Read the Outlaw Galaxy series -- swashbuckling space adventure stories!

Head on over to my website, www.BillSmithBooks.com or www.OutlawGalaxy.com, where you can download and read some of my Outlaw Galaxy stories for Free. Space fantasy action-adventure at its finest!

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

This Time There is No Excuse

 Four years ago, some of you could be excused for voting the way you did. You wanted someone different, someone who was not a career politician, you didn't like or trust Hillary, whatever. Low information voters always have excuses.

But this time, this year, it is time to stand up and be counted.

This time you know exactly what you are getting. You are getting a man who has no qualifications or even any desire to do the job. 

A man who has not only allowed but actively encouraged policies that have resulted in nearly 200,000 deaths instead of trying to stop a disease outbreak. He is guilty of what a former Federal Prosecutor called, "Negligent Homicide." He has committed a crime against humanity through his actions.

A man who has put innocent children in cages and encouraged policies that allowed them to be subjected to outrageous neglect and harm. 

A man who has shown unlimited corruption in his policies and administration, who routinely hires people with no qualifications for key positions, who defies court orders at every turn and who feels the law does not apply to him. 

A man who routinely lies and makes up the most outrageous falsehoods about anyone who dares to question him.

A man who, in the judgement of the Republican controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reached out to a foreign, hostile government and cultivated their support to gain personal power and wealth. 

He is objectively a traitor to the United States, by any standard.

He and his enablers have all betrayed this country. And thousands and thousands more will die as this disease rampages out of control due to their callous disregard for the sanctity of human life -- so much for being Pro Life, these hypocritical, awful men and women.

This time there is no excuse.

If you vote for this man and his enablers, you are siding with what can only be called evil. 

You cannot profess to be a good person, a follower of Jesus and God, and support this man and this party.

We are all called to account for ourselves at some point. We must look in the mirror and be honest with ourselves, if nothing else ... but I truly doubt we get off that easy. All of us are held to account for our actions at some point.

If you support this man, at this point, after four years of this nonsense, you know what you are supporting. You are going into this election with your eyes wide open. You no longer have any excuses. 

If you support this man, at this point, you are objectively a bad person. May God have mercy on your soul.

Monday, April 20, 2020

Bill Smith Bibliography

The Outlaw Galaxy Series

Outlaw Galaxy 4: Little Wind and Other Tales Five short stories of magic, wonder and adventure among the stars and distant worlds of Outlaw Galaxy. Free at most retailers: Short story collection, 15,000 words, about 45 pages, reading time: one hour.

Outlaw Galaxy 3: Hunter's Truth and Other Tales Five short stories filled with the adventure and wonder of the Outlaw Galaxy universe. Short story collection, 18,500 words, about 53 pages, reading time: one hour.

Outlaw Galaxy 2: Fugitive Among the Stars Trip and his friend Johnnie O. visit Johnnie's cousins for a simple vacation riding anti-grav scooters in the trails and woods of Karrison's wilderness. However, their plans are interrupted when an out-of-control freighter crashes near their campsite and they rescue its badly injured pilot, Bosh Tippen. The boys find themselves pursued by gunmen looking to capture Bosh and return him to vicious gangster Croll Weixx! Novel, 72,500 words, 207 pages, reading time: five hours.

Outlaw Galaxy 1: Trip and the Space Pirates Benjamin "Trip" Trippany lives with his Uncle Craz in the busy port city of Pennick's Crossing, working in his Uncle's starship repair bay while dreaming of someday having his own ship and adventuring among the stars. A chance encounter and chase through the bustling city delivers him into the clutches of Diamond Black Joe, the infamous space pirate. Forced to join the pirate gang, Trip learns that they plan to attack and capture a Sh'nar cargo ship fleet, where his best friend Jinx works. Forced to choose between his own safety and saving his best friend, Trip is plunged into a rousing space adventure filled with deep space battles, shipboard blaster shoot-outs with pirates and a desperate struggle to save the Sh'nar from Diamond Black Joe's pirate gang. Novel, 69,000 words, 197 pages, reading time: about four and a half hours.

Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels

A comprehensive guide to 100 of the coolest starships and vehicles from the classic Star Wars movies, novels, comic books and games. How does Luke Skywalker's X-wing stack up against the Empire's TIE Interceptor? How deadly were the Empire's Death Stars? What makes the Millennium Falcon the "fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy"? Each entry includes a description of the vehicle or starship, as well as an illustration and detailed diagram. Del Rey Books * $18 * ISBN 0-345-39299-X

Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology

A guide to the gadgets and weapons of the Star Wars universe, from lightsabers, Chewbacca's bowcaster and blasters to holographic imaging systems and Boba Fett's rocket pack. Includes descriptions of hand-held and starship weapons, "everyday" technology, espionage gear and exotic, "one-of-a-kind" items. Del Rey Books * $18 * ISBN 0-345-41413-6

Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded

Don't just read the novels, join the action! Take on the role of a Rebel fighter pilot, a Jedi Knight, a smuggler or anything else you can imagine as you and your friends battle the forces of the evil galactic Empire.

