Patreon Plans for 2021

A few notes on what I plan to do on my Patreon site next year. I intend to continue with reviews and occasional other blogging here. On the other hand if you aren't paying me I don't have to make promises about that. If this is of no interest and you just want to be surprised by what I post, look away now.

2021 Patreon Plans 

1. A new serial that is a thirteen-part space opera story. Although each part may stand-alone they will certainly work better if read in order.

It is a sort-of-sequel to my former thirteen-part serial starring Tommy “Ray” Gunn, a space ranger with the Deep Patrol. You can catch up for free with the unhelpfully located and formatted files from this index page, or buy an ebook for $0.99. And even get it in paperback if you insist. Don’t worry if you don’t want to do the pre-reading, each section will attempt to give you the minimum necessary information to catch you up. My reason for returning to it is essentially, having created a setting designed for MAXIMUM SPACE OPERA, it seems economical to return and use it again.

The first part will appear on the 1st of December, the same day as the last Lacey Lee detective story, completing one serial and immediately starting another. 

1a. There will be covers (see above) and liner notes for each part of the serial. There may even be footnotes and attributions as some of the most interesting and weird ideas are solidly founded on actual published science. I don’t just make this stuff up you know (the weirdest ideas come from reality rather than my brain). I intend to try and promote the Patreon so there’ll be a few welcomes to new readers and explanations of what’s going on. If you’re up to speed you can probably ignore those. 

2. The Flash Fiction postcards for $5 subscribers will continue, with $2 subscribers getting the same flash fiction but electronically. I say flash fiction, some of them are non-fiction (including at least one recipe a year). Non-subscribers will eventually get to enjoy the pieces I posted throughout 2020, approximately 12 months after subscribers first got them, or possibly later if it seems appropriate. 

3. Monster of the Week. I will continue to produce one monster per week, posted on a Tuesday. Subscribers will get them every week; if and when a Tuesday coincides with some other post on the Patreon then I declare a season over and non-subscribers miss a week. Hence on Tuesday 1st December subscribers get Monster of the Week 53 (making that a triple content day and putting them three weeks in advance). 

4. Subscribers are likely to get other strangeness as well. The Mardy Grass pancake day fanzine and other weird articles have made an appearance in the past. These tend to be seasonal and require me to have generated enough material since the last time so are essentially at random and are of variable quality. Sign up if you want a couple of flimsy booklets with bad jokes and poor illustrations sometime this year! 

Final Note: I have first drafts of the entire serial so even if events overtake me you should get the sketch of what was supposed to happen. I intend to polish it so that it makes sense and it may even pay attention to its own continuity. It’s a little more idea- and concept-heavy than the previous one, but hopefully maintaining the action, comedy and wildness of the settings. I’m quite excited about what people think of it so read it even if you’re not paying! 

But subscribe anyway, I can use the money. 

If you have any questions let me know.