June Buggies (W1S1 update)

Stats for June W1S1...

Stories written:1 (~3,600-word sci-fi humor)
Stories submitted: 28 (several of these re-submitted or sim-subbed)
Stories accepted: 0
Stories rejected: 27

A LOT busier this month, which makes things a bit more interesting. Still got a few stories that I need to kick out the door.

And in case you missed it, check out my wee spooky tale "Invitation" over at Lovecraft eZine. There's an audio version up, too. However, not to sound unappreciative, I didn't think the reader captured the voice--and they mispronounced my name. If anyone is curious, my name is not pronounced phonetically, since it uses Celtic spelling (yes, it's an Irish name). Siobhan is pronounced "Sha-von" (the 'bh' makes a 'v' sound for some reason). Not "See-o-bon" or "Sigh-o-bon," or any other horrible incarnation.    

While on the topic of Lovecraft, I did a slight review of the beta for the Lovecraftian-esque MMO game The Secret World, which comes out today, I believe. Really enjoyed playing this game, although I'm going to wait before jumping into creature infested lagoons. 

And hell, why not go all out with anything Lovecraft. If you've seen the film Prometheus, you're probably wondering how stupid those scientists could be--but then again, people seem to drop IQ points whenever they're in a horror film. Well, this clip from the awesome Key of Awesome might explain it. Enjoy!

What is in a Nym?

Names are funny things.

I've decided to drop the pen name S.E. Gaime after someone pointed out to me another, rather famous, author Neil Gaiman, and how his last name was very similar to the pseudo-name I've chosen. Damn you, Neil Gaiman! (just kidding)  The whole reason I picked up a pseudo-name was because I wanted a secret identity, kind of like Batman. You get to run around with mask and cape on the internet and no one knows it's you. It's a neat idea. Also, my real name occasionally confuzzles people. However, this same person said my name is also more unique than S.E. Gaime, and thus, more recognizable. Doesn't matter if people can pronounce it or not. And that's true. I still cannot pronounce this Russian fantasy author's name (author of The Alchemy of Stone), but I would certainly recognize the name if I saw her on the shelf of a bookstore.

So you can call me either defcon or Siobhan Gallagher - yes, a very Irish name. I also get to keep my anonymousness because apparently there are a lot of Siobhan Gallaghers out there - even a ghost ship!