In Tales from TOMORROW, I began a closing column for each issue that recapped the stories within that issue, how some of them came about, and other general musings, along with thoughts on works in progress.
I called it the Omega File.
So, why not continue that tradition here on my website? Does that qualify as a blog? You tell me. Use the contact option and drop me a line.
Archival Omegas
This was the first OMEGA File, in TfT #3, which published on Amazon August 14th of 2012. I've updated the links, but the rest is as it originally appeared in that issue:
The OMEGA File
Notes from the Author (and no, it isn’t that kind of Omega File)
Welcome to issue number 3 of Tales from TOMORROW.
We lead off this time with ‘Epsilon Express’, which introduces a couple of characters I hope you will be seeing more of over the months (and years?) to come: Dani and Ringer. These two have been through the wars together (literally) and their relationship has had its ups and down (literally and figuratively). In telling their story, they have grown on me as I hope they will on you, the reader. In addition to their upcoming trials and tribulations in the delivery business, there are at least two background stories in the works for these two and some of their known associates.
I can not leave off mentioning Epsilon Express without saying how excited I am by S. P. Smith’s cover art. Yes, that is the Cracked Back and, though I described it to him in detail, I was surprised at how close he came to my vision. What I did not expect was my reaction when, seeing it in the ‘flesh’ for the first time, I caught myself thinking; ‘It really does look like a turtle!’ That was such a great feeling. Thanks, Sean.
I must admit that ‘The Message’ is little more than an homage to Damon Knight’s ‘To Serve Man’. Written before I was born and published in Galaxy Magazine (I have the issue), it is more famous (and more remembered) as an episode of The Twilight Zone. Both the story and the magazine were part of my earliest SF influences. My uncle gave me his collection of 1950s Galaxies when I was a kid, and I must have curled up for the next several weeks reading every one from cover to cover. And oh!, those Emshwiller covers!...
‘The Message’ is not part of the Havener timeline.
Finally, ‘Hall of Dreams’ started out much shorter and darker than it ended up. I wrote the first and last paragraphs in a flurry of inspiration, then filled in the middle. It is a perfect example of how a story can go sideways on an author. Readers think we have absolute control over what we write; not so. In connecting the dots that were that beginning and end, I introduced a character that never actually appears in the story. I just meant to add some poignancy to my little tale of horror by making it more personal for Hogan. Then a funny thing happened. Lauren and the love that existed between her and Hogan took over. Finally, I could not let their story end so hopelessly. I guess I am a softie. So, a really dark tale became a little bit lighter. And Alex has given me a few ideas that may emerge as a sequel of sorts, but don’t hold me to that. :) At the very least, there may be consequences and developments that could emerge as plot points in future unconceived of Tales from TOMORROW. You will find out when I do - when my subconscious finishes churning it all around.
If you have comments or questions, feel free to contact me at JRPatin.SF.author@verizon.net. I don’t promise to answer every question or even do it in a timely manner, but I will see what I can do.Perhaps I will even institute a letters column for this little e-zine.Who knows?
Be forewarned; if you write to me you will end up on my fan notification list unless you specify otherwise. You will probably also disqualify yourself by sending me hate mail (unless you really provoke me in which case, I will keep you on the list).
You can find my Amazon bio page right here
And my Profile page here
NEXT issue: I am very excited, as it begins a multipart serialization of my novel Dreambones. Like most of my stories, it takes place in the Havener universe, but at a much earlier time, during what I call the Great Expansion, a period of freewheeling exploration before the NeDan are encountered. Those NeDan really know how to poop a party.
Also, Dani and Ringer will return in a new Epsilon Express story: C.O.D. And they thought delivering packages would be boring. He, he he! Sometimes the author is in control!
If you haven’t caught the previous issues of Tales from TOMORROW, look for them on Amazon at the following links:
here … and … here
Just 99 cents each.
Until next time.
Sic Itur Ad Astra!
Well, that was the first Omega (hmm...). Below, I will only post the bits from subsequent files that applied to the stories within the relevant issues. A reminder: TfT #1 is now permanently FREE. Pick up your copy. Or, you can also now pick up ALL THREE of the first issues for just 99 cents in the 3-fer bundle! Eight stories instead of just the first two. You won't be sorry you invested a buck.
TfT #4 - October 4, 2012 Omega File Archive
Welcome to the fourth issue of Tales from TOMORROW. Our lead features this issue are the opening chapters from the serialization of my novel Dreambones, and a special appearance by guest author Linell Jeppsen with the first half of her two-part Prequel to Story Time - an introduction to her popular novel of that name.
