You Know You're the Real Thing When...

         When I was doing my clinicals as part of Paramedic training, one of the old veterans, a guy with 30+ years behind the wheel, told me, "Son, it don't matter what kind of license the state gives you.  That just means you're trained.  You ain't a Medic until another Medic say you are."  So it was a big day for me, when leaving the ER after a particularly nauseating call (like, gangrene in August nausiating)  That same old lag said to me, "Son, you can ride with me anytime."

          That kind of recognition from an old pro in your chosen vocation is worth everything; it lets you know that you're the real thing.  I received that level of praise recently when Winchell Chung, the man behind one of my favorite websites, Atomic Rockets, dropped me a line and said that he loved my work and was gratified that I put the info he put together on line to good use.  Hard science fiction isn't just about telling a good story; it about respecting physics and using the laws of nature to entertain and inspire your audience.  In other words, you can't fake it very well; you have to know what you're talking about.  To be acknowledged by someone who makes it their business teach others that information is huge for me.

         I also got some recognition on the artistic side recently:  A professional artist by the name of Jason Adams sent me a query about doing some work for Blue Max Studios.  He said he liked out stuff and his email gave every indication that he assumed that the Studio was a fully staffed company instead of a one-man operation.  I hated to disabuse him, but at the same time it was very flattering that my efforts are as professional looking as I try to make them.  He has a website, by the way, Rogue-Artist.com, that shows his work.  Check him out.


          Anyway, I will endeavor to have the Zhang Qing's supplemental content ready by Monday.  I'll see you then, RocketFans!