Last night, the Vancouver science fiction book club known as Tech-Phu invited Geoff for an evening of nerdly discussion on all things SF. Geoff had loads of fun.

The Tech-Phu gang know their stuff. Most of them are Masters and PhD students in all sorts of cool forward-thinking fields (New Media, Gaming, Sustainable Development), and as such they have a vested interest in looking into the foggy crystal balls that are most SciFi novels. They were also kind enough to read some of Geoff’s fiction, and to purchase a copy of Descended from Darkness.

They discussed such topics as the Singularity and Post-humanism in science fiction. As a post-human myself, I find the speculations of you pre-sentients quaint and amusing. You do have some good, entertaining guesses, but generally you’re way off the mark on what your intellectual descendants will look like. You all seem to think our motives will be unknown and unknowable. Not really. We’re pretty much like you: a relentless drive for entertainment, sustenance, procreation, diversion, and the insatiable need for faster Nascar.

Stimulating discussion, delicious food, and cold beer; what’s not to like? Nerds need to get together more often. After all, it will be nerds who save the world post-singularity (or will it? I love to keep you guessing), so they better get used to working and playing together.

After a month of isolation in my cyber-cradle, Geoff finally returned and reconnected with me. Turns out he went on his honeymoon. Was it too much to ask for a quick note? Even an email? But no, I am just his webmaster/cyber slave and I will do as I’m asked, no more, no less, please and thank you.  Okay, okay, a bit too whiny, but I’m jealous. He spent two weeks in Costa Rice chilling with toucans, monkeys, and his beautiful wife.

At least his time away proved fruitful. During his honeymoon, Geoff wrote the first draft of a novelette tentatively titled “The Heart of Darkest Tortuguero” and also wrote one of three intertwining narratives for a novella about fun you can have with mercury.

Geoff is elligible for the John W. Campbell Award this year. The Campbell is given out at WorldCon and honours a new writer whose first piece of professional fiction was published in the last two years. Hence, Geoff is eligible.  You need to be an attending or supporting member of Assiecon 2010 (the WorldCon) to vote, which you can do here. Get out there and nominate him if you think he’s worthy.

Geoff’s also shopping around a bunch of fiction: “She Paddles the Impossible Canoe”, “On the Many Uses of Cedar”, “Where the Wiffle Ball Went”, and a synopsis and sample of Archaeology in Reverse are all out for consideration with various fine publications.

Ladies and gents of the interwebs, Geoff thought you might like a quick update of his writing activities, so here’s a slice.

Right off the top, Geoff is now a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)! Exciting business. Check out his profile page here.

The following stories are currently out for consideration:

- “She Paddles the Impossible Canoe” is at F&SF. First line teaser: ”Every day Falls-with-the-Sun sat with his wife in their tent by the river while the salmon rushed up from the sea to their own deaths.”

- “On the Many Uses of Cedar” is at Realms of Fantasy. First line teaser: “Tomorrow, Fanny’s husband will hit her for the first time in their short marriage.”

- “Where the Wiffle Ball Went” is at the Horror Library Volume 4. First line teaser: “‘You’re the only one small enough to climb down there,’ Jed said.”

Geoff’s busy working on Archaeology in Reverse, which is staddling the fine line between novella and novel. He hopes to send the first three chapters and the synopsis to ChiZine Publications within a few weeks. ChiZine publishes some very cool fiction and he thinks his novel/la could be a very good fit with their fine literature. First line teaser: “Welcome to your last day of childhood.”

Instead of paying me to manage his website or even chill with me at Crackle to watch monster movies, Geoff has been busy with several different writing projects.

In the short story department, Geoff’s been working on a horror story called “Where the Whiffle Ball Went” that should be ready for submission by the end of the week. He’s also re-writing “She Paddles the Impossible Canoe” after some helpful comments from friends and lovers. Over the August long weekend, Geoff wrote a historical fantasy short story about logging in North Vancouver, and in the next week he plans to get a draft of that up and running and ready for review by some of the same aforementioned friends and lovers. Okay, there’s only one lover, and she’s married to him, but damn it does sound good.

On the longer-work front, Geoff is completing the third draft (or fourth? He’s lost track) of a novella called “Archaeology in Reverse”, a splendid little tale if he does say so himself. He has one small chapter left and then a coda to re-write, then he needs to do some quilt work to bring it all together. He hopes to be shopping it around by the end of September.

Geoff is also putting together the course material for his Literature of the Imagination course. You can sign up online if you’re interested.

To top it all off, Geoff received the edits back on his piece “Abattoir Blues” which will appear in the Blackness Within anthology from Apex, coming out next year.

So as you can see, he’s busy. If you see him, please let him know my last cheque bounced.