The story behind Dreambones is almost as long as the book itself, it seems. I literally wrote the Prologue and first chapter notes in manuscript back in the early ‘70s, then typed it up on a Royal typewriter. Remember typewriters? Ever notice that you can type ‘typewriter’ on a QWERTY keyboard without leaving the top line? That is because the first typewriter salesmen did not know how to type (at least not any better than I can). True, but I am getting off track. Typing wasn’t so bad, it was editing on a typewriter that was a miserable chore. Almost (I won’t explain the wonders of Whiteout here) every change meant retyping the entire page, and, if you were not clever or lucky, every page after that until the next chapter break. Then you got to do it all over again with the next change. You either got it right on the first pass (ha!) or you learned to type real fast (which meant more typos, which meant more corrections, which meant…, you get the picture.
Ugh. I get tired just thinking of it. Needless to say, I got tired of doing it, and my Magnum Opus to be, languished. My hat is off to every writer who endured typewriters. I did manage to finish one novelette on a typewriter, but failed to convince anyone to buy it. Re-reading it now, I wince. It is an editing nightmare and, as I recall the rejection letters, they were probably too kind. If you persist as a reader of this e-zine you may see a reworked version of that story, since it recounts the first encounter between mankind and the NeDan. It is an unhappy tale with the ending reading like the third act of Hamlet. What was it about the ‘70s? Every story, every movie was depressing. I guess we all know the answer, but when I sat through the end credits of Star Wars, I stood and applauded with the rest of the audience, not because we had enjoyed ourselves (we had), but because, with a sigh of relief, we realized we were going to be allowed to have a little guilt-free fun again at last.
Anyway, eventually the age of word processing arrived. Not without some heartburn. I’m still missing an entire fantasy story because I was carried away in an eight-hour transport of creativity when a thunderstorm shut off my power. That was before anybody had thought of autosave and UPSs cost almost as much as the computers. Ever wonder how Samuel Taylor Coleridge felt when he could not remember the rest of Kubla Khan?
I know.
Perhaps one day Fael, Grindle, and the Book of Gates will return to me in a dream from digital Limbo and I will try my hand at writing fantasy again (sigh). Maybe unlike Coleridge, I will be able to remember the whole thing long enough to get my pleasure dome in Xanadu finished.
Autosave and affordable UPSs did eventually arrive, and, blessed above them all, so did the cut-and-paste function. Ah, nirvana! My writing career was reborn, albeit with a few fits and starts as it was jammed into the crevices of the rest of my Life.
To cut a long story short (hooray!) Dreambones finally was finished (along with a few other stories), digital publishing became practical, and Tales from TOMORROW was born.
You, dear reader, are the beneficiary of this bit of science fiction wizardry become reality. Welcome to my world, as they say.
This issue also carries its first story written by someone other than Yours Truly. Linell Jeppsen supplies an intro to her popular Story Time. I had been planning on bringing other authors on board eventually once the ‘zine had established itself, but Linell jumped the gun by approaching me with her idea. I could not resist the opportunity; I hope you enjoyed the first half of her two-parter.
C. O. D. brings back our intrepid delivery team: Dani and Ringer. Who knew the package delivery business could be so dangerous? Certainly not Ringer, who was just looking for a quiet life without someone shooting at him. I have quite a bit to tell about the adventures of Dani, Ringer, and their wheeler-dealer partner, Cliff. You ought to see them fairly regularly in these pages. Besides their current adventures, they have quite a back story and I plan to get around to that eventually, too.
Finally, Prime Directive is one of those quirky little idea stories that you jump out of bed and knock off in one sitting (it shows, doesn’t it?) Yet, it was a fun, self-contained little thing that I felt didn’t really need any padding out, thus a 750-word short-short. We all trust our politicians to do the right thing and for the most noble of motives, don’t we? Of course we do!
NEXT issue:
Dreambones continues and Linell Jeppsen’s Prequel to Story Time concludes.
Also… Well actually, I’m not really sure yet. I have a few ideas I want to explore. So, you will have to bide a while until TfT #5 comes out. To paraphrase a certain politician, you are just going to have to ante up before you can find out what’s in it.
TfT #5 - January12, 2013 Omega File Archive
Welcome to Tales from TOMORROW #5. This was supposed to be the Halloween issue, but, to be honest, I thought right from the start that I might be a tad optimistic about that. It is just that things had been going so-o-o smoothly with the first few issues… Then there was this innocently named hurricane… Why 'Sandy’? Why not hurricane 'Serious' or 'Scheol' or just, 'Shit. Get the F outta the Way!'
