the counter stands at: $26,358.95 USD(Updated at least every 8 hours, more often if i happen to be here.)
IT ENDS JULY 16TH.
I thank you, my cats thank you, and this random kitten thanks you too!
I love this community very much, but not like this, because that would be weird:
More like this, because you’re the best imaginary friends a writer could have. (What? I have never seen most of you in real life!)
Yes, okay sure, we all know when I’m relying heavily on GIFS I am not quite sane. Blame the last two years, but be sure the itty bitty kitty committee thanks you:
Meanwhile, back at the Hoyt ranch (You only think I’m joking. I need to go weed the onion patch, proving on retourne toujours… to our earliest tasks (that was my first chore for the household at… 4? 5?)
Why I am doing this!
Depends on what you mean by this. If you mean the kitten infliction on innocent bystanders, I’d claim my being slightly dopey at 11 days of fundraiser which — as the people who hang out here for years know — goes thoroughly against my instincts and nature. I come from a time and place where you a) don’t talk about money, because that’s rude. b) don’t ask to be paid for your work, because if you have to ask, it means you’re not worth it.
Why, yes, indeed! That has served me amazingly in my writing career. (What? Did the snort/giggle give away the sarcasm?)
The truth is that more and more a lot of writing is moving to systems of patronage. I’m not going to do that for my fiction (if I do it will be a whole series and I’ll use kickstarter or indie go like a normal human being.) But the blog and the fiction fandom are barely connected (maybe 10%) and I don’t want to give up the blog.
Also, having studied business models, I came to the conclusion I’d be stuck where I am and falling further behind every year unless I delegated some work. So far volunteer helpers aren’t working super-well. (I’ll be honest, people don’t work well for free.) So, I’ll have to pay. Which hopefully (if my business doesn’t collapse completely in what’s ahead) will also help me get some of my very talented and competent crowd through. (Hopefully. Whether the business collapses depends on how much every day life keeps going on around the crisis ahead. I’m betting on “normal life goes on around the fringes because that’s what tends to happen. Seriously. And as Jerry day life often reminded me, properly done writing is a counter-average economy profession. We do best when things are down.)
If the blog funds, or close enough, I intend to use the funds to put out blog collection of essays (under S. A. Hoyt, so as not to clutter my fiction page. If I were doing this now, I would have a different name.) I also intend to get more help with editing, to get someone to keep me on track, so I don’t forget things like anthology invites, and don’t flow past deadlines with abandon. Also of urgent need is what my younger son calls a sys admin (Not that he’s volunteering to do it. He has his own plans and course of life.) to redo and maintain my writer website, this site, honestly probably Mad Genius Club, and maybe even start up a reborn Azounding, to promote indie writers to the right of Lenin (I already have an admin for that, if I can pay him.) There are also plans for anthologies via inkstain, but that’s a different company. This too, btw, would help some people get through what’s ahead. (Yeah, I’m sappy for a libertarian, ain’t I? I’d like to make it through this, but I want my friends to make it too.)
I might or might not be in this picture.
Ahem, anyway:
THE INCENTIVES AND TIERS:
Tier 1– $10 or more – A shout out on my blog, all with all other the supporters, by name, in one massive “Thank you” post. [Jokey or offensive names will not be included at author’s discretion.]
Tier 2– $25 or more – Email jpg of certificate with funny fish saying “I Was Carped at according to hoyt.com” and a Certificate of being a member of Hoyt’s Huns, cultural wars sapper battalion, in good standing.
Tier 3– $60 or more – Exclusive ebook collection of USAian stories. (Including a new, original, never published story.) Estimated delivery August 2023
Tier 4– $100 or more – Your name will appear in a mass death/other mass event/list in one of Sarah’s books. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.]
Tier 5– $150 or more – A sound file of Sarah saying “Moose and Squirrel.”
Tier 6 – $250 or more – Will send a signed copy of trade paperback Gentleman takes a chance and one large postcard with book covers, also signed. (USPS- continental US only. All others, let’s talk.) [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Tier 7 – $350 or more – Three signed books (of our choice), plus two extra items from “Sarah’s Garage”, (also of our choice) which might very well be a small rubber fish. (You’ve been warned.) USPS only. Continental U.S. only [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Tier 8 – $500 or more – Personalized tuckerization. You will become your very own zany character, with at least a line or two of dialogue, and physical description. Physical safety and life of character not guaranteed. If you perish, it will NOT (repeat not) be in a mass death event or a list of other kinds. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.] [Jokey or offensive names, descriptions and personalities will not be included at author’s discretion.]
Tier 9 – $1000 or more – A CHOICE OF:
Option 1 -Will read the first 10 pages and outline of your novel and provide timely critique, with the understanding that I am not infallible. (A skype, zoom or other video call to discuss the work for an hour or so.) [estimated delivery Winter 2022 – Spring 2023]
Option 2 – Large box of ten signed books, plus items ranging from a con badge, to a mini dinosaur skeleton or a print of Sarah’s original art, or other items from Sarah’s garage. USPS only. Continental U.S. only [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Option 3 – Signed copy of Sarah’s old copyedited or page-proof manuscripts. [estimated delivery Fall 2022] (5 limit.)
Tier 10– $5000 or more – You will become a major character on one of my books, and I’ll try to reflect your appearance, and chosen personality. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.] [Jokey or offensive names, descriptions and personalities will not be included at author’s discretion. You don’t get to have someone else be an offensive character. (Sorry!) Your actions will be altered to serve the plot if needed.] – Limit 5. (You’ll be informed if this has been claimed, and given a chance for a refund or of a comparable reward.)
Tier Insane – $25000 or more – My husband and I will travel to a city in the continental US and have dinner with you and your plus one. (Continental US only.) – Limit ONE. [Delivery up to July 2023.] (You’ll be informed if this has been claimed, and given a chance for a refund or of a comparable reward.)
ALL TIERS INCLUDE ALL PREVIOUS TIERS EXCEPT FOR THOSE THAT ARE NUMBER LIMITED.
If you want to be thanked/mentioned by a name different from your regular one, please email to: bookpimping at outlook dot com.
Everyone knows that the Dutch Farmers are in revolt, but we might miss how far in revolt they are: Protesting Dutch Farmers Refuse to Back Down Despite Police Crackdown. And the entire world knows about Sri Lanka. But here and there other things come through, that indicate trouble in other places: Albania, Italy, Germany. Everywhere the Farmers are revolting against the revolting Green Agenda that would exterminate mankind and keep the few survivors alive to be play things of the elites, living in sewers and eating bugs to gratify the self-styled “best people.” And they dropped the masks and are talking about their agendas in public, as though they weren’t completely crazy-cakes and repulsive to any not-completely-perverted human being.
And it’s really repulsive and insane. Lately UN put up an article explaining how world hunger was a good thing because if provided ready serfs. No one could make sense of it, and people maintain it’s satire, but is it the job of the UN to publish satire, particularly when it’s satire about a real situation we’re facing: World hunger. Not the localized world hunger created by kleptocratic (largely socialist) governments, but real world hunger, born of the idiot international kleptocrats f*ck f*ck plots and machinations.
Then there was that idiotocrat of the Junta, who talked about how of course the gas prices must go through the roof to “preserve the international liberal order.”
Not to mention all the idiots at various conferences talking and publishing openly about the Great Reset and how in fifteen years, you’ll own nothing and you’ll love it, as if they could remake the essence of humans, like that with their stupid foot stomping and commands. And as if their completely insane plan for production or trade worked, like their dreams. As if humans — contrary to millennia of history and evolution — would continue to work, to sacrifice, to create for nothing.
Seriously, it’s almost like these crazy people never met a human being, and I understand all too well why ERS wrote his blog about lizard people. Because it seems impossible that humans could misunderstand humans that badly.
But, alas, humans are, in fact, capable of believing the most absurd things, as cults and conspiracies through history have proven. And when it comes to cults, there is none loonier than the one embraced by the Marxist would-be elites.
I never believed in conspiracies, because I didn’t think conspiracies could stay quiet about their intent and all would be discovered.
I wasn’t exactly wrong. What we had here, for the longest time was not a conspiracy, but a prospiracy, or if you prefer ideological cultists that took over the system of education and information of free societies, because Marxism gave intellectuals who really knew nothing the idea they knew everything. Because, again, so long as you stay inside the theory, “everything can be explained.” It just has no contact with reality.
But over-educated idiots who want to feel smart hold onto the cult, because without it they would have to face their irrelevancy. And actually smart people caught up in know that rewards come from speaking the right words and pretending to believe the cult, and keep quiet out of self interest.
Like that, the juggernaut moved forward until it took over all our institutions, and every place that hired university graduates, particularly in the social sciences. Yes, that does mean government bureaucracy.
It was unstoppable. It was ever moving. It couldn’t be stopped.
Until reality intruded. The reality is that the cult precepts — which I want to point out include an extreme hatred of humanity as is, and of western civilization that feeds the world — don’t work. Can’t work. Where they meet reality, they fail.
Real, normal human beings — no, not even the ones brainwashed by colleges. Those just think they’ll be on top and exempt — don’t want to die for the cult’s Gaia worship and hate of humanity. Real, normal human beings, don’t want to be kept as pets: a cross between college students and medieval villagers. Real, normal human beings have had about enough, and not just now.
I’d like to remind you the Tea Parties started as soon as we could realize we were not alone. Yes, they were “defeated” in a way, but in another way that genie can’t be put back in the bottle. At that point people who had participated, and who knew most of the stuff reported about the tea parties was nonsense (including the left’s only explanation for anyone opposing them, which of course is that it’s white males, afraid of losing power, only …. it’s not white. Or males. And we know that. And white males, except for a very few of kleptocrat families like the Bidens and the Clintons and the Pelosis/Newsome Clan, haven’t had any power for a very long time. Certainly no power inheres to being white and male.)
