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December 18, 2006 Site Update: Learn how Dave modeled two main characters (Alek Grey and Maya Rivero) from the Cyberdrome eBook and Cyberdrome Comic in the new People section of the Models page. December 12, 2006 Site Update: Learn how Dave builds all of the cool 3D models found on this site, in the newly created Design section of the Models page. Story Update: After many brainstorming sessions with Dave, I (Joe) decided to reorganize the first 5 chapters of our Cyberdrome Novel. In doing so, I realized that what is now chapter one, is far too slow and "info-ridden" to work as the introduction to our story. After all, a weak opening chapter is what kills most otherwise-good novels. Therefore, I am now in the process of completely rewriting the chapter, making it more active and exciting. So far, I really like what I have come up with (Dave says he can visualize it as the opening scene in a movie, so it must be good!) The new plan is to finish the rewrite this month, and then send it off to Tor books sometime in January. November 23, 2006 Site Update: Several updates: New dark-colored long-sleeved shirts were added to the Online Store. The About Section was completely made over (reorganized and more info added). The eBook and Comics sections were also modified a bit to make them more clear. The Novel Section now includes a brief introductory synopsis of the novel for new visitors. One more thing - Happy Turkey Day everyone! November 20, 2006 Media Update: New Logo wallpapers were added to the Media section - available is sizes from 640x480 to 1600x1200 and everything in between. This is the "Brass and Copper) version as seen on our opening splash page. Click here to preview it now. Story Update: Synopsis is almost complete and Dave is editing the changes made to the opening chapters of the book. We plan to send it all off to Tor book by the end of the month. November 03, 2006 Story Update: To paraphrase the Rolling Stones "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need." The mail arrived a few days ago with a very polite form letter from DAW books informing us that they "regrettably" had to pass on our book. They are a smallish publishing house and therefore put out only a few books per quarter, so we didn't really expect a first-author buy from them. However, since they had the shortest turnaround time, we went with them first. So, how does this apply the the words in the song above? Well, last week I had a brainstorm and came up with a much better opening chapter for the book--one that blew the current version out of the literary water. However, since the manuscript was at DAW, I didn't really want to change anything. Now I'm free again to do what I want, and I choose to rewrite!. See? Sometimes you DO get what you need. After the rewrite (couple of weeks), we will launch our new and improved manuscript towards publisher #2, which will be either Tor or Baen. Bigger publishers, which on one hand means more buys and possibly bigger sales (they have more money to spend on advertising), but on the other hand, they have hundreds of manuscripts sent to them every month, so their turnaround time is much longer (6-12 months each). That's a long time to wait for a "no thanks" - but that's the publishing business--you either deal with that or go the self-publishing route. Right now we choose to deal with it. Stay tuned for the next launch... Oh yes, a few new items added to the Store, now featuring both Copper and Steel Logos on shirts, cups, hats, and bags. Just in time for Xmas! November 01, 2006 Store Update: As promised, the Cyberdrome Store has been updated with 16 new items - all featuring the brand new Cyberdrome Logo. Check them out and remember - we make absolutely no profit from any items purchased (and everything is returnable if you don' like it). Enjoy... October 26, 2006 Site Update: While we wait patiently (!) for a response from the editors at DAW books, a new cool new intro page and revised main index pages were added to the site. The new pages incorporate a brand new "bird holding up a planet" logo which is now the official logo for the Cyberdrome company in the novel (the bird's wings form a stylized CD). Also look for this logo to appear on T-shirts and coffee mugs in our Online Store very soon. October 03, 2006 Story Update: The 110,000-word Cyberdrome manuscript was mailed off to DAW books last Saturday. As we mentioned, it could take 3 to 4 months for them to decide, and since very few manuscripts from first-time authors are accepted by the first publisher, we are not holding our breath. If a rejection does come in the mail, we will simply frame it, and then start with the next publisher (or agent) on the list. Dune was rejected 13 times before it was published, and the first Harry Potter had 14. Even Ray Bradbury, author of over 100 science fiction novels and stories – gathered around 800 rejections before selling his first story (see others here). While we can "hope" for something a bit faster, we certainly do not expect it (but keep your finger crossed, just in case). September 12, 2006 Store Update: The Cyberdrome Store has nine new items. Check them out and remember - we make no profit from any items purchased (and everything is returnable). Enjoy... September 08, 2006 Major Story News: The Cyberdrome Novel is officially finished today! Final draft, final edits, final everything! According to my notes, it has taken us exactly six years and 100 days from start to finish. We will now print out the 474-page manuscript, box it up, and mail it off to DAW books on October 1st (just because it is nice to start