Stephen Ames Berry

Feb/12

Copyediting: Crape Deim: The Ginch Who Stole Christmass—A Cautionery Tail

One of the few perks of being traditionally published is the copy editor: that overqualified, underpaid schlimazel who wades through your opus and heals its wounded spelling and tortured grammar with arcane runes. To my untutored eye, it always appeared that my lovingly-honed manuscripts had been vandalized into graffitied ruination. Yet lo! from those sullied pages sprang the pristine proof copies presented for my blessing. (“Presented” – UPS dropped a large lump off on my stoop. “Blessing” – I was not to “even think of changing anything—this horse has run.”)

I published Final Assault on Amazon’s Kindle on 12/18. By Christmas the alert had come: copy errors! Horrified, I saw with new eyes: it was true! Seizing the day, I spent the next 18 hours at battle stations, minutely going through it all again. Bowed and bloody-eyed, I at last uploaded the corrected file to Amazon. (Working through the festive day, I was accused of being the Grinch who stole the family Christmas. Humbug! My Whos are the first to complain when royalties to Whoville dip.)

The book had been proofread by other eyes, but upon its return I made a few changes—nothing heavy. Then a few more, which lead to a few more. But of course I proofread all 70k words of an afternoon and then sent it on its way. (In traditional publishing, after suggested changes are made and approved, you must keep your fingers to yourself. This is good.)

I’ve since armed myself with superb, complementary editing software, PerfectIt and Editor, most recently used for The Biofab War. Deployed with MS Word’s spelling checker, they catch most crap, except for missing quotation marks. (My staff are working on that.) Editor is an especially robust application and not for the impatient, but by carefully disarming some of its features, it morphs into your picky high school English teacher—the one who returned those slapdash essays topped with a blazing “See Me!”

It’s only part mechanics: I’m very indebted to my volunteer proofreaders, who must surely have better things to do than wade through my stuff: Dale Bottrell, Tom Stronach and Shelly Kaidan-Berry.

Off to write something new for them and you to read.

Cheers

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Feb/12

The Biofab War: Available as a Kindle eBook

by Steve under Blog

The first in the Biofab series, The Biofab War, is now available as a Kindle book. I updated it to reflect modern-day Earth and some changes I made later in the series, notably in the last book of the quartet, Final Assault. And tightened some of the writing. (I flatter myself that four novels and 30 years later I write better.)

I hadn’t read The Biofab War since Ace Books published it in the 80’s. Once you’ve finished your first novel, you’ve typically rewritten it four or five times. Published, it sits on your shelf, more trophy than book.

But, yeah, I finally reread it and said, “It’s a fun romp!”

Amazon’s still struggling to display all four of the Biofab Quartet as a series, and numbered sequentially—a few more days on that. The suggested reading order is on each books’ Amazon description page.

Though the Nobel Literature Committee never did call, The Biofab War is noteworthy as probably the origin of the term “biofab.” (Biological fabrication: a designed life form.) In 1983, that was science fiction. Biofab is now in vogue, an evolving branch of the life sciences, with biofab facilities and researchers, who must surely have read science fiction when they were teens. Smile

Except for some housekeeping, The Biofab Quartet is done. I’ll eventually bolt all four books together into an omnibus edition, to be entitled, unsurprisingly, The Biofab Quartet. (My Art Department’s created a stunning cover.)

I’m now writing a piece of short fiction based on my last seven years as a teacher of wayward youth in a dropout prevention program, much of it only believable as fiction. (The transition from Harvard and Vivaldi to south Florida and Tupac was jarring but fulfilling.) One of my former students, who’s lived with us on and off for years, is serving as technical consultant and sounding board. We’ll see if anyone reads it. Then I’m writing a sequel to my Philadelphia Experiment-inspired novel, The Eldridge Conspiracy.

biofab, biofab 1, biofab quartet, futuristic fantasy, military science fiction, science fiction, Scotar, space opera, Stephen Ames Berry, the biofab war 3 Comments more...

Dec/11

The AI War

by Steve under Books

Defeated at the Battle for Terra Two, the cyborg AIs regroup to destroy mankind. Commodore Detrelna and the battle cruiser Implacable are sent into Quadrant Blue 9 for the only weapon that can stop them. Implacable’s crew aren’t optimistic—it’s been 3,000 years since a ship came home from Blue 9. Then they meet what’s been waiting for them. (2011 revision of original Tor Books edition.) Available at Amazon.

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Dec/11

The Biofab War

by Steve under Books, Uncategorized

Winter 2011-12

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Dec/11

Building Better Biofabs: Final Assault

by Steve under Blog

A significantly rewritten Final Assault is out as an Amazon Kindle: I enhanced some of the characterization—this after years of comments and reviews of the ilk “Well-written, non-stop action, light characterization.”

This being the last book of the Biofab Quartet, with Implacable back home, there was more wiggle room in the plot to flesh out one of the main characters than in the other books. (Which character? I hear you cry. ) Tor Books, the series original publisher, wanted them quickly with the ongoing expectation of intricate plots and heavy weapons fire. Then of course there was the day job.