So people didn’t forget. They didn’t forget they were not alone. And that’s enough. That, in my opinion, is what led to the election of Trump, and the election in 2020 when everything they threw at us failed and they had to cheat at the last minute, in front of G-d and everyone, including definitely us.
In a way without the Tea Parties there would be no Trump. And without the extremes they went to to control the election failing, they wouldn’t be in a panic.
And being in a panic, they conspired to steal the election and did it obviously and blatantly. And when their stomping down on any rumors of its being stolen didn’t work, their productions of show trials didn’t enthrall us, they went unhinged.
It is a conspiracy now, and as I said, conspirators can’t help but talking about it. And they do. Oh they do.
It’s all twenty four seven, stomp stomp “We know better, let us rule.” While they are in fact making it worse, much worse for everyone.
If they could, we’d still be locked up and wearing masks — did I or did I not tell you at the time that when governments lock their people up it’s because they’re afraid of the people?
They’re terrified. We didn’t go along with their plan of lockdowns forever. We didn’t go along with mandatory jabs, and vaccine passports, and aps that track our every movement, and we didn’t believe the gas was Putin’s fault or the gas stations (!) fault.
They are using mechanisms that worked before — such as when the media convinced everyone that a communist killing JFK was a right wing conspiracy — but it’s not working.
It’s not working, I think, all over the world.
In the US we haven’t gone critical, yet — I THINK — because I think we’d have heard of it. There are too many phone cameras, too many blogs, too many people who talk to other people. But note the “I think” because there’s still the possibility for sweeping minor incidents under the rug, and sometimes I do wonder.
If we haven’t gone critical, it is because we have more “give”. Not just more give in terms of more wealth — we do have that. Michael Yon says we too will be taken by the pan famine, but honestly, I doubt it. Parts of the country, sure, like the big cities. Even there, I wouldn’t be surprised to see serious fight back. If even the Europeans who are older (I mean that, on average age), and not nearly as well armed as us are fighting back before the famine comes to them, I suspect we will too.
Besides the wealth, we have a vast country and the ability to move around in it. In the last year more of my friends have taken flight from blue to red states than I care to mention. Sometimes it seems all of us have moved. It’s not quite that, but it’s close. Telework unleashed us, sure, but there’s more than that.
That took some of the pressure off. Some of the most motivated people, in the areas already feeling the pressure, have moved to places not critical and closer to food supplies. So I don’t think there’s outbreaks of fighting, yet.
I don’t know how wide the fighting is in Europe. I plain can’t tell, just like I can’t tell how scarce things are getting in the markets. I can’t tell, because the rest of the world (with the exception of the anglosphere, and even there not as much) never took to blogging like we did. They just didn’t. And their news are way, way, way more biased than ours and more under government control.
I think if we’re seeing leaks of revolts, it is why more widespread, kind of like the people who comment on a blog are maybe 1/100th of those who read.
This thing is in motion, because humanity won’t surrender without a fight. We’re not going to go down for the long sleep to please crazy people who want to believe they’re intelligent.
Where hunger meets human true change happens. There is a great reset coming, just not what they wanted.
Everything they do, to try to stop the “top down, center out, would be global order from falling, just makes it fall harder and more painfully.
I do believe the next three to four years will be… difficult. I don’t believe like Michael Yon that famine or foreign invasion will take down the US. I believe the Junta will try, yes, I just don’t think it will succeed. Because they don’t have much sense of reality.
Until then… I’m wondering if I should buy a generator. And perhaps propane heaters that work inside without poisoning us. We can survive (if not like) hot summers, but not freezing winters. I’ve hesitated to make that kind of expense, but I believe it’s getting serious. And perhaps all of us need to take stock of our freedom seeds and invest in them (It’s not like stocks are going to do better, guys.)
But we are a clever ape. And the US is exceptionally good at adapting, improvising, overcoming. I thin we will find ways over around and through.
And the bad cultures in our midst, brought over by the Junta, are going to find out really quick that it’s bad to get in the middle of a family quarrel.
What emerges on the other end, I don’t know. But I’m going to fight really hard to re-create a republic that helps us retain our natural rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The fire has already started. It’s just not come to our shores yet.
It’s time to spit our our hands and grab hold of the rope. The boat is about to hit choppy waters.
Be not afraid.
It is our duty, our glory and our very great honor to preserve/revive the republic for generations still unborn.
What greater destiny could fate have dished out to us?
Over 25k. Thank you to all you donated! You guys are the best fans ever.
THE GOAL IS $50,000
the counter stands at: 25,312.08 USD*(Updated at least every 8 hours, more often if i happen to be here.)
IT ENDS JULY 16TH.
OVER 25k. I thank you, my cats thank you, the internet hamsters thank you. Oh, wait, no they don’t. They’re doing some kind of weird dance.
We’re not responsible for the internet hamsters. Even the internet hamsters aren’t responsible for the internet hamsters.
WHY I’M DOING THIS
For years, I’ve resisted the push from husband, sons and friends to do annual fundraisers for the blog (or rattle the cup more often.)
I started the blog to promote my fiction writing, and at that it’s been a failure. But in the meanwhile it had become its own thing and its own community. And even if I say in the book promo that it takes me two hours a day, most days, just trying to figure out what I’m writing about takes that. Most days I’m not even ready to write fiction till the afternoon.
So, yeah, of course I (probably) deserve to be paid for that time. But more importantly, that time puts me in a constant time crunch, so that I’m running behind on everything all the time.
Sure, I can’t offload writing the blog or the fiction to anyone else, but having someone to edit, put up websites (and update them) and keep me on track would really help making my job MOSTLY writing.
And last November, when I got my butt in a financial trap over moving expenses and selling the other house, my family said if I could only ask for your help if I promised to do an annual fundraiser in the future.
So I’m doing an annual fundraiser!
Even if the internet hamsters are uninterested.
It seems to be working too, so thank you to everyone who donated and everyone in general for putting up with the cup-rattling.
To compensate, I’m releasing a picture I created under creative commons license, every day.
THE INCENTIVES AND TIERS:
Tier 1– $10 or more – A shout out on my blog, all with all other the supporters, by name, in one massive “Thank you” post. [Jokey or offensive names will not be included at author’s discretion.]
Tier 2– $25 or more – Email jpg of certificate with funny fish saying “I Was Carped at according to hoyt.com” and a Certificate of being a member of Hoyt’s Huns, cultural wars sapper battalion, in good standing.
Tier 3– $60 or more – Exclusive ebook collection of USAian stories. (Including a new, original, never published story.) Estimated delivery August 2023
Tier 4– $100 or more – Your name will appear in a mass death/other mass event/list in one of Sarah’s books. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.]
Tier 5– $150 or more – A sound file of Sarah saying “Moose and Squirrel.”
Tier 6 – $250 or more – Will send a signed copy of trade paperback Gentleman takes a chance and one large postcard with book covers, also signed. (USPS- continental US only. All others, let’s talk.) [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Tier 7 – $350 or more – Three signed books (of our choice), plus two extra items from “Sarah’s Garage”, (also of our choice) which might very well be a small rubber fish. (You’ve been warned.) USPS only. Continental U.S. only [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Tier 8 – $500 or more – Personalized tuckerization. You will become your very own zany character, with at least a line or two of dialogue, and physical description. Physical safety and life of character not guaranteed. If you perish, it will NOT (repeat not) be in a mass death event or a list of other kinds. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.] [Jokey or offensive names, descriptions and personalities will not be included at author’s discretion.]
Tier 9 – $1000 or more – A CHOICE OF:
Option 1 -Will read the first 10 pages and outline of your novel and provide timely critique, with the understanding that I am not infallible. (A skype, zoom or other video call to discuss the work for an hour or so.) [estimated delivery Winter 2022 – Spring 2023]
Option 2 – Large box of ten signed books, plus items ranging from a con badge, to a mini dinosaur skeleton or a print of Sarah’s original art, or other items from Sarah’s garage. USPS only. Continental U.S. only [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Option 3 – Signed copy of Sarah’s old copyedited or page-proof manuscripts. [estimated delivery Fall 2022] (5 limit.)
Tier 10– $5000 or more – You will become a major character on one of my books, and I’ll try to reflect your appearance, and chosen personality. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.] [Jokey or offensive names, descriptions and personalities will not be included at author’s discretion. You don’t get to have someone else be an offensive character. (Sorry!) Your actions will be altered to serve the plot if needed.] – Limit 5. (You’ll be informed if this has been claimed, and given a chance for a refund or of a comparable reward.)
Tier Insane – $25000 or more – My husband and I will travel to a city in the continental US and have dinner with you and your plus one. (Continental US only.) – Limit ONE. [Delivery up to July 2023.] (You’ll be informed if this has been claimed, and given a chance for a refund or of a comparable reward.)
ALL TIERS INCLUDE ALL PREVIOUS TIERS EXCEPT FOR THOSE THAT ARE NUMBER LIMITED.
If you want to be thanked/mentioned by a name different from your regular one, please email to: bookpimping at outlook dot com.
If you wish to send us books for next week’s promo,please email to bookpimping at outlook dot com. If you feel a need to re-promo the same book do so no more than once every six months(unless you’re me or my relative. Deal.) One book per author per week. Amazon links only. Oh, yeah, by clicking through and buying (anything, actually) through one of the links below, you will at no cost to you be giving a portion of your purchase to support ATH through our associates number. A COMMISSION IS EARNED FROM EACH PURCHASE. That helps defray my time cost of about 2 hours a day on the blog, time probably better spent on fiction.
*Note that I haven’t read most of these books (my reading is eclectic and “craving” led, and apply the usual cautions to buying.– SAH*
A Novella in the Fall of the Alliance Series, a sequel to Murder in the Rigel Brigade
Vadik Krupin barely survived the brutal shooting that killed his lover’s father. As Regina and her sister find themselves at the mercy of the Estate manager, Vadik and his cousin realize that if they’re going to save–and marry–the sisters, they’re going to have to come up with a whole lot of money, quite quickly.
