Satima's LJ

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:01:54 GMT

A lot of blood, sweat and tears goes into getting an e-zine on line, but the doughty team at The Specusphere has come through once again. Here's a list of the latest offerings. If you can't access anything from the Table of Contents on the front page, try the menu on the right for individual sections.

Editorial
SF Rules OK on TV by Stephen Thompson

Feature
Meet the Publishers (QWC Seminar Notes) by Amanda Greenslade

Up and Coming
New books from Orbit
New books from Voyager
BLACK Magazine exposes Australia’s Dark Side

People
Jack Dann in conversation with Satima Flavell
Alison Goodman in conversation with Satima Flavell
Edwina Harvey interviewed by Stephen Thompson
Glenda Larke in conversation with Satima Flavell
Alastair Reynolds in conversation with Simon Petrie

Fiction
The Flying Banana by James Hansen
One Last Time by Bill Youatt-Pine
All the Stage is a World by Damien Kane

Poetry
Traitors All by Warren Bernard

Book Reviews
Belladonna by Anne Bishop
Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Fires Rising by Michael Laimo
Dreaming Again edited by Jack Dann
The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford
The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie
The Game by Diana Wynne Jones
The Healer by Sharon Sala
The Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison Goodman
The Ice-cream Man by Jenny Mounfield
Wardragon by Paul Collins
Stargate SG-1: Do No Harm by Karen Miller
House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds
The Darkest Kiss by Keri Arthur

Film Reviews
The Orphanage (El Orfanato)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Meet my fellow members of the Specusphere team: Stephen Thompson (editor), Amanda Greenslade (webmistress and writer) and Astrid Cooper (sub-editor and writer):

Since 1997, Stephen has pursued an interest in creative writing that he’d been nurturing for over 25 years. His publishing credits include poetry, radio drama, short fiction, non-fiction, music and screenwriting. He holds an industry recognised Diploma of Editing (Publishing) and works as a freelance editor, proofreader and publisher in Brisbane.

Amanda has a Bachelor of Communication majoring in writing and screen production. She fits her duties as Specusphere's web mistress around a full-time job as a graphic design/multimedia manager for a non-profit organisation. Her interests include animals, writing, reading fantasy and science fiction, gaming, website design, film, theatre and music.

A published fantasy-romance novelist, Astrid's work for The Specusphere focuses on author promotions, interviews and book reviews. She will also be writing the occasional “how-to” article, drawing upon her experience in the writing and publishing industry. When not working on her own books, she serves as an editor/manuscript assessor with an Australian agency.

I do hope you enjoy the fruits of our labours. The panic's over now for another two months, but we'll be back on 1 September with even more previews, reviews and interviews!

My new web page

Sun, 11 May 2008 16:17:22 GMT

I've just put up a new web page about my editing activites. Go and have a look here and see what you think. I'd be pleased to have feedback as web page construction and marketing are both very peripheral to my experience:-)

And I've waffled on at length on this and other matters on my real blog.

The Specusphere

Tue, 06 May 2008 07:19:06 GMT

Go and check out the new edition of The Specusphere. There are loads of articles, reviews (both book and film) fiction, poetry and what's more, I got to write my very first editorial.

And over at my real blog I've posted my first entry for a whole month. Busy, I was. Very.

Swancon reports

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:24:51 GMT

I've just filed the last of my four Swancon reports over at my real blog.

I shall try not to mention it again, or at least not very often or at length. My friends must be tired of my waxing lyrical on the topic. Enough already, Satima! But I can read everyone else's reports to keep the dream alive a bit longer:-)

Swancon Report - and news from Enzed

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:02:19 GMT

I'm gradually blogging my Swancon memories over at my real blog Such a fabulous con - I loved every minute, even the odd icky bit:-)

And more good news this morning, from New Zealand: Juliet Marillier won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for best YA novel with Cybele's Secret. Yay - go Juliet!

Another Shakespeare meme

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:39:42 GMT

This one's doing the rounds. I smurched it from Stephen Dedman

Bold the ones you've seen stage productions of, italicize the ones you've seen movies of, underline the ones you've read or listened to, and add a star to any you've performed in, done readings of or otherwise theatrically participated.

