Category: Inspirations

TSJ Talks John Carpenter’s THE THING … Now on YouTube!

TSJ Talks John Carpenter’s THE THING on the Re-Creative Podcast

For those of you who don’t download podcasts, here’s an easier way to listen to my 45-minute segment on the Re-Creative with hosts Joe and Mark.

THE SHADOW OF WAR by TSJ is a 2023 CYGNUS Award Semi-Finalist

The Shadow of War is a 2023 CYGNUS Award Semi-Finalist

The underwater heist published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Ltd. in 2022 is continuing to make waves!

TSJ Talks John Carpenter’s THE THING!

TSJ Talks John Carpenter’s THE THING!

Last week, I joined the guys from the Re-Creative Podcast and our topic of the evening was my second favorite film of all time, John Carpenter’s The Thing.

Why Underwater?  Ten Important Reasons I wrote The Rise of Oceania, and a Message for the Future

Why Underwater?  Ten Important Reasons I wrote The Rise of Oceania, and a Message for the Future

(Note:  I watched the events involving the submersible Titan in the Atlantic closely over the past week.  It was a tragic and yet avoidable disaster.  James Cameron, on CNN, spoke about how similar it was to the Titanic sinking in 1912.  He couldn’t have been more correct.  Despite warnings, the captain pressed on to the inevitable end.  I am saddened by the loss of five lives and it is a sign to explorers everywhere that the ocean is merciless.  Pressure is inexorable.  Engineering needs to be perfect to descend to depth, and if problems appear, there is often very little time (or none at all) to solve problems on the spot.   Since I began writing The Rise of Oceania, events have tended to mirror my predictions.  The increasing tensions with China, for example, the growing climate crisis on the surface, and more.  I wrote the below article only days before Titan went silent.  I’ve added this note to acknowledge the dangers and the loss of life last Sunday.  — TSJ, 26 June 2023)

TSJ’s New Bio

TSJ’s New Bio

The sixth — and final — book in my series, The Rise of Oceania, is due to publisher Fitzhenry and Whiteside at the end of the month.  I’ve been working hard on it for over a year now.  There’s a lot of story to wrap up, there are more graphics/schematics than in any of the previous installments, and I want this to be the most gripping conclusion possible.  Each book is written as a standalone thriller, but collectively they tell a complete arc from Book 1 to Book 6.  I’ve poured my energy into this for so many months now.  Here is—

Escapist Entertainment — More Important Than You Might Think

Escapist Entertainment — More Important Than You Might Think

(Originally published 1 December 2022 at Crime Writers of Canada.)

Remember when your parents complained that you weren’t working hard enough? When they told you to get a job, do your school work, or wash the car? Or they piled pressure on you to get better marks, win awards, and get accepted into university? And while the stress mounted, you could only sit in your room, in the dark, wondering why no one understood that you were on the verge of cracking?

TSJ Talks Inspirations for The War Beneath

TSJ Talks Inspirations for The War Beneath

When I was a teenager, I read a lot of 1950s Science Fiction. It was the tail end of the “Golden Age of Science Fiction.” Asimov, Pohl, Heinlein, del Rey and more. I fell in love with the genre because of those books. They sparked my imagination and took me to fascinating locations in futuristic settings. The stakes were always huge. It’s those books that really taught me how important YA Science Fiction is. Readers get hooked on the genre early; it’s what happened to me.

My First Book Signing in Ages

My First Book Signing in Ages

On Sunday, I made the long voyage to Indigo/Chapters London North in London, Ontario for a book signing to promote my newest books, Fatal Depth and An Island of Light.  I say this tongue in cheek, because the store is in the same city in which I live:  London, Ontario.  Usually I’m driving hours to a signing … this time, it was only twenty minutes.  It was heaven.

John Carpenter’s Contribution to Speculative and Science Fiction Redux

John Carpenter’s Contribution to Speculative and Science Fiction Redux*

John Carpenter is my favorite director.

I think that’s pretty obvious if you’re familiar with my blog, Life After Gateway. My post “The Greatest Trifectas in Film History” made it clear that I believe him to be a visionary director whose massive appeal in the SF genre is on par with Cameron, Spielberg, and Abrams.

New Star Trek Film Coming from Paramount in 2023

New Star Trek Film (Finally) Coming from Paramount in 2023

Yesterday, Paramount Pictures announced a shuffling of their tentpole films on their upcoming slate.  Some of the movies include Top Gun 2, Mission Impossible 7, and Dungeons & Dragons.  Embedded in the announcement was a mention of an “Untitled Star Trek” film, to be released on June 9, 2023 and produced by JJ Abrams.