The story below is a work of fiction, but please read the footnote*. The evening of my first show with the band was that one annual autumn night where the season’s first frost comes. Pitch black by dinnertime, gentle smoke scent but no fire, powdered ice on the fallen leaves. Was there a significance to … Story: Cold Open
May the waters spill as they glorify You. May the stones crack and crumble as they praise You. May the skies rend like threadbare garments as they honor You. May the galaxies spin and spend their flames as they bow down to You. May the cosmos return to the impenetrable chaos of the dark depths … Poem: Whither Creation
Item 1: I have new links to donwload Pale Blue Scratch and Bored in the Breakroom on the About + Books + Subscribe page for free. A few more online retailers. Item 2: My friend Graham, under the name Silent Music, put out a new album, called Taciturn Headphonetics. I have no idea how to … New Book Links and an Album
The story below is a work of fiction. A competitor called in all their remote workers, ones that were hired during you know what. So we did it too. Mandated by next calendar year. People are already pregaming before the big day. Today there was a guy in my normal seat at the cafe. I … Story: Quarantine IX
A superchat was left recently for one of Ben’s Suspicious0bservers livestreams. I forget which livestream it was, since he does a lot of them, but I do remember it was from a band’s YouTube account: Something to consider folks: you can’t avoid the truth of this becoming a myth, don’t try to hand down the … The Truth Might Be Mythical
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, Part 2 Jolyne and Co. fight more of the inmates at Green Dolphin Street Prison to gain possession of Dio’s backbone. Not much to say here—it’s part of an entire season, so there’s scant development in terms of moving the overall plot forward. I figured out, after so many episodes … Sci-fi and Fantasy Movies and Series Reviews, Part 38
As the cube drags itself through the drying mud, its path cuts an even sheen into the brown. In later years, when all the water has left for the sky, we can break through the cracked dirt, open it, and discover the blessings underneath.
The story below is a work of fiction. The morning back at work, to the office. All maskless. My state just said to hell with everything and do what you want, and what we wanted, it seems, is to go back to how it was. Mass normalcy bias hypnosis to replace the other fearful hypnosis. … Story: Quarantine VIII
The Cosmic Courtship, written by Julian Hawthorne (the son of Nathaniel, of The Scarlet Letter fame) was serialized in pulp magazines in 1917, and hadn’t seen print since then until Cirsova Publishing came along and offered it in novel format. It’s considered an early science fiction work, though like all good science fiction it was … Book Review: The Cosmic Courtship by Julian Hawthorne
From That Hideous Strength: “Why you fool, it’s the educated reader who can be gulled. All our difficulty comes with the others. When did you meet a workman who believes the papers? He takes it for granted that they’re all propaganda and skips the leading articles. He buys his paper for the football results and … C.S. Lewis on Educated Readers
In a different timeline, he was standing on a beach of calm tides, looking across at the orange sunset burst. He might’ve been a little bit taller, a little less weird in the face, more extroverted. Outward with his energy, the things people admit to liking when they murmur to each other. There was a … Story: Prior Restraint
A ghost tries to scare a visitor away from her decrepit house so he isn’t harmed, but her attempts have a much different effect. I stood on the precipice of a grand philosophical conclusion one afternoon, when a group of boys, stepping over the leaf-drowned border of the estate, bantered back and forth loudly enough … Story: Prisoner Invisible
WE HAD A scheduled day off today, but the medusazoans showed up. Protocol dictates we have to make an effort to contact them whenever this happens, but there’s nothing said about recording or even logging the event when no one is on an active shift, as it is during our working days. Technicalities and such; … Story: The Ezekiel Triptych
Well, it looks like I’m going to have to use “retarded” more often. From dictionary.com’s annual post about what words we’re supposed to not use now. Dumb SEE DEFINITION The word dumb is very old and very common. You’ve likely heard it millions of times as a way of talking about a joke or movie … Words to Use More in 2021
Paper Mario: The Origami King is the sixth Paper Mario installment. Since the series’ games borrow heavily from role-playing conventions, there’s an logical narrative involved, contrasted with the thin “save the princess” plots of Mario’s side-scroller games. While the story for Origami King is good, even great at some points, there are times when it … How Paper Mario: The Origami King’s Story Could Have Been Better
