I’ve started a new series: the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers. This is her debut novel and I enjoyed it a good bit. A motley crew made up of several different species runs the warp hole tunneling ship Wayfarer. When they take on a new crew member, she learns the true meaning of family as…
I’ve started a new sci-fi series recently: the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Despite the name, they’re not horror but humorous adventure, very similar to what I like to think my books are like. The protagonist in the series is an organic/robotic construct designed as a security unit. However, it has hacked its governor module…
I’m starting a new feature of the blog: reviews of classic science fiction novels and movies. I’ll begin with one of my favorites: Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein. It’s the far distant future, on a far distant planet, and an old man is dying … or is he? Woodrow Wilson Smith, aka Lazarus…
As a writer, I like to read within my genre, both to see what’s trending and also to see what sorts of writers I’ll be facing on the market. I also just like sci-fi stories, of course, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing them. What are some pros of reading within your genre as an author?…
I love Dean Koontz — he has a knack for setting the hairs on your nape standing up, while still leaving you with a feel-good ending (unlike Stephen King, who leaves a bitter taste in my mouth with his dystopian endings). Since his wife, Michelle, left seven years ago, Jeffy Coltrane has worked to maintain…
Here’s what I’m reading today in science fiction: Lou Diamond Phillips — yes, the actor guy! — has published a science-fiction retelling of the old folk tale “The Tinderbox.” In the original story, there are three dogs of varying sizes. In Phillips’ work, the “dogs” are high-tech devices of which I will speak no further.…
I’ve sent off three stories so far: The Insecure Writer’s Support Group for their “Dark Matter” anthology, Shoreline of Infinity with a humorous story about velyr at a sci-fi convention, and On The Premises with a story about smells. I’m also working on a story (due tomorrow of course) for my 12 Stories in 12…
This is from the new first-person POV chapter: “What in Raiji’s name is it?” I peer over my friend Amr’s shoulder at the desk monitor. I — even after all these centuries the concept startles me at times. I am separate from Amr, from the rest of his triad here in the scanning room of…
Here’s a short sample of a scene I’ve been working on. Tell and Lontano are flying to Atlanta, Georgia to record their new album with the band. “I could definitely get used to this.” Tell dropped into the window seat and stretched out his long legs. He peered out the window at the tarmac, squinting…
This is an interesting novel, though a bit of a slow-read in spots. You wander amongst several story lines (a pirate, collectors and storytellers, an innkeeper and the moon, Fate, and several mortals who seem entwined in the above stories) to reach the ultimate conclusion of all tales at the end of the book. Here’s…