If you want to see the uncensored and unabashed me be sure and check out my various tumblr feeds: Rude Mechanicals, Meine Kleine Fabrik, and Lust For Glory.
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
Bye-Bye Pinterest
If you want to see the uncensored and unabashed me be sure and check out my various tumblr feeds: Rude Mechanicals, Meine Kleine Fabrik, and Lust For Glory.
Sizzler Editions Launches Exciting, New Erotic eBook Site!
I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to announce that the new - and magnificent - Sizzler site is up and running. Huge kudos to Frankie Hill and Jean Marie Stine who made it all possible!
Check it out: you'll be amazed:
#
Sizzler Editions, a/the premier publisher of erotic
eBooks since 1998, announces a new site for erotic literature junkies to access
their catalog of 1500 titles, sizzlereditions.com.
[http://sizzlereditions.com]
Built
on a new, more flexible, platform with additional layers of subcategories, the
new Sizzler Editions site features the ability to find related books by
theme and series. Next to each book cover, readers will see convenient tabs
featuring the book's description, direct purchase links and other information.
The updated site also incorporates video trailers for featured Sizzler Edition titles, and expanded
Author bio pages.
Of
the new site, Publisher Jean Marie Stine says, "Perhaps the biggest change
is the fact that we no longer host and sell books ourselves. Readers will
instead find a links, which take them directly to a book's Amazon, Barnes & Noble,
or iBooks page.
"At
the redesigned Sizzler Editions site, readers can not only easily find the book they like, but they can buy it
from their preferred vendor in a new tab
–
and
have it downloaded instantly into their ebook reading device – without ever leaving the
Sizzler Editions site. It's a win-win for both
readers and for us!"
Stine
reveals that the site is continuing to add improvements above and beyond the
update unveiled April 2, 2013. "The new site is still very much a work in progress. We will
add audio interviews with our authors, include even more features to enhance
the visitor's search experience and more titles from new erotic authors are
always being added to our catalog!"
Debut releases at the new site include bestselling bondage author, Powerone's new Cold War spy shocker, Slave of the Kremlin, two novellas of paranormal romance by Sarah Bella, author of Bound by Blood, and a first-ever collection of Herotica editor Marcy Sheiner's stories, Love & Other Illusions. Also scheduled for release in the coming weeks are Love's Storm by Margie Church and K. B. Cutter, the second installment of their controversial trilogy about polyamory, plus a new collection of erotic science fiction stories, Skin Effect, by M. Christian. Coming soon to Sizzler Editions are the first of three books books by sexologist Amy Marsh reporting back on Love's Outer Limits, and new books by Terri Pray, David Jewell and other bestselling authors.
Debut releases at the new site include bestselling bondage author, Powerone's new Cold War spy shocker, Slave of the Kremlin, two novellas of paranormal romance by Sarah Bella, author of Bound by Blood, and a first-ever collection of Herotica editor Marcy Sheiner's stories, Love & Other Illusions. Also scheduled for release in the coming weeks are Love's Storm by Margie Church and K. B. Cutter, the second installment of their controversial trilogy about polyamory, plus a new collection of erotic science fiction stories, Skin Effect, by M. Christian. Coming soon to Sizzler Editions are the first of three books books by sexologist Amy Marsh reporting back on Love's Outer Limits, and new books by Terri Pray, David Jewell and other bestselling authors.
Bookmark sizzlereditions.com
now, and
start exploring the new features rolled out in the first phase of the update,
and be sure to come back for the
official grand reopening on May 1st,
when there will be free eBooks, special prizes and other delights.
About Sizzler Editions:
Sizzler Editions is one of the leading ebook publishers of erotica on the internet. Sizzler issued their first ebooks in
1998, and since that time have published over 1500 ebooks books. As of 2013,
Sizzler Editions has more than 1,300 erotic ebooks available for sale, and a
growing list of new titles.
Sizzler Editions prides itself on presenting the finest in erotica for every sexual interest and orientation. Sizzler Editions imprints include Intoxication (Erotic
Romance), Submission (Bondage and BDSM), Attraction (GLBT Erotica),
Scorcher (Hot & Hetero), Hot Flash (Short & Collections), Encounter
(SciFi and Fantasy), Sexerience (Nonfiction), HerSelf (Women's Erotica),
Platinum (All-Time Best Sellers), Victoria (Erotic Classics), Bounty (Bargain
Omnibuses), and Thrill (Mystery & Adventure).