“‘A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories,’” quoted my sparrow, Jordie, perched on my shoulder, the sound of human language underlaid with her natural staccato chirps. “‘Doorless. Windowless.’” Jordie repeated “windowless” a few moments later, perhaps thinking the intense clamor of birds above us, on the perimeter of the building, drowned out the word. … Story: Cardinal Virtues
2047: Virtual Revolution It felt like this was trying to be one of those litRPG stories in cinematic form. Or Blade Runner with updated tech. Pass on this. The Colony (2013) Paint by numbers zombie smash and grab, in an arctic-weather apocalypse. Also pass on this. Sunshine I watched this while I was high on … Sci-fi and Fantasy Movie and Series Reviews, Part 13
The story below is a work of fiction. Back to work tomorrow, in eight hours. Last minute preparations. What will it be like; we still have to wear masks. What will it look like, work friends that have been disembodied for the last four months, trying to be social. What’s the protocol for stepping into … Story: Quarantine VII
Worlds upon worlds in endless succession rise up from the raw material ooze below, and present themselves for consideration. After a length of time, as though they tire of waiting for a decision, many of them ascend to the ceiling to submerge themselves back into the primal-matter plasma, to be broken down and remolded for … Story: A Creative Process
I don’t play video games as much any more, but besides the occasional campaign I will run through, I’ll also indulge in multiplayer if the kids are around. You don’t need a storyline for a party video game, since the “story” is the interaction you have with the people (meatspace or virtual) you’re playing with. … An Actual Story for a Party Game
The first omnibus I ever read was a Christmas present from my wife: the More Than Complete Hitchhiker’s Guide collection—the one pictured at the bottom of the pile up there. I had read the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy book when I was in high school, but none of the sequels. This factoid is important … On the Perils of Reading an Omnibus
The story below is a work of fiction. My gym reopened. Waiting in my car, in the parking lot. Should I go in. What if it’s a trap. Owners now lead a COVID-19 cult, worshipping a pestilence god only found in Dungeons & Dragons campaign manuals, luring human bodies back through their doors to trap … Story: Quarantine VI
I posted this about a decade ago here, but I never posted the actual text. I suppose it doesn’t matter that much but a part of me will feel restless until I actually do, especially I mentioned I would do it way back when. So here it is. It was inspired by something I had … Story: Eve’s Geometry
This was a story I wrote some time ago for Discovery Christian Church, for a Christmas season service that focused on storytelling and art. The story was printed into a little booklet and sold after the service. The money went to a charity, I think. The art was done by one Kevin Rupert. One of … Story: A Native’s Story
The story below is a work of fiction. One of three birds has been waking me up in the morning. Windows open–rude awakenings are my unjust reward, straight from the bosom of Mother Nature, for allowing her to get closer to me. Their calls are words. One says “Germany, Germany, Germany.” The other says “I … Story: Quarantine V
The story below is a work of fiction. We went somewhere. It was a sort of fraternal hall with shopping. Perfectly healthy folks demeaning themselves with masks, hunching over their carts pathetically because standing up straight like a biped with proper lumbar curvatures was too much to ask. Heaven help them if they start smoking … Story: Quarantine IV
The story below is a work of fiction. It’s come to this. Did everything humanly possible in my matchbox apartment that I could do: meals for the week, wiped everything down, swept corners like those marines in Aliens, swept them again, ironed anything fabric, cleaned my computer of dust and questionable downloads. My phone. I … Story: Quarantine III
The story below is a work of fiction. He went on a date. It was illegal in 40 states, maybe theirs. She texted if he wanted her to wear a mask but he forgot to reply. She wore a headscarf but no not for religious reasons. Her family was from the Maghreb but she looked … Story: Quarantine II
This is a story I submitted to the 2020 Parsec Ink short story contest. It wasn’t accepted, obviously, so here it is, for free. Mrs. James Livermore’s lantern’s light gleamed pale orange onto the weary faces of little Liliana Livermore and her younger brother, Junior, upon their hasty approach to Mrs. Livermore and myself. The … Story: The Lesser Founts at Ilmarinton
Going to read and re-read this until I go cross-eyed and hallucinate the omitted determiner in the title.