No Romeo and Juliet nonsense, here. This is going to put Cinderella to shame, as the Wheeler Dealer gets going!
When ex-Afghanistan vet Keith Gainey bounces a guy from a Philly nightclub, he thinks he has the situation under control–until violent mobster Shawn Toomey joins the fight and kicks the patron to death. Now there’s a body in the alley, and someone’s going to prison. When the cops arrest and charge Keith with murder, he has one last desperate chance to earn his freedom: Confront the savage gangster who is trying to frame him, or end up in a cold jail cell for decades to come. Enjoy the roller coaster ride of this short, fast-paced novella by best-selling thriller writer James Dain, “Best Novel” winner at the Los Angeles Neo-Noir Festival. “Just wow! James Dain writes stories you can’t put down!” (Charles Anceney, author of The Boy in the Boat)
How far does a man go to put war behind him? Colter Gaines went all the way to the wilds of the frontier, hoping to set up a peaceful life on a ranch with his wife and young daughter. For a few years, he had just that, even if his marriage was collapsing and his ranch teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Yet compared to what he had known in the army, eking out a living with his daughter was a godsend. But when he finds the body of a Blackfoot teen on his land, a chain of events is set off that ends in horrible tragedy.
iktaPOP Media brings you three tough as nails noir tales from master crime author Ed Lacy!
Dead End
Two big-city cops.
Bucky was young, strong and ambitious.
Doc was older, smart, knowing all the ropes.
They were partners — on special assignments and all the graft, including the favors of a red-hot blonde. And then came the big case, a kidnapping, and they wound up in a shabby, smelly hideout, with a million dollars in cash, and no place to spend it!
Blonde Bait
Mickey Whalen lived on his boat and bummed around the Caribbean, until he found a woman alone, on a sandbar, with a suitcase full of money. He fell for her, hard, even as he was trying to figure out who, or what, the hell she was running from!
Room To Swing
Black private eye Toussaint Moore knew a murder frame-up when he saw one, especially when it was hung neatly around his neck. Instead of dawdling around New York waiting for the NYPD to arrest him for a murder he didn’t commit, he followed the one lead he had: the victim’s hometown in Ohio. Only a stone’s throw north of Jim Crow Kentucky. If he can’t find who wanted that white man dead, and quick, all he’s going to have left is room to swing!
This iktaPOP Media edition includes introductions giving historical and genre context to the novels.
Karl Dahlke, author of “A Gift From the Stars”, tells stories that join imagination with science to visit strange worlds and contemplate possible futures. Funny, weird, wise, and thoroughly entertaining!
FROM CHRISTOPHER WOERNER: 202207 Fulcrum
Polished and collected, this is what I’ve been putting out for the last month. Current events, observations, thought on the world falling apart, just hoping I could get this done before it finally happens. We need to turn this around now or it’ll get much worse.
Vignettes by Luke, Mary Catelli and ‘Nother Mike.
So what’s a vignette? You might know them as flash fiction, or even just sketches. We will provide a prompt each Sunday that you can use directly (including it in your work) or just as an inspiration. You, in turn, will write about 50 words (yes, we are going for short shorts! Not even a Drabble 100 words, just half that!). Then post it! For an additional challenge, you can aim to make it exactly 50 words, if you like.
We recommend that if you have an original vignette, you post that as a new reply. If you are commenting on someone’s vignette, then post that as a reply to the vignette. Comments — this is writing practice, so comments should be aimed at helping someone be a better writer, not at crushing them. And since these are likely to be drafts, don’t jump up and down too hard on typos and grammar.
Mostly in terms of getting out of bed and functional. I’ve been up for five hours, but most of it was wandering in a fog and walking into walls, in my pajamas and bunny slippers. I will momentarily go and make sure I didn’t feed the cats the strawberries I’d set aside for muffins, but first:
THE GOAL IS $50,000
the counter stands at: 24,640.62 USD*(Updated at least every 8 hours, more often if i happen to be here.)
IT ENDS JULY 16TH.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO DONATED!
Note that I expect once check donations are counted I’m probably right around 26k and change (don’t know yet, as I haven’t checked the mailbox. There will probably be an adjustment next week) which means right on target for the target. I’m somewhat interested/baffled about how different this is than a “rescue fundraiser.” The psychology and mechanisms should be studied, but not by me. If one of you is pursuing some strange degree, a study would be fascinating.
Why I’m Doing This
In the last year, when (because of moving/selling the other house expenses, largely) I found myself in serious money straits, it became clear that my refusal to ask for money for the work I do on this blog didn’t just affect me but my entire family.
Having started this blog to publicize my fiction writing, I found it becoming sociopolitical, and philosophical, largely because I really can’t write every day about things that don’t interest me that much. I can write endlessly about writing/reading fiction, but then the blog becomes largely from writers for writers, which is a small niche. It’s also a little weird to expect most of my fans to be other writers. So, it drifted to things non-writing that interest me. And is therefore lousy at publicizing my writing. (It also got me in bad odor with most of the science fiction publishing establishment because of what my politics are. Eh.)
What it has become over the years is its own thing, and its own community. Between writing and tending the community, this more or less eats my morning every day.
In the time I have left, I must write fiction (I’m so late on everything), publish both me and the family (I’m SO LATE ON EVERYTHING), publicize (ah!) and maintain website and newsletter. Which means even if I’m working at full tilt, I’m always late. And that’s without counting everyday and family duties, like cooking and laundry. (Yeah, we could divide them, but it’s faster for me to do, and besides he handles the accounting, which takes just as long. I can’t do it because digit transposing just happens.) To do something is to be delinquent on all the other things.
I’ve lived like this for years, unable to afford help/an assistant. And always on the edge of falling off financial solvency.
The crisis last November brought me to realize that while fundraising makes me deeply uncomfortable, I don’t have the right to avoid it at the expense of making my family go through nerve-wracking times and at the expense of making the family live with a writer-zombie in their midst.
So, there is a fundraiser.
It seems to be working too, so thank you to everyone who donated and everyone in general for putting up with the cup-rattling.
To compensate, I’m releasing a picture I created under creative commons license, every day.
THE INCENTIVES AND TIERS:
Tier 1– $10 or more – A shout out on my blog, all with all other the supporters, by name, in one massive “Thank you” post. [Jokey or offensive names will not be included at author’s discretion.]
Tier 2– $25 or more – Email jpg of certificate with funny fish saying “I Was Carped at according to hoyt.com” and a Certificate of being a member of Hoyt’s Huns, cultural wars sapper battalion, in good standing.
Tier 3– $60 or more – Exclusive ebook collection of USAian stories. (Including a new, original, never published story.) Estimated delivery August 2023
Tier 4– $100 or more – Your name will appear in a mass death/other mass event/list in one of Sarah’s books. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.]
Tier 5– $150 or more – A sound file of Sarah saying “Moose and Squirrel.”
Tier 6 – $250 or more – Will send a signed copy of trade paperback Gentleman takes a chance and one large postcard with book covers, also signed. (USPS- continental US only. All others, let’s talk.) [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Tier 7 – $350 or more – Three signed books (of our choice), plus two extra items from “Sarah’s Garage”, (also of our choice) which might very well be a small rubber fish. (You’ve been warned.) USPS only. Continental U.S. only [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Tier 8 – $500 or more – Personalized tuckerization. You will become your very own zany character, with at least a line or two of dialogue, and physical description. Physical safety and life of character not guaranteed. If you perish, it will NOT (repeat not) be in a mass death event or a list of other kinds. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.] [Jokey or offensive names, descriptions and personalities will not be included at author’s discretion.]
Tier 9 – $1000 or more – A CHOICE OF:
Option 1 -Will read the first 10 pages and outline of your novel and provide timely critique, with the understanding that I am not infallible. (A skype, zoom or other video call to discuss the work for an hour or so.) [estimated delivery Winter 2022 – Spring 2023]
Option 2 – Large box of ten signed books, plus items ranging from a con badge, to a mini dinosaur skeleton or a print of Sarah’s original art, or other items from Sarah’s garage. USPS only. Continental U.S. only [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Option 3 – Signed copy of Sarah’s old copyedited or page-proof manuscripts. [estimated delivery Fall 2022] (5 limit.)
Tier 10– $5000 or more – You will become a major character on one of my books, and I’ll try to reflect your appearance, and chosen personality. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.] [Jokey or offensive names, descriptions and personalities will not be included at author’s discretion. You don’t get to have someone else be an offensive character. (Sorry!) Your actions will be altered to serve the plot if needed.] – Limit 5. (You’ll be informed if this has been claimed, and given a chance for a refund or of a comparable reward.)
Tier Insane – $25000 or more – My husband and I will travel to a city in the continental US and have dinner with you and your plus one. (Continental US only.) – Limit ONE. [Delivery up to July 2023.] (You’ll be informed if this has been claimed, and given a chance for a refund or of a comparable reward.)
ALL TIERS INCLUDE ALL PREVIOUS TIERS EXCEPT FOR THOSE THAT ARE NUMBER LIMITED.
If you want to be thanked/mentioned by a name different from your regular one, please email to: bookpimping at outlook dot com.
THIS IS PINNED TO THE TOP OF THE BLOG. THE DAILY POST WILL APPEAR BELOW THIS.
I call this one “Assassins” but I’m not sure why. I don’t have a narrative to go with it, sorry This Picture was created by Sarah A. Hoyt and is released under CC BY
Marxism is a great theory. It is self contained, and within itself it explains everything. This is why it is of great appeal to intellectuals and people who work in the world of ideas and words.
As long as you stay within it, it explains everything. And it gives people who subscribe to it the impression of being incredibly intelligent, because they an explain everything and understand everything, even in places/fields they’re not very knowledgeable about.
Sure, there have been some things so big and visible that they traumatically broke the theory. The first one appears to have been the first world war, which showed that workers could actually be patriotic, and not unite in the “world.” Also that they weren’t particularly enthralled with the idea of communism and killing everyone who had more than them.