All's Well That Ends Well
Antony and Cleopatra
*As You Like It
The Comedy of Errors
Coriolanus
Cymbeline
*Hamlet
Henry IV, Part I
Henry IV, Part II
*Henry V
Henry VI, Part I
Henry VI, Part II
Henry VI, Part III
Henry VIII
*Julius Caesar
*King John
King Lear
Love's Labour's Lost
Macbeth
Measure for Measure
*The Merchant of Venice
*The Merry Wives of Windsor
*A Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado about Nothing
Othello
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
*Richard II
* Richard III
*Romeo and Juliet
*The Taming of the Shrew
*The Tempest
*Timon of Athens
Titus Andronicus
Troilus and Cressida
* Twelfth Night
Two Gentlemen of Verona
*The Winter's Tale

Next month I'm leading a session on the sonnets with the Shakespeare Club of Western Australia. It's a very old club - founded 1938 - and has a old membership. It breaks my heart that I, at 65, am one of the youngest members. I wish some of you younger enthusiasts would join so we can see our club continue for another 70 years! We meet at the State Library on the third Saturday of each month.

Adelaide Writers Week

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 05:06:14 GMT

Over at my real blog, I've posted my impressions of Adelaide's bi-annual literary bunfest.

Travelling again

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:43:05 GMT

Hi dear flist,

To see what I'm up to, check out my real blog, which I post to at least once a week, usually on Sundays.

I am skimming your blogs but seldom commenting because I'm on the road. Right now I'm in Adelaide for Writers Week and will be in Perth mid-next week. I hope to see many of you at Swancon if not before. Hugs to you all:-)

What is meant by the term Speculative Fiction?

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:31:18 GMT

Over at my real blog I have posted an entry called "What is meant by the term Speculative Fiction?" Comments welcome.

SciFi Quizz

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:39:28 GMT

I snatched this from ladnews, who scored 93 credits.

Oh dear. I wonder if they do one for fantasy?

	I received 28 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Quiz by SheGoddess: Losing Weight

Vale Heath Ledger

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:39:31 GMT

I find myself really upset at the news of Heath Ledger's death. A West Aussie boy, he starred in one of my favourite fantasy movies, A Knight's Tale (I call it a fantasy because of its surreal elements and deliberate anachronisms.)

The horrible thing is that it looks as if it might have been suicide or murder. Either way, a terrible waste of a young life and a loss to the world of a great talent.

RIP, Heath.

The Artist's Conflict

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:14:23 GMT

I've just updated my real blog Still grizzling, with a bit of added waffle and angst:-)

A writing dilemma

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 11:08:32 GMT

Over at my real blog I have posted an entry about my current writing dilemma. OK, so it's basically the same old, same old, but I'm still stuck:-)

Reuse, Recycle and all that Stuff

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:08:12 GMT

Friends, you might want to check this one out:
The Story of Stuff.

I smurched the URL from Glenda Larke's blog. As well as being a fine writer, Glenda is an enthusiastic environmentalist and her blog is well worth reading on both counts.

Happy New Reading and Writing Year!

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 23:42:30 GMT

I just updated
my real blog with a piece about my favourite reads for 2007.

Have a great year, friends!

Meme time again

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:42:35 GMT

I've just scored two more memes, this time from Stephen D. Being even handed, I'll put one here and one on my real blog. Here I shall be...which one? Cat or Elf? I think I'll go for Elf. BTW, apologies to those viewing this on their Friends page. It's long, and I haven't figured out how to do cuts. If someone will send me the code I promise to do it next time!

I Am A: True Neutral Elf Druid/Wizard (4th/4th Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-10

Dexterity-9

Constitution-9

Intelligence-14

Wisdom-15

Charisma-12

Alignment:
True Neutral A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil after all, he would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, he's not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way. Some true neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. True neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. However, true neutral can be a dangerous alignment because it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

Race:
Elves are known for their poetry, song, and magical arts, but when danger threatens they show great skill with weapons and strategy. Elves can live to be over 700 years old and, by human standards, are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. Elves are slim and stand 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. They have no facial or body hair, prefer comfortable clothes, and possess unearthly grace. Many others races find them hauntingly beautiful.

Primary Class:
Druids gain power not by ruling nature but by being at one with it. They hate the unnatural, including aberrations or undead, and destroy them where possible. Druids receive divine spells from nature, not the gods, and can gain an array of powers as they gain experience, including the ability to take the shapes of animals. The weapons and armor of a druid are restricted by their traditional oaths, not simply training. A druid's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that they can cast.

