Justin wrote:

This doesn’t look good…

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I know what you’re thinking: A new episode? It’s only Wednesday! We don’t usually get our audio gifts bestoyed upon us until Saturday! Well, things are changing a little around the ol’ Dead Robot offices. This episode has not one treat, but two. Not only do we get to talk about podcasting fiction with the incredible Nathan Lowell, but we also announce that PG Holyfield has joined the Dead Robots’ Society as a full-time host. Please, join me in welcoming him to the fold. And, with that, enjoy the show!

That’s right, this year’s FenCon short story contest has opened its doors. FenCon VI is running from September 18th through the 20th, but you can submit your short story now. Since I won First Prize last year, I can’t enter it anymore (lucky for you), but all of you are more than welcome to send them your work. I hope all of you do, and I hope it’s one of our listeners who wins the prize. Get to it!

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RGR Issue 51 by Johne (Phy) Cook

The search party has returned. Get Issue #51 while you can!

56 pages

The Overlords’ Lair: Random acts of unsolicited encouragement

“Direct Observation” by Adrian Simmons
The Hive Consortium was losing their war. Could human children be their solution?

“Spider on a Sidewalk” by Paula R. Stiles
A captain and her crew try to solve a mystery of perspective in a dangerous part of space.

“Smart Bomb” by O. Charles Swallows, Jr., Mr.
Their ship crashed, two aliens attempt to convince a planet-busting bomb to delay detonation.

“Inquefish” by Steven Gerard
The beach was always a place for relaxation and renewal, until now.

“Torva Prime” by Chip Meador
There’s plenty of work for a P.I. on Torva Prime, but like any city, it has its rough spots.

Featured artist , Lev Savitskiy, Ukraine

“Calamity’s Child, Chapter Six: Rites of Passage – Dante’s Fourth, by Gaslight, Part Two” by M. Keaton

“Thieves’ Honor: Episode Six: The Game – Taw, Anyone?” by Keanan Brand

“Deuces Wild, Season Two: Chapter 8 – Final Flight” by L. S. King

“Jasper Squad, Episode 11 — The Lieutenant’s Gambit, Part II: Revelations and Ruin” by Paul Christian Glenn

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This week Ryan and Justin sit down with Richard Ridley, Author Marketing Specialist with CreateSpace, one of the newest and largest self-publishing companies on the scene today. If you are at all interested or curious about publishing your own work, this is a show you cannot miss. So, settle in, and enjoy. And please, send us any questions we forgot to ask, because I’m sure we forgot plenty.

Richard’s Blog

Richard’s Email

Richard’s Twitter

Oh, before we’re asked about it, I want to let you know that we had intended to ask him about getting published on the Kindle, but because CreateSpace is seperate from Amazon’s Kindle department, that wasn’t something he could go into. If you want to know more about that, please go HERE.

Lastly, I know that there are some folks who are worried about Amazon making moves to limit other print-on-demand companies from selling through their site. Again, this was a question we wanted to ask about, but while CreateSpace is owned by Amazon, it is run and dealt with as its own company, and Richard was not able to speak for Amazon.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this interview, and I hope you learn something from it. I know we did.

“Get a web presence!” they say to me. Okay. I’ll do that. But first, I say “how? What do I have to say?” And a certain other host of the DRS keeps telling me that the neverending stream of s**t coming out of my mouth MIGHT warrant interests on other’s behalf. So, that said, I’m taking his advice, and posting something long overdue:

Mongolian Grill: the perfect bowl

In ancient times, zen masters who were tired of paying for double bowls at Mongolian Grill when their bellies were still empty developed a sacred and precautious technique for stacking double the content into a single bowl. Epitomizing the philosophy of getting “more than you pay for”, they passed these techniques down to many in the surrounding villas and towns. I apparently wasn’t paying attention that day, so I missed the lesson. But a friend of mine, BP, showed me the ancient techniques once more. Now, I’m passing them on to you.

The first part is an acknowledgement; those who know not this technique will think that those who USE this technique are dicks. But they shall be hungry – both intellectually and literally – while you are stuffed full of the goodness that is rock-friend vegetables and meat, and you will be sated for not having to move but more than once. Good on ya!

1) Meat. Get the meat in there, and pack it down. Yeah, their sign says “one meat per customer”, but seriously, with all the cross-contamination that takes place on that block, they aren’t going to check.

2) Fine-cut vegetables. These are fillers, and will close some of the edging gaps on you meat foundation. Use the broccolli, fine cut mushroom, ginger, tomato, etc. Going to green pepper, carrot, water chestnut and the larger mushrooms here is a mistake made by rookies. And you aren’t a rookie (anymore).

3) Sauces. Use your discretion here.

Ready for the part where you’ll get yelled at?

Reverse direction!

4) Larger cut vegetables. Mushrooms, carrot, g.p., etc etc. Now you’re probably getting cussed at because your line cutting. Find lethargic friends not versed in this technique to work as line holders for you!

5) Noodles. By this point, BEFORE the noodles, your bowl should runnith over. Now, noodles are like the haircut on that guy, Kid n’ Play: they stick up on the top. Trust me, friction will hold them there long enough.

Those noodles sure are sticking, Kid!

Success! The perfect bowl!

Justin wrote:

This week “The Princess Bride” came out on Blu-Ray, and after watching it for probably the millionth time I knew that I had to finally purchase the book and give it a read. I can’t get to it immediately, as I have other obligations, but this is at the top of my pile.

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Justin wrote:

My weekend started with my microwave going out. It has been kind of wonky for weeks now, but Saturday morning it decided to finally give up the ghost. And, of course, it wasn’t a standalone counter microwave. No, this one had to be built-in. And, to make matters worse, when I finally got all the [...]

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This week Terry was away from his microphone trying to launch a shuttle or something, so in this episode you get Ryan and Justin discussing clichés in writing. Are they a bad thing, how should you avoid them, and how can you make your story a character driven piece? These things and more are hashed over, so settle in and enjoy.

Strange Horizons’ “Stories We’ve Seen Too Often”

Justin wrote:

optical communication
A few bits of news to make sure this place doesn’t completely get forgotten. One, I’m still unemployed. I’ve sent out dozens of applications, but so far none have gotten back to me, and that is really depressing. Two, I’m still working on “Digital Decay” (working title). I’m in the middle of chapter three and having [...]

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