Alien Beer – Ch 17 – The Multiverse Blues – Stop Breakin’ Down Blues

Posted on 2021/01/07 by ecgarrison

Previously on the Multiverse Blues. Jules and company fled the Harmony theatre in Delta Earth’s Chicago, through a disused Arch Gate, with Arch Authority guards hot on their heels – in an armored vehicle. Jules discovered Delta Jules stowed away and causing mayhem, and both of them fell off La Esperanza, under fire. Jules made a hasty escape through a random rip in reality, to an unknown world…

https://alienbeer.podbean.com/e/ch-17-the-multiverse-blues-stop-breakin-down-blues/

Well, we made it. Yup, the terrible year that was 2020 is over now. I started this podcast before Covid-19 was even a worry, back in February. The rest of the year, reading my stories to you was a lifeline that made me feel just a little more connected to the world outside my house.

And then, in October, I needed a break from The Multiverse Blues. I had a few personal disasters, some of which continue to cause me daily difficulty even now. But in November, I wrote a whole novel, one that tells the story of a transgender woman discovering a magical college, as well as her own magic, as she searches for her missing partner.

And yes, I wrote that because a certain author of a certain franchise broke my heart, making me feel like I’d never be welcome in a certain magical school I used to love. I wrote a story where everyone who was disenfranchised by that other author can feel welcome.

Anyway, the Alien Beer Podcast is back for 2021, and I’m kicking off the year with a brand-new chapter of The Multiverse Blues. Going forward, I hope to have a new chapter for you every other week until the story is done. After that? Who knows. If you have any questions or comments about this podcast, or The Multiverse Blues, please leave me comments on social media, or send me email at ecg@sillyhatbooks.com.

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The Multiverse Blues Returns this Thursday (Jan 7th)!

Posted on 2021/01/03 by ecgarrison
Inter-dimensional Diva, Hope

The wait is nearly over, fans of The Multiverse Blues! After almost two months’ hiatus, my dimension-hopping science fiction serial returns to the Alien Beer Podcast this Thursday at the usual broadcast time, 8:01am EDT!

I took time off to write my upcoming novel, Trans Witch, and to recharge my creative batteries, but today I’ve written a new chapter for our non-binary hero, Jules, who’s off to yet another new parallel universe, for more adventure.

It was tough to get back into the groove, but I’m excited to resume the story! Look for new episodes every other week until the story is done.

Do you have a favorite character in The Multiverse Blues? Do you have any questions about the story? Please feel free to post comments or send me a message directly!

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The Transit King’s Holiday Ryde! (a Whiteboard Wednesday poem)

Posted on 2020/12/23 by ecgarrison
The Transit King’s new job!

The Transit King’s Holiday Ryde

Twas Festivus Time in the city;
all the buildings dressed up pretty.
Last minute shoppers run to and fro
But some have further to go.

To the rescue leaps T.K. Bask.
“Who is he?” you may ask.
Why, he’s the ole Transit King,
trying out a brand new thing!

Once he rode the bus lines by day;
but this fairy lord’s gone astray.
A new idea came with a snap
now you can summon him with an app!

The old gnome still trades in favors;
wishes granted in many flavors.
Take care what you say in his SUV
or ye may owe him a thing or three!

If all looks dark, an’ yer feelin’ despair,
just click on the Ryde Kyng rideshare!
So, when you’re at the end of yer rope,
Bask the Transit King brings ye hope!

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Alien Beer Podcast – Christmas Special

Posted on 2020/12/17 by ecgarrison
  • Christmas Special
    Christmas Special

Well, here it is, my wonderful listeners:

The End

This is the last story in my Alien Beer and Other Stories collection.

I’m going to be totally transparent with you: I’m not sure where I’ll go from here.

One thing is certain: I will continue The Multiverse Blues, reading each chapter to you here on the Alien Beer Podcast.

Once that’s done? I’m not sure. I have some other stories I could read. I could start a new serial. I could write a new series of short stories just for the podcast.

As I said last time, I do plan to continue the every-other-week format for new episodes.

I might have special interstitial episodes as well, but those will be bonuses.

This episode is also the last installment of the Alien Beer Podcast for 2020. It’s been a wild year. It’s been rough. Very rough. Working on this podcast, which I started BEFORE the pandemic began in the US, has helped me hang on during dark times of isolation and fear. I didn’t know if anyone would listen. I’ve been pleasantly surprised: as of this recording, episodes of this podcast have been downloaded two thousand, two hundred, and forty-eight times.

Wow.

Thank you for listening. We’ll see what happens in 2021.

Please: take care of yourself and be kind to others.

—-

I’m a founding member of an author co-op called the Speculative Fiction Guild. In 2014, we put together an anthology of speculative short stories related to any of the winter holidays. The profits for that anthology went to benefit Indy Reads, an Indianapolis literacy charity. For this tie-in to my Road Ghosts and Tipsy Fairy Tales books, I channeled my childhood years watching Rankin & Bass holiday specials. I tried having various main characters, but eventually brought back Enid from “Spectral Delivery” as its star. It takes place after Mean Spirit, for those who want to know.

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Trans-Continental Steampunk Holidays!

Posted on 2020/12/11 by ecgarrison

Check out this wonderful artwork gifted to me from Nell Williams! Duffy and Ida of my Trans-Continental books have settled in for a cozy holiday together, but you just know they’re itching to get back out there for more adventures together!

I added the words to make this a holiday card from me to you. Whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of year, I hope it is filled with love and light!

