Raymund Eich

Science fiction and fantasy - from Middle America to the ends of the Universe

Hi ,

As I'm writing this, the World Series is tied at 2 games each. (For my non-North American readers, that's the immodestly-named USA+Canada championship for professional American rounders). Since one of the teams in the World Series are my local team, the Houston Astros, I've been following closely and watching every game.

(On TV. A standing room only ticket at the ballpark would run about $1000).

As you might guess from my emails lately, I'm interested in sports. Not because I'm particularly athletic. The pinnacles of my sports achievements were playing in a weekly pickup game of ultimate in my 20s, and nowadays hitting maybe 1/10 of my drives 150+ yards and straight off the tee. Sports are more interesting to me because they raise a lot of emotions and conflicts.

Conflict and emotion? That's my bread-and-butter as a writer.

As most casual baseball fans know, the Astros' World Series championship in 2017 was clouded by the revelation they had an elaborate sign-stealing operation during their home games that season, involving live video feeds and banging on a trash can.

Even though that was five years ago, and most of the Astros' batters this year joined the team after the scandal broke and the then-manager was fired, a common cry on social media or on signs raised by fans when the Astros are on the road is "cheaters!"

Astros fans tend to divide into two groups in response to the scandal. Some point fingers at MLB for scapegoating the Astros and covering up alleged comparable shenanigans by media-preferred franchises like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers. Others embrace the heel turn: the local sporting goods store sells Astros-themed T-shirts that say "Keep Booing" or "Houston vs. All Y'all."

Here are some points all this brings to mind.

1. Reputations take a long time to change. Five years on and people are still bringing up 2017. As a Tom Waits line has it about a small town, "If you live it up you won't live it down." (I forget which song, off Mule Variations, the album where Waits' junkyard orchestra instrumentation turned to Southern gothic lyrics).
2. The same holds true for good reputations. Think about businesses that cut corners to cut costs and raise profits, and that got away with it for years before consumers sussed them out. The phrase "there's a lot of ruin in a nation" was coined for this.
3. The human psyche tends toward an ethical double standard, excusing or rationalizing misdeeds by "us" while harping on or inflating the misdeeds of "them." Would it be better if we could be objective about our ethical standards, especially if we proclaim them to be universal? Yes. But, in the real world, if sports channels this tendency away from politics or international relations, that's a good thing.

What are your thoughts? I'm sure you have some. Hit reply and let me know.

From the Vault: Galactic Olympics

All this talk about sports reminds me to remind you of Galactic Olympics, a collection of five science fiction sports stories.

“When Man goes to the stars, he’ll bring a ball with him.”

Hit the court, tee off, and play ball in these five short stories about future sports.

• Going into the baseball season’s final game, he could be the first player in a century to hit .400. Thanks to his genetically engineered eyes.
• The basketball coach needs to turn underachieving stars into a winning team. The franchise’s new owner, a big pharma tycoon, gives him a new invention in “team chemistry.”
• In the twilight of his career, the powercrosse star signs with the perennial power for his last best shot at a championship. But jetting after the ball in zero gee, will he pay the price of winning at all costs?
• His bitter rival challenges him to a golf match. The stakes? A holy relic. The course location? On the Moon.
• The ultimate flying disc team on an alien planet faces one challenge. Win or go “home.” To an Earth the young team has never seen. Will an unexpected coach help them, or ruin their chances?

Pull on your jersey, strap on your jet pack, and join our team on a road trip across the wide galaxy of sports. Because even on the Moon or under alien suns, it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.

Ebook $2.99. Trade paperback $12.99. Available at these and more booksellers worldwide.

Amazon

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Prefer to order the trade paperback from your local bookstore? Tell them ISBN 9798525347724.

What Will Be My Final Publication of 2022?

As I mentioned last time, I aim to publish something every two months. Which means my next publication is due around December 29.

What should it be? I know Mark W. would love to see a third book in The False Flag War series. George R. would enjoy more military science fiction set in the Confederated Worlds. I hear you, I hear you. So many sci-fi stories to write and so few hours in the day....

What would you like to see? Let me know by taking this survey:

What should I publish in December 2022?

Don't wait too long, I'll shut the survey down this Sunday, November 6.

Happy reading!

Raymund