Sime~Gen Perspectives Newsletter

MARCH 2007

Contents:

*CON DOR REPORT
*CONFERENCE ON THE FANTASTIC
*SIMECENTER NEWS
*SECRET PENS NOTICE
*BORDERLANDS UPDATE
*NEW REVIEWS
*REREADABLE BOOKS
*NEW ITEMS FROM ARTISTS AND AUTHORS AT CAFE PRESS
*HELP WANTED
*PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
*AVAILABLE RELEASES
*SITES TO REMEMBER
*SUBSCRIPTION AND CONTACT INFORMATION

**COPYRIGHT NOTICE**

******CON DOR REPORT******

Before ConDor started, I rode with the con's Guest Liason to pick up Eric Flint (the Guest of Honor) and his wife at the airport. He is as interesting in person as his books are and we talked non-stop in the car on the way back to the hotel.

I handed out flyers with this blog's URL, http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/ and talked about Alien Romance at this little San Diego science fiction convention -- and guess what? An amazing number of people knew what I was talking about!

I did my two panels on Friday -- there were actually people there at 3PM and 4PM -- grabbing examples from all kinds of subjects (anthropology, archeology, sociology, mythology, even some hard sciences), and the weekend went on like that.

On the Harry Dresden round table (one of my 4 panels on Sunday), we discussed Harry Potter and the similarity between these two universes and characters.

I decided that Harry Dresden is Harry Potter grown up, and nobody in the audience could refute that. Yes, the universes are different -- but that's a copyright issue not an artistic issue.

Harry Potter has an extreme talent or power -- and so does Dresden. Potter had a muggle upbringing, to be sure -- but Dresden was brought up learning the Dark Arts first. Both Potter and Dresden have hereditary issues with those who police and control power users.

Potter lives through childhood to adolescent personality and plot issues. We pick up Dresden when he's finally settled the issues of his adolescence and has dedicated himself to using his power to help others. He's just barely making a living as a private detective.

But Dresden faces adult issues. His girl gets turned into a vampire and true to 21st century womanhood refuses Harry's help dealing with that and takes herself off to learn how to live. She turns up later among the "good guy" vampires, but she's changed.

Dresden is accustomed to carrying the adult responsibilities that Potter is only experimenting with. But there's still a rebelious child in Dresden, defiant of authority, determined to do things his own way. However, he has a self-sacrificing attitude of personal responsibility, very reminiscent of Darkovan nobility.

So other than a couple of bits of universe-structure and power-politics, the two Harries are extremely similar -- and I like them both!

On several panels, we also talked a lot about worldbuilding -- the use of biological sciences to extrapolate what the world will be like in a hundred years, and the place of psychology and mythology in extrapolating the future.

All together, it was a very well programmed convention. There was an entire Harry Potter track that brought in a hoard of little kids, too. There's a future for this genre.

Live Long and Prosper,
Jacqueline Lichtenberg

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****** CONFERENCE ON THE FANTASTIC*****

I've been at the 28th International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts. It was a a good conference, and I networked all through it. Several people were interested in our writing school. I gave them all my card, and we'll have to see how many follow through.

I got to be on Margaret's panel on Paranormal Romance after all. My original flight would have had me arriving just after the panel ended.

Also on the panel was a woman I've met at ICFA before. This year she was bragging about her granddaughter, a Hollywood TV actress whose career is suddenly soaring. The actress and her husband own their own production company, and have thus far made two films, one short, one feature-length, both prize winners. They are now looking for projects with which to move up. will write to them to see if they are willing to read either of the two scripts Lois and I have complete and ready to show.

If any of us can get a toe in the Hollywood door, we can open it for the rest. Of course the ultimate plan is to get Sime~Gen onto the screen, but we have to start with projects that can be summed up in a single sentence. And we all know that's not S~G!

My student, Clay, did a fine job of presenting his paper.

Jean Lorrah

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****** SIMECENTER NEWS ******

This month's story is actually a humorous essay, originally presented to Toastmasters (I'm told):

Teaching Rumpelstiltskin (by Lois June Wickstrom) - think you know all about the story? think again!

The accompanying artwork is:

Under a Sugar Moon (by Michael Cox) - tropical scene by moonlight, awaiting your entrance

These highly enjoyable works were donated in support of the Modest Needs and their continuing assistance to survivors of devastating natural disasters.

When you donate to this worthy organization, be sure to tell them you were referred by SimeCenter.

See it at all at http://www.simegen.com/simecenter/

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******SECRET PENS NOTICE******

For those that may not be aware, the Secret Pens is still up and running, even if just about all the recent posts are spam... sigh. There is a (relatively) new story, although it has not been linked to the main index--"The Junct Condition" by N. Eileen O'Neill, at:

http://www.secretpens.org/leonarra/junct.html

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******BORDERLANDS UPDATE

The latest group of episodes of Borderlands, the S~G collaborative fiction scenario, has just been made available at the usual place, http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/fans/bev/boom/#part.21 .

This part is called "Physicians Across Borders," and focuses on Sosu Cristal of the Hannard's Ford Sime Center, who becomes the center of attention (or bone of contention) for healers from both Territories. Another plot thread encompasses the further adventures of Nick and Katsura as they return to civilization, or what passes for civilization in New Washington Territory. Finally, Senator Tsibola and his nephew Craig try to work out their differences, and wind up trying to get some very unusual help from two unexpected sources.

