Tools with heart

Tools have heart!

Today I'm working on the sequel to my NY Times bestselling novel, "The Legacy of Heorot," written with Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Thank technology! Let's look at the technological innovations that have occurred in the 20+ years since the original book came out that make this possible:

1) The Internet. Although word processing existed when we originally collaborated, I had to hand Larry and/or Jerry a 5 1/4 inch disk. Now, I can send a file via gmail, to all concerned people. It circulates, everyone adds their notes, and it comes back to me for revision.

2) Online word processing. In addition, I use Adobe's "Buzzword", an online word processor that allows real-time collaboration, as well as infinite back-up of previous versions. Larry likes this more than Jerry. I generally work on Buzzword because it is available from any computer to which I currently have access (not my Ipad, however. "Buzzword" is Flash-driven. The only real downside to Ipadja I've yet discovered)

3) Skype. God bless Skype. We were able to video conference with Jack Cohen, my very favorite mad scientist, one of the world's great reproductive biologists and arguably the greatest living expert on Xenobiology. For the last book we flew him to the U.S. Since "The Secret of Black Ship Island" is a novella, this is impractical financially, but to sit in a room with my old friend once again, and bat ideas around, was just incredibly satisfying. Larry, Jerry, Jack, and me, one more time. Wow. Life is good. Damned good.

4) E-Publishing. Originally, my wonderful agent Eleanor Wood, discouraged me from writing a sequel to LEGACY and BEOWULF'S CHILDREN. The reason? Well, 1/3 of the advance just wouldn't be enough money to finance the project. But if you e-publish through Amazon, with a price over (I think) 10.00, you get 70% of the GROSS. And that is a very different equation, profit-wise. That is doable, if you have access to promotion. With Niven and Pournelle involved, the promotion is built-in. All we have to do is deliver the quality, and everything else falls into place.

So...due to technology, I get to revisit an early phase of my career. Close a circle. Have good evil fun putting a group of helpless humans through absolute hell (one of my favorite things to do). Work with old friends. Make money. Stretch my SF muscles (I've wandered a bit afield from there in recent years). It's all to the good. Tools are just tools. It's the way you use them that gives them heart.

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