2010 - 24 Stories Challenge!

At the beginning of the year I set myself the challenge of writing two strange short stories a month and put them on my new blog Ibis Ink. Since this is just a fun exercise and I won't even try to publish, I can crank them out. Don't know if I'm going to be able to keep this up once the baby is born but if all goes according the plan I should have 24 tales at the end of the year.

Patternist Series

I'm a big fan of Octavia Butler and I loved her Xenogenesis Trilogy, which I read reprinted at Lilith's Brood a few years back. So after overdosing on the wonderful Hanish Cycle novels I wanted something different but I was still hankering her good old sci-fi that dealt with social issues. I picked up the Patternist Series (collected in Seed to Harvest) and really enjoyed it, especially the brilliant first half composed of Wild Seed and Mind of My Mind.

If you've never read Octavia Butler, I highly recommend her work. Xenogenesis is just awesome and Wild Seed and Mind of My Mind are must reads. My wife also recommends Kindred and Fledgling.

Anyone read her Parable series? How was it?

Vizcaya

Mai
Originally uploaded by alexthoth

On the last day of 2009, Marge and I went to take pictures at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. It basically turned into a Marge photo shoot with us trying to do new and interesting things with her scarf.