We also have the usual sidebars the Sat'htine sewing circle, some tourists from out-T get help from a homeboy, a Gen with an unusual profession visits the HFSC, plus a two-parter about PPling, the poet/barista from the Moonbean Cafe.

Any other readers out there are welcome to comment by e-mail to us. We're planning to take a new turn, soon, and would like to hear from our readers about who they'd like to see more of and what kinds of situations they like us to present.

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******NEW REVIEWS

BEYOND FOREVER by Jackie Gould

THE BURNING by Jackie Tritt

VROLOK by Nolene-Patricia Dougan

... AND BABY MAKES TWO by Judy Sheehan

FIRST COMMUNION -- A COLLECTION OF MODERN IRISH STORIES by Jack Scoltock

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******REREADABLE BOOKS

The ReReadable Books Review columns for November, December and January are now up for free reading.

http://www.simegen.com/reviews/rereadablebooks/2006/ -- scroll down to the end of the year.

January is now available.

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******NEW ITEMS FROM ARTISTS AND AUTHORS AT CAFE PRESS

A SIME~GEN postage stamp is now available to order on cafe press. It can be used just as you would use a a regular postage stamp. Be the first on YOUR block to have them!

We've got a new page for Cafe Press items from our artists and authors. Now you can get t-shirts, greeting cards, clocks, mugs, and other great stuff with work from your favorite artists. You can even buy books about Nessie, the Orange Forest Rabbit and The Reluctant Spy that aren't available anywhere else.

http://simegen.com/marketplace/cafepress/ is a direct link to all our items and merchandise stores. Use of this page will give the domain extra income.

If there is an item that you wish to see that isn't offered, just write Lois at lois@lochness-monster.com and she'll get it ready for you to order.

Think about magnificent, hand-crafted Starred-Cross Jewelry for your holiday giving:

The image comes in four designs:
- silver & enamel brooch *
- silver & gold brooch
- silver & gold outline pendant
- small silver pin
(The first three are 1-1/2" square; the pin is about half that size.)

* Enamel can be almost any color - think Householding colors! How do you describe the color you want? Try: http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_colornames.asp

Follow the link to the artist's own page for ordering. The artist who created these items apologizes for not replying to some early queries.

Apparently, the 'Shopping Cart' was sending notices to an obsolete mailbox, and he didn't receive them until very recently.

He says the page still has some problems, but at least the notification works, and ordered items will be created and shipped within a few days, by First Class mail.

Any questions or comments go to: Kaires Tevesu. (Please mention 'starred-cross jewelry' in the subject line, because that address gets a _lot_ of spam.)

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******HELP WANTED

The spotlights section of Simegen.com currently needs interviewers, spotlight posting personnel, an assistant spotlights gatemaster, and a keygifts store manager. We are also requesting an Assistant Reviews Co-coordinator - duties include covering when other staff are unable to perform tasks. We are almost finished revamping our reviews section and expect activity to be at a constant high level. We're looking for a versatile quick learner able to put in some time daily. Pluses are: A good command of the English language (syntax, grammar, punctuation, in that order), some computer experience or ability to learn, and an interest in books. Direct all inquiries to simegen@simegen.com.

Individuals to take over, or assist with the SIMECENTER Site -- It isn't at all hard, but a bit time-consuming...and very rewarding ("meeting" these marvelous authors and artists, if only via EMail and their websites). Please write me Kaires Tevesu if you are interested.

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******PUBLICATION SCHEDULE

We have had to withdraw the entire Sime~Gen project from Meisha Merlin for a wide range of reasons. They missed several deadlines for publication of TO KISS OR TO KILL and showed no signs of intention to get it out any time in the foreseeable future. That stalled everything else. It was very disappointing.

So we are now actively in search of another publisher.

THE UNITY TRILOGY should continue to be available for some time -- they have the right to dispose of all stock in the Meisha Merlin warehouse.

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******AVAILABLE RELEASES

~ the Omnibus reprint of Jean Lorrah's SAVAGE EMPIRE: DARK MOON RISING -- is #1 in the reprint program.

~ Trade Paperback edition of DREAMSPY from BenBella Books and you can order on Amazon and some other places.

Read the comments here .

~ SAVAGE EMPIRE: PROPHECIES is #2 in Jean Lorrah's and Winston Howlett's omnibus reprint of the Savage Empire series.

Still Available in Trade Paperback, SIME~GEN: THE UNITY TRILOGY .

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***** Sites to Remember *****

Author spotlights

Chats

Romance articles

Reviews of books by Jacqueline Lichtenberg

Reviews

Shopping

Sound files of Jacqueline Lichtenberg pronouncing Sime~Gen vocabulary words can be found at http://www.simegen.com/jl/nivetsoundfiles/index.html .

To sign up for classes, go to http://www.simegen.com/school/SchoolForms.html .

To volunteer, go to http://www.simegen.com/agreements/helpwanted.html for the latest openings.

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*Please Note all material posted on Official Virtual Tecton is copyright © by Sime~Gen Inc. and all rights are reserved. To get your Sime~Gen(tm) material sanctioned for web posting or to get permission to repost from official materials, e-mail ambrovzeor@aol.comor contact simegen@simegen.com. Sime~Gen (tm) is the trademark of a fictional universe copyright © by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, 1969, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986 and Sime~Gen Inc. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.