Then it became “They need the leadership of the intellectuals to create a workers’ paradise.”
But somehow the workers’ paradise kept not happening, and enough “bad stuff” leaked out, so it was decided it was actually the third world and “oppressed ethnic minorities” who were natural communists. And they would win in the end. This was Gramsci big brilliant idea.
And then everything was explained again, and made sense, provided of course you stayed inside the theory and never had any contact with the real world.
They’re still largely running on this, and it’s an amazing sight to behold, because they seem unaware that it has no contact whatsoever with reality, and that most people outside those operating only on the theory look at the things they write, and listen to the things they say with mingled horror, confusion and amusement, because they’re so bizarre.
This explains bizarre horrifying theories, like the idea that everything needed to succeed in modern life, like literacy or punctuality are “White Supremacy.” The thought goes something like this: Capitalism is a disease of white people, everyone else being naturally socialist/communitarian. If things are required to survive in industrial society, they are “white supremacy, imposed on people of color.” “Obviously.”
It also explains why Marxists keep reporting with glee that white people will soon be extinct and that the “Global Majority” is on their side.
All of this works — for them — because Marxists are the most insular people in the world. While they may have international acquaintances, the international acquaintances they have are exactly like them.
Regardless of color/features, these are people mostly educated in Western Universities, usually good and expensive ones. (These have long since become loci for the transmission of Marxism. At least 70 years, and probably 100. In fact, Marxism really only works in the minds of isolated academics and their disciples, who are unclear on the idea of money/origin of food.)
So they have absolutely no idea that people of other colors are not really any more altruistic/socialist than anyone else; or that what appears to them as communal tendencies is actually just tribalism/family loyalty, which is actually a form of selfishness/self survival at the extreme hardship mode.
Then, over and over, they are surprised when they meet people who can tan (Mediterranean people Uber Allas!) and who actually refuse to sing in the socialist/communist choir, or be “super smart” by believing (or at least paying lip service to) their theorythatexplainseverything.
Hence the New York Times recent panic over “Extreme Right Wing Latinas” and how scary we supposedly are. (Boo!) This while being, by the way, not extremely clear on what “extreme” “right wing” or “Latina” are, but hey, it’s the old dingy lady. What do you expect?
And the fact that I’m anticipating with much glee the fact Great Britain might get a female-of-color prime minister who is more conservative than Boris (not that this is extremely difficult.)
This of course won’t make the left reassess their theory. They’ll just explain minorities not joining in their gleeful destruction of Western civilization in the name of future paradise, by saying whatever the minority is is “self hating” or “internally colonized” or suffers from “internalized misogyny.”
In other words, they theory is perfect and any deviation from it means that the person isn’t actually what they obviously are. Which is how I became a White Mormon Male. (They never mentioned the great rack, but you know, guys, these 38-DDDD front mounted radar emplacements are such weird accouterments for a White Mormon Male, that they must be mentioned.)
I am proud to say I share the strange distinction of having my ethnicity not be what it obviously is with Clarence Thomas and Thomas Sowell, both of whom are people of extreme intellectual power and vast knowledge. I also share it with every black person in the US who didn’t vote for Joe Biden. And I share my ex-post-facto sex change by declaration from my enemies with every woman who voted for Trump (even once) and every woman who doesn’t think slogans like “say vagina” or “say abortion” make any sense whatsoever. And/or doesn’t think she needs help from the government to live her best life.
Of course, in my case, this happened over Sad Puppies. And much as I hate to bring that up because for us, it’s long been done and over with (no matter how much the left thinks we still gather in our secret enclaves to discuss how to torment them next.) We proved the Hugos, and by extension World Con were vehicles of political approval/log rolling, having nothing to do with the quality of the story. Our work there was done.
No, it wasn’t what we intended to do. Not at first. At first, at least Brad (who is the idealist) and I wanted to make the Hugos back into what they were: a way to reward outstanding science fiction people wanted to read. An award by the fans, to indicate to the fans what was cool/exciting/worth reading that year.
This seemed important to us, because at the time most publication was still traditional. And there is so much in traditional publishing that is influenced by what the publishing house does with your work, from cover to distro, to even the timing of the books. The houses themselves — obviously, if you look at their lists — don’t really know what readers want to read. Sometimes their guesses hit big, but most of the time they don’t. And books that could hit big are given the mid-list (or low list) treatment that is basically sabotage by any other name (in their defense, I don’t think publishing houses see it that way. I think they’re culling/triaging to put the resources in what they think is more likely to succeed, with the caveat that they really have no clue what will succeed.) We — or at least I — viewed reviving the Hugos, with the “pay to vote” (but not necessarily able to attend) as a mark of “This vote matters to me” as a way that houses could use to figure out what people who were really into science fiction truly liked, even if it might be something that didn’t get an amazing number of sales (just enough to have a fervid fandom) and therefore figure out where to put their promotion money more accurately.
We were naive, because our interest was at least 90% altruistic. There might have been hope for Brad, maybe, whose career was relatively new. But by then I was mostly locked into mid-list and “won’t go above it” by all the houses, and that wasn’t going to change. (Note I was not nominated and didn’t really push to be) and Larry Correia is already a mega bestseller who clearly has found his audience and market. So our idea was to detoxify the field for those who came after us. Make Science Fiction Great Again, you might say. (We were ahead of our time.) A genre that attracted more readers, and published what the public wanted.
We didn’t realize — and in my case this was painfully stupid, as I came close to getting a doctorate, and I know the internal processes of academia — we were directly attacking people’s livelihoods, not just their internalized theory. (I wonder how many of them actually believe the theory, and how many whore their opinion for money and prestige. Don’t answer that. In the end it doesn’t matter.)
Internalized theories can be defeated, if the bang is big enough. (See WWI.) Self interest and survival can’t. People will fight by any means necessary for those.
And what we were actually attacking was people’s ability to make a living.
Again, I should have known this and been aware of it, because in the year from hell — 2003 — I interviewed close to a dozen agents, all of whom I had a major disagreement with. This was back when I had only published (but not written. I’d written FAR MORE than that) the Shakespeare series. So in the eyes of the professionals I was a “Literary” and “Award worthy” author. Also, of interesting background and ethnicity, which increased that “award worthy” thing. So agent after agent laid out a plan for my success. I was to write a book every two years or so, and make it as intellectually challenging as possible. They would then promote me to awards, etc. And this would allow me to get a job teaching college.
Every time I said “No. I’ve taught college before. It’s not what I want to do for a living. Also I want to write four books a year and make them fun” they acted like I’d grown a second head. I was a smart and educated female. Of course I wanted to teach university. And they could get me there, easy peasy! All I needed was some awards!
Which is exactly the game being played with the awards, and why they’re vital in leftist circles.
Of course they couldn’t admit that, or the fact that most of them have readership in the high tens. (Though they might sell in the low hundreds, their books being display items.) So instead, they resorted to the depths of the narrative to explain it.
I’ve seen this used again and again, in all possible fields and events, to explain why things aren’t going the way of the left, or why people are fighting against what is obviously the coming socialist paradise, promised by the magical arrow of history. They came up with the most bizarre, astounding explanation: Sad Puppies was White Males, threatened by all the people of color and women writing science fiction. Our objective was to make them stop writing science fiction.
If your mouth just dropped open and you’re having trouble closing it…. I understand. Because of the close-in group three were females, and only Brad can be considered a white male. (Larry being Latin and the son of immigrants.) And he is married to a black female. (Which was viewed as proof of his white supremacy. Yeah.)
Of the close/close-in group of cour, I was both female and had the ability to tan.
But, you know, I wasn’t really. Because Larry and Brad are male, I must have internalized maleness. Because they are Mormon, and because a Mormon had dared defy their god-like-Barry Obama, I must also be Mormon. And because of course, white males are super privileged and have all the power, and because I wasn’t socialist, I must also be “really” male.
How the hell this makes any sense, I never understood. Particularly the part where we were trying to stop women and minorities from getting awards and/or writing science fiction. I mean, even if we wanted to stop them writing science fiction, how were we to manage that? Pen names are pen names, and the color of the paper is the color of the paper (or these days the pixels.) On top of which one of us were editors. (I have edited one anthology for DAW and found I hated it.) None of us were publishers. And even if we’d managed to change the award to a free-for-all fan award, the fans care even less for the color of the writer (or their sex, or who they sleep with) than those of involved in this do (and we care not at all.) So, in the future, minorities and women could get Hugos for exceptionally loved fiction, just as they did back when the award meant something would sell well.
But you see, our being who we were, and what we were trying to do both threatened their livelihood AND their world view, in which they are forever fighting against an all powerful and white-supremacist patriarchy, and in which the only way to get ahead is by fightingshouldertoshoulder for socialism and affirmatively voting not merit (which is white supremacist, of course) but a writer’s skin color, sex, and what they like to do with their fiddly bits.
So, really, we who were fighting against the fiddlybit socialistocracy MUST be the enemy in disguise.
And so, therefore, quod erat demonstradum (Latin is also white supremacy. I denounce myself), we were all — including Kate Paulk and myself — White Mormon Males.
This came as a great surprise to Kate’s husband and mine as well, and we’re still dealing with the traumatic fall out of my now adult sons finding out that not only did they have two fathers, but also that I’d raised them in a religion that apparently wasn’t my own.
We are coping with it as best we can. Dan says at least he still has my great rack to console him.
The weird thing, and the power of left persuasion that they retain to some extent (though not close to what they need to also retain power) is how many people seem to believe this. About once or twice a month — not approved — I get someone yelling at me for converting to Mormonism. Even people theoretically on our side, don’t seem to get this never happened.
And I’ve seen this stuff happen again and again, and people becoming male, or white by fiat-of-the-Marxists, because otherwise their theory will fall apart.
