The Prometheus Project

I'm hoping to make this a permanent section in Prometheus: a collection of brief notes of authors and upcoming fiction of interest to libertarian fans. I'm also including sketches of things we may have missed, such as short stories and other material that usually escapes the more novel-oriented eyes of Prometheus.

Contributions, corrections, and additions should be sent to the submissions address found in the box on page 2.

—The Editor

J. Neil Schulman is currently working on his third novel, Escape From Heaven.

Schulman recently finished an extensive promotional tour for his 1994 nonfiction collection Stopping Power, which took him all over the country for radio, TV, and other media-related appearances. Schulman's first non-fiction effort has received very favorable reviews. In 1993 the Second Amendment Foundation awarded Schulman the James Madison Award for his Los Angeles Times articles, “If Gun Laws Work, Why Are We Afraid?”

Another of Schulman's many activist causes is his American Independence Ballot initiative, completed and published as an eight-page flyer September, of this year. Prometheus is reprinting the full contents of that Initiative in an early 1995 issue.

Victor Koman's forthcoming novel is Kings of the High Frontier, the first book in a space thriller trilogy. Koman's short story, “The Eagle Cafe” graced the pages of The King Is Dead, a 1994 fiction anthology of dead Elvis stories.

After reading that story a couple of times, and several of the other stories (by writers as diverse as Joe R. Lansdale, Harlan Ellison, Lou Reed, Lewis Shiner, and so on) my belief that Elvis "appeared" is deliberate and sincere. “The Eagle Cafe” is a beautiful, evocative story concerning child and wife abuse, yet full of love and hope. This story won't let you walk away untouched.

James P. Hogan, two-time winner of the Prometheus Award, has several imminent books. The paperback edition of his 1993 Prometheus Award winning novel, The Multiplex Man hit the bookstores in October. The cover features prominent mention of the award (see picture), as did his previous winner, Voyage From Yesteryear.

Hogan's latest novel, to be published in February by Ballantine, is The Immortality Option, a long-awaited sequel to The Code of the Lifemaker.

Bantam Spectra will publish Realtime Intercept, a science fiction trade paperback, in March. Hogan explores virtual reality, but beyond the traditional helmets, gloves, and body suits. Instead, direct neural I/O, with the potential for total sensory illusion, indistinguishable from the real thing.

Hogan also is working on a couple of hardbacks for Baen, one titled Paths to Otherworld.

Another writer with shorter fiction offerings is Brad Linaweaver. Past anthology appearances include “Red Clay, Crimson Clay,” in Confederacy of the Dead (Roc, 1993) and “Clone-a-Rama,” in The Ultimate Elvis (St. Martin's, 1991).

“Clutter,” a story that appeared in Robert Bloch-edited Psycho-Paths (paperback edition is 1994), is a very libertarian short work of horror.

Galaxy published Linaweaver's “Wells of Wisdom” in issue #3, and also in aural form as part of their Audio Project, read by actress Catherine Oxeberg.

"Under An Appalling Sky," a story that appeared in the small press fantasy collection Grails: Quests, Visitations and Other Occurrences (Unnameable Press, 1992), is now available in paperback. The mass market publishers of the original anthology hacked this work in two, and Linaweaver's story appears in the book entitled Grails: Visitations of the Night.

Wonder #8 includes an article on Ray Bradbury by Linaweaver.

Vernor Vinge reports a new novels in the works, a prequel to the 1993 Hugo Award-winning novel A Fire Upon the Deep, both set in the same future history as his 1986 novella, "The Blabber." Projected date of publication is spring of 1996.

Weird Menace, a 1994 collection co-edited by Brad Linaweaver, features stories by Linaweaver and former Prometheus editor Bill Ritch. This anthology is available from American Independence Press, PO Box 1901, Hollywood, CA 90078. The cost of the book is $12, plus $2 for shipping.

Del Rey has reissued in a one-volume omnibus L. Neil Smith's three Lando Calrissian novels: The Mindharp of Sharu, The Flamewinds of Oseon, and The Starcave of Thonboka.

Starwars: The Lando Calrissian adventures, published in July, is already in its fourth printing as of September; perhaps I will draw more readers to Smith's other books.

Few writers seem as apt in creating Star Wars universe aliens as does Smith. With his trademark wit and humor, sharp pace, and sly jabs at bureaucracy and the state (almost non-existent in the first book, noticeable in the second and very strong in the third) the Calrissian books are a fun read.

Special thanks to Brad Linaweaver, J. Neil Schulman, James Hogan and Vernor Vinge for their help and contributions to this section.