Huh. Actually, I think the governor of New Jersey did say something just like that. Well, I'm in New York, and nobody here pays any attention to anything said in New Jersey (unless maybe Snookie says it). We New Yorkers have standards, ya know.
'Sandy'...
That ought to have been my clue that smooth sailing on an even keel, and a timely met deadline, were not in the forecast, either the Weather Channel's or my own. Well, there was always Thanksgiving. We could do that, right?
Nope.
Ever have one of those days on the highway when you are gripping the wheel with white knuckles at 95 mph on an out-of-round tire and everybody is still passing you? That has been my last three months. Christmas? How merry. New Year’s? Hah!
There is a phrase from the Eastwood movie 'Outlaw Josey Wales' that resonates: "Endeavor to Persevere." Well, we continued to "Endeavor to Persevere." And you know what? We finally got somewhere - my editor, my cover artist, and my remarkably patient contributor, Linell Jeppsen. Oh, and me, though I've lost some more hair and ground at least another millimeter off my teeth. A note to those considering taking up writing; the writing part can be easy, even fun. It is the REST of the process that is a tedious pain in the buttinski! Not to mention external interruptions.
Hurricane 'Sandy'.
They might as well have called it hurricane 'Sweetness'. More like hurricane 'Sherman', although this was a march from the sea. Did I mention that my brother was able to catch fish in his basement afterwards? Ever consider what seawater does to your power tool collection? Not to mention two cars hauled off as junk. James Bond aside, cars make poor submarines. And let’s not talk insurance. I think New Jersey got all the TV cameras because nobody could get out on Long Island to see what was happening out here. Go figure.
Anyway, we got it done.
I once again wish to thank Linell Jeppsen for her patience while we got this issue out. I got not even one irate e-mail from her the last couple of months. I am sure the delay in getting the second half of Prequel to Story Time online has disrupted her marketing plans at least a tad. I hope her fans will enjoy their long awaited treat. Linell had no part in making you all wait, folks. It was an EAST coast thing. Me? I'm just gonna keep blaming the weather for as long as I can get away with it. :/
SERVICES is a cheery little story that popped into my brain a while back. Hey, everybody seems to be into dystopian futures these days and I realized that I had one in my timeline, so why not a story out of that grim period? When you read it, you will get a feel for the societal pressures that will eventually drive the Great Expansion that will kick off in about another 30 years (beyond SERVICES). A good migration always needs a little unhappiness to get it moving. At the time of SERVICES, Earth is working itself into a period of severe unhappiness. Looking around at our current situation, I sometimes wonder if I am not being a bit optimistic with the time frame for the story (2058, according to my Futureverse calendar).
I'm pretty sure most of the citizens of ancient Rome thought they had plenty of time too, right up until the moment the Goths turned the corner at the other end of their street. I hope I never get to find out what those Romans experienced. I already know what they thought. What is Latin for "Oh, S…(bleep)!”?
Of course, Linell Jeppsen one-ups me in the doom and gloom department with the conclusion to her Prequel to Story Time. In it, everyone has just had their favorite planet blown up! But, not to worry, she includes an escape clause. Sean Smith, laboring under weather constraints with his studio not quite winterized (apparently it is hard to do good airbrush work at 40 degrees), did a fine job on our cover with his first fully digital creation using GIMP, while hunched over a mouse in a nice, warm, computer room. When I told him what I wanted, he just looked at me. I said; "Hey. How often are you gonna get to blow up the Earth?" Again, good job, Sean.
Dreambones continues on to about the halfway point in this issue with our intrepid explorer taking even more damage from the locals. The poor guy just doesn't seem to get any breaks (except bones), does he? Still, he inflicts some damage of his own, further endearing himself to various portions of Dirdan's indigenous populations. Diplomacy is not his strong suit.
Of course, diplomacy requires that the other side make an effort to not kill and/or eat you. Such behavior does have a tendency to make one less inclined toward peace gestures. Besides, deepscouts are not trained for it. That is one reason they are discouraged from landing and making first contact with new civilizations. People who are content to live alone for months at a time are generally not geared psychologically for a lot of chit-chat with strangers. Talking to themselves? Yes. Talking up a 10-point nonaggression pact? Probably not so much.