things on the first of the month). It will take 3 to 4 months for them to decide, so nobody hold their breath. To keep us from going crazy (and holding our breath) during the next few months, we will devote some time to updating this site (about time!). Expect some more models and perhaps even a few surprises. (?) Stay tuned... August 11, 2006 Story News: I spent the last month running the first part of the Cyberdrome Novel through an online writers workshop that I belong to, and received some really positive reviews. I am now officially calling the book "finished" and have given the manuscript to my brother Dave for a second (and final) proof reading. Following the standard publishers method of counting words, the story clocks in at just under 115,000 words! (No wonder I am so tired ;) Unless Dave finds some strange hidden plot discrepancies, this should be the final edit. The current plan is to mail off the manuscript to DAW books by mid-September. We will let you all know when that happens, so stay tuned... July 12, 2006 Site Update: Added many new images to the Models page (far too many to list here). Click here to see them all. June 29, 2006 Site Update: Added 4 new images to the Sets section and 4 new images to the Machines section of the Models page. June 28, 2006 Site Update: Added 4 new images to the new Models page. So many model images now, we had to break the page into 5 sections: Sets, Vehicles, Machines, Props, and People. Select the "Models" link on the navigation bar above (or click here) to go to the Models introduction page. June 23, 2006 Site Update: Added 12 new images to the new Models page; 2 showing details of Dragon landing gear, 2 showing exterior views from inside a digitally-generated city, 4 showing robotic Grid life forms, and 4 showing exterior and interior shots of a Sentinel Tracer. June 22, 2006 Site Update: Added a new "Future Simulation" page in the Games section, which gives a hint at what we hope to create some day soon. Cyberdrome started out as a 3D game/simulation, so it seems only fitting that it will return to that arena one day. Also, we added two new Rover images to the new Models page. June 20, 2006 Site Update: A vast number of computer-modeled people, stage sets, hand props, land vehicles, air vehicles, and robotic machines were built during the last six years. A few of these intricate models can now be viewed in our new Models page. Currently online are three modeled interior "movie" sets and one aircraft exterior / interior. Click here to see them now. June 08, 2006 Site Update: New Index page images added, including the Mantis page and Mole page. Click on the Index page image (or the word "Index" in the navigation bar) to cycle through all four versions. June 07, 2006 Site Update: Updated the Cyberdrome Technology page (now linked in the eBook section) with new images. Also brought back the Artificial Life and Character Profile pages (also linked in the eBook section). Finally, we added one new Desktop/Wallpaper to the Media section and added 1600x1200 pixel resolution version of all four sets. June 06, 2006 Site Redesign: Once or twice a year, we completely redesign the Cyberdrome website. Obviously, this is one of those times (at least, it is obvious if you are a regular visitor). Look around, and if you get lost, you can always refer to the Map link above to see where everything is located. In other news, Dave tells me he is reading the last few chapters of the Cyberdrome Novel this week, so I should be able to add his notes and changes during the next few weeks. Submission time is getting closer! As always, we will keep you updated as events unfold. May 24, 2006 Site Update: Even though the cover jackets for almost all novels are created by the publishers---with little or no input from the authors---we put forth our own cover jacket design for the Cyberdrome Novel in hopes that something like it will one day be found on your local book store shelves. See it by going to the Novels link above and clicking on the book image, or click here for the front cover, here for the back cover, and here for the full jacket design. May 18, 2006 Site Update: While the Cyberdrome Novel is being proofread by Dave, I (Joe) finally have some free time to finally update the web site. Four new images on the Index page start off the changes (click images to see them all). A bigger change the the exclusion of the downloadable chapters from the Cyberdrome illustrated eBook. This was necessary for two reasons: first, the novel has change significantly since the eBook preview was created; and second, I can't update the previews without jeopardizing trade publication rights for the Cyberdrome Novel. We hope you understand. And for those who read and enjoyed the preview, we hope you don't have to wait to much longer to read the completed novel... May 16, 2006 Story News: The Cyberdrome Novel is now finished! It is just under 96,000 words long which equals around 480 typed pages (nearly a full ream of paper). My brother Dave now has the awesome task of doing the final read-through before we submit it to a publisher. I am giving him an extra few weeks to do this, given the size of the manuscript, so we might hold off starting the submission process until sometime in June. As always, we will keep you updated as events unfold. April 25, 2006 Story News: Final paper-copy editing of the Cyberdrome Novel manuscript is 3/4 complete (300 pages) as of this morning - right on schedule (and maybe a bit ahead). Should be finished by the end of this week, then we will have all of May to type the paper-copy changes into the document (at 400 pages it could take me most of the