And I keep wondering when the theory itself will fall, and what zany retcon they’ll come up with that is even stranger than Gramscian bullsh*t to explain how the future is totally theirs, and they are the oppressed underdog, even though they’ve controlled universities, large companies and a good chunk of bureaucratic government for at least seventy years. And how they will claim we’re the oppressors, even though they’ve held dissenters out of the power structure for decades.
Whatever it is will be highly entertaining.
Either that, or their heads will explode from the tension, and just think of how much cleaning that will entail in the halls of academia.
Here we are, halfway through the fundraiser, and thank heavens, because I couldn’t take much more of the stress.
You see, as DGM pointed out — clever boy! (Hey, is he a dinosaur? Someone check.) — I feel guilty writing for free, and guilty if I ask for money, so it’s a lose/lose proposition. But asking for money is new, and therefore slightly scarier.
However, I’ve survived eight days of it! And you guys have been remarkably patient. YAY. ;)
Thank you to everyone who donated! I always say I have the best fans in all the known universes, and you guys are proving it.
THE GOAL IS $50,000
the counter stands at: $22,797.11 USD*(Updated at least every 8 hours, more often if i happen to be here.)
IT ENDS JULY 16TH.
Whyfore, Oh, Sarah are you asking for money for the blog if it makes you uncomfortable?
Well, when we got into terrible straights during the move, it was brought home to me forcefully that my refusal to fund the blog also affected my family, who not only had to put up with strained finances, but with me being neurotic about that strain.
On top of that I was holding back my whole business, by not having the money needed to pay someone to do my website say, or keep me on track with shorts that are due, or take some of the auxiliary tasks off my back, so I can write.
All because I refused to do what most bloggers have done for decades, and rattle the cup, as one would.
I had severe doubts about doing it so close to asking for a legitimate and much needed rescue, but to be fair, July is the best time of the year for me to do this for various reasons, symbolic and real. (I didn’t count on the air conditioning being… sporadic, which means that even keeping up with updates is difficult, much less doing any work. Yes, we have scheduled to get fixed. It’s just part of moving and adaptions to new to us place.)
And anyway, it seems to be working. So…. very grateful to everyone who donated and everyone who puts up with the cup-rattling!
THE INCENTIVES AND TIERS:
Tier 1– $10 or more – A shout out on my blog, all with all other the supporters, by name, in one massive “Thank you” post. [Jokey or offensive names will not be included at author’s discretion.]
Tier 2– $25 or more – Email jpg of certificate with funny fish saying “I Was Carped at according to hoyt.com” and a Certificate of being a member of Hoyt’s Huns, cultural wars sapper battalion, in good standing.
Tier 3– $60 or more – Exclusive ebook collection of USAian stories. (Including a new, original, never published story.) Estimated delivery August 2023
Tier 4– $100 or more – Your name will appear in a mass death/other mass event/list in one of Sarah’s books. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.]
Tier 5– $150 or more – A sound file of Sarah saying “Moose and Squirrel.”
Tier 6 – $250 or more – Will send a signed copy of trade paperback Gentleman takes a chance and one large postcard with book covers, also signed. (USPS- continental US only. All others, let’s talk.) [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Tier 7 – $350 or more – Three signed books (of our choice), plus two extra items from “Sarah’s Garage”, (also of our choice) which might very well be a small rubber fish. (You’ve been warned.) USPS only. Continental U.S. only [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Tier 8 – $500 or more – Personalized tuckerization. You will become your very own zany character, with at least a line or two of dialogue, and physical description. Physical safety and life of character not guaranteed. If you perish, it will NOT (repeat not) be in a mass death event or a list of other kinds. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.] [Jokey or offensive names, descriptions and personalities will not be included at author’s discretion.]
Tier 9 – $1000 or more – A CHOICE OF:
Option 1 -Will read the first 10 pages and outline of your novel and provide timely critique, with the understanding that I am not infallible. (A skype, zoom or other video call to discuss the work for an hour or so.) [estimated delivery Winter 2022 – Spring 2023]
Option 2 – Large box of ten signed books, plus items ranging from a con badge, to a mini dinosaur skeleton or a print of Sarah’s original art, or other items from Sarah’s garage. USPS only. Continental U.S. only [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Option 3 – Signed copy of Sarah’s old copyedited or page-proof manuscripts. [estimated delivery Fall 2022] (5 limit.)
Tier 10– $5000 or more – You will become a major character on one of my books, and I’ll try to reflect your appearance, and chosen personality. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.] [Jokey or offensive names, descriptions and personalities will not be included at author’s discretion. You don’t get to have someone else be an offensive character. (Sorry!) Your actions will be altered to serve the plot if needed.] – Limit 5. (You’ll be informed if this has been claimed, and given a chance for a refund or of a comparable reward.)
Tier Insane – $25000 or more – My husband and I will travel to a city in the continental US and have dinner with you and your plus one. (Continental US only.) – Limit ONE. [Delivery up to July 2023.] (You’ll be informed if this has been claimed, and given a chance for a refund or of a comparable reward.)
ALL TIERS INCLUDE ALL PREVIOUS TIERS EXCEPT FOR THOSE THAT ARE NUMBER LIMITED.
If you want to be thanked/mentioned by a name different from your regular one, please email to: bookpimping at outlook dot com.
I know I’ve often sounded (perhaps unduly to those who haven’t thought about it much) alarmed at how much we live soaked in fiction and how our brains aren’t really designed for it. Particularly visual fiction, because our brains really are designed to believe what they see.
This is a particular problem when you realize that most of the fiction that is made into visible form (most of the written too) and that we see over the course of our lives, including when too young to question it, is made by one particular politico/ideological/philosophical side. What’s more, that side tends to — if anything — consume more fiction than the rest of us, being totally steeped in the narrative arts. (Yeah, okay, guilty as charged, and besides, I have kept a toe in reality by having kids, etc.) And they tend to have startlingly similar backgrounds and life experiences: same colleges, same type of degrees, usually unmarried and childless, though sometimes one of or the other, usually living in urban environments, usually from fairly affluent backgrounds/educated families, etc.
In a way, they are what the regency “ton” or the upper ten thousand was. They are, in fact, an isolated, tight knit village. This is how it’s so easy to blacklist or cancel someone. All it takes is a game of whisper from person to person, and suddenly you find yourself on the outs, which is very much how a village functions. It is also a way to enforce ideological conformity. If everyone you know thinks one thing, then of course, it must be so. Having grown up in a village, by the way, this could mean all your neighbors could be convinced that Spain was in raging civil war, when it was no such thing, because someone misinterpreted something, and it propagated. And then if you tried to pour water on it because you’d been to Spain recently, or knew people there, the first reaction would be to shut you out, because “you think you know more than we do.”
The problem with this is that they are serving up their internal delusion to the rest of the country and to an extent the world. (Witness European leaders reproaching us for our restrictive abortion laws which are in fact more permissive than any of theirs. They get their information from our media, and their idea of what anti-abortion people in the US are like from our media AND entertainment. And it never occurs to them this vision has absolutely no contact with reality.)
Mind you, this strategy was stunningly successful for a very long time. Because there was no way for you to communicate with like minded people — not en masse — if you weren’t part of the party with the megaphone, you were isolated, made to feel insane, and of course you believed at least some of what you were fed. So, your part of the country/city must be the only one without horrible racist right wingers; you must be the only liberty minded/non fundamentalist person; etc. etc. etc. And you knew that you didn’t see any of these things that showed up everywhere, and you wondered if you were the one who was crazy.
Now this is fracturing — thank heavens — and we’re finding that no, our lying eyes are actually right (when not looking at the screen) and that there’s an entire bill of goods there.
And then, suddenly, we find ourselves blinking at a trope we swallowed without thinking before.
This happened the other day, as I was sitting here, on the sofa (I’m here this morning, because son is installing a ceiling fan in my office, and I get tired of “the screw fell under your desk, please move”) and my husband was watching TV which is our normal set up in the evening, while I was writing. As usual, I was absorbing parts of the story without really thinking, and suddenly looked up to a scene of high school guys beating up on a new elementary school kid. There was no reason for it, though the incident was the setup for the plot.
I stared at it puzzled for a while before I said “But that doesn’t happen.”
Look, I grew up in as isolated a community as it comes, and yeah, sure, it was tough for newcomers. There were two families that were “newcomers” after living there for twenty years. But no one — no one — was going to beat you up for being a newcomer. They would ignore you, give you the cold shoulder, might give you barbs about going back where you came from or tell you to shut up about local affairs, but they wouldn’t BEAT you. Prank you and attempt to make fun of you is about the worst you’d get.
And it’s about the worst you get, unless the community has gone utterly feral and robs passerbyes, which has allegedly happened at various times in various places, but is hard to pin down, because most might be legends.
However, this is an absolutely believed, swear-by-it trope in movies and books, and you kind of have to wonder.
If you remember my main objection to If You Were A Dinosaur My Love (other than its being puerile) was that “strangers don’t act that way.” Heck, even if you go to “another color” or “small in group” bar in the middle of nowhere.
Dan and I were childless for six years after our marriage. Also by virtue of my growing up abroad and his growing up mostly in math, we were innocent babes in the wood type of people. And we did a lot of driving around, because I wanted to see the country. We had breakdowns in places where — in my dad’s parlance — even Judas wouldn’t lose his boots. We went into holes in the wall in the middle of nowhere, trying to get a meal. We ate at more biker bars, and stopped in more neighborhoods where Dan’s pallor was conspicuous than I care to mention.
The worst we met with was mockery or attempts to pick on us, which could be handled by more or less ignoring them, or pretending not to understand them. (To be fair, sometimes we really didn’t, just caught the tone.) But those were actually rare. Most of the time, we approached people courteously, explained our situation (mostly being lost) and asked for help, and more often than not we were met not only with help, but with people going out of their way to be nice to us. Meals were provided in dubious bars, long after the kitchen had nominally closed. We were told about potential road hazards on the way back, and ways to avoid them. Or told of places to stay the night where we’d “be all right.”
Now maybe we’re made of shiny and people naturally love us, but I don’t think so.