I strove to avoid the stereotypical hero common to science fiction—and I succeeded; those who wished for this should recall the advice echoed by Admiral Sagan at the start of Final Assault: “Be careful what you wish for.” Smile

A rewrite of The Biofab War is underway. I’m fond of this book—it was my first novel, unearthed from the slush pile at Ace Books. Though each of the four novels can stand nicely on its own, there’s been some reasonable grousing that publishing them first in, last out, is an irritant depriving the reader of background detail, at least in The Battle for Terra Two. I apologize; however, The Biofab War needed the most work—leaving it for last seemed the most productive use of my time. I hope to publish it in a few months. Then on to a sequel to of The Eldridge Conspiracy, first with a foray into the world of Amazon Singles.

Happy Holidays.

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Dec/11

The Battle for Terra Two

by Steve under Books, Uncategorized

Earth basked in the glow of a new interstellar age, saved from enslavement to the insectoid biofabs by the dramatic arrival of the Kronarin fleet. Laden with honors and riches, John Harrison, hero of the Biofab War, can finally live the good life—or can he? For unknown to the Alliance, renegade biofabs escaped into an alternate universe,

where under their brilliant Tactics Master they’re breeding back to strength, readying a counter-strike against the people of both universes. Catapulted into a twisted image of his world, Harrison’s must find the biofabs’ nest and take it out before a new generation hatches. But it won’t be easy—the biofabs have found deadly allies. And in this version of Earth, Harrison’s a rebel on the run from the Fourth Reich.

alternate history, biofab, Biofab 2, biofab quartet, biofab series, Biofab Two, biofab war, biological fabrication, Fourth Reich, insectoids, John Harrison, K'Ronar, K'Ronarin Empire, mindslave, mindslaver, Scotar, space pirates, telekinetic insectioids, telepathic insectoids 6 Comments more...

Oct/11

Brooklyn College Financial Aid Fiasco: Finis

by Steve under Blog

Many thanks to all who asked how this ended. It ended well: I received the check for our daughter’s Summer Term financial aid 121 days after my application to Brooklyn College and a series of complaints to the Office of the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman. (The FSA Ombudsman’s the only force that can motivate the uncaring behemoth that is CUNY’s financial aid bureaucracy.) Anyone less articulate, persistent and cunning wouldn’t have been paid.

CUNY wasn’t always so bad, but apparently Mayor Bloomberg’s laid CUNY employees off in droves and the rest, from the highest to the lowest, are struck dumb with apathy.

Our daughter’s graduated BC and will be attending grad school in January. She’s dividing her time between job hunting in NYC (where baristas are now expected to have a BA and experience) and demonstrating with, among others, my squire, at the Occupy Wall Street protests.

When the Occupy folks say move to the back or risk arrest, we’re surging up Wall Street, she moves to the back. Squire then leads the charge up The Street. (Perhaps this explains why his cellphone’s off line?) Those who follow me on Twitter have had occasional 140 character glimpses into Squire’s adventures.

Back to writing novels, though I’ll try to blog more and not always about books.

Cheers

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Aug/11

Building Better Biofabs (II)

by Steve under Blog

Finished first rewrite of FINAL ASSAULT, the last of the original Biofab Quartet. (Ace & Tor, 1980’s.) Enhancements to characters (some) and plot intertwined, cascading through the last 1/3 of the book. Still very much the original story, but with greater dimensionality. And yes, as a reviewer, a loyal reader of the original series, sadly noted on Amazon, Kronarin names have been modified into standard English. My own children haven’t read any of these books: “What’s with the apostrophes?” My squire had the same issue; others down the years have complained without reticence that they take pleasure in pronouncing names as they read and what was I smoking when I decided to use apostrophes in place of the first vowel in proper names? (Dunhill Reds.)

Now back to the beginning of FINAL ASSAULT and the second draft. (Happily, I don’t see this going much beyond 2.5) The book’s not done, but there’s a cover. (And yes, am sending it out to be copy edited. My old eBook publisher had all four novels transcribed—thank you, Melisa!—and even then there were problems.)

After FINAL ASSAULT, I’m rewriting THE BIOFAB WAR, last as it was first: like a battered brigantine, it needs to be rebuilt from the ribs up: other than the basic plot and characterization, won’t look much like the original. Nice to have had all four novels out at once, but with THE BATTLE FOR TERRA TWO and THE AI WAR in reasonably good shape, they were sent first out into the world to see if they’d make new friends. And they have. T2 keeps ghosting in and out of the Amazon’s Top 100 Science Fiction Adventures and is often camped comfortably in the Kindle’s Top 100 Space Operas.

biofab series, FINAL ASSAULT, futuristic fantasy, military science fiction, science fiction, space opera 17 Comments more...

