Author, Podcaster, and Programmer
Brand Gamblin is currently editing Invito Rex and podcasting it in episodes. Here is the latest: Chapter 13
After reading the Callahan Chronicles, I got it into my head to write a shaggy dog pun good enough for Spider Robinson. This was a challenge, as the man has been telling horrible puns for most of my life, and has refined the skill to an art.
When I had the chance to meet him at the Heinlein Centennial celebration, I had the honor of telling him my joke, and seeing him groan with appreciative pain. He told me later that he could not promise not to steal it. And now I share that joke with you.
No lie, this joke is 100 years old. It refers to the Mann Act of 1910. At the time, this law was summarized by the phrase “Transporting girls across the state line for immoral purposes.” It was a landmark, though vaguely phrased, law intending to curtail slavery and prostitution. So, anyway, here’s the joke:
Once, there was a scientist who discovered the secret to immortality. His formula required the bile duct of a seagull, which made reproducing the formula very difficult. As he was testing on mice and cats, he had to go out and get more and more seagulls. Finally, he had worked his way up to dolphins, which required more of the formula than any other animal. In order to prepare the formula, the scientist had to drive all the way out to the seaside to find as many seagulls as he could.
Flying Island Press has chosen my short story for their first issue. As this is the first time I’ve ever been paid for my fiction, it’s a big day for me. Here’s the press release from Flying Island:
Flying Island Press
Press Contact – Scott Roche
sroche@flyingislandpress.com
(336) 462-9676
Enjoy Your Sci-fi and Fantasy How and Where You Want
Beginning July 4th, science fiction and fantasy fans will be given a
new place where they can discover authors and stories they’ll be able
to enjoy wherever they go. Flagship, the new e-zine by publisher
Flying Island Press, will soon be releasing short stories every other
month in formats for the Kindle, the iPad and iPhone, and other
electronic readers.
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