The story below is a work of fiction. Top link in my news story feed was a travel blogger having to file for unemployment because of COVID-19. Imagine being an “influencer.” Calling yourself that. What to put on the census, what do you tell people at parties. Practice saying it in front of the mirror … Story: Quarantine
The story below is a work of fiction. I was born after Mom died. The delivering doctor was an Artifice, a high-function, high-powered—and high-priced—android. Mom and Dad only had enough credits to save either Mom or me from the complication. Dad told me, when I was old enough, Mom made the decision without hesitation. The … Story: Imbolc Eve
The story below is a work of fiction. The android sat crossed-legged and scratched at his head—two gestures he had learned from his days of living with real humans, when they were alive. He held one of their bodies in his hand. It didn’t move, just like all the other ones scattered in front of … Story: Artificial
The story below is a work of fiction. Her hand was nestled into the crook of his elbow as he lead her down the crowded, powdered-white street. The layered sheets of blurry white specks floated down and the sight of their meandering, parallax paths made the couples’ route a kaleidoscopic adventure. They threaded the needle … Story: Urban Planning
The story below is a work of fiction. The aliens abducted the man and placed him into a spartan but comfortable room in the zoo. Patrons of only a few alien races walked by to observe him. When the flow of observers increased, and interest in his presence became more acute, his keepers filled out … Story: Caravaggio Prison
The story below is a work of fiction. The lady kept eyeing her on the train, like yesterday. What is this intruder doing here again, she was probably thinking. Another working woman to contend for her Queen Bee perch, overlooking the morning commute. The paranoid thought life of older working ladies: muggers, ex-husbands, rapists, and … Story: The Second Day of Work
At one of my old jobs, someone had left a poorly-worded note in the break room: “coat doesn’t fit. trade?” I wrote this out and taped it up next to it. I almost considered getting it written it up in calligraphy, but I’m not that big of a jerk. Gentlemen of the XX Floor, Is … A Good Sir Story
Lily and Daisy Toddlers warming to their names Fart blossoms blooming Island-stranded couple’s bottled message: “Don’t bother.” Johnson quickly saluted his smug editor. Yet behind him, Emily seethed. The office editorial was complete.
