At Home with a Science-Fiction Family

The winner of the contest for the uncorrected proof of my upcoming book, The Last Mortal Man, is Ken Sato of San Ramon, CA. Congratulations! Everyone else who entered will get an autographed postcard and my sincere thanks for helping me update my mailing list.

The book lauch party for The Last Mortal Man will be on July 7th, at the University Bookstore in Seattle (near UW.) Details to follow.

So I was shopping recently with Kai (my two-year-old son) and we passed a display of toy blasters and light sabers that were perfectly proportioned to Kai and of course set at his eye level. Feeling a bit like a bad mother, I purchased my son minature weapons of destruction. This was, for the record, his first gun-like toy.

So we get home and the weapons are a huge hit, both with Kai and his father (Eric S. Nylund, also a science-fiction writer.) Eric pulled his light saber out of the closet and father and son began dueling. (Hmm? "Kai I am your father.")

Shortly after I took this picture I pulled my light saber out and the duel became a three-way battle. My concern about indoctrinating Kai to violence eased. Apparently we are just the kind of family where everyone has a light saber.