FOR
MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
M.Christian
Associate
Publisher, Sizzler Editions
mchristian@renaissanceebooks.com
(415)
305-8742
Sizzler
Editions
2930
Shattuck Ave. Suite 200-13
Berkeley
CA 94705
Monday, April 01, 2013
Nicodemus, By Broomstick Out Of Dustpan By Sweeper, The Last Of The Exotic Brindle Breed
(from M.Christian's Meine Kleine Fabrik)
In honor of the 1st of April here's a fun little piece from The Cud - that's now, of course, in my new book, Welcome To Weirdsville, about one of my all-time favorite pranksters: the legendary Brian G. Hughes!
"A Priest, A Rabbi, and A Minister Walk Into a Bar–"
What? You've heard that one? How about: "There once was a man from Nantucket–"
That one too? What about: "Yer Momma is so–"
Well, here's one who probably haven't ever heard, the one that starts: "There was this guy, named Brian G. Hughes..."
There was this guy, named Brian G. Hughes. He was an Einstein, a Salk, a Beethoven, a da Vinci – but he wasn't a physicist, a doctor, a composer, or a painter. He was, according to the society pages, a rather wealthy box manufacturer and a banker. But his genus wasn't in cardboard or playing the market.
New York around the turn of the previous century was a pretty dull berg, full of overly stuffed shirts and far-too-puffed-out egos. It was a dull place, a humorless place, a terribly stiff place – a city, and a society, that Brian G. Hughes saw as needing to be seriously goosed.
And goose it he did: with a flare and a flamboyance that shook New York from Battery Park to Queens. Take for instance the time he donated a plot of valuable Brooklyn real estate to the city, to be made into a public park. Great gesture, right? Fine civic spirit, correct? That's what the Board of Aldermen thought – until they actually took the time to check it out. See, the plot of land Brian G. Hughes had donated was only a two-by-six foot plot. Hey, he never said it would make a big park ...
Then there was the time he donated a mansion to a few well-respectable historical societies, one he claimed the Marquis de Lafayette had lived in during the War of Independence. "Wow" went the Ladies of those Historical Societies, "What a find." Until they checked out the real estate and discovered the mansion was actually a dilapidated flophouse in the Bronx. Seriously lacking in the giggle department, the ladies tried to have him committed. Now there was a hearing worth attending.
But real estate wasn't the only thing Hughes used in his pranks. For instance, he would routinely hang out in front of Tiffany's and drop boxes of fake jewels – just to watch people scramble to snatch up the supposed treasures. Another time he left a set of burglar tools out in front of a building. Nothing special in that, right? Well, the building was the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which prompted the – no doubt humorless – curator to close the entire landmark to frantically search for any missing paintings.
Love cats? Well, Mr. Hughes did – though he hated the pomposity of cat shows. One time he entered what he claimed was a spectacularly rare species. The whole of New York was buzzing about this feline masterpiece, and it even won a ribbon, though later on it was revealed that the cat, "Nicodemus, by Broomstick out of Dustpan by Sweeper, the last of the exotic Brindle breed," had actually been a common stray bought from a hobo.
Love horses? Well, Mr. Hughes ... I think you know where this might be going. His "Orphan Puldeca, out of Metropolitan by Electricity" thoroughly impressed the horse show crowd, until one sharper-than-average person figured out that "Orphan Puldeca" meant "Often Pulled the Car" and Hughes admitted that his entry was a noble example of a simple trolley horse.
Say you happened to be in a downtown establishment during, alas, a totally unexpected downpour. Why, look over there: a lovely – and apparently unclaimed – umbrella. It wouldn't be theft, you argue with yourself. You'll bring it right back, you conclude. Except that the instant you opened the umbrella, one of hundreds placed around the city, a banner would unfurl proclaiming that the bumbershoot had been STOLEN FROM BRIAN G. HUGHES.
While Mr. Hughes was, no doubt, a charming person to know it was best not to accept tickets from him as he was known to (tee-hee-hee) print up hundreds different ones to all kinds of events – which never existed.
