| | | | | BlueMusings: November 20, 2017 | | | | LJ Cohen
Science fiction, fantasy, assorted weirdness | | | | | | | | | | If you enjoy sci fi thrillers and zombie survival stories, you might want to take a look at this one. 
Far from Earth and shipwrecked on a desolate alien planet, a band of brave settlers strive to carve out a life for themselves on a range of hills while battling to hold back the carpet of deadly microorganisms that creeps across the lowlands below, devouring all in its path. The settlers survive from day to day, but their lives are thrown into chaos on one fateful night when five of their young men and women go missing. And that’s when they see the lights. Out there in the deadly wasteland, there are headlights carving through the darkness. Someone is coming. And perhaps, they mean to stay. Just 0.99 for part 1 of this serial.
A shout-out to my fellow Boston-area writer, Anders Cahill. He's just launched his debut novel Gradient on Amazon, but he’s kindly offering my readers access to the first 120 pages for free. Born on the moon of Verygone, on the distant edge of the galaxy, Oren Siris is a loner and a dreamer, yearning for a life beyond his humble home. When an interstellar ship arrives, it will take him on a journey across the stars to the shores of an undiscovered planet. Oren and his team strive to build peace with the indigenous peoples of this beautiful new world, but some unseen force works against their every effort, driving them to the very brink of war. You can download your free sample of GRADIENT here. Or buy it on Amazon, here. | Roundup of SciFi reads
Each month, sci fi author Alasdair Shaw posts a round up of intriguing science fiction/space opera books to explore. Here's a link to his most recent round-up.
Thank you! 
To all of you who helped boost the signal during DERELICT's recent sale, thank you. Because of your help, over 3,000 new readers have discovered the world of Halcyone Space and are starting the journey with Ro and company. The best promotion will always be word of mouth in the form of recommendations from a trusted source, so if you have friends who love space opera and science fiction, please let them know about the Halcyone Space books. | | | | | | LJ Recommends I read widely, across genres and when I've found something I've enjoyed, I'll share it with you. YMMV* because what we enjoy is almost always personal. (*Your Mileage May Vary) | 
Ten naked people walk from a cemetery into artist Sean Casey’s backyard: Ten Spore People who used to be dead but have regenerated after an industrial spill. One, Mindy, stays with Sean while trying to reclaim her life, only to find her ex will do anything to make sure she stays dead. Sean struggles to protect Mindy and the other Spores while battling his recurring–and worsening–nightmares. Meanwhile, the media feeds a panicked frenzy that leads both the hopeful and hateful to Sean’s front door. But the fungus that created the Spores is spreading along with the fear. When local children are found mutilated in ways that match Sean’s nightmares, he realizes his own worst terror may be closer than he thinks. Tamara Jones I'm not typically a reader of horror. Well, I used to be, but the older I get, the less I like the whole 'jump scare' thing. And I really want some hope and humor in what I read. SPORE, while classified as horror along with science fiction, is full of suspense, twists, odd humor, and characters you'll worry about and root for. Which is to say, it's totally my kind of book. I have been a fan of Dean Koontz's work for decades and when his stories work, they work because of the characters. That's SPORE'S strength, too, especially when the suspense gets intense. I never felt as if the tension was there to manipulate me as a reader; rather it was all essential to the characters and their stories. So if you want a somewhat spooky and extremely compelling story for a long winter's night, give SPORE a try. | | | | | | | The Science of Science Fiction ". . .a reduced risk of heart attack, death from cardiovascular disease, and death from any cause among registered dog owners. The trend remained even when controlled for age, sex, education and socioeconomic status, among other factors." From NPR The two way. I'm a dog owner and I love my dogs. They provide companionship and emotional support, as well as a built in excuse to walk. However, I have noticed, both in my own science fiction work and that of others, a definite dearth of dogs in space. I've been thinking of this lately since November 3 was the 60th anniversary of Laika's launch by the Soviets. I have always felt guilty that mankind sent a dog to die alone in space; our canine companions deserve far more from us than that. There are some researchers who believe humanity's success in survival over the centuries was in no small part because of the kind of partnership and co-evolution we had with dogs. And a recent study from Sweden, analyzing data from over 3 million people, have shown a definite link between dog ownership and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Yes, dogs are good for our hearts. So knowing that dogs provide us, not only with companionship, but with a reduced risk of death, it would seem reasonable for humans to have our dogs with us as we begin the great diaspora off planet. So here's to science fiction stories where our dogs are part of the adventure. And a bonus photo of Mya and Dustin, my 2 pups, who will happily follow me anywhere as long as there's a puddle of sunshine. 
| | A Star in the Void I am working away at A STAR IN THE VOID, the 5th and final book in the Halcyone Space series. I will likely be sharing snippets of work in progress in the coming months, so if you don't want any spoilers, please let me know! And while this storyline will definitely come to a conclusion, there are other stories yet to tell in this universe. Stay tuned! | Upcoming events ARISIA Boston, MA January 12 - 15, 2018 I'll be on panels as well as a the Broad Universe table in the dealers room. Come find me there!
BOSKONE Boston, MA February 16 - 18,2018 Come find me there! | Stranger Worlds than These 
A reminder that my newsletter subscribers receive a free ebook copy of my short story collection, STRANGER WORLDS THAN THESE. If you haven't yet received your copy, you can download it here. Enjoy! | | | | | | | ©2017 LJ Cohen. All rights reserved. | | |
