The Science Fiction & Fantasy Interface

[Michael K. Martin photo]

Michael K. Martin

Personal Notes

Occupation:
Technical Writer

I am split between two cities. On the weekdays, I am a freelance technical writer working up in the Twin Cities, and on the weekend, I live with my family in Tracy, a small town in Southwestern Minnesota. So I live in both the Rural and Urban worlds. I miss my family, but hey, it's a living, and I'm working at working at home.

I grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona, and I miss the San Francisco peaks and special vibe they seem to have.

I like speculative fiction. Hard, soft, anthropoligical, near future, horror, crime thrillers history, whatever. As long as it is engaging, it doesn’t really matter. I'm burnt out on time travel stories.

I don't really have a favorite author, they all change from book to book. I have read quite a few this year. Maybe you can catch a clue from the list:

Here they are with a grade:

Joan of Arc (Mark Twain) A +++
The Hammer and the Cross Trilogy (Harry Harrison) A ++
Ribofunk (Paul Di Fillipo) A ++
The Postman (David Brin) A ++
The second book after Metropolitan (Walter Jon Williams) A ++
Claudius the God (Robert Graves) A ++
Idoru (William Gibson) A ++
Freakey Deakey (Elmore Leonord) A ++
Crystal Express (Bruce Sterling) A +
Holy Fire (Bruce Sterling) A +
Think Like a Dinosaur (?) A +
Riding the Rap (Elmore Leonord) A +
Burning Angel (Edmond Burke) A +
Washington: a Biography (?) A +
The things they Carried (Tim O'Brian) A +
Going After Cacciato (Tim O'Brian) A +
The last book of Greg Benford's Mech vs. Life at the galaxy's center Saga A
Forge of God (Greg Bear) A
Desperation (Stephen King) A
Pronto (Elmore Leonord) A
If I Die In a Combat Zone (Tim O'Brian) A
Slant (Greg Bear) A-
The World War Series (Harry Turtledove) A-
Infinity's shore (David Brin) B
The War of 1812 (?) I think it was the same guy that did "Lincoln at Gettysburg" B
Brightness Reef (David Brin) B+
Feersum Endjinn (Iain Banks) B
The Sundog (Stephen King) C
Julius Ceasear, a Biography (?) C
Treasure Box (Orson Scott Card) C-
Freeware (Rudy Rucker) D-

 So that is what I've read in the past year, and what I thought of them. My new year's resolution is to read less and write more.

I have 6 kids, one grand kid, six horses, three dogs, and two haunted houses. (Each over a century old)
Personal Philosophy: Nothing is too complex to understand. One needs only to find the simplicity that hides in all things.

My ambition is to simplify my life.

 

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