So what is being reflected in these stories and movies where people, for no reason, turn on the small and helpless?
When I made my protest Dan said “It’s because it’s what the left would do.”
And of course there is something to that. The left are widely convinced of being mind-readers, but actually they seem to be looking into the mirror when they “read” what’s in “our” minds.
But there must be something deeper, something that started the rumor, and made it into a meme in the community that makes movies and tv. And it occurred to me, probably, it was that a few of them went out into the “wilds” (which probably means suburbs) and were insufferably rude to the locals. In fact, I heard from a friend who lives kind of rural about a female academic coming to town, supposedly for a legitimate purpose but spending her time lecturing everyone everywhere about pronouns and never even noticing the locals were rolling their eyes so hard they had to meet in the evening to trade accidentally swapped eyeballs.
I can see the lore of “strangers will attack you for no good reason” growing from idiots who escalated from lecturing to starting fights. Or even I can see the lore growing from idiots who ran their mouths, were mocked or rebutted, and had no clue how to handle it, so they remember it as violence against them.
And of course, they would be mad and want to beat these “savages” which in projection became “they wanted to beat me. I barely escaped.”
It is part of insular cultures to assume that you are the top of the chain and doing things correctly, and therefore you should teach “savages” what to do.
It is also part of highly ritualized cultures to mistake the required utterances/etc for a fact of life and their violation as actual violence.
Our left is nothing new. They are simply an extremely insular elite who mistakes the customs of their tribe for laws of nature, and who have been lulled into a false sense of power and influence due to their — brief, in the long wrong, probably — monopoly over means of mass communication and entertainment.
Thing is, as that breaks apart and the fundamentals of their world view are shaken (and this has been going on for a while, but definitely visibly since 2016) they feel as if they personally are under attack.
Yes, of course, they want to hurt us. We are taking them apart with our bare hands. Or at least that’s what it feels like. And they can’t understand where these ideas none of their friends believe in are coming from. They must be crazy, evil, pernicious.
There is more projected there. Like, as they blindly try to protect their power and influence (not sure about what is shaking it, mind you) they reflexively accuse those attacking them of fighting to maintain patriarchal white supremacy, which in their deluded little heads is what goes on outside their circles. Even though white supremacy is small, fringe, and mostly FBI, and patriarchy in the US was always fairly laughable outside small, isolated enclaves. (This is a whole other post, probably entitled “How I became a white Mormon male with a great rack.)
Yeah, it’s going to get much, much worse. I waver almost daily on exactly how bad it will get, and what comes after, so I won’t inflict it on you.
It’s never pretty when a tiny elite with illusions of superiority falls. I mean, really, in France they washed the cities in blood before they were done.
And they are falling. They are falling because the ubiquity of the ability to communicate en masse without their permission can’t be put back in the bottle.
Their pretty house of mirrors was impregnable, but fragile. It can’t withstand any external input, and is cracking.
To them it feels like reality is coming apart, and they’ll try to break the world to keep the mirrors.
Our job is to make the fall of this bizarre house of assumptions and lies and fast and painless as possible. And to build on reality to replace it.
Be not afraid. We win, they lose. But be not stupid. It’s going to get scary.
Note — This update is late, because my computer decided it had a completely different display and it took me a while to get it to understand reality.
Thank you very much to everyone who donated so far. Major milestone reached today.
THE GOAL IS $50,000
the counter stands at: $$21,053.89(Updated at least every 8 hours, more often if i happen to be here.)
IT ENDS JULY 16TH.
What does Heinlein’s Birthday have to do with this?
Well, for years now, I’ve felt guilty I’m writing for free, which in grumbles he referred to as “immoral.”
The Driving Force Behind This:
We are not in trouble. At least no more than normal. In fact, we’re a little more secure than we’ve been.
But for years now — years — my family and friends (including the late, great, much missed Dr. Pournelle) have told me I should run a fundraiser for my blog, since it’s a time-sink extraordinaire, and often gets in the way of fiction. (Some of my friends, you know who you are, told me to give it up so I can concentrate on the fiction because that makes me happier — no, not you. Someone else, years ago — but since I seem unable to, I should at least fund it.)
This sounds strange but my family’s condition to let me do the “save our butts” appeal was that henceforth I should either rattle the cup all the time or have a July fundraiser. Because it was their contention I wouldn’t have been in the situation I was without refusing to fundraise.
What I hope to accomplish?
I’ve been startlingly unproductive for the last few years. And every time I get actually going I seem to get too sick or exhausted to finish.
It took me a while — I’m kind of dumb, I won’t lie — to realize it’s because I’m trying to do at least three jobs at once: this blog, writing fiction and then publishing for me and my family (it’s like juggling live hedgehogs.) This without counting the every day business of living, like litter boxes, making dinner…. that sort of thing.
My hopes for 50k is that I would get enough to hire someone to collate and clean up my articles so I can publish six or seven books of them (under According 2 Hoyt, to prevent confusion with my fiction.)
I also want to hire someone to design and create an author website for me (in case you haven’t noticed it sucks small hairy animals) and to design and create Azounding, which will be reborn as a website to link, promote, and publicize writers to the right of Lenin. (Someone to do data entry would help, but eh.) If that person also could do things like update my blog links and widgets it would be a major bonus, since those are like three years out of date. (It’s a time sink because my mind doesn’t bend that way.)
The stretch goal was to get some of my books translated and see if they sell in other languages. (I’ll be honest, the Three Musketeers in Portuguese probably won’t pay much, but I’d like my dad to be able to read the book I dedicated to him.)
And maybe hire some people to do audio for my indie books, like Witchfinder and Rhodes. I don’t know if they would pay, but I’m willing to risk a couple of them.
UPDATE: ALSO I wish to hire someone to help with publicity and merch. I forgot to mention that yesterday.
So, what I want to do with money donated to the business is put it to work for the business. And then with the additional money, maybe hire a part-time assistant, so all I do IS write: blog or fiction.
BUT any money is a start, and I might be able to get some of it done, anyway. It will just take careful management and a little more time. That’s fine, and I’m immensely grateful to all those who donate/ed.
THE INCENTIVES AND TIERS:
Tier 1– $10 or more – A shout out on my blog, all with all other the supporters, by name, in one massive “Thank you” post. [Jokey or offensive names will not be included at author’s discretion.]
Tier 2– $25 or more – Email jpg of certificate with funny fish saying “I Was Carped at according to hoyt.com” and a Certificate of being a member of Hoyt’s Huns, cultural wars sapper battalion, in good standing.
Tier 3– $60 or more – Exclusive ebook collection of USAian stories. (Including a new, original, never published story.) Estimated delivery August 2023
Tier 4– $100 or more – Your name will appear in a mass death/other mass event/list in one of Sarah’s books. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.]
Tier 5– $150 or more – A sound file of Sarah saying “Moose and Squirrel.”
Tier 6 – $250 or more – Will send a signed copy of trade paperback Gentleman takes a chance and one large postcard with book covers, also signed. (USPS- continental US only. All others, let’s talk.) [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Tier 7 – $350 or more – Three signed books (of our choice), plus two extra items from “Sarah’s Garage”, (also of our choice) which might very well be a small rubber fish. (You’ve been warned.) USPS only. Continental U.S. only [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Tier 8 – $500 or more – Personalized tuckerization. You will become your very own zany character, with at least a line or two of dialogue, and physical description. Physical safety and life of character not guaranteed. If you perish, it will NOT (repeat not) be in a mass death event or a list of other kinds. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.] [Jokey or offensive names, descriptions and personalities will not be included at author’s discretion.]
Tier 9 – $1000 or more – A CHOICE OF:
Option 1 -Will read the first 10 pages and outline of your novel and provide timely critique, with the understanding that I am not infallible. (A skype, zoom or other video call to discuss the work for an hour or so.) [estimated delivery Winter 2022 – Spring 2023]
Option 2 – Large box of ten signed books, plus items ranging from a con badge, to a mini dinosaur skeleton or a print of Sarah’s original art, or other items from Sarah’s garage. USPS only. Continental U.S. only [estimated delivery Sept 2022]
Option 3 – Signed copy of Sarah’s old copyedited or page-proof manuscripts. [estimated delivery Fall 2022] (5 limit.)
Tier 10– $5000 or more – You will become a major character on one of my books, and I’ll try to reflect your appearance, and chosen personality. [estimated delivery up through July 2023. All indie books, as no others are guaranteed.] [Jokey or offensive names, descriptions and personalities will not be included at author’s discretion. You don’t get to have someone else be an offensive character. (Sorry!) Your actions will be altered to serve the plot if needed.] – Limit 5. (You’ll be informed if this has been claimed, and given a chance for a refund or of a comparable reward.)
Tier Insane – $25000 or more – My husband and I will travel to a city in the continental US and have dinner with you and your plus one. (Continental US only.) – Limit ONE. [Delivery up to July 2023.] (You’ll be informed if this has been claimed, and given a chance for a refund or of a comparable reward.)
ALL TIERS INCLUDE ALL PREVIOUS TIERS EXCEPT FOR THOSE THAT ARE NUMBER LIMITED.
If you want to be thanked/mentioned by a name different from your regular one, please email to: bookpimping at outlook dot com.
THIS IS PINNED TO THE TOP OF THE BLOG. THE DAILY POST WILL APPEAR BELOW THIS.
The picture below is not my best work. I was hoping to do another one today, but I woke up late. At any rate, it is released under creative commons, so if you want to you can improve on it.
At any rate, this is my thank you to everyone who has donated so far, and my incentive to the others for putting up with the dog and pony show!
Today’s picture is called Roadside Wreck. Would you help this lovely lady, if you came upon her? ;)
This Picture was created by Sarah A. Hoyt and is released under CC BY
Hello, everyone. I told Sarah about something a few of us at the Interstellar Research Group (IRG) have been throwing around for a few weeks, and she asked me to do a guest post about it. I have to warn you all, this will have a call to action (or at least dissemination) at the end, so be ready!
