M Thomas Apple Author Page

Science fiction, actual science, history, and personal ranting about life, the universe, and everything

Sea Levels Are Rising. Time to Build … Floating Cities?

April 6, 2019
MThomas

At the core of Oceanix City is a 4.5-acre hexagonal floating platform that is meant to host up to 300 people. 

Hmm, where have I seen this before….

And just think, to accommodate all of Manhattan, we only need to make…uh…

another 5,549 of them!

Compared to convincing the powers that be that climate change is real and we’re all screwed…piece of cake!

— Read on www.wired.com/story/sea-levels-are-rising-time-to-build-floating-cities/amp

Amazon shoppers misled by ‘bundled’ star-ratings and reviews

April 5, 2019
MThomas

The combinations of formats and editions make it impossible for readers to pick between multiple versions of the same products, and allow those selling badly put together editions to piggyback on good reviews.

At this point, Amazon should just admit that its review policies are a complete shambolic mess. If they refuse to allow fellow indie authors from reviewing each other and even prevents their own friends and relatives from reviewing their work, how can Amazon justify trying to sell dreck this way?

Hypocrisy.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/apr/05/amazon-shoppers-misled-by-bundled-product-reviews

Customers who purchased digital books from the Microsoft store will soon be forced to return them.

Already widely reported.

Note that if you buy ebooks *directly from the author  – or *from Smashwords – then you get to keep them.

Yet another reason to cut out the middle man, especially if the middle man is a huge corporation that doesn’t care about its consumers.

via Microsoft’s ebook store closes, and will take all customers’ ebooks with it —

Gateway now includes Canada, eh

April 3, 2019
MThomas

_105864206_gateway_orion_approaching

Now that Trudeau has agreed to help out, if anything goes wrong we can always “Blame Canada!”

No, no, it’s a joke, alright, eh. Sorry, sorry.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47426798

Enter the Dragon! It’s a new mating ritual?

March 3, 2019
MThomas

“Attachment was made to a new type of mating adaptor on the ISS’s Harmony module. ”

Yes, we’ve matured so much as a species that we still insist on resorting to sexual metaphors to describe intricate technological details on our space vehicles.

But anyways, good for Space X and NASA. Now let’s hope other companies get into the act so we can kickstart this whole expand and populate the galaxy thing.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47430432

Er Ist Weider Da. Look Who’s Back, on Netflix

February 24, 2019
MThomas

look_whos_back_constantinfilmAlthough the book Er Ist Weider Da (Translated into English as “Look Who’s Back,” although literally it should be “He’s here again”) was published in 2012, the German language movie released in 2015, Netflix picked it up in early 2016, I just now stumbled across this movie over the weekend. Probably an algorithmic thing (don’t ask).

Normally, I blog about either family history or science/science fiction. But in this case, let’s just call it science fictiony-historical satire with a dark edge.

It’s good. Scarily good. Hysterically funny in parts. Deeply, darkly disturbing in many others.

And completely misunderstood by most reviewers. Especially the ones writing only in English. Continue Reading

Watchmen at 10: As a movie, anyway

February 23, 2019
MThomas

Ten years ago, Alan Moore (and Dave Gibbons)’s Watchmen finally made it out of development hell and onto the big screen.

Only it wasn’t Alan Moore’s Watchmen, but Zack Snyder’s. Well, some of it. Maybe. Continue Reading

Residents across the island are complaining about the state of city sidewalks. They say they are dangerous and that the city is taking too long to clean them.

OK, the original article doesn’t say residents are whingeing.

But they are.

Wow. And here I thought this was an American thing.

As for me, I dealt with the recent rain/ice/snow/ice/more rain mess by wearing big boots outside when I had to, and mostly staying inside with hot chocolate and books.

No prob.

via Icy Montreal sidewalks still a problem after recent winter storm, residents say —

My Amazingly Insightful Interview at Smashwords

January 26, 2019
MThomas

Yes, I have finally gotten around to “being interviewed” (by, er, myself) at Smashwords. In which I lay bare my literary influences. Ah, and also revel in my geekdom. Yeah.

https://www.smashwords.com/interview/mapple

Which means that, yes, I am preparing to (re)publish some of my work in ePub format. Hopefully, Adam’s Stepsons will be soon available for iBooks, Kobo, and some other apps/devices. Aiming at April 1st (since Adam’s Stepsons is currently enrolled in Amazon’s “KDP Select,” which prohibits me from distributing it as an ebook through other services until March 31st).

The Kindle (.mobi) price will be lowered to ONLY US $0.99 from Sunday! (I hope. Maybe Monday. Definitely by January 31st).

In the meantime, work proceeds apace on Bringer of Light! More coming soon. Very soon.

Goodbye, “Kelvin Timeline,” Hello “Picard’s Universe”!

January 8, 2019
MThomas

IMG_4223.png

Looks like the new Picard series will make sure to use the supernova of Romulus’s sun as part of its storyline.

Here’s hoping they also explain why the Romulans were using a name from ancient Earth legends about the foundation of the Roman Empire.

Read all about it at trekcore.com/blog/2019/01/picard-star-trek-series-heavily-influenced-by-2009-romulan-disaster/

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