You could see how there might be room for concern among the general populace, what with dozens, if not hundreds of would-be Marco Polos poking about every odd corner of the galaxy and winging every First Contact like it was Friday night at the local singles bar. Most of the human race would just as soon finish up whatever current interstellar war was started by the last big mouth before starting any new ones, thank you. That's why there are rules about such things (well, they are more like guidelines; Earth has all the rules). Of course, right about now, Rice would probably be happy to have the opportunity to explain everything to a board of inquiry.
Finally, there is a new Dramatis Personae for Dreambones, updated to chapter 15. As new characters are encountered, they will be added. Why not just publish the complete file now? I don't want to give anything away until the right time. I hate spoilers. There is also a map (there is always a map). It began life long, long ago in a place far, far away; called, I think, Arizona. (I always thought they ought to drop a 'd' between the 'i' and the 'z'. It's a plus that there are no hurricanes in the arid zone, though they do get some surprisingly wet monsoons, just about the time your newest set of windshield wipers have been fried into uselessness.) It was originally on an obsolete medium called paper, got scanned, and then fiddled with over time, so it is a bit of a bastardization right now. For the life of me, I can't find the original. I hope to eventually have a clean and legible version (though I don't know what will ever be legible on an e-reader). I just thought it might prove helpful to someone (if they can read it).That just about wraps up this issue (which I am actually pretty happy about except for the time slippage). We will continue to Endeavor to Persevere and try to get TfT #6 out on a somewhat less languid schedule. Having said that, stay tuned to this space for my next apologia.
Sic Itur Ad Astra!
For more Omega files, go HERE
"Hey, isn't there supposed to be something in this space besides us?"
All text and other materials on this Web page not specifically designated otherwise are Copyright © 2015 by John R. Patin
Introduce yourself to Tales from TOMORROW. download the first three issues in a single, 3-fer bundle from Amazon. Click HERE to go there and pick up your copy for just 99 cents now!.
...Meanwhile, look at the pretty waterfall.
"Yeah, more Omega stuff, but the guy hasn't written it yet!"
Oh Yeah, I'm definitely going to need another page for this Omega stuff. Click HERE to read more.
The Omega Files
All cover art Copyright © S. P. SMITH
3-16-2018 If anyone is wondering, I'm still alive and TFT#10 still exists. It has been sitting in editing limbo while I moved to a quieter, more rural neighborhood where I promptly injured myself (yeah, there WAS a train lurking in that tunnel). The good news is that I am well enough to walk without a cane now (most of the time) and even shovel snow (which we get a lot of up here it seems). The key is to bring a folding chair out with me for frequent breaks to massage my leg while I mumble and stare at the snow (which stares sullenly back while the wind, which never stops, insolently blows more of it back into the places I just shoveled. And, oh yeah. It's mid-March and they are predicting another snow storm (just about the time I get the driveway cleared - again)...
The bad news is that TFT#10 is still in editing limbo. I may finally be getting into a mood to do something about that... maybe. But first I need to shovel some more snow (I think my Muse is out there, somewhere, still buried). It's probably doing some mumbling of its own.
6-16-2017 Yeah, I'm still here. I thought I'd better check in with an update: The good news is that all the stories in issue #10 have been written. The bad news is that they were at that stage almost a year ago. I have been moving to a quieter neighborhood (where I can see the stars at night). You may have guessed that it has been something of a disruption. Editing has NOT been a priority (and writing? wuzzat?) Fortunately, that disruption seems to be nearing an end and (maybe) I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. If that light doesn't prove to be an oncoming train, maybe I can get back to writing my TALES. Check back for further exciting updates.
7-14-2016 'Pickup' is finally out for editing. It has become a short novel in itself. After a few passes back and forth, it will be the last piece needed to finally make TfT#10 a reality.
5-28-2016 DREAMBONES is on sale for the next week, just 99 cents!
4-29-2016 Three from TOMORROW is FREE thru 5-1
2-8-2016
The giveaway is over, but Three from TOMORROW is still a bargain at 99 cents! Click on the link below or on the cover to the right.
2-2-2016
Three from TOMORROW is FREE this week!
12-9-2015
OOPS That sale begins today! Go HERE to buy!
12-7-2015
Just checking in. Been working on other projects (like chipping away at a massive writer's block). Things seem to be moving again on 'Pickup', so maybe I can get TfT#10 out the door sooner than later. Oh, there will be an (almost) half price promo of DREAMBONES the week before Christmas. Watch this space for details.
10-10-2015
Making a few changes in here to promote my 3-fer bundle free giveaway for Columbus Day (actually, both Sunday the 11th and Columbus Day the 12th).