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Alien Beer Podcast – Dr. Princess and the Soldier

Posted on 2020/12/03 by ecgarrison

Before I introduce this episode, I have some news for you.

https://alienbeer.podbean.com/e/ep-21-dr-princess-and-the-soldier/

First of all, you may have noticed the absence of The Multiverse Blues after Chapter Sixteen. I decided to take a hiatus on that, as life had gotten to be extremely stressful. Since this is being recorded towards the end of 2020, I think you know what I mean. On top of the pandemic and the terrifying uncertainty of the election, I had some personal issues going on, over and above the anxiety and depression I struggle with every day. Of note, the toilet in my half bathroom vomited enough sewage to cover the bathroom, the entry room, and half of my kitchen. My wife and I were overwhelmed and have been forced to effectively camp out for the past month and a half while demolition occurred, and while we wait for reconstruction. Oh, and my wife broke her wrist.

So, naturally, since I was already pushed past my limits, I thought to myself, “Hey, why don’t I do National Novel Writing Month this year!” Let me tell you, NaNoWriMo is stressful in the best of years, and I’d already been worrying about burning out on The Multiverse Blues.

Why did I do it? I found myself called by a new project. It’s a book called Trans Witch. As I write this to you on November 30th, I have just now finished, not just the required fifty-thousand words in thirty days, but I’ve also completed all the chapters I wanted to write in it. I have a rough draft of my magical mystery tour of a middle-aged transgender witch who finds herself searching for her lost partner within the college for wizards she’s found. If that sounds to you like it’s a big F-U to a certain transphobic YA author, you’re probably right.

Anyway, I plan to resume writing and recording the Multiverse Blues in the next few weeks. Trans Witch should be published by this coming Spring.

I hope you’re enjoying The Alien Beer podcast. I’m going to continue the every-other-week format as default for the foreseeable future. In two weeks, you can look forward to a holiday special.

As a palate cleanser for the previous two stories, I give you a final Iron Writer story I wrote in early 2017. The elements were: One hot summer day; A deserted island; Buried treasure; Chicken with its head cut off. I felt the elements went a little too well together, so rather than rehash Treasure Island, I thought I’d do another story with a twist. This story came in first with the popular vote, and close second with an internal Iron Writer vote, allowing me to advance to the tournament. But more importantly, it was fun to write.

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Trans Witch is DONE!

Posted on 2020/11/30 by ecgarrison
Trans Witch: 30 days/ 59,301 words!

30 days ago, I set out to write a book about a transgender woman at a wizard college. The idea has undergone a few changes along the way as I’ve learned about my characters and their School of Applied Metaphysics. What started as satire turned into a mystery, and the mystery led my main character on a magical adventure unlike anything I’ve written before.

To tell the truth, Trans Witch isn’t really finished. It’s a rough draft, like any NaNoWriMo novel. This is the 8th novel I’ve produced through my participation in the grueling month-long challenge, and my 10th overall, so I’m quite familiar with all that lies ahead for this latest book.

I’ll leave Trans Witch aside for a week or two to cool and set before I read the whole thing through and make first edits. Then, I’ll recruit beta readers to give me feedback on the plot and characters to see what needs to be tweaked. After all that, I’ll pay my favorite editor to go over it with a magnifying glass (at least that’s how I imagine it) and prepare it for publication. I already have an artist in mind for the actual cover, so I’ll have to negotiate and pay for that part as well.

So, with luck, I hope to publish this newest book sometime this Spring.

Make no mistake, the purpose of this book was originally in reaction to the transphobic screeds posted by the most famous author of wizard school books. Having let me and millions of other fans down, I wanted to roast her with this book. But that’s already been done by Chuck Tingle and his “Trans Wizard Harriet Porber and the Bad Boy Parasaurophus”.

I decided that I wanted my book to be primarily about representation. I knew I was no longer welcome at a certain school for wizards, so I wanted to create a place for all the others who now feel like they can’t go back to that formerly inviting place.

I have high hopes for this book. That is, the hope that the magical world I’ve created feels like home for everyone.

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Alien Beer Podcast – Dark Reflection

Posted on 2020/11/19 by ecgarrison

Here’s another rather personal story involving a mirror. Okay, I’ll admit it, I’ve got an irrational fear of seeing myself in mirrors in the dark. To try to exorcise that a bit, I decided to make the fear more tangible in a story. The result was bought by James Ward Kirk, and published in his Indiana Horror Anthology 2011.

https://alienbeer.podbean.com/e/ep-19-dark-reflection/

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Alien Beer Podcast – The Man at the Top of the Stair

Posted on 2020/11/19 by ecgarrison

Note: I posted this last week on the podcast feed, but failed to post about it here. It is just as well; I feel this is more appropriate during Trans Awareness Week (and tomorrow is Trans Day of Remembrance). That said, if you’re trans yourself, this story has elements of gender dysphoria in it.

This one was hard to write. Not technically hard, but emotionally. It was for the Iron Writer Challenge, March 2017, and here are the elements: “Antigonish” (poem) restricted to the first verse only; Another person’s dream that you are envious of; A hangman’s noose; Will you never leave me? I couldn’t help but write this story, even though hurt to do so; it demanded to be written, given those elements.

https://alienbeer.podbean.com/e/the-man-at-the-top-of-the-stair/

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Alien Beer Podcast – Never Be

Posted on 2020/10/23 by ecgarrison

This one has an odd history. I wrote it in 2011, and it was picked up, with contract, for an issue of a well-respected horror magazine. The issue it was due to come out in never happened, and eventually the rights reverted to me. I’ll admit, I sat on this one for years on the hope that the issue might someday come out, but it’s been almost 6 years now, so I’d rather the story saw the light of day than to continue to wait expectantly in the dark.

https://alienbeer.podbean.com/e/ep-19-never-be/

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