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My Best 3 Science Fiction News Stories and 3 Fun Links

3 Science Fiction New Stories and 3 Fun Links is the kind of blog post I love to write. I don’t have to follow any rules. I just pick the most interesting stories and funniest and most delightful links of the week.

I’ll add some commentary. You can too! I’ll send you a free copy of Zombie Turkeys to anyone who comments.

Or, you can just click the next book cover to get one:

My Best 3 Science Fiction News Stories
Get a free copy! Click the pic!

My Best 3 Science Fiction Stories – The First

Practical nuclear fusion! It’s been a dream since I was in Junior High School. I have this snippet from Paranormal Privateers about alien technology:

Paranormal Privateers Snippet

Talana turned her briefcase sideways. Legs descended and the briefcase unfolded, revealing a cube and two glass vials, one golden, one scummy green. Disturbingly, the cube and vials were larger than the briefcase.


“Our first gift”—Talana picked up the cube, the size of a breadbox—”is a universal power source. Simply pour in water and out comes electricity. The unit produces electricity in the voltage and frequency you wish, controlled by these dials.”

“Hey, Talana!” shouted Lashon Miller from the press box. The camera panned to her.

“Yes?”

“What’s the catch? This is like those infinite energy scams you read on the internet.”

“There’s no scam! The unit works by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen and fusing the hydrogen. Out comes oxygen and helium, which you may capture and use.” She gestured to two tubes exiting the box. “Let me show you. My cell phone needs charging.” She plugged the charger into an ordinary socket, and it began to charge.

“How long does it work on water? How much water? And how much power comes out?” Lashon asked.

“A cup is good for a year of phone charging. But you’re not limited to that. See this power transmitter on this socket?” She plugged a black box into what appeared to be a two-hundred-and-twenty-volt socket. “This introduces our second gift.” She called into the air, “Come here, Super Car!”

Zooming down the street came a sleek, bubble-roofed car. It stopped in front of the saucer and hovered.

“It’s voice activated and powered wirelessly from this transmitter.


Read more of Paranormal Privateers here. Or listen on Audible:

My Best 3 Science Fiction Stories
Listen to a free sample–click on the book above

Your First Fun Link

Who wouldn’t want to win a Grand Admiral Thrawn Imperial Assault Bundle? I certainly entered this contest! Click here.

My Second Science Fiction Story

Yup, it’s another black hole story! I love reading the black hole news stories, because science fiction writers have a real challenge keeping their fictional black hole stories up to date with the latest discoveries.

Do you like black hole stories? Or nuclear fusion stories? Or neither? Let me know and I’ll send you a book!

Your Next Fun Link –
Try Not to Laugh Challenge.

Weird Al Yankovic Conducts an Orchestra.

My Best Science Fiction Story – The Last One

Robots have come a long way since I was a kid. Which robot did you like best? Let me know. Yet robots don’t have sentience–yet. But my robot in Paranormal Privateers does. Check out this excerpt:


“We’re in trouble,” General Figeroa said to the assembled team—paranormal patriots, John Smith’s capuchin ambassador, and the alien AI, Wilhelmina “Minnie” Wallace.


She’d whipped up a portable droid, a golden metallic humanoid, obviously female. She made her robot an exact copy of Marilyn Monroe. She slouched in a chair at the table in a white dress. Her glowing blue diamond eyes captured everything for three hundred and sixty degrees around her. Her third eye, located where the occipital bone was, peered through shiny blond hair.

On the off chance you may not know Marilyn Monroe, here she is in her favorite movie, Some Like It Hot.

Your Last Fun Link

Who knew being dead could be so much fun?

A meme from the 60s
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What’s it like to be a vendor at a ComicCon?

What’s it like to be a vendor at a ComicCon? Perhaps you never wondered. I’ll tell you my experience with QuadCon in Peoria.

ComicCon
Here’s the start of the ComicCon experience

It all begins when I hear about a ComicCon, especially in my area of central Illinois, Peoria.

I go to the QuadCon website and find out how to get a table, how much it costs, and what the schedule is.

After buying the table and putting it on my agenda. I advertise it to my fans–like you.

By the way, if you want me to come to your area, contact me with the opportunity.

If it works out and I can come, I’ll give you a pick of my books!

The Life After Life Chronicles

Or you can pick my newest book, Secret Supers.

Secret Supers cover

The Day Before the ComicCon

I pack my books to sell–all of them. That’s four different books, about a hundred and fifty copies. Normally I keep them in the Amazon boxes they come in, but I pack about a hundred in my rolling suitcase, until I can barely lift it.

I pack up my posters and most importantly, my zombie turkey puppet.

Andy Zach acting out

You see, I read the first page of Zombie Turkeys and act it out with my puppet.

What’s the first page like?