Just a note on usage. I’m writing this in the first person, as if I did all this myself. Some of it I did personally, some of it was done by others or supervised by them while I did the scut-work. Just FYI.
A few weeks ago a number of us from the IRG were attending LibertyCon in Chattanooga, which was where our organization was initially started a good number of years ago. Some of us were on a panel discussing what was needed to establish an enduring human presence on Mars. During the discussion it became clear to us that pretty much all the researchers and research being done were focused on technological aspects of the question, and next to none on the biological ones. By this we meant the creation of functional “soil,” not merely regolith, which would have the biological microbial components common on Earth to allow the healthy and healthful production of vegetable crops for human consumption. It turns out that a few of us at IRG have the contacts and backgrounds necessary to conduct exactly that primary research. I decided to spend the next week or so trying to marshal commitments from the people and facilities we would need to get this research started, and then to see if we can break some new ground (yes, I realize the pun I just committed) in extraterrestrial farming!
I think the project I’m going to propose would fit very nicely into the overall Space Analog for the Moon and Mars (SAM) project (https://samb2.space/). Here in broad outline is the proposal.
We’d like to set up a “shoebox” environment, in a small sealed system, where a totally accurate Martian regolith simulant under as accurate conditions of temperature, atmospheric composition and pressure, incident radiation of all sorts and any other relevant conditions can be inoculated with various mixes of biological agents to see the possibilities of creating a microbiome of sorts within the regolith, creating an analog to terrestrial soil rather than the (presumably) sterile substrate endemic on Mars.
I did some very rough preliminary research on this idea. I thought the first thing we would need to do is a literature search to see if anyone else has indeed done some work around this idea. I hadn’t done anything yet as I wanted to gauge the possibility of getting an actual experiment started before investing the time. But my initial thinking was that if it had been done, we all probably would have heard about it, as it would have excited lots of people.
The next thing would be to assemble a competent research team of interested people. I’m thinking soil microbiologists, researchers into the composition of the Martian regolith, the Martian atmosphere and the surface radiation environment, etc. To that end I’ve come across this article:
https://www.space.com/21554-mars-toxic-perchlorate-chemicals.html from 2013, in which some of the questions we would investigate are mentioned. The questions are addressed by Peter Smith, who is a professor emeritus at the University of Arizona. I hoped we might be able to approach Professor Smith for some advice and perhaps assistance in assembling a research team.
As for materials needed, the current standard source of Martian regolith simulant is MGS-1 from Exolith Lab in Florida:
This simulant is well thought of, but doesn’t include the calcium perchlorate that would be needed to truly simulate the Martian regolith. This is because perchlorate in the needed amounts is basically poisonous. Nevertheless, to conduct the experiment properly we would need to mix the proper ratio of perchlorate into our test environments. This would likely require clean-room conditions, BIGs (biological isolation garments), and such. Ca(ClO4)2 or CaCl2O8 is available from various sources:
In my head, here is how I’m envisioning this experiment. We would need a hermetically-sealed container of moderate size to contain a depth of regolith simulant. This container would need to be capable of holding a temperature at the regolith surface of 20 C to -75 C, and a gas pressure of 6.35 mbar with a gas composition of:
gas percentage by weight
carbon dioxide (CO2) 95.32
molecular nitrogen (N2) 2.7
argon (Ar) 1.6
molecular oxygen (O2) 0.13
carbon monoxide (CO) 0.07
water vapour (H2O) 0.03
neon (Ne) 0.00025
krypton (Kr) 0.00003
xenon (Xe) 0.000008
At a guess, the noble gas components could be ignored, but I suspect the rest would need to be kept in the mix.
As for the surface radiation environment, this is the information I have:
I have no idea what would be required to duplicate this in the experiment or if it is even possible. As for visible light, the maximum solar insolation on Mars is about 590 W/m2, and would have to be variable from 0 to this maximum on the Martian solar day length of 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds.
What biological inoculants would be used for purposes of this (actually these, as I would expect different “bouquets” of inoculants would be tested) experiment is something I have absolutely no knowledge of, which is why I’m just a fan-boy rather than a principal investigator.
We knew it wouldn’t be as easy as Matt Damon made it look, just crapping on some regolith and shoving potatoes into it, but hey, we’re big-brained scientists, we ought to be able to figure it out!
I found 5 scientific papers dealing with plant propagation in Martian regolith simulant and downloaded 4 them (the 5th would cost $51 to get, which is a bit pricey for me right now) and read through them to see if there are any referenced papers in any of them that I could also get. But from a quick glance it didn’t appear to me that any of them approached the things that we were talking about.
Unfortunately, from the abstract the one paper that would cost me looked to be the one closest to what we’re proposing:
“This article aims to inform the development of biological perchlorate remediation schemes for the preparation of safer human Mars habitats and contaminant-free in situ resource utilization (ISRU) for crop production in these settings. No prior studies have attempted to remediate perchlorate from Martian regolith simulants. Thus, we draw from previous work on soil, sediment, and water biological remediation that we determined to be most relevant to Martian applications. Approaches include phytoremediation and microbial remediation. Phytoremediation utilizes terrestrial and aquatic plants for perchlorate removal, occurring by 3 different mechanisms: phytoaccumulation, phytodegradation, and rhizodegradation. We suggest potential plant candidates for phytoremediation. We discuss known microbial remediation processes utilizing both rhizosphere-derived microorganisms and extremophiles, and the most likely microorganism candidates for a successful microbial remediation of Martian regolith considering the harsh Martian environment. We also briefly discuss the economic implications of perchlorate remediation for ISRU farming
viability. We recommend this article as a reference for future attempts to successfully and cost-effectively develop biological remediation technologies to remove perchlorate from Martian regolith, improving the viability of ISRU crop production.”
Its focus was on perchlorate removal rather than microbiome construction, but it was definitely closely adjacent to what we’d been talking about. I contacted the lead author and added him to our emailing list with his consent.
It was at this point I started to get some helpful ideas and suggestions from the correspondents.
Nick Nielsen said, “Thanks for this! It is an important problem, and there are a great many directions that research could take. For example, you note that the starting point would be ‘a small sealed system, where a totally accurate Martian regolith simulant…’ If one wants to get from regolith to a functional soil, should one assume that all this is being done on a planetary surface (presumably on Mars) or is the regolith simply to be the soil ‘seed’ as it were, not necessarily tied to the planet from which it is drawn? That is to say, one could experiment with regolith on a space station apart from any planetary surface, and this raises the question where the best soil-precursor is to be found. It might be on a moon of Mars, or an asteroid, or some other place.”
Joe Meany said, “I followed up on the question of perchlorates in the martian regolith that you and I discussed after the panel. The space.com article you suggested led to a really nice review article by Chris McCay. It turns out that the perchlorate salts can be present in as much as 1%(!) with a mixture of calcium, magnesium, and ammonium cations.
“This is actually quite interesting, as those three cations are biologically important. I especially didn’t expect the ammonium perchlorate, but ammonium salts are especially valuable for habitation. There are well-identified bacterial strains capable of reducing perchlorate back to (biologically important) chloride, producing two molecules of breathable oxygen per molecule of perchlorate. Perchlorate salts are also water-soluble, so once martian regolith is introduced to a bacterial tank, it will be quickly accessible for metabolism. Importantly, the breakdown of the perchlorate salts would be exothermic, allowing some non-zero energy transfer from the exterior environment into the habitat via this metabolic process.
“Furthermore, it seems that the mechanism of perchlorate formation comes from UV exposure in the martian atmosphere, so simply disposing any unwanted regolith back outside would ‘recharge’ it for future consumption.”
The head of the SAM said, “Yes, there is a need for this, and it is a good fit for SAM (in fact, it was an original cornerstone to our science objectives). I suggest only that there is quite a bit of research into this already (mechanical, chemical, biological) so be certain that you are not duplicating research already in motion.
“From the SAM point of view, the best thing to do is to build a team that would work within SAM for a defined period of time, perhaps with Mars regolith simulant (look to https://www.offplanetresearch.com/). The team project proposal would need to take advantage of the hermetically sealed environment (meaning, what can you do in SAM that you can’t do in a normal lab). Cost is approximately $12k per week for a team of four.”
This brought up a significant cost factor, which we ignored for the moment. I then received a reply from Dr. Christopher Oze, the lead author of the one paper (above) that I hadn’t read:
“I’ve been working on Martian regolith and using it for a variety of purposes from construction to agriculture on Mars for a little over a decade now. I would probably say most of my research has been centered around dealing with the non-tech issues related to humans being able to cope/progress on Mars (www.chrisoze.com has a few examples) If you’re looking for martian regolith at bulk scales for agriculture or civil engineering purposes, we can recreate it at kilograms scale for just about any reported value (mineralogy, geochemistry, particle size, etc.) from Mars’ surface. We just spent the last year figuring out how to remove (or cope) with perchlorate in regolith. Besides that, so many other issues need to be figured out such as how to stop the naturally cementing nature of regolith related to particle sizes/texture, how seed size plays a critical role for plant success, or how perchlorate (even when removed) may have increased metal availability so much that the plants will have to deal with this as well (serpentine soils and its vegetation on Earth provide some lessons on how to get around this issue).”
I replied to him, “Thank you for your assistance in our nascent quest to find other work in this area. We haven’t gone through the literature in any detail yet, but from what I can see no one has looked at regolith inoculation in situ or attempting to create a terrestrial analog microbiome in any Martian regolith. Do you know of any work in that specific area?”
He came back with, “I’ve run a few experiments where I have added perchlorate (at martian levels) to terrestrial soils and found that it adversely affected the microorganisms as well as the plants. Part of prepping/inoculating the regolith is related to how to deal with perchlorate. There are a few microorganisms that can use perchlorate and that might be a good starting point.”
