…with Eric James Spannerman
The Cartesian Theatre now welcomes guests from around the worldosphere, with an invitation to tell us all about themselves – in 25 words or less. Okay, okay, it’s not as bad as all that: they get 25 words per answer. They can wax lyrical if they want, but beware: I edit with an axe…
This week, let’s give a big hand to Eric James Spannerman, the second triple-handled participant with “James” as his middle name in consecutive weeks.
Hi, Eric, tell us “all” about yourself.
Artistically, I’m a storyteller who decided he had to have the third drink from the Hippocrene Spring. Other than that, I’m pretty much a guy.
What is the most inspirational thing you’ve ever read – and why?
Neuromancer by William Gibson – because it was such an amazing piece of work.
I’m with you there, fantastic novel. What was your first published work?
A joke I sold to Reader’s Digest in the early 80’s. For speculative fiction, the flash piece Stiff, which appears in the anthology Alternate Hilarities.
What is the best thing you’ve never had published?
Paid Time, a series of vignettes of people in the mid-21st century talking about their jobs, in the style of Studs Terkel’s Working.
What are you most proud of – in your life, not just your writing?
Being married to my wife since 1987 and raising our daughter together.
Tell us about your latest work – novel, short story, shopping list, whatever.
Applied Natural Magic is set in the steampunk world of Southwatch, where an ambitious young professor discovers that eliminating hunger is surprisingly unpopular.
Pitch us your unwritten masterpiece – you’re in the Hollywood elevator now…
Imagine a world where debt can make you a slave, a duel can settle a dispute, and one shot could bring down the entire system.
If only one person was to ever read your work – who would you want it to be?
Editing guru Shawn Coyne, author Steven Pressman’s business partner, because I’d like to know what he really thought about what I was doing.
What are your plans for the future – all of it?
Help my daughter move to her own place, write the next book and promote the current one. I don’t plan much further ahead than that.
Okay, my thanks to Eric for not buckling under the pressure! Eric is only on Facebook at the moment, but you can check out his novel here – and maybe he’ll come back again one day and tell that Reader’s Digest joke.
Three condensed novels walk into a bar…
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You know, when I was a kid, I used to think it would be pretty neat to get published in Reader’s Digest.
I didn’t mean I don’t think that *now*, of course. It would still be pretty neat! I just haven’t thought of Reader’s Digest in ages. 😮
Ahhh… there’s nothing quite like a scrambled backtracking.
Not backtracking! I just realized how that might be read as an insult. The internet is so good at delivering insults I wanted to make sure it came across as a compliment (as it was intended).