orson Welles’ 1938 radio broadcast. It was great fun to update a radio adaptation to the present day and set it in and around Washington, DC. Several members of the troupe said they’d like to do something far less serious… which also might be well received by the convention crowd.

This year, we were asked to once again pick a known work (as opposed to something original like Rogue Tyger or Quorum). However, the organizers also said that parody was an option and it’s the 40th anniversary of both the original Alien and the TV show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

Ladies and gentlemen –and assorted aliens– get ready for
Nostromo 2: Electric Alien Boogaloo (featuring Chuck Codgers).

I have all sorts of tropes that I look forward to sending up as well as numerous references to classic works I want to work in. Of course, the trick is to make jokes that are funny in and of themselves, yet have the references add another layer of humor. I can’t guarantee everyone listening will have watched Stargate, Monty Python, and the classic Day the Earth Stood Still, after all. As veteran comedy writers have taught me, one must take ‘silly’ very seriously.

So, I’m still working on the script and last week someone posted a link to the full runthrough to Space Ace, the sci-fi themed sequel to the interactive animated video game Dragon’s Lair.

Beats having to cough up a whole lotta quarters to try and get through it all, right? (Actually, I’ve only done that with one game, and it’s because some brilliant entrepreneur had put a video game arcade in an airport terminal, so people waiting and waiting and waiting for their flight would have something to do).

Anyway, it’s been a fun, silly inspiration as I continue to work on the script. I know we’ll have room for a slide whistle and I’m hoping the O.G. sci-fi instrument, the theremin can make an audio appearance. More details to come as we get closer to May!