I let him know that I’d just found these papers:
I’ve found these papers during my literature search for experiments in similar areas:
Potential Biological Remediation Strategies for Removing Perchlorate from Martian Regolith
One of the manufacturers of Martian regolith simulants chimed in: “Mars regolith, and thus simulants for it, is a very interesting material. One of the biggest challenges- that might actually be a benefit in this area of research- is the wide range of compositions and material properties on Mars. One general Martian simulant is unlikely to be representative of much of Martian regolith. This is also an issue with lunar simulants, and the Moon has much less variability compared to Mars! Historically, the majority of our simulants are made for the lunar applications and we have four general simulants (and counting!) depending on where our clients plan to land in addition to customizing compositions for specific use cases. Looking into the specifications of a landing site would be a good first step to determining the ideal simulant properties and composition.
“The benefit to the variety of Martian regolith is that there will likely be some compositions better suited for agricultural purposes. Very recently, early studies using Apollo lunar regolith noted a difference in plant growth based on the maturity (age) of the sample. Like on Earth, targeting areas that are more ‘agreeable’ to agriculture would save a lot of effort and resources as does choosing the right crops for that region.
“Regarding perchlorates in Martian regolith, there are hazards as you noted which I assume is why UCF isn’t selling them in their Martian simulant. It is not something you want to provide to someone unused to handling them, but I also say that about regular simulants due to the dust hazards. We have been developing Martian simulants as well and are exploring the use of perchlorates for specialized use.
“One thing to keep in mind with all simulants is that understanding its use cases, strengths, and limitations is important as is accounting for these variables. This comes down knowing which properties of the simulant are vital (ie. mechanical, physical, chemical, etc.) and which ones may not be as accurately represented in the test material. Additionally, understanding how the test setup affects the test material is important. It sounds like you are looking into environmental conditions, but that will cause the simulant to act differently than it does in an ambient environment so characterizing those differences may (or may not) be important to understanding how it will affect the test results.”
It was at about this time that I wrote up a where-we-are-now summation of the initial excitement with this idea:
“I’ve spent the past few days, when I’ve had time, reading through the papers I mentioned to you all and noting papers in their references that will be interesting to read. While I haven’t finished reading all of these papers, I did notice one thing that seems to be a constant with the research being done heretofore. First though, there has been a fair amount more research into the biological and agricultural suitability of Martian regolith that I or most of my more technical-minded friends had realized. Great!
“But what I noticed is that (so far in my reading) none of this research was done in anything remotely approximating a Martian surface environment. Instead, everything seems to have been along the lines of, ‘if this Martian regolith existed on Earth, with our temperature, atmospheric composition and pressure, insolation, etc., trying to grow plants on it would give this result.’ This, while interesting, doesn’t seem particularly useful to me. It’s along the lines of the underpants gnomes from South Park, missing an important step in what is intended:
1. Regolith on the surface of Mars
2. ???
3. Agriculture!
“If we do move forward with the type of experiment or experiments I and others here have envisioned, I think we need to focus on that step 2, and most importantly the early part of it, what it might take to make Martian regolith under Martian surface environmental conditions more amenable (or amenable at all) to the growth of terrestrial plants. I hope these thoughts might help us define the experimental designs more rigorously.”
I followed that with: “As you can tell from my email address, I’m sending all this out through my connection with the Interstellar Research Group (IRG). That’s because when the idea came up at the recently-concluded LibertyCon science fiction convention in Chattanooga, a number of us on the panel generating the idea were in some way connected with the IRG and got support from the organization to explore the idea.
“Here is where things get a bit murky. The IRG isn’t a research institute and isn’t set up or equipped to pursue primary research such as the Mars Regolith Microbiome Inoculation Experiment (MaRMIE–I’ve just invented a shorthand acronym for this concept) experiments. Further, the remit of the IRG is interstellar topics, not intra-system ones.
“So if MaRMIE is to go further than these discussions, we will have to identify one or more institutions able and interested in such experiments and persuade one or more researchers at said institutions to propose and take charge of the experiments.”
(More on that in the final call for action below.)
A few more comments about the experiment itself, from a seasoned technologist and space entrepreneur in the group: “‘cheap’ Martian agriculture would be inflated plastic bubbles as greenhouses, pumped up with Martian atmosphere to enough pressure to let the plants grow (at least about 0.2 bar, though more may well be required), with the soil used as growth medium, irrigated with external water supply (from ice or permafrost mining most likely, though atmospheric condensation is also a possibility).
“You’d want a very low-labor way of prepping the soil; if you have to get the perchlorates out (about which I have no opinion), you’d want to do something simple — mound the soil up and let the water pull them out, or plant an initial crop of something tolerant to the perchlorates and then mulch it back in, or something.
“But yes, the combination of conditions hasn’t often been done. If you wanted to get really aggressive, you’d combine that with a clinostat to simulate the Martian gravity effects. Oh, and you hardly need an experiment to show that standard Martian surface pressure won’t work; the plants would be freeze-dried! The question is how low of a mostly CO2 atmosphere pressure will work.”
I answered, “I was thinking about the clinostat idea, but I think that would probably be a bit cost-prohibitive for the size we’d need for macro-plants in even a greenhouse environment. I’d like to start first with regolith inoculants to see if we can remediate the perchlorates biologically and retain some of the chemical components for plant use. As to increasing the pressure and probably temperature, I’m thinking of those as variables that could be part of the experiment. What I’m hoping for is an experiment that might show that the current environmental conditions aren’t at all compatible with agriculture, and might then allow the gradual modification of one condition or another till we find the minimum needed for useful agricultural production. I was thinking maybe some arctic microbes, fungi, etc., would have a shot at these temperatures and atmosphere conditions.”
It was at about this time that we started to think about who might be able to perform this experiment, or these experiments if (as it probably should) this idea expanded into multiple tests. I contacted some of the authors of papers our literature search had come across to see if they would be interested, without any success. I did have a thought that perhaps we could contact SpaceX and inquire about their assistance or even take-over in conducting such an experiment, as their stated long-term goal is colonizing Mars. This research would clearly (to my mind at least) need to be done before any such colonization could be successful.
Again, Joe Meany came up with an interesting idea: “My recommendation for strategy is to write a review article based on the currently available literature that you’ve begun to post within the earlier threads. To give ourselves a deadline, I think we would want this together for the next IRG newsletter (giving us a little over 3 months to complete). I think the coauthors on the review article need to express affirmative response by some close deadline (July 1?) so that we know exactly who is interested in this project and being actively involved. If we do this right, a summary of our findings can be published in the newsletter, but I think that a properly thorough research review article would be publishable within a journal like Acta Astronautica.
“Within the time that we are writing this article, we should have already identified how to answer the “Heilmeier Catechism” which will guide both that review research and specifically pre-answer questions as to how we’ll fund actual experiments. Narrowing down funding sources will dictate who we ultimately select as partners going forward.”
The simulant manufacturer had these thoughts: “I’m not sure I have much to contribute to the research side at this point, but I will throw in a few cents to the ‘how to start this’ discussion. It is essentially going to come down to experiment fidelity, budget, and time. I would argue that the second and third points will influence the first. If you are going for the type of fidelity I believe you are for this experiment with all the environmental parameters tightly controlled, it is going to be very costly especially given that agricultural experiments can run weeks and have multiple samples to create some level of statistical significance.
“While the organizations involved currently in the discussion may have internal funding to support the project, I would not hang my cap on that just yet. Even if they have internal funding, they may have to petition for it (while not included here, I know SwRI does this internally). If you are looking for outside funding, the project and its partners will need to be defined and a grant proposal put together. From experience, this starts to extend the timeline as there is a lot of ‘hurry up and wait.’ This is fine if there is not a rush for the information, but likewise, if there is not a defined ‘need,’ will it be funded?
“Conversely, if you pass this project on to a company, such as SpaceX, the control over the fidelity of the experiment will turn to them. In our work, we find a lot of things besides the test environment and test materials influence the budget, and thus testing is often relegated to the side until it is time to do so. By that point, budgets are mostly allocated and timing is very limited (ie. happening in the next few weeks). This greatly limits what can be done. This mentality is starting to change slowly so I am hoping more people begin testing plans sooner and with more resources, but that is not always the case.
“All that to say that if the project ends up being pursued, going in with a good, realistic game plan of what needs to be accomplished, what it will take to do that, and finding people with the same passion for good results is important!”
One more comment from an experienced space enthusiast about the experimental procedure itself: “It doesn’t seem to be a hard thing to do. I think the setup of the Martian conditions could be done quite simply with a regolith analog, placed in a low-pressure vessel with dimmable LED lights to mimic the Martian insolation (if needed).
“I would have thought this would make a good PhD program experiment. I vaguely recall having read about something like this as having been done. (It was certainly done on lunar soil and analogs in the 1970s, although the purpose was to see if crops could be grown, rather than creating terrestrial soil.) The kit seems to be fairly minimal in cost. The hard part is getting the inoculants and deciding how to measure progress – e.g. bacterial density over time, perchlorate concentration, etc.
“My question is how much does it have to mimic Mars’ external environment. Could the experiment be done with the regolith analog, but under 1 atm of air and whatever light conditions are desired because on Mars this could be inside a structure that is being prepared for agriculture?
“I would start under terrestrial conditions, and then, if successful, create a set of experiments to mimic stages towards a native Mars environment to see which, if any, conditions impact growth and perchlorate removal.”
I’ve included a list of all the papers dealing with agricultural and biological experiments in simulated Martian environments here, if you’d like to see what we found. There are many more, these are just the ones that caught our attention as particularly cogent to our idea.
So now, the call to action. We have a general description of the experiment or experiments we’d like to conduct, and are amenable to some modification of the details and procedures. What we don’t have is a research organization or researchers interested in and willing to conduct this (these) experiment(s). We are approaching various organizations as we identify them, but we’re hoping you might have some ideas of who to take this to and how to approach them. If you do, please contact me at douglas.loss@irg.space. And if you don’t have any ideas but have any friends in fields related to this, pass the message along to them and see if they can help!
