Well, Squiders, we’ve all seen it. First the little bookstores died when the big box bookstores like Barnes and Noble and Borders came in. And then even Borders went under, and the industry generally despairs of there being physical bookstores
Fantasy Race Series: Zombies
Starting us off today with both the series and the end of the alphabet are zombies, undead creatures who can infect the living to create more of their own. Zombies are the race to go to, these days, now that
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles Readalong: Howl’s Moving Castle
First off, if you’ve come from a link somewhere to tell me that Howl’s Moving Castle isn’t part of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles–yes, thank you, I know. For people who’ve been along for the ride, this month we read Howl’s
Fiction in the Forward
Forwards are odd bits of a book. You don’t see them a lot in fiction works, but when you do, it tends to be in books where the author is purporting to have “found” the manuscript somewhere and, through whatever
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles Readalong: Talking to Dragons
Well, Squiders, here we are at the end of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. The elaborate plan set up at the end of Calling on Dragons has been executed, Mendanbar has been freed, the wizards have been vanquished, and everyone is
The Allure of a Good Sea Yarn (And Why the High Seas are Like Space Travel)
I think I’ve mentioned before, Squiders, that I don’t really like historical fiction. It’s my least favorite genre. That’s not to say that it can’t be well done, and, indeed, I have read some very good historical fiction in my
Anthologies: Pros and Cons
Ah, anthologies. I love to write for them. I am usually disappointed when I read them. It boggles the mind. Just to make sure we’re all on the same page, an anthology is a collection of stories from different authors
Dealing with Side Characters
You know, Squiders, main characters are bad enough. They don’t do what you want them to do, or they forget the plot in a moment of passion, or you turn your back for a moment and they’ve decided being a
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles Readalong: Calling on Dragons
Nooooooooooo cliffhanger. Well, Squiders, we’ve reached book 3. (I think this may have been the one I read first as a kid. It seems…more familiar than the others, if such a thing can be said about a series of books
Where Has All the Hard Science Fiction Gone?
So, I recently finished reading Inherit the Stars by James P. Hogan, a hard science fiction novel from 1985. We talked about some of the things that were a little bit jarring a few weeks ago in the Old Science