'Pickup' is still under construction. 'Harry and the Hauzer' is back from its first edit and having a second go-thru.
10-3-2015
Finished 'Harry and the Hauzer' (sortof). The first draft is off to the editor for its first pass. These things go back and forth quite a lot before we decide a story is ready for prime time. This one has what I think of as a 'raring to go', ending. This promises to be a continuing story, which means there is room for more. A lot more. The hard part is determining a good place to wrap this particular element up without leaving the reader frustrated and screaming 'cliffhanger!'. I hate cliffhangers myself unless they are at the end of a chapter in a book and the continuation is just a page turn away. Writing, to me, is a lot like reading; sooner or later you have to put a story to bed so you can go to bed. Now it is on to finishing up 'Pickup', the next Epsilon Express story. It is threatening to become another novella. The upside of that is there will be more of Dani and Ringer for the readers. The downside is that it takes longer (see my opening comments, above).
As for the website, there is still a lot more to do, especially in Recommended Reads, Places, and Hardware.
9-27-2015
Been working on the Tales for issue #10. Harry and the Hauzer is coming along nicely. I just need to fill in a bit between the middle and the end. I do that a lot, starting with a beginning, jumping to the end, and then trying to get the two to meet somewhere in between.
'Pickup' is going to be the cover story for the issue. Sean Smith is working up some sketches based on a scene I described to him. It is turning into quite an interesting little Tale; another adventure for Dani and Ringer and one or two others, some new some old. I think you will like it. I just have to finish the thing (or 'middle' it). Again, I am working inwards from both ends, and actually, this time, I have more than one end right now. Have to decide which works best. Guess we'll all find out when it gets done. Hopefully that will be before the snow flies (sigh). I know, I'm not the fastest writer. Some people seem able to knock out novels in the time it takes me to write a couple of short stories. I enjoy the creative process of writing, but it just doesn't seem to flow most of the time for me the way it does for others. Hopefully, in the end, that means a better Tale has been told. I'll let the readers judge. Feel free to offer comments using the CONTACT feature of this website. Also, if you have comments on the site itself, or problems with it, let me know. It is still a work in progress, like everything else and may never be totally finished, but hopefully, that might mean good things are yet to come. :)
9-20-2015
Wow, September is just flying by! Back to make some additions to the Recommended Reads page. That one IS going to be a long term project. There are so many great books I have read that I would like to share with other readers that RR could merit being a separate website by itself. I've no doubt that it will eventually grow to multiple pages. One question I have to work out yet is a system to categorize them. Most will be SF, of course, and most of them will lean toward action/adventure. I need something intuitive. Meanwhile, the listing may be a bit of a jumble. Right now, it's easy; I only have one book listed. So, have patience. More are coming - lots more.
9-17 & 18-2015
Added a Site Navigation page (see the upper left corner) and made a few minor changes and corrections throughout the site. Most site maps are pretty dry in appearance and not as intuitive or useful as they ought to be in my opinion. I hope mine breaks that mold, somewhat.
I hope to start creating my 'Recommended Reads page today. This will be a long term and continually ongoing project. As in the original in 'Tales from TOMORROW, It will only be a list of books that I have personally read and enjoyed. Unlike in the e-zine, I intend for the list to grow to quite a size eventually as I browse my personal library and dust off some that go back a ways. I would like to just stick to titles that have been digitized, but some may be too obscure, alas.
9-11-2015
Fixed (I think) a timeline discontinuity, and added new details and more story ideas. Please be advised that it is entirely possible that not every story idea (in blue) will turn into a wonderful piece of prose. One or two of them are only there because the title is irresistible and is waiting for a plot to pop into my brain to go with it. This usually happens at the oddest moments, in fact, some of my best ideas happen when I am unconscious. :>
9-8-2015
The Labor Day free offer has ended and there were 223 hits from around the world yesterday. A daily high. I managed to give away over 60 copies of TfT #9 and the 3-fer. I'm thinking many of those hits were multiples of the same people and others were pings from adbots looking for a place to spam. I mean, really, who but an adbot would turn up their nose at a freebie? Still, its a start. Five intelligent souls picked up a copy of DREAMBONES at its bargain price so far. That deal ends tonight at Midnight Pacific time. Hey, what's to lose? Amazon has a money back policy. Get yours now or regret it later when you have to shell out my obscenely greedy full price of $3.75 later.
I'm still adding to the site. Did more work on the People page and actually started a second page just to list all my characters from all my stories alphabetically. Am I getting obsessive here?
