About
Nov 26th, 2008 by Michael
Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome … to this webcolumn. That’s a term I’m adopting here because a blog (from web log) is a chronicle of day-to-day events, and I have something else in mind. On what I trust will be an increasingly periodic basis we’ll have a discourse or two about subjects such as
- science fiction and fantasy
- theology and Bible-related subjects (as it happens, I’m in the evangelical camp; if you aren’t, again, welcome! let’s talk)
- podcast fiction (it’s the new radio drama)
and other items as they appear. Meanwhile, thank you for visiting — and I hope you’ll feel free to leave your comments on each post. Monologues can be enjoyable, but dialogues are much more so.
About the Scriptor
I’m an expatriate Virginian living in Indiana. Having had one career as an editor and another as a grant-writer, I’m trying to launch a third as a professor of theology and an SFF writer. When people ask my specialty, I often say, “Systematic theology, science fiction, and fantasy.” It does keep the conversation going …
Besides the comments section on each post, I can frequently be found on Twitter — follow me at http://twitter.com/michaelspence.
By all means, read these too:
- “Daughter of Heaven” (with Elisabeth Waters)
- in Sword and Sorceress XXIII (Norilana Books, 2008)
- “Crosswort Puzzle” (with Elisabeth Waters)
- in Sword and Sorceress XXII (Norilana Books, 2007)
Laurel, an examiner of customs permits, overlooks a suspicious shipment of the herb in the title and eventually finds herself stopping an assassination attempt. Customs inspection does not at first seem like a thrilling subject, but Spence and Waters bring intrigue and humor to the anthology’s second fantasy/detective story.
— Elizabeth A. Allen, The Fix: Short Fiction Review
- “One Drink Before You Go”
- originally appeared in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy Worlds (Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust, 1998)
Michael Spence’s “One Drink Before You Go” is an ancient tale as current in appeal as it is age-old. Another gem from Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy Worlds.
— Eugen Bacon, Fictionwise Recommender
- “Salt and Sorcery” (with Elisabeth Waters)
- originally appeared in Sword and Sorceress XVI (DAW Books, 1999)
- “Pride, Prejudice, and Paranoia”
- originally appeared in Sword and Sorceress XIX (DAW Books, 2002)
• The above are now available for download at Fictionwise. •
- “Secular Theology in the Fiction of Harlan Ellison”
- PhD dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002. The first dissertation to analyze Ellison’s work.
- “Requiem for a Harlequin: Two Perspectives on Time, and a Celebration of Kairos, in Three Stories by Harlan Ellison”
- In Sci Phi: The Journal of Science Fiction and Philosophy, inaugural issue, January 2008. The three stories are “Count the Clock That Tells the Time,” “Paladin of the Lost Hour,” and of course “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman.”
Presentations
- “Jesus from the First to the 170th Century: Presentations of Jesus of Nazareth in Recent Science Fiction and Fantasy”
- Evangelical Theological Society annual meeting, 19 November 2003
- “To Find the Truth, Look to the Lie: Contributions of Science Fiction and Fantasy to Theological Expression”
- Evangelical Theological Society annual meeting, 16 November 2005
Audio
- “Distinctive”
- semifinalist in Podcast Pickle’s first “Pickle Tales” competition; nominated for 2007 Parsec Award for “Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form)”
- “Monster Story: Scott Sigler’s Infection from the Triangles’ Point of View” (trilogy)
- included in the podcast of Scott Sigler’s novel Infection (Sigler’s evaluation: “[expletive deleted]ing brilliant”); nominated for 2007 Parsec Award for “Best Audio Drama (Short Form)”
- “Wakeup Calls”
- included in the podcast of J.C. Hutchins’s novel 7th Son
- “Dissertation Excerpt: ‘Shammekath’”
- included in the podcast of Scott Sigler’s Galactic Football League novel The Rookie
- “Genada Memo”
- included in the podcast of Scott Sigler’s Galactic Football League novel The Rookie
- “GFL Week Two Roundup” (by Scott Sigler)
- guest reading for the podcast of The Rookie
Where are you?
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