Praised for the simplicity and intuitiveness of the D6 role-playing system introduced in the first edition of the game, the Second Edition greatly expanded techniques for cinematic storytelling, added many more skill and character type options, and greatly expanded the scope of the Star Wars roleplaying game to cover all eras, from Republic era to well into the New Republic era, while detailing how to player all types of characters beyond the traditional "Rebels vs. the Empire" roles.

Both editions available on Amazon: I recommend Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, although the original Second Edition is also available. By Bill Smith, Peter Schweighofer, George R. Strayton, Paul Sudlow, Eric S. Trautmann, Greg Farshtey * West End Games * ISBN 0-87431-435-6

Star Wars: Ships of the Fleet: The Galactic Empire An amazing three-dimensional "pop-up" book with a comprehensive guide to the Empire's most deadly starships and vehicles. See the interior of an AT-AT Walker, find out how the many types of TIE fighters stack up in battle...and see, in dramatic fashion, how the Empire's Super Star Destroyer Executor stacks up against the other ships in the fleet! Little, Brown * ISBN 0-7522-2270-8

Star Wars: Ships of the Fleet: The Rebel Alliance The Rebel Alliance's most powerful combat vehicles and starships are described in this fascinating three-dimensional pop-up book. See the interior of Luke Skywalker's X-wing and the workhorse Y-wing fighter, find out about the Alliance's amazing A-wing and B-wing fighters and learn about the Mon Calamari battle cruisers and their orbiting starship yards! Little, Brown * ISBN 0-7522-2275-9

For Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (West End Games)

Author
  • The DarkStryder Campaign (Boxed Set)*
  • Creatures of the Galaxy.*
  • Galaxy Guide 8: Scouts.*
  • Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition.
  • Planets of the Galaxy, Volume One.*
  • Star Wars Gamemaster Kit.*
* Co-Author

Editor/Developer for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (West End Games)
  • Secrets of the Sisar Run
  • The Black Sands of Socorro
  • Hives of Scum and Villainy
  • Mos Eisley Adventure Set
  • No Disintegrations
  • Operation: Elrood
  • Star Wars Gamemaster Screen, Revised
  • Shadows of the Empire Planets Collection
  • Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook
  • Imperial Entanglements
  • The Truce at Bakura Sourcebook
  • Galaxy Guide 12: Aliens, Enemies and Allies
  • The DarkStryder Campaign (Boxed Set)
  • Alliance Intelligence Reports
  • Fantastic Technology
  • Platt's Starport Guide
  • Goroth: Slave of the Empire
  • Classic Campaigns
  • Creatures of the Galaxy
  • Star Wars Miniatures Battles Companion
  • The Star Wars Planets Collection
  • Galaxy Guide 11: Criminal Organizations
  • Imperial Sourcebook, Second Edition
  • Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, Second Edition
  • The Last Command Sourcebook
  • Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters
  • Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook
  • Star Wars Movie Trilogy Sourcebook
  • Planets of the Galaxy, Volume Three
  • Dark Empire Sourcebook
  • Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim
  • Star Wars Gamemaster Handbook
  • Wanted by Cracken
  • Galaxy Guide 7: Mos Eisley
  • Star Wars: Gamemaster Screen
  • Dark Force Rising Sourcebook
  • The Politics of Contraband
  • Heir to the Empire Sourcebook
  • The Abduction of Crying Dawn Singer
  • Mission to Lianna
  • Planet of the Mists
  • Planets of the Galaxy, Volume One
  • Death Star Technical Companion
  • Star Wars Gamemaster Kit
  • Cracken's Rebel Field Guide

Magazine Articles

  • "Aliens Among Us", Star Wars Kids magazine, #2 (February/March 1999).
  • "Behind the Wheel--With Kids Who Race!", Star Wars Kids magazine, #3 (April/May 1999).
  • "Brain Blasters," "Who is That Alien?" Monthly columns. Star Wars Kids magazine.
  • "Boba Fett" poster for Star Wars: Boba Fett collectors' magazine.
  • "The Jedi Knights" poster Star Wars Galaxy magazine.
  • Star Wars Villains poster magazine.
  • "The Imperial Fleet" magazine article. Science Fiction Spectacular.
  • "Hunting the Hunters." Star Wars Galaxy magazine, #6.
  • "Battle of Cadinth." Star Wars Galaxy magazine, #2.
  • "Taggor Bren." Star Wars Galaxy magazine, #1.