Actually, though I have always had notes scattered around (and my timeline), this process of corralling things in some sort of coherent form for this website has been beneficial to me as a writer. It has put some things about my futureverse(s) in perspective and even given me a few new story ideas. Which reminds me; with the holiday over I need to get back into full writing mode. New adventures await. See you later.
9-5-2015
Added some weapons to the Hardware page, and some graphics to this page. Hey, if you can't see the images on the right side, don't sweat it. It is just the corresponding covers for those Omega Files. You can see them on the Tales from TOMORROW page.
Or - you might just consider buying a copy. :>
I've learned that that about a third of the screen that I see (left and right edges) is off limits to a lot of people because they are accessing the internet on their mobiles. Why anyone would try to read this stuff on their phone is beyond me anyway. So, anything I hang out there is going to be just decorative frou-frou anyway.
9-4-2015
Added promos on the home page for two Labor Day weekend free offers. Added art for the DREAMBONES promo. There is still a lot to add to this site; more characters, hardware, and an entire page or more for 'Recommended Reads'. Check the back of TfT #9 for the latest RR. The issue is FREE this weekend (one of the specials).
9-3-2015
Got a little actual writing done on 'Pickup' and the Orion story that will eventually serve as the prologue for the book. Decided on 'Frostfire' for that story's title over 'Ghost'. Too many 'Ghosts' out there.
9-2-2015
Put a promo on the home page for the Amazon Countdown sale of DREAMBONES.
8-31-2015
Minor edits made throughout the site.
8-28-2015
Added to Hardware. Set up a one week sale of Dreambones (at $1.99) over Labor Day. That may bring people into this site.
On a writing note, I finally got a few things done. The crew of ISS Ghost (from my ORION universe) are having a bad day, and Dani and Ringer are about to. That story just keeps growing, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as it makes sense.
One of my purposes in creating Tales from TOMORROW was to have a platform through which I could get my work to readers without them having to wait a year or more for the next piece. I admit that hasn't always worked out as planned, but it is better than the alternative. Some of you may have noticed I am not the speediest writer, and novels take a LOT of time, as I learned with DREAMBONES. Eventually, I will collect my Epsilon Express stories and compile them into a single book, but in the meantime you get to read Dani and Ringer's adventures in smaller installments that I try to give all the elements of complete stories. My concern is that a book will seem episodic to some, but that is really the nature of their overall story arc. Life is a series of 'episodes' is it not? 'Pickup' is coming in TfT #10. Isn't that better than waiting for me to incorporate that story into a novel a year of two down the line?
8-25-2015
Made numerous typo corrections throughout the site.
8-23-2015
Added material to the HARDWARE page on the interphase drives. Several small edits. The web page editor seems to be getting balky as the data load increases, but that may just be my old computer.
8-19-2015
A lot of reshaping of some pages to make them more mobile friendly. Numerous changes on the Home page. And of course more of the archived Omega Files have been added, entailing the creation of a second Omega page. The total of pages in this site is now 14. Added more artwork in various locations. Much more of that to come.
8-17-2015
Still adding stuff to this site. sometimes it seems a case of 'one step forward, two steps back'. I'm probably going to have to add another page just for the archived Omegas. It is a good thing Godaddy allowed me 999 pages in my package. I still haven't gotten back to my stories, though my back brain is mulling them over. Even as I add material to the Hardware page, story material churns to the forebrain. It's kind of neat, actually. :)
Just pasted in another Omega file archive. Really, does anyone know just how long you can make a web page? I'm not even sure I know why I am doing this. All you folks have to do is BUY the issues and read them in your own E-reader. I mean, if you like my writing style that much, why not read some of the stories? I think they are much better (at least they're more coherent) than these ramblings.
8-15-2015
One thing I've noticed is that while I've been having fun setting this web site up, in the week since I began, I haven't written a damn thing! If anyone is interested in seeing TfT #10, I suppose I had better get back to that little chore. But first, I want to drop in a few choice archival snippets from previous Omega files that appeared in various issues of Tales fromTOMORROW. You will see them in the right hand column.
Oh, while I'm thinking about it, my one beef so far with setting this site up is the lack of ability to link to specific spots within a page. I understand it is called anchoring, and while Godaddy's website builder has been pretty hassle free, they seem to have left that part out. I'm told they are 'working on it'. I hope so. The ability to build TOC's and jump you right to the spot under discussion seems a pretty essential part of web design, at least to this newbie. How they forgot to put that in flabbergasts me. It kind of cripples what I want to do with this site for the time being.