Gerald C. Matics -- Author

First off, I can't believe it's going on three months since I updated this page.  That will change, I promise.  Web 2.0, social networking, whatever the hell you want to call it -- it's here to stay, and I'm getting on board.

Second, I finally received my author copy of Dark Distortions I in the mail yesterday.  What a sweet feeling, to actually hold it in my hands!  I'm not narcissistic by nature -- but my God, my name's right there on the cover!  (Hey Ma, look at me, I'm published!)  OK, sure, it's about halfway down the list of authors' names, a reminder that I wrote only one-thirtieth of this huge volume.  Still, it raises my hopes that there will come a day when my name is alone on the marquee in great big Steven King-esque letters.  Damn the reality, full steam ahead!

Naturally I read my contribution first.  There are, regretably, a handful of typos that probably crept in when the book was being typeset, but I'm not quibbling about it because I don't think they distract one from the story.  And, after all, isn't that why we came?

The rest of the book I'm reading in order; I'm on the second story now.  My review?  I'm withholding judgment on the book as a whole until I finish, and I don't think you'll hear me criticize any individual's story (except maybe my own, since I've always been a self-critical bastard) no matter how bad it might be, since I don't feel I've earned the right to do that at this early point in my career.  But I have no doubt I'll be reading some that make me cringe because I think I could do so much better -- and some that make me cringe because they're so good I despair that I ever thought I could write half as well.  Stories in that second category, by the way, I will have no trouble giving their due; I've never been one to put others down in order to raise myself up.  But that won't stop me from raising my own game, will it?  In short, check back with me later.  I'll let you know.

By the way, the book is available for preordering at www.scotopiapress.com.  The cover price is $21.95, but the unfortunate catch is that at this point you have to purchase through PayPal (it's easy to do; these days you don't even need to set up a PayPal account), which adds a small transaction fee.  Still, for a 587-page book, that ain't half-bad.  All preorders will ship March 20, so make sure you order soon.