Aug/11

Brooklyn College Financial Aid Fiasco

by Steve under Blog

Brooklyn College Financial Aid Office: "The physical manifestation of the Sumerian demon Gozer" http://ow.ly/5SYC7 [Tweet-of-the-Week @writerredux]

Considering using the Federal Direct Plus Loan program to help send your child to Brooklyn College? Don’t. As inept as it is indifferent, the Brooklyn College Office of Financial Aid is now in its 92nd day of not processing a student loan application for my daughter’s 2011 Summer Semester living expenses, filed May 9th. (In the past, it’s taken two weeks.) An out-of-state student in the same straits whose parents lacked access to high-interest, short-term installment loans would have had to have brought their child home a dropout. (Imagine the devastating effect on the kid.)

This is my daughter’s last semester before graduating and with fine grades for which she’s worked very hard. For months Brooklyn College couldn’t process the loan; now they’re refusing to process it because they can’t process it. (I’d appreciate the Kafkaesque quality more if I weren’t servicing thousands in credit card advances.) Below is my email response to a three minute phone conversation this week with the Financial Aid representative assigned as my savior. (A forlorn hope.)

My yellowing application is for a Direct Plus Parent Loan, an unsubsidized Federal higher education loan program I’ve used without mishap during my daughter’s years at Brooklyn College. The U.S. Department of Education’s Financial Student Aid Ombudsman is involved; perhaps she and her staff can serve as catalyst of competency for Brooklyn College’s Financial Aid Department.

Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman. Justice Louis D. Brandeis

My email of 8/1/11:

Mr. Marcus J. Richardson
Financial Aid Counselor
Brooklyn College

Unprocessed Parent Plus Loan Application of May 9, 2011
Summer Term 2011

Dear Mr. Richardson:

Thank you for taking a few moments to speak with me today regarding the captioned.

Memorializing our brief conversation:
1. Brooklyn College will not process my Parent Plus Loan of May 9, 2011 for its current Summer Term unless and until the “common database” of CUNY can be made to reflect the corrected FAFSA approved by Brooklyn College on June 28, 2011;
2. Due to your office’s error in processing [my daughter’s] Stafford Loan for Summer Term aid, a discrepancy exists has existed between the BC and CUNY financial aid information systems since June 28, 2011;
3. Mr. George Lipper of CUNY [Project Coordinator, CUNY Financial Aid] is the person who must resolve this discrepancy;
4. Mr. Lipper is on vacation until Monday August 8, and you advised “will get to it,” though when you couldn’t say as Mr. Lipper “also has other things to do;”
5. You could not say when this computer problem would be resolved to CUNY’s satisfaction such that my Parent Plus Loan could be processed;
6. You twice refused to provide me a date upon which to call you back for a status update, nor did you offer to call me back.

I was frankly appalled by your indifference, demeanor and your absurd, repeated implication that my daughter, your college’s diligent student, was responsible for your department’s repeated failures to serve her. (Timeline attached.) The problems you cited are neither hers nor ours; they’re yours. Nothing in the Federal guidelines prevents BC/CUNY Financial Aid from quickly ending its three-month reign of error to which Shelly and we are yet held financial hostage. The Federal NSDLS is the system of record for Federal loans, not CUNY’S “common database.” The NSDLS has always been correct.

As we both know from our professional lives; a university can in in a matter of days process a loan and disburse a check and typically does so when it uncovers the sort of egregious errors to which my daughter and I have been subjected. If a priority were a student’s needs and education, especially when university managers are aware of that student’s indigent circumstances, approval and payment would be quickly done and systems’ discrepancies later resolved. This would require, however, concern for a student’s well-being and education—virtues not evident in your department.

I’m augmenting my complaint in this matter now on file with the Office of the FSA Ombudsman, Ms. Debra Wiley, with a copy of this email, hoping she and her staff will help serve as your department’s catalyst of competency if not concern.

I’ll be chronicling these events via social media and our experiences with Brooklyn College Financial Aid via a free Amazon Kindle offering—it’s the least I can do. (I have several gripping titles in mind. I’ll be delighted to send you a link.)

Mr. Lipper being on vacation, I’m copying his superiors and yours on this email. Perhaps they’ll have an interest in providing a student aid.

Yours truly,

Stephen Ames Berry
Officer, Harvard University (ret.)

C: Ms. Debra Wiley, FSA Ombudsman
w/ cover letter

Brooklyn College Financial Aid, Brooklyn College Financial Aid complaint, CUNY Brooklyn College Financial Aid, Direct Plus Loan, Federal Direct Plus Loan, FSA Ombudsma, Gozer, Parent Plus Loan 8 Comments more...

Aug/11

Smashwords: End of the Trail

by Steve under Uncategorized

Despite months of trying by Smashwords, Smashwords’ retailers have yet to correct my updated titles on their sites: covers don’t match books and vice versa. At some sites my titles are absent or not indexed. Readers will reasonably assume the errors to be mine and my work slovenly. It, or rather they, are embarrassing.

I’ve taken The Eldridge Conspiracy and most of my biofab novels out of Smashwords distribution at all but Barnes and Noble’s Nook site, where it alone is correct. I may try to post them again—would nice to be on Sony—but for now, it's Nook and Kindle.

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Stephen Ames Berry