Then, perhaps the capper to a wonderfully colorful career keeping the too-well-heeled on their toes and putting pepper up the noses of the upper-crusts, he announced that he – at considerable expense and at tremendous personal risk – would embark on an expedition to deepest and no-doubt darkest South American in pursuit of the elusive reetsa.
For weeks New York was on the edge of its manicured toes, gasping in excitement into its perfumed handkerchiefs, as word of the Hughes expedition was leaked out until, just as high society feared they could take no more, it was announced that Hughes would be returning to the island – with a living, breathing resets!
The city was aghast, the city was amazed, the city was riveted. By the thousands they came down to the docks to watch Hughes return, triumphant, from his perilous journey. Then, those crowds frozen in suspense, the ship arrived and Hughes made his triumphant appearance – with is captured reetsa...
There was this guy, named Brian G. Hughes, who convinced all of New York City that he'd traveled to South America to capture the mysterious reetsa – that turned out to be a simple farm animal, which he led down the gangplank backwards. Reetsa, naturally being "a steer" spelled backwards.
Here’s to you, Brian G. Hughes: the man who made an island laugh, a whole city giggle, who brought practical jokes to a whole new, and gloriously special, level: truly the last of a very special exotic brindle breed.
In honor of the 1st of April here's a fun little piece from The Cud - that's now, of course, in my new book, Welcome To Weirdsville, about one of my all-time favorite pranksters: the legendary Brian G. Hughes!
Nicodemus, By Broomstick Out Of Dustpan By Sweeper,
The Last
Of The Exotic Brindle Breed
"A Priest, A Rabbi, and A Minister Walk Into a Bar–"
What? You've heard that one? How about: "There once was a man from Nantucket–"
That one too? What about: "Yer Momma is so–"
Well, here's one who probably haven't ever heard, the one that starts: "There was this guy, named Brian G. Hughes..."
#
There was this guy, named Brian G. Hughes. He was an Einstein, a Salk, a Beethoven, a da Vinci – but he wasn't a physicist, a doctor, a composer, or a painter. He was, according to the society pages, a rather wealthy box manufacturer and a banker. But his genus wasn't in cardboard or playing the market.
New York around the turn of the previous century was a pretty dull berg, full of overly stuffed shirts and far-too-puffed-out egos. It was a dull place, a humorless place, a terribly stiff place – a city, and a society, that Brian G. Hughes saw as needing to be seriously goosed.
And goose it he did: with a flare and a flamboyance that shook New York from Battery Park to Queens. Take for instance the time he donated a plot of valuable Brooklyn real estate to the city, to be made into a public park. Great gesture, right? Fine civic spirit, correct? That's what the Board of Aldermen thought – until they actually took the time to check it out. See, the plot of land Brian G. Hughes had donated was only a two-by-six foot plot. Hey, he never said it would make a big park ...
Then there was the time he donated a mansion to a few well-respectable historical societies, one he claimed the Marquis de Lafayette had lived in during the War of Independence. "Wow" went the Ladies of those Historical Societies, "What a find." Until they checked out the real estate and discovered the mansion was actually a dilapidated flophouse in the Bronx. Seriously lacking in the giggle department, the ladies tried to have him committed. Now there was a hearing worth attending.
But real estate wasn't the only thing Hughes used in his pranks. For instance, he would routinely hang out in front of Tiffany's and drop boxes of fake jewels – just to watch people scramble to snatch up the supposed treasures. Another time he left a set of burglar tools out in front of a building. Nothing special in that, right? Well, the building was the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which prompted the – no doubt humorless – curator to close the entire landmark to frantically search for any missing paintings.
Love cats? Well, Mr. Hughes did – though he hated the pomposity of cat shows. One time he entered what he claimed was a spectacularly rare species. The whole of New York was buzzing about this feline masterpiece, and it even won a ribbon, though later on it was revealed that the cat, "Nicodemus, by Broomstick out of Dustpan by Sweeper, the last of the exotic Brindle breed," had actually been a common stray bought from a hobo.
Love horses? Well, Mr. Hughes ... I think you know where this might be going. His "Orphan Puldeca, out of Metropolitan by Electricity" thoroughly impressed the horse show crowd, until one sharper-than-average person figured out that "Orphan Puldeca" meant "Often Pulled the Car" and Hughes admitted that his entry was a noble example of a simple trolley horse.
