Wednesday, November 6, 2024

INTERVIEW: Science Fiction Author Steve Bellinger

 Steve Bellinger

Chicago, Illinois

USA




Good morning, Steve, and welcome to Vision and Verse. Can you tell 


us a little about what you've written?



I’ve written 5 science 


fiction novels. The first 


one, released in 2015The 


Chronocar – An Urban 


Adventure in Timeis the 


winner of three awards. 


 I’ve also written a 


screenplay for The 


Chronocar, which has 


placed in a few 


competitions. My 


newestbookLines of Force – The End of the World as We Know It, 


was released in August, 2024.


Back in the 1970’s I wrote and produced original radio drama. I’ve 


also written newspaper articles, short stories, Sunday School lessons 


and fan fiction. You can hear readings of some of my more recent 


short stories on my website:    https://stevebellinger.com/once-told/




What is your favorite genre to 


write?


Science fiction, with as much real 


science as possible. My stories are 


written “for people who think they 


don’t like science fictionMost 


people associate science fiction 


with space aliens, mystical creatures or superheroes. My definition: 


In science fiction, the science, whether real or imaginary, must be so 


central to the story that without it the story would fall apart.”


By this definition, Star Wars is not science fiction. The same story 

could be told with metal swords and wooden ships. The exotic 

spacecraft and light sabers are just props to make the story exciting.  

Star Wars is space opera. Not a put down. Just a different genre.




Favorite food.


Beef; almost any kind of steak.



Tea or coffee?


Iced tea.



Pizza or ice cream?


Both. In that order.



Wine, beer, or soda?


Soda, especially the cheap store brands.



Where would you like to visit?


The one thing I have not yet experienced is a rocket launch. I would be 


happy to go anywhere where I can see a launch.





Favorite musical artist. 


The Chicago Symphony 


Orchestra




Favorite vacation.


Caribbean cruise with 


my wife. We had planned 


to renew our wedding vows on a cruise, Star Trek style. I was going to 


wear an Admiral’s dress uniform and she would wear a custom made 


leather and lace Klingon wedding dress. Those plans were cut short by 


COVID. Perhaps sometime in the future.




If you need a couple of Ferengi witnesses, let me know. 


Do you listen to music when you write?


Yes.



What?


Classical music with no 


vocals. A singer would be 


distracting, even if they 


were singing in a language 


I don’t understand.




What makes you laugh?


Good old-fashioned comedy; Bob Newhart, Flip Wilson; Red Skelton,  


the old masters of clean comedy.




Favorite work of art or 

sculpture.


Painting; “Paris Street; 


Rainy Day” by Gustave 


Caillebotte, on display at 


the Art Institute in 


Chicago. It reminds me of 


my first visit to Old Montreal in Quebec, Canada.




How old were you when you started writing?


Probably 12. My mom worked for a printing company and she would 


bring books and magazines home for us to read. I fell in love with  


reading and with science fiction stories and wanted to write my own


created my own little hand-made comic booksand hand-written 


novellas.



Describe your perfect evening.


A warm summer evening, away from the lights of the city, under a 


starlit sky. The Milky way would be visible along with an occasional 


shooting star and maybe the aurora borealis.





Where do you get your inspiration?


In my dreams, literally. I often wake up with ideas.




What do you do when you get a writer's block?


I just don’t write, I’ll find something else to do. Sometimes I might 


write a little fan fiction.




Who is your favorite 


author?


Isaac Asimov.



Best book you ever read.


I, Robot.



Last book you read.


Semiosis by Sue Burke



What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?


My first love has always been radio. Either in front of or behind the 


microphone.



Who is the one person who has influenced 


your personal life the most and why?


That would be my wife, Donna.  When I 


showed her the first draft of The 


Chronocar, she threatened to divorce me if 


I did not submit it somewhere. The rest is 


history.



I like her already. If you could sit down and 


have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, 


who would it be and why?


That’s a tough one. Probably James Earl Jones. I would love to hear 


how he worked with so many other great actors, directors and 


conductors in his lifetime, and I think I would simply enjoy listening 


his voice. I think I would resist the temptation to have him say “Luke, 


I am your father…”





What advice would you 

give someone who aspired 


to be a writer?


Someone once asked 

director Stanley Kubrick 

how to become a great 

film director. His answer 

was “make a film.” My advice is similar. You want to be a writer? 

Write. Just write. Don’t worry about how good it is or if anyone would 

like it. Just write.


Do you have some links for us to follow you?
LINKS:

To my website:   https://SteveBellinger.com

For my books: https://SteveBellinger.com/books  (there are links to purchase books here)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephan.bellinger/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-bellinger/









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Tuesday, November 5, 2024

BOOK REVIEW: Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand


This short story written by New York Times Bestselling Author Elin Hilderbrand was on the Amazon list of great reads for August so I picked it up. I am used to Hilderbrand’s fantastic summer beach reads. 
This was not one of them. 

I know a short story does not allow time for great character development, and I accept that. But this seemed rushed. Written in the present tense, it covered large blocks of time  in few sentences. 

Here is the gist: young, naive woman and her boyfriend plan a trip to the Galapagos. Boyfriend packs his camera and has a list of wildlife photos he wants to shoot. At the airport, he is called home on a family emergency. But he insists she go on the trip alone.  

 Not one of my favorite Hilderbrand’s, but still worth reading the main character’s journey. 









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Monday, November 4, 2024

ART: Danish Photographer Inge Schuster


What I love about Danish Artist Inge Schuster’s beautiful work is the strong architectural elements in her photography. 












 


Refererences
  Facebook
  IngeSchusterartist.com
  OAP (OnlyArtPosters.com) 













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Vision and Verse does not store any personal information like email addresses, home addresses, etc. We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.


Sunday, November 3, 2024

SCHEDULE: November 4-8, 2024

 


Mon., November 4 - ART:
Danish Photographer
Inge Shuster
Tues., November 5 - BOOK REVIEW:
Natural Selection
by Erin Hilderbrand
Wed., November 6 - INTERVIEW:
Science Fiction Author Steve Bellinger
Thurs., November 7 - TV TIME:
Sisyphus
(Netflix)
Fri., November 8 - BOOK:
Sea Witch
by Carol Ann Kauffman









VISION AND VERSE DISCLAIMER

Note:

Vision and Verse does not store any personal information like email addresses, home addresses, etc. We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.