Secondary Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Detailed Results:

Alignment:
Lawful Good ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
Neutral Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (21)
Chaotic Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
Lawful Neutral -- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
True Neutral ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (21)
Chaotic Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
Lawful Evil ----- XXXXXXXXX (9)
Neutral Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Chaotic Evil ---- XXXXXXXXX (9)

Law & Chaos:
Law ----- XXXXXXX (7)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXX (9)
Chaos --- XXXXXXX (7)

Good & Evil:
Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Evil ---- XX (2)

Race:
Human ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Dwarf ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Elf ------ XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (14)
Gnome ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Halfling - XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Half-Elf - XXXXXXXXX (9)
Half-Orc - (0)

Class:
Barbarian - (-4)
Bard ------ (0)
Cleric ---- (-2)
Druid ----- XXXXXX (6)
Fighter --- (-2)
Monk ------ (-17)
Paladin --- (-23)
Ranger ---- (-4)
Rogue ----- (0)
Sorcerer -- (-2)
Wizard ---- XXXXXX (6)

Another cool meme

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:50:54 GMT

I just smurched a cool meme from asimum (a.k.a. Dragonkat) and I've posted it at my real blog Do stop by and leave a comment!

Doggerel

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 08:31:07 GMT

I've just updated my Real Blog. If you enjoy writing doggerel, please go and leave some in a comment:-)

Displacement Activity

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 10:02:55 GMT

I've just updated my real blog to tell folks about a really super book I've just read and reviewed: Karen Miller's new one The Riven Kingdom. And, of course, to have a whinge about how poorly my own work is progressing, and what I do for displacement activity:-)

Election ramblings

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:52:22 GMT

I updated my real blog yesterday. Nothing exciting, just ramblings about the election. I'll try to go for Exciting next week, maybe:-)

The Colour of my Soul

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 13:16:09 GMT

As a Buddhist, I don't have one:-) But if I had, here's what it would look like:

What color is your soul painted?

Yellow

Your soul is painted the color yellow, which embodies the characteristics of joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, gold, hope, liberalism, sociability, friendship, death, courage, intellect, confidence, communication, travel, movement, attraction, persuasion, and charm. Yellow is the color of the element Air, and symbolizes the sun, grain, and the power of thought.

Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Seven Weird Things

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 23:02:08 GMT

Sally Odgers tagged me with a challenge to write seven weird things about myself. I don't know that these are especially weird but maybe the combination is:-)

WHEN I WAS BORN, not only was a storm raging but there was an air-raid on as well.
I AM THE YOUNGEST of five sisters (no brothers) with a gap of almost 18 years between the eldest sister and me.
OVER THE LAST 64 YEARS, I've been known by five different given or nicknames and four different surnames - in a double handful of combinations.
I'VE HAD MORE THAN THIRTY ADDRESSES, spread over five countries. I have never lived in one house for more than 4 years.
I HAVE FIVE CHILDREN with three or four different surnames among them, depending on how you look at it:-)
I'M THE ONLY PERSON I know who's been both a ballet teacher and pig farmer.
IN ORDER TO WRITE, I need a full day of solitude before I start and I need to remain alone for several days to get anything worthwhile written.

I won't tag you to get you to join in, partly because I'm too lazy to key in all those links:-) but if you want to pick up the ball and run with it, do let me know - I love to see other people's weirdnesses!

Shakespeare fun

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 04:39:49 GMT

Heh he - Karen Miller found this one and I love it!

Away, you scullion! You rampallion! You fustilarian!
I'll tickle your inkpot!

Which work of Shakespeare was the original quote from?

Another ruddy test

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:33:49 GMT

Can't resist 'em:-)

Your Score: Leonardo Da Vinci

You scored 56% artistic!

You are a true Renaissance person like Leonardo. You could do just well as a painter,musician, inventor, sculptor, architect, engineer or a web designer. As matter of fact anything, if you put your mind to it. This means you are using both hemispheres of your brain equally. Well Done! It's a Gift! That and the dyslexia which many of you might have on some level in this category. Logically, everyone should fall into this category, which just proves that humans aren't 'just' logical beings. Motivation might just be the missing element to your success. When you have so many talents, it is hard to focus and commit to just one. But it's OK, you don't have to. Explore and enjoy all the possibilities! That is what life is about! Always check your spelling and Good Luck on your journey!
Rate This Test So More People Find It! Thanks!

Link: The Are You Artistic? Test written by glassmimosa on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Writers, Depression and Addiction

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:50:36 GMT

I've just posted an entry on this topic over at my "real" blog. It was in response to the piece by Richard Steinberg at at Storytellers Unplugged which I discovered through a link on Stephen Dedman's LJ and is well worth a read.