Say you happened to be in a downtown establishment during, alas, a totally unexpected downpour. Why, look over there: a lovely – and apparently unclaimed – umbrella. It wouldn't be theft, you argue with yourself. You'll bring it right back, you conclude. Except that the instant you opened the umbrella, one of hundreds placed around the city, a banner would unfurl proclaiming that the bumbershoot had been STOLEN FROM BRIAN G. HUGHES.
While Mr. Hughes was, no doubt, a charming person to know it was best not to accept tickets from him as he was known to (tee-hee-hee) print up hundreds different ones to all kinds of events – which never existed.
Then, perhaps the capper to a wonderfully colorful career keeping the too-well-heeled on their toes and putting pepper up the noses of the upper-crusts, he announced that he – at considerable expense and at tremendous personal risk – would embark on an expedition to deepest and no-doubt darkest South American in pursuit of the elusive reetsa.
For weeks New York was on the edge of its manicured toes, gasping in excitement into its perfumed handkerchiefs, as word of the Hughes expedition was leaked out until, just as high society feared they could take no more, it was announced that Hughes would be returning to the island – with a living, breathing resets!
The city was aghast, the city was amazed, the city was riveted. By the thousands they came down to the docks to watch Hughes return, triumphant, from his perilous journey. Then, those crowds frozen in suspense, the ship arrived and Hughes made his triumphant appearance – with is captured reetsa...
There was this guy, named Brian G. Hughes, who convinced all of New York City that he'd traveled to South America to capture the mysterious reetsa – that turned out to be a simple farm animal, which he led down the gangplank backwards. Reetsa, naturally being "a steer" spelled backwards.
Here’s to you, Brian G. Hughes: the man who made an island laugh, a whole city giggle, who brought practical jokes to a whole new, and gloriously special, level: truly the last of a very special exotic brindle breed.
Full-Metal Orgasm!
(from M.Christian's Teachnorotica)
This is exceptionally cool! I am very jazzed to be in the newest issue of Full-Metal Orgasm - with a piece on sex in science fiction. Here's a tease - and for the issue itself you can order it on amazon ... and be sure and check out Full-Metal Orgasm's tumblr!
This is exceptionally cool! I am very jazzed to be in the newest issue of Full-Metal Orgasm - with a piece on sex in science fiction. Here's a tease - and for the issue itself you can order it on amazon ... and be sure and check out Full-Metal Orgasm's tumblr!
Science Friction:
A Slightly-Snarky Look At Sex In Science Fiction ...
And Why It Hasn't Been Good But It'll Get Better
A Slightly-Snarky Look At Sex In Science Fiction ...
And Why It Hasn't Been Good But It'll Get Better
Heeellllooo,
Future!
Sure, we might not have jet packs or food pills but, come
on, look around – go ahead, we'll wait...
You done? Come
on, admit it: this is the fuckin' future: cell phones with more computing power
than (the good half) of Einstein's grey matter, access to just about every book
ever written ... and, more importantly, every episode of Star Trek (including the animated one) just a finger-swipe or mouse
click away; self-driving cars self-driving themselves just around the corner; actually,
honestly, good Dr. Who episodes; apps
than can tell us in a second what took Kepler, Galileo, Tycho, and all the rest of those wonderfully-bearded astronomers
their entire lives to learn; we have robots scruttling over Mars, poing under
rocks for life; little blue pills that can raise even the most flacid of
bridges; plastic breasts; genital cosmetic surgery; totally outraegous porn as
easily found as Star Trek ... and
even - gasp - a black President.
Gay
marriage is working its way to being totally legal, and - best of all -
no big deal; and ganja fans will soon be able to .... what was
I writing about? Oh, that's right:
before you know it weed will also be totally
legal, and - best of all (again) – no big deal.
[MORE]
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Sex Sells - How To Write And Sell Erotica: Now With Brown Paper Tickets!
(from M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)
Remember how I mentioned that I was going to sign up for Brown Paper Tickets - so folks can RSVP and re-pay for my events? Well - ta-da- here's the link so anyone can book early for my upcoming Sex Sells: How To Write & Sell Erotica class for the wonderful Center For Sex And Culture next month!
