There are around forty religious holidays between Thanksgiving and Epiphany. So, go ahead, wish everyone a Happy Holiday and you’re bound to be getting at least one of them right. Anywho, this will be my last newsletter of the year. Experience has taught that, like kids on a sugar rush, everyone is too preoccupied with holidays, family, and a burning desire to stay drunk and hope Uncle Harold doesn’t try to explain “the real world” to your kids.
A couple of updates for those of you who’ve been here a while, and then fun stuff for all the new people who showed up wondering if I need lithium. First, I ripped about a hundred pages out of The Darkling Wind since I found them trite and predictable. Don’t worry, you won’t be the first to say, “But McSciFi, that’s what people want.” I am not people.
Second, I made my publisher cry. I had sworn on a plate of holy grits that I was done with The Brittle Riders universe. That trilogy, plus the Goptri of the Mists trilogy, accounts for just under 3/4 of a million words dedicated to the death of all you know and all that followed.
I lied. As you can see from the graphic at the bottom, I am breathing life into The Plato Wars, a story referenced in The Brittle Riders & Goptri of the Mists as the reason AI was outlawed. It is set in our future, a planet without countries. Just one world and its subsections. In other words, you can still go to Paris, it’s just that France is a region now and not a country. Flesh in this time is just another fashion accessory, and violence is unheard of.
Long story short, the people in the story fuck that up royally.
For those of you who are new, welcome. A human on LinkedIn called The Brittle Riders universe “Star Wars for functioning adults.” That works. If you click THIS LINK, you’ll be taken to a page that has four videos. They are all short, under two minutes, and designed to be viewed on large screens with good sound. At the top of the page is a menu that will take you to a wide variety of ancillary materials you can enjoy.
For now, I thank all who have stayed on this journey, welcome all who have joined, and wish each and every one of you a joyful and safe holiday season.
