Thompson, Is It?
"A.J. Thompson" was the pen name I used to launch my preliminary writing career, which began with "Yet Another Reality" (Aphelion, Mar. 1999) and ran through "Line 43" (Anotherealm, February 2005). During this time I wrote many stories of which I was very proud ("Color Conformity," "Swarm," "The Gilded Flame"). I also wrote many stories that to this day beg the question: why? (*cough!*...Starship Earth...*sneeze!*..."Don't Feed Santa Yellow Snow...") Of my time on the proving grounds I can only say that I was fortunate to have rubbed elbows with some very patient writers and editors who were able to put up with all the angst, naivety, and gatherings of muscular / sexy naked people in Kyrthian brothels. I'll have to post here once the second five-year chunk of my career has passed—hopefully I will have learned a thing or two.
On a side not, regarding the "Thompson" name: Many people think "A.J. Thompson" was derived as a tribute to Doni Thompson (one of a handful of inspirations behind the main character in The Spandex Hero, as well as an early crush of mine), but the pen name was actually inspired by the Thomson twins—my two favorite Tintin characters. I always preferred the "Thompson" spelling, though, and so used that instead.