The story below is a work of fiction. He just wanted to sub to an Instagram account that had decent fitness inspiration, but everything he looked at was filled with brown circle Brazilian backsides on the beach and women that were a little too abby. No different than a strip club photo session; he wanted … Story: Lousy Illuminati Disguises, Half Off
The story below is a work of fiction. She babysat the one kid who just watched that one animated movie on repeat. The one with the Taylor Swift song in the beginning. That one song that was an obvious ploy by her A&R management to sell to any kind of media that involves New York … Stories on Blogs are a Bad Idea
You’ve been warned: this is a mammoth post. I wanted to get all my exemplary bits of music journalism (if you can call it “journalism”) posted here, for safekeeping. Most of them are from Noisecreep, but the site hasn’t been updated for months, so its demise may be soon Nevermind…it’s still kickin’. Buzzgrinder is still … Ultra Mega Post of Past Music Journalism
The story below is a work of fiction. I notice the short guy that works in my building. Middle aged. Beige yuppie trenchcoat, untied. The hem probably grazes bottom shelves. Not fat; blocky, not stocky. He always orders “hot coffee” at Starbucks, never mentions a size. Unmarried. What does the guy do outside of work. … Story: Coatman
Art, you doing okay, big guy? I get it, though: “small” things can be “massive,” in a technical sense. It would mean they are dense, since there’s a lot of matter stuffed into a noticeably small space (volume). But people don’t use “massive” in that sense when they’re reading a fictional narrative, even when it’s … A Small But Massive Table
I got third in the spitting competition at Speculative Faith. It wasn’t even close, but I don’t know how close these things tend to get. As a reward for reading this post so far, you get to look at their past competitions and write up a detailed report for me, please. You won’t get paid, … Bronze Place Is Last Place
My short story made it to the finals in the Spec Faith writing challenge, and you can vote on the round here. My favorite story entry besides mine (c’mon…we all like our own stories the best, by default), this one by TJ Marquis, didn’t make the finals despite being rated highly in the first round. … Be a Guy and Don’t Vote for My Story in the Final Round
Breaking my blog hiatus to point you all to the Speculative Faith’s winter writing challenge. I hate doing these contests, but the writing prompt immediately sparked a complete story in my head. There you have it. Read the other stories before voting, though. There’s some good ones there. Anyone can enter, too, so if you … Definitely Don’t Vote for My Short Story
The story below is a work of fiction. A light rain. He offered the guy space under his umbrella, but he said he was okay without it. He wondered if it would seem kind of gay to the guy, since it seemed like that to him. What kind of unfortunate linguistic determinism is it that … This Story Won’t Turn You Gay
I had a different post scheduled, but this matter is heavily time sensitive. Jill’s The Minäverse is on sale now on Amazon for 99¢, until the end of July. A few facts: 1. The HTML entity for the cents symbol is ¢. 2. I had to Google whether the cent symbol came before or after … The Minäverse On Sale for 99 Cents
Some book reviews I’ve left on Goodreads. Kim I’m sure this is an excellent book, if I could understand it. Kipling stuffs it to the gills with so much colloquialisms and British-Indian cultural in-jokes that I may as well be reading Greek upside down and from the back. Much of the humor and significance is … Hella Book Reviews, Part 1
In addition to the Pale Blue Scratch review, Ivana also did an interview with me, about the book, writing in general, and a new book I’m working on (!!!): Where did you get your idea for Pale Blue Scratch? I was toying with the premise of an odd couple-type pair of sleuths trying to track … Interview Up at Diary of Difference
The story below is a work of fiction. A trained actor with an endless parade of stupid ideas. He would voice the most ridiculous, unrewarding ones and immediately criticize them before his friends could. “Here’s one: I’ll transplant to a different part of the country, out of the Valley. No one knows me. I’ll pull … Story: Something Persuasive
Ivana over at the Diary of Difference blog reviewed Pale Blue Scratch: I was lucky enough to be approached by Jay DiNitto himself, and he sent me a copy of his first novel – Pale Blue Scratch (you can read the e-book for free here) in exchange for an honest review. This is a book … Pale Blue Scratch Book Review
The story below is a work of fiction. Visiting her relatives is her secondmost hated event. They stumble over to her with their ethnic hair and diabetic knees. Their collective scent isn’t unpleasant but borderline inhuman; it triggers her disgust reflex. She leaves when she wants to. Trips to the grocery store are degrees worse, … Story: Despair in Two Parts
I made the Pale Blue Scratch ebook free for download over at Smashwords, and removed it from the Kindle store. Amazon doesn’t give the option to make your ebook free by default, so you have to request that they make it free, and it doesn’t always work. I don’t have the time or energy for … Pale Blue Scratch Ebook Now Free
The story below is a work of fiction. Another semester and another set of students, shining bright like Kubrick tiger eyes. He has enthusiasm for the job despite the contagion protocols of the classroom. They’ve all got superpowers but there’s no defense against the enemies we can’t see.
I hate writing book reviews, but