The First Page of Zombie Turkeys

ComicCon
Chapter 1 icon

Chapter 1


Bartonville

He felt different. More energetic, more alive. He bred with
female after female in his flock without tiring. He stayed
awake through the night. He feared no predator.

Then a turkey hunter shot him.

The setting sun overlooked a crisp, clear evening in early
November. South of Bartonville, Illinois, a farmer had leased
his wood lot to two turkey hunters. Big and burly in their
bulky camouflaged outfits, they had just bagged one.

“Good shot, Pete!”

“He’s a big ‘un!”

Pete and Bob walked up to the tom turkey, bleeding on
the cold ground. The rest of the flock had scattered into the
woods. He had exceptionally good plumage and weighed
perhaps twenty pounds. Pete reached down and picked him
up by the neck.

“He weighs at least twenty-five pounds!”

Then the turkey’s eyes opened—and gleamed red. He
kicked with his spurs and pecked savagely at Pete’s arms and
eyes. Dozens of his hens attacked the men from behind.

“Gobble! Gobble!”

He felt different. More energetic, more alive. He had no
memory of being shot, but a certain turkey satisfaction at
killing his killers. He also enjoyed pecking at their dead meat.
He had always liked frogs, but this meat tasted better. He led
his flock down the road, in search of more predators to eat.

I’ll do this ten to twenty times in an eight hour day.

Andy Reading Page 1 – and more

Andy Zach reading page 1 – and more

Here’s our table at QuadCon:

ComicCon
Andy Zach and Tori at QuadCon

Finally, the End of the ComicCon

The convention ran out of gas by 4 pm and we all closed down. I packed up my books, took down my posters and went home.

Let me know if you have any questions about conventions. I have a goal of going to one a month this year. I’ve done three so far.

ComicCon
First person to identify the character this cosplayer is portraying, gets a free ebook! Email me
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5 True Science Fiction Reports and fun news

5 True Science Fiction Reports in this blog post: let’s begin with the first that follows below: real hoverboards, like Paranormal Privateers.

5 True Science Fiction Reports

In case you don’t believe hoverboards are in Paranormal Privateers, here’s the chapter icon to prove it:

Here’s a video of one in action:

The Next True Science Fiction Reports

From hoverboards to small fusion plants!

Small mass conversion devices are also in Paranormal Privateers. Here’s an excerpt:

Talana turned her briefcase sideways. Legs descended
and the briefcase unfolded, revealing a cube and two glass
vials, one golden, one scummy green. Disturbingly, the
cube and vials were larger than the briefcase.


“Our first gift”—Talana picked up the cube, the size of
a breadbox—”is a universal power source. Simply pour in
water and out comes electricity. The unit produces
electricity in the voltage and frequency you wish, controlled
by these dials.”

“Hey, Talana!” shouted Lashon Miller from the press
box. The camera panned to her.

“Yes?”

“What’s the catch? This is like those infinite energy
scams you read on the internet.”

“There’s no scam! The unit works by splitting water into
hydrogen and oxygen and fusing the hydrogen. Out comes
oxygen and helium, which you may capture and use.” She
gestured to two tubes exiting the box. “Let me show you.
My cell phone needs charging.” She plugged the charger
into an ordinary socket, and it began to charge.

“How long does it work on water? How much water?
And how much power comes out?” Lashon asked.

“A cup is good for a year of phone charging. But you’re
not limited to that. See this power transmitter on this
socket?” She plugged a black box into what appeared to be
a two-hundred-and-twenty-volt socket.

Read more in Paranormal Privateers

Next, some fun news

I signed books for fans at the comic con QuadCon in Peoria! Let me know if you want me to come to your area. Click here to tell me!

Here’s one of the cosplay people at the QuadCon. Can you identify the character? Please tell me.

Here’s a bit of fun:

Andy Zach reveals what happens when My Undead Mother-in-law versus Zombie Turkeys

What happens when unkillable Zombie Turkeys meet the irresistible Undead Mother-in-law? Find out in the video above.

Another True Science Fiction Report

Imagine the societal effects of hypersonic air travel. How will the world change if we can get anywhere in an hour? That’s the import of the story below.

I’ll give a free ebook to anyone who posts a fiction story of any length on this topic to this blog or in an email to me.

5 True Science Fiction Reports – The Fourth

This story seemed unbelievable to me, but the technique is sound and may be commercially possible. What would we do with material that floats and is light as wood and strong as titanium? Once again, a free ebook or audiobook of your choice for some fiction on this sent to me.

The Last True Science Fiction Story – for now

Going to the outer limits of outer space, we encounter our next story.

How many of you remember this movie?

Disney’s Movie The Black Hole from 1979

To be honest, I was a disappointed in the unscientific nature of the movie–based upon what I knew in 1979 when I was 23. It’s ludicrous now.

Space Balls