Sex Sells: How To Write & Sell Erotica
Remember how I mentioned that I was going to sign up for Brown Paper Tickets - so folks can RSVP and re-pay for my events? Well - ta-da- here's the link so anyone can book early for my upcoming Sex Sells: How To Write & Sell Erotica class for the wonderful Center For Sex And Culture next month!
Sex Sells: How To Write & Sell Erotica
Saturday, April 13th from 10:00AM to 1:00PM
$20
The
market for erotic fiction and nonfiction is booming! There actually is a
secret to writing great erotica - and you'll discover just what that is
in this fun, hands-on workshop with well-known erotica writer and
teacher M.Christian. For the beginning writer, erotica can be the
ideal place to begin writing, getting published, and - best of all -
earning money. And for the experienced writer, erotica can be an
excellent way to beef up your resume and hone your writing skills.
M.Christian will review the varieties of personal and literary
expression
possible in this exciting and expanding field. He'll also teach you
techniques for creating love and sex scenes that sizzle. Plus: current
pay rates, how to write for a wide variety of erotic genres, where and
how to submit your erotic writing, and more.
I'm Teaching Sensual Caning For Fantasy Makers!
(from M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)
This is wonderful: I'm going to be teaching Sensual Caning: How To Use The Rod In New And Exciting Ways for the celebrated FantasyMakers Academy on Sunday, April 14, 2013, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Here's the info:
Fantasy Makers Academy
Directions will be sent to confirmed guests by MzGrayce - MzGrayce@gmail.com
Cost: $20 per individual guest and $15 each for additional partner.
Dress code: Discrete on the street and comfortable once you're inside.
Description:
The cane is one of those 'legendary' BDSM toys that is far too often used with dramatic flare - rather than erotic effectiveness. In this very special class, cane wielders will learn the difference between using a rod as a prop and, instead, how to use various types of cane (wood versus plastic, thin versus thick, etc) to send the receiver to new erotic heights. With this unique - and sensual - technique even those scared of the rod will be enticed to being on the receiving end of the not-so-scary cane.
About M.Christian:
M. Christian has been an active participant in the San Francisco BDSM scene since 1988, and has been a featured presenter at the Northwest Leather Celebration, smOdyssey, the Center For Sex and Culture, The National Sexuality Symposium, QSM, San Francisco Sex Information, The Citadel, The Looking Glass, The Society of Janus, The Floating World, Winter Solstice, and lots of other venues. He has taught classes on everything from impact play, tit torture, bondage, how to write and sell erotica, polyamory, cupping, caning, and basic SM safety.
M. Christian is also a recognized master of BDSM erotica with more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many other anthologies, magazines, and other sites; editor of 2t anthologies such as the Best S/M Erotica series, Pirate Booty, My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica, and more; the collections Dirty Words, The Bachelor Machine, Love Without Gun Control, Rude Mechanicals, and more; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Finger's Breadth, Brushes, and Painted Doll. His site is www.mchristian.com
Our venue is small and seating is limited, so even if you've joined us before please respect our limits by insuring you are on our RSVP list FOR THIS EVENT.
Everyone needs to do this please - contact mzgrayce@gmail.com
Once the spaces are filled we will maintain a waiting list in case of last minute changes. Directions will be given to confirmed guests.
If you haven't heard from MzGrayce that you have been added to the RSVP list for this event your place is not being held. This event listing is informational only and not a confirmation source. Thank you for your understanding and attention to details in advance.
If cost is prohibitive please contact us to discuss a fee waiver.
This is wonderful: I'm going to be teaching Sensual Caning: How To Use The Rod In New And Exciting Ways for the celebrated FantasyMakers Academy on Sunday, April 14, 2013, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Here's the info:
Fantasy Makers Academy
Directions will be sent to confirmed guests by MzGrayce - MzGrayce@gmail.com
Cost: $20 per individual guest and $15 each for additional partner.
Dress code: Discrete on the street and comfortable once you're inside.
Description:
The cane is one of those 'legendary' BDSM toys that is far too often used with dramatic flare - rather than erotic effectiveness. In this very special class, cane wielders will learn the difference between using a rod as a prop and, instead, how to use various types of cane (wood versus plastic, thin versus thick, etc) to send the receiver to new erotic heights. With this unique - and sensual - technique even those scared of the rod will be enticed to being on the receiving end of the not-so-scary cane.
