Tag: Speculative Fiction

This Novel Project Has A Dollop Of Speculative Fiction To It

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

One of the reasons why I’m feel pretty good about this novel series is I’ve finally — finally got it through my thick skull that your protagonist can not, should not be in any way passive. As such, I’ve figured out a way that a novel scifi / speculative fiction element of this project can be a real integral part of the plot because we see its use through the eyes of our Amerasian heroine.

Even though I don’t have a wife or a girlfriend to be a “reader” to tell me I’m full of shit in this regard, I do think the speculative fiction part of the story makes it a bit more interesting, a bit more spicy than it might be otherwise. This particular plot point is found in another series of novels, but it’s used in a magical mystery way, while my use of the trope is set very much in speculative fiction.

I hope there isn’t too much comparison between the two uses of this little bit of scifi / fantasy. I suppose it’s inevitable that it will be. But there’s nothing new under the sun as they say. But anyway, as I’ve said before, the framework, at least, is there for a pretty good pop novel.

A lot of what happens next is out of my hands. I need a lot of luck. I need to strike the zeitgeist in just the right way in about a year. The idea that anyone with a traditional career would take my little dream seriously is kind of deep. It would be one of the greatest — if not THE greatest — event of my life to date if I managed to get an actual normal person to take my novel seriously enough that they would be my literary agent.

I’m still concerned that, of course, if they do due diligence on me they’re going to think I’m completely bonkers. Which, maybe I am. But I make no apologies for who I am. I’m an eccentric. I get drunk and rant on this blog — and on Twitter — sometimes.

But as the late Annie Shapiro said of me, I’m a “delusional jerk with a good heart.”

My Hot Take On The ‘Prince Of Pegging’ Kerfuffle

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

It’s times like these when I struggle to understand why Great Britain continues to, well, exist. Great Britain is the last multi-ethnic nation is Europe and, lulz, still has a monarchy to boot.

It would make a lot of sense to do away with the royal family, break the country up and maybe start thinking about making England the 51st state of the United States. There is so much untapped potential in the component parts of the UK that would be unlocked through its dissolution.

That is all very, very fantastical and fanciful, but stranger things have happened. Of course, the way things are going, the USA is going to be too busy either becoming an autocracy or imploding into civil war to worry about taking a newly republic England into the fold.

But let’s get to the point — what the fuck is going on with the royal family these days? The latest kerfuffle is the “Prince of Pegging” scandal. I knew the limies were freaks in the sack, but having an heir to the throne into pegging with someone other than his wife is enough to make your eyes bug out of your head.

It does make you wonder, however, how the US press would handle such an accusation against a fictional JFK-like modern president. What would happen — unless there was absolute proof — is what’s going on in the UK right now. Twitter would talk about it like crazy but, over all, the mainstream press wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot poll.

It happened — at first, at least — with the Clinton scandal’s “Blue Dress” and it’s happening here with what’s going on in Great Britain. Anyway, for the time being, it’s all a lulz. So what?

It’s a summer nadir diversion for people on Twitter. Let’s just hope the Queen doesn’t keel over unexpectedly in the next few days.