Fresh Blue Ink Blog

A new short story, ‘Visiting Hours’ by R.M. Kozan, has been published in the Chaos issue of Free Lit Magazine.

Check it out here:

https://issuu.com/freelitmagazine/docs/v4i5

The short story ‘How To Make A Sociopath Laugh’ written by R.M. Kozan, the author of Breakaway:1977, is featured in the September 2017  issue of Free Lit Magazine, ‘The Monsters Issue’.

The story can currently be accessed via either link below.

Link to the current issue:

https://www.freelitmagazine.com/magazine

Explicit link to The Monsters Issue (Volume 3, Issue 5):

https://issuu.com/freelitmagazine/docs/v3i5

Breakaway: 1977, our debut release by R. M. Kozan, has been endorsed by the very wonderful Sylvia Anderson, the co-creator of many iconic SF TV series such as Space: 1999, UFO, Thunderbirds, and Fireball XL5.

On September 9th, 2014, Sylvia sent Fresh Blue Ink the following statement:

“Breakaway: 1977 is a fiercely compelling read by R. M. Kozan – a truly creative writer who brings to life real characters across a blazing backdrop of imagination.”

Needless to say the author is chuffed that the original creator of Space: 1999 would see his work, with its deep tie-ins to the Space:1999 universe, in such a positive light.

Fresh Blue Ink is extremely proud to make this announcement on the first anniversary of our release of Breakaway: 1977 and on the 15th anniversary of that fateful moment in Space: 1999 when the Moon breaks out of Earth orbit: September 13th, 1999.

To read more about Breakaway: 1977, click here.

Sylvia and daughter Dee are currently working on a new series “The Last Station”. We wish them every success and eagerly anticipate its debut.

Today Fresh Blue Ink has received a completed draft manuscript for R. M. Kozan’s second novel. Copies are currently being scrutinized by much the same team of linguists and friendly readers as examined Breakaway: 1977.

More details will be released soon.

Let me first be clear about my ambiguous term ‘space lizards’. This appellation is intended to reference a range of phenomena, generally of disputed reality, found in science fiction, fantasy fiction, conspiracy theory, and UFOlogy.

Space lizards, space reptiles, reptilian humanoids or reptoids, space dinosaurs: all these are included in my menagerie. I admit that biologists and purists might argue that a lizard is a specific type of reptile. This distinction, however, is unimportant for my purposes and I will therefore cling to the shorter, snappier ‘lizard’ label. (Additional admission: ‘snappy’ might be more a personality than a species descriptor.)

A sympathetic view of space lizards (space dinosaurs in this case) is found in Robert J. Sawyer’s masterful Quintaglio Ascension trilogy of novels, proving that one cannot judge an entity by its species. (Note to self: devise pun about specious prejudice).

Most views of space lizards are far less sympathetic. The conspiracy theory regarding subterranean reptilian humanoids seeking to control human affairs first emerged in a Los Angeles newspaper article in 1934. It was not until much later, in the 1990s, that David Icke’s vision of mysterious reptoid overlords infiltrating and controlling humanity permeated our popular culture.

In 1954, movie-goers were treated to the amphibious biped of “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”. In that same year, they were also introduced to the giant lizard Godzilla. More modern incarnations include the Visitors of the television series “V” in both its 1980s and more recent version.

The lizard, despite its terrestrial origin, seems alien. It invokes shudders and powers phobias. These creatures are cold-blooded and devour live prey. They are the ready-made monsters every harried ‘creature feature’ writer adores.

Both the psychopath and the reptilian personality mesmerize us – they are indecipherable and contain nothing we recognize as human. They effortlessly represent evil and are the prototypical alien spawned in the imaginations of writers occupying the borderland between science fiction and horror.

Emotion arises from the workings of the amygdalae, a pair of structures classified within the limbic system and not present in the reptilian brain. Altruism (even in its self-interested rational form) requires a neocortex. Love and mercy, therefore, do not exist among lizards.

This incapacity for emotion renders reptiles alien to our perspective and allows us to conflate their type of cognition with psychopathy. It is oft stated that the eyes of psychopaths are reptilian, that is, devoid of any spark of emotion or compassion. This provides a tie-in with the second theme of Fresh Blue Ink’s planned short fiction anthology Space Lizards Of Canada.

Additionally, space lizards provide allegorical access to and linkage between military-industrial complex and alien occupation conspiracy theories.

So, c’mon. Writing about space lizards is fun!

(See the Fresh Blue Ink SUBMISSIONS page for more details.)

Fresh Blue Ink released details today on its submissions policy and author payment schedule.

Our current open-to-submissions project, the short story anthology Space Lizards Of Canada, will follow this approach.

For more information see this link.

Fresh Blue Ink is proud to announce that author R. M. Kozan will be signing copies of his debut novel Breakaway: 1977 at Coles Books in the Parkland Mall in Yorkton, Saskatchewan on Thursday, May 8th, 2014, from 1 pm until 6 pm.

See map here.

Hope to see you there!

http://www.sears.ca/product/crosley-collegiate-usb-turntable/657-000557348-HT-800SP

The link above takes you to Sears.ca where the Crosley Collegiate record player is offered for sale. On that page, scroll down to the reviews section. The reviewer recommends reading Breakaway:1977 while listening to your LPs

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Fresh Blue Ink table at the Ottawa Small Press Fair this Saturday. A special thank-you to purchasers of our first release, Breakaway: 1977, of which there were a few!

Congratulations to Joanna Simpson, the winner of our draw for a free copy of Breakaway: 1977!

Fresh Blue Ink‘s first release Breakaway: 1977 is now released!

Purchase Breakaway: 1977 at these or other retailers:

Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Breakaway-1977-R-M-Kozan/dp/0992011906/

Amazon.ca:

http://www.amazon.ca/Breakaway-1977-R-M-Kozan/dp/0992011906/

Chapters:

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/breakaway-1977/9780992011918-item.html?ikwid=breakaway%253A%25201977&ikwsec=Home

BarnesAndNoble.com:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breakaway-r-m-kozan/1116792240?ean=9780992011901