month). Then we will make a few copies and send one full set off to my first-choice publisher, which is DAW books. If DAW turns us down, we will then pursue Tor books. Nearly all of the other major science fiction publishers require us to have an agent, so we will consider that (longer) route if Tor turns us down as well. I know that it is common for first-time novels to be rejected many times before finally being accepted by a publisher (even the really good ones), so we are counting no chickens before they are hatched. As always, we will keep you updated as events unfold. March 28, 2006 Big Story News: The first draft of the Cyberdrome Novel is now complete! (FINALLY!) I am calling it a "first" draft, even though over 80% of it has been through 4-5 editing sessions, so getting the remainder of this manuscript to a "final" draft form should not take long. We started this version of the Cyberdrome Novel on June 1st, 2000, so I plan to finish and polish the entire manuscript and then have it sent off to my first-pick publisher by that date (about 2 months from now). Why will it take another 2 months to edit a "completed" manuscript? Well, the reasons are many, but mainly because of the following: Manuscripts over 90,000 words long can have hundreds of poorly constructed sentences, or even typos, that are well hidden. Both I and my word processor could have missed them but a publisher's editor, reading it for the first time, will spot them easily. Writing a plot-driven book over the course of six years will probably contain at least a few "plot holes" - places where I changed something in one section, but forgot to change it in another. Even the editor might miss this but the readers will not. This book is intended to be both a stand-alone novel, as well as serve as the beginning of a long-lasting series if the first book does well. Therefore, a lot of futuristic technology and other plot devices that we invented need to be well defined so that they will make still sense in novels that might be written 10 or 20 years from now. A a "pilot" book for a series, we have included a number of side stories and plot branches that should not stand out in this book, but will lead the way to future stories. They all need to be checked to make sure they all make sense. Finally, there is the old saying; "You never get a second chance to make a good first impression." Since it takes upwards of 3 months for each publisher to review a manuscript (and you can NOT submit to two at the same time), we don't want to "blow it" with the first ones just because we were anxious to get it out. It's been a six-year journey - we can wait another two months to make sure it is exactly what we want. March 1, 2006 Story News: Six years in the making, the Cyberdrome Novel is now over 90,000 words long and is 95% complete! There are only two scenes left to be written and then the final editing will begin. I hope to begin the submittal process no later than the end of next month. With any luck, you might (finally) get to read the novel in its entirety by Xmas! (Okay, maybe Xmas 2007 ;) Site Update:  Just a reminder that the Rhea-fx.com site is going away forever in April, so if you still have a bookmark to that site, please replace them soon with Cyberdrome.org. Store Changes:  Last, but not least, the Cyberdrome Store will be replacing all of its "Spider" merchandise with new "Raptor" versions later this month, so make sure you buy something soon before the change takes place. Note that you will get a final notice here before the change occurs. January 18, 2006 Story News: The title of the Cyberdrome Novel has been officially changed from "Cyberdrome: Emergent Behavior" to simply "Cyberdrome". This simplifies the number of titles we have to keep trademarked, and also the first book of many series often bears the name of the series (examples: Dune by Frank Herbert, Berserker by Fred Saberhagen, even the Matrix trilogy by the Wachowski brothers started with "The Matrix") so we are in good company. Also, the first 15 chapters of our illustrated online preview of Cyberdrome are now available as 15 separate downloadable pdf files, which replaces the previous (and larger) 3-section files. We also removed the password protection for reading them. Go to the eBooks section or just click here to read them now. January 06, 2006 Site Update:  For 2006 we added Google AdSense advertisements to the bottom of each the nine section pages. If used regularly, they could help defray the cost of maintaining this otherwise free site. Note that we do not endorse any product or service shown in the ads, but since most of them should be relevant to this site's content (science fiction, publishing, etc.) they might actually be useful to some of our readers. Also, just clicking on the links from time to time helps us out a bit, so feel free to browse. Story News: The Cyberdrome Novel is finally nearing completion and 2006 is the year that we will submit it for publication. As you may or may not know, submission is a lengthy processes, with publishers taking as long as 6 months to make a decision. Added to the fact that you are only allowed to submit your work to one publisher at a time, means that even a great book can take well over a year to reach a contract, then maybe another 6-12 months to finally see print. We hope you all can wait that long. In the meantime, we will continue to provide glimpses into the world we are creating, and we hope to add another installment to the Cyberdrome Comic soon. Also watch for more wallpapers, movies, and store items. Stay tuned - this is going to be a big year...

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