Other Writing Credits

  • Press releases and website maintenance for Mohawk International Raceway, Hogansburg, NY. (2009-2010 seasons).
  • Copywriter, www.HersheysRacing.com (2001-2002 seasons; website now inactive).
  • Promoter, press releases and announcer for Frogtown International Speedway (now Mohawk International Raceway), Hogansburg, NY (1998-1999 seasons).
  • Columnist, Area Auto Racing News (1998 season).
  • Star Wars Finest: Vehicles and Vessels trading cards.
  • "The Devil You Know." Shattered and Other Stories (for Shatterzone), West End Games.
  • "The Dreams of Midnight." Mysterious Cairo (for Torg), West End Games.
  • "Gypsor's Luck." Dragons Over England (for Torg), West End Games

Bill Smith Biography

Bill, hard at work writing at a beach ... in the woods (it's an
Adriondacks thing). I write all of my first drafts by hand in
cursive. Go ask an old person what cursive is, kids.
Bill Smith's books have sold nearly half a million copies. He has written for leading publishers such as Del Rey Books, Little Brown, Lucasfilm, Topps, West End Games, TSR Inc. and Wizard Press.

From 1991 to 1997, he served as the Star Wars roleplaying game line editor for West End Games. In 1995, he was voted "Favorite Designer" by the RPGA, the world's largest organization for role-playing game enthusiasts. He has also written for Hershey Foods, the WIT Agency, and has been involved in motorsports promotion, marketing and journalism for nearly three decades.

Bill can't remember a time that he didn't love science fiction and fantasy. He remembers being three or four years old and watching Star Trek reruns with his Mom and spending time in his Kindergarten class drawing crude pictures of Sleestaks and thinking up new story ideas for Land of the Lost.

Bill was in the fourth grade when he realized that he wanted to be an author. Growing up in a small, rural town, he discovered Star Wars not through the movies, but through comics and novels.

He very clearly remembers pestering a classmate to borrow his copy of the Marvel Star Wars Super Special, flipping through drawings of X-Wing and TIE fighters battling above the Death Star, and thinking to himself, "I want to write this when I grow up!" He then got the Star Wars novelization and The Star Wars Album with all kinds of cool pictures and deatils. It was love.

His fate was decided. He spent countless hours writing stories featuring Han Solo and his trusty sidekick, Luke Skywalker, and soon after that, added Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers stories, in addition to creating his own characters and settings. In eighth grade, he spent a few minutes flipping through a friend's Dungeons and Dragons rulebook and was captivated. It led to a long-time fascination with creating adventures set in the world of elves, orcs, and twenty-sided dice. At about the same time, he also discovered and fell in love with Marvel and DC comics, read his first Tolkien and Terry Brooks, and his homeroom teacher introduced him to the wonderful Brian Daley Han Solo novels.
Bill, his wife Amy, and their son, Billy. (summer 2019)

Bill earned a BA Public Communications (1990) from the The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY, where he was editor of the student newspaper. During his college years, he also did public relations and race announcing for the Champlain Valley Racing Association, all the while hoping to write roleplaying games, comics and fiction professionally.

In 1991, Bill joined West End Games and fulfilled his childhood dream of professionally writing and developing role-playing games and stories. As line editor for the Star Wars roleplaying game, he edited or contributed to over forty Star Wars game products, authored updated versions of the game, and wrote two Star Wars Essential Guides for Del Rey books. Bill also consulted on several projects for Lucasfilm, including the X-Wing computer game guidebook, the Parker Brothers Star Wars Monopoly edition, several Star Wars novels, and the Star Wars Customizable Card Game from Decipher.

In 1997, Bill left West End Games. He and his wife returned to their hometown in the foothills of New York's Adirondack Mountains. At that time, he began writing what would become the Outlaw Galaxy series. In addition, he served as PR director and promoter at Mohawk International Raceway (then Frogtown International Speedway) and taught at a local high school.

In 2000, Bill and his wife moved to Central Pennsylvania, where he worked as a copywriter for an advertising agency. He developed and wrote the original HersheysRacing.com website (now inactive). In addition, he has held a number of jobs, both dreadfully ordinary and delightfully unusual. He particularly enjoyed his time as a ghost tour guide in Gettysburg, PA (GhostsOfGettysburg.com) and as announcer at Hagerstown Speedway and Susquehanna Speedway Park (now BAPS Motor Speedway).

In 2004, Bill and his wife returned to their hometown in Northern New York, in the foothills of New York's Adirondack Mountains and just a few miles from the Canadian border. They still live in their hometown, with their son Billy and their adopted poodle, Ted, and enjoy much laughter and a great deal of gratitude for the many blessings they have in their lives.

Bill works a day job to support his writing habit and enjoys writing Outlaw Galaxy stories. He hopes you enjoy them.


A cold Spring day, Billy and Bill hanging out ... 

While Ted the poodle photobombs Amy. "Excellent!"