About M.Christian:
M. Christian has been an active participant in the San Francisco BDSM scene since 1988, and has been a featured presenter at the Northwest Leather Celebration, smOdyssey, the Center For Sex and Culture, The National Sexuality Symposium, QSM, San Francisco Sex Information, The Citadel, The Looking Glass, The Society of Janus, The Floating World, Winter Solstice, and lots of other venues. He has taught classes on everything from impact play, tit torture, bondage, how to write and sell erotica, polyamory, cupping, caning, and basic SM safety.
M. Christian is also a recognized master of BDSM erotica with more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many other anthologies, magazines, and other sites; editor of 2t anthologies such as the Best S/M Erotica series, Pirate Booty, My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica, and more; the collections Dirty Words, The Bachelor Machine, Love Without Gun Control, Rude Mechanicals, and more; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Finger's Breadth, Brushes, and Painted Doll. His site is www.mchristian.com
PLEASE NOTE
Our venue is small and seating is limited, so even if you've joined us before please respect our limits by insuring you are on our RSVP list FOR THIS EVENT.
Everyone needs to do this please - contact mzgrayce@gmail.com
Once the spaces are filled we will maintain a waiting list in case of last minute changes. Directions will be given to confirmed guests.
If you haven't heard from MzGrayce that you have been added to the RSVP list for this event your place is not being held. This event listing is informational only and not a confirmation source. Thank you for your understanding and attention to details in advance.
If cost is prohibitive please contact us to discuss a fee waiver.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Coming up: Sex Sells: How To Write & Sell Erotica
(from M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)
Just a little advanced announcement that I'm going to be teaching my very well-received Sex Sells: How To Write & Sell Erotica class for the wonderful Center For Sex And Culture next month!
(btw, I'm playing with setting up a Brown Paper Tickets account for early sales, so stay tuned on that as well)
Here are the details:
Sex Sells: How To Write & Sell Erotica
Just a little advanced announcement that I'm going to be teaching my very well-received Sex Sells: How To Write & Sell Erotica class for the wonderful Center For Sex And Culture next month!
(btw, I'm playing with setting up a Brown Paper Tickets account for early sales, so stay tuned on that as well)
Here are the details:
Sex Sells: How To Write & Sell Erotica
Saturday, April 13th from 10:00AM to 1:00PM
$20
The
market for erotic fiction and nonfiction is booming! There actually is a
secret to writing great erotica - and you'll discover just what that is
in this fun, hands-on workshop with well-known erotica writer and
teacher M.Christian. For the beginning writer, erotica can be the
ideal place to begin writing, getting published, and - best of all -
earning money. And for the experienced writer, erotica can be an
excellent way to beef up your resume and hone your writing skills.
M.Christian will review the varieties of personal and literary
expression
possible in this exciting and expanding field. He'll also teach you
techniques for creating love and sex scenes that sizzle. Plus: current
pay rates, how to write for a wide variety of erotic genres, where and
how to submit your erotic writing, and more.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Welcome To Weirdsville: Some of the Biggest Spills And Accidents
(from M.Christian's Meine Keline Fabrik)
This is exceptionally cool: a brand new piece I wrote for Dark Roasted Blend - on Some of the Biggest Spills And Accidents - just went up. Check out the teaser below - and for the full thing just click here.
And, don't forget, I have an entire book of this stuff available right now: Welcome To Weirdsville!
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." -Oscar Wilde
What makes this quick look at ten big-time spills, accidents, and boo-boos especially scary is that they far too often involve stuff that you’d think we'd be taking extra-extra-extra special care with: industrial waste, nuclear weapons, molasses, and - more shocking than anything else - beer.
Even though evolution has graced us homo sapiens with two of them, the briefest glances at the history of extremely large scale accidents is more than enough to make us wonder if we should be sporting nothing but thumbs.
10. The Demon Core
It seems as soon as mankind started splitting them, we've been letting atoms slip through our fingers. Even putting aside the sad irony of Marie Sklodowska-Curie dying by her own discovery of radioactivity, our earliest attempts to harness the power of atomic energy are filled with shuddering tales of glow-in-the-dark slip-ups.
Back in 1945, when the scientists of the Manhattan Project were first banging blocks of uranium together, there was a nightmarishly series of accidents involving what - very aptly - came to be called The Demon Core.
Basically just a little-less-then 15 pound ball of plutonium, in August 21, the core went first went demonic when Harry Daghlian accidentally dropped a brick of tungsten carbide into it. Heroically, Harry managed to pull the brick out - avoiding a supercritical reaction - but died shortly thereafter from radiation poisoning.
A few months later, on May 21st, Louis Slotin tried to – and if this doesn't make you shiver then nothing will - "tickle the dragon's tail' by basically pushing the core as far as they could ... his only safety feature being a carefully inserted screwdriver.
All it took was for that well thought-out safety feature to slip and the core went momentarily supercritical: as with Daghlian, Slotin managed to prevent a chain reaction, but fatally dosed himself - and exposed eight other people nearby with enough radiation to seriously shorten their lifespans.
9. The Kyshtym Disaster
American scientists weren't the only ones fumbling and bumbling with nuclear power. On the other side of the world, the Soviets were racing with mad abandon to catch up with their counterparts ... emphasis on the phrase "mad abandon."
In the closed science city of Ozyorsk, they built the vast plutonium manufacturing plant of Mayak. Unfortunately, they were more-than-a-bit fumbling in the dark when it came to nuclear power, and on September 29th, 1957 a radioactive waste tank exploded. While the blast itself was impressive - it tossed the tank's 160 ton lid completely off - the release of toxic materials contaminated the region, resulting in an estimated 8,000 deaths.
What's particularly surreal about the The Kyshtym Disaster is that it didn't officially exist: the Soviets simply erased not just the accent but the town itself. The name "Kyshtym Disaster" is used because Ozyorsk and Mayak were erased from all subsequent maps and Kyshtym just happened to be the closest landmark.
If that makes you shake your head, keep shaking: there are reports that while the Soviets made Ozyorsk and Mayak "go away" the CIA knew of the disaster but kept the information secret to protect the US's own nuclear power industry.
[MORE]
This is exceptionally cool: a brand new piece I wrote for Dark Roasted Blend - on Some of the Biggest Spills And Accidents - just went up. Check out the teaser below - and for the full thing just click here.
And, don't forget, I have an entire book of this stuff available right now: Welcome To Weirdsville!
Some of the Biggest Spills And Accidents
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." -Oscar Wilde
What makes this quick look at ten big-time spills, accidents, and boo-boos especially scary is that they far too often involve stuff that you’d think we'd be taking extra-extra-extra special care with: industrial waste, nuclear weapons, molasses, and - more shocking than anything else - beer.
Even though evolution has graced us homo sapiens with two of them, the briefest glances at the history of extremely large scale accidents is more than enough to make us wonder if we should be sporting nothing but thumbs.
10. The Demon Core
It seems as soon as mankind started splitting them, we've been letting atoms slip through our fingers. Even putting aside the sad irony of Marie Sklodowska-Curie dying by her own discovery of radioactivity, our earliest attempts to harness the power of atomic energy are filled with shuddering tales of glow-in-the-dark slip-ups.
Back in 1945, when the scientists of the Manhattan Project were first banging blocks of uranium together, there was a nightmarishly series of accidents involving what - very aptly - came to be called The Demon Core.
Basically just a little-less-then 15 pound ball of plutonium, in August 21, the core went first went demonic when Harry Daghlian accidentally dropped a brick of tungsten carbide into it. Heroically, Harry managed to pull the brick out - avoiding a supercritical reaction - but died shortly thereafter from radiation poisoning.
A few months later, on May 21st, Louis Slotin tried to – and if this doesn't make you shiver then nothing will - "tickle the dragon's tail' by basically pushing the core as far as they could ... his only safety feature being a carefully inserted screwdriver.
All it took was for that well thought-out safety feature to slip and the core went momentarily supercritical: as with Daghlian, Slotin managed to prevent a chain reaction, but fatally dosed himself - and exposed eight other people nearby with enough radiation to seriously shorten their lifespans.
9. The Kyshtym Disaster
American scientists weren't the only ones fumbling and bumbling with nuclear power. On the other side of the world, the Soviets were racing with mad abandon to catch up with their counterparts ... emphasis on the phrase "mad abandon."
In the closed science city of Ozyorsk, they built the vast plutonium manufacturing plant of Mayak. Unfortunately, they were more-than-a-bit fumbling in the dark when it came to nuclear power, and on September 29th, 1957 a radioactive waste tank exploded. While the blast itself was impressive - it tossed the tank's 160 ton lid completely off - the release of toxic materials contaminated the region, resulting in an estimated 8,000 deaths.
What's particularly surreal about the The Kyshtym Disaster is that it didn't officially exist: the Soviets simply erased not just the accent but the town itself. The name "Kyshtym Disaster" is used because Ozyorsk and Mayak were erased from all subsequent maps and Kyshtym just happened to be the closest landmark.
If that makes you shake your head, keep shaking: there are reports that while the Soviets made Ozyorsk and Mayak "go away" the CIA knew of the disaster but kept the information secret to protect the US's own nuclear power industry.
[MORE]
Friday, March 22, 2013
Rainbow Reviews Likes Me2
(from M.Christian's Queer Imaginings)
Very cool review from Ryes from Rainbow Reviews about my queer horror/thriller Me2:
Very cool review from Ryes from Rainbow Reviews about my queer horror/thriller Me2:
He looks just like you. He acts exactly like you. Every day he becomes more and more like you, taking away that what was yours until there's nothing left. You may think you've met your match ~ or your double ~ but that's not even close.
Me2 is a psychological thriller about self and identity, written in a unique and interesting structure. The book starts off with an unnamed narrator who works at Starbucks. The narrator mentally labels the Starbucks customers by the flavor/cup sizes of the coffee they order and the personalities he associates with those coffees. This is not different from the way he views the world in terms of brand names. His description of himself also doesn't distinguish him from other men like him. His daily activities are routine, and he even gives his looks a name: a Boy of Summer look.
One of his Starbucks customers tells him about aliens, or clones, amongst us. They blend in with everyone else so you can't tell them apart. He starts wondering if there's someone out there trying to copy him in order to blend in. Suddenly, he starts seeing himself everywhere, and he's not sure why. Parts of the book read like dream sequences as his paranoia grows and he confuses small details like which car is his and which house is his.
The idea planted in his head about doubles and clones begins to consume all his thoughts and he comes to the conclusion that people really are copying details of himself to take over his life. As a result of all this, he begins questioning his identity and wondering what makes him different and what makes him an individual in a world operated by brand names and labels.
Me2 is set up with eleven chapters and three epilogues. Each of the chapters are titled (in order) "Me," "Me2," "Me3," "Me4," etc. The narrator of each chapter is not necessarily the same one from the previous chapters. The epilogues lead up to the publication of this novel, with an amusing letter from the editor to M. Christian (or whoever wrote this book).
Me2 is a well-written and well-thought out take on the issue of identity, and Christian writes with gripping and clear prose. He delivers the "horror" aspect without fail and executes a wonderful build-up. Me2 is an excellent novel that provokes thought and introspection; highly recommended.
I'm Quick & Dirty!
I'm thrilled to be part of my great pal Maxim Jakubowski's brand new anthology Quick & Dirty Erotica!
Over 130 of the very best short pieces of erotica writing are complied here for a steamy and sensual read of “quickies” in 1,500 words or less, from some of the best loved writers in the field. Fans of The Mammoth Book of the Best New Erotica are sure to enjoy this exciting and edgy new collection.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Fantastic News From A Fantastic Publisher!
Okay, I might be just a tad prejudiced (as I'm also extremely fortunate to be an Associate Publisher for them) but my all-time favorite publisher, Renaissance E Books/Sizzler Editions, has just announced a total and complete and utterly amazing rebuild of their home site.
Stay tuned - you will be absolutely amazed!
Stay tuned - you will be absolutely amazed!
Visitors To Sizzler Editions Will See The Following
Until April 1, When We Open Our New Site!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Thinking Outside Your Box: Creative Adult Marketing Was A BLAST!
(from M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)
Just wanted to give a hearty - and heartfelt - thanks to all the fantastic folks who came out to attend my Thinking Outside Your Box: Creative Adult Marketing event at the Center for Sex And Culture. It was fun to teach and, hopefully, fun to attend!
Just wanted to give a hearty - and heartfelt - thanks to all the fantastic folks who came out to attend my Thinking Outside Your Box: Creative Adult Marketing event at the Center for Sex And Culture. It was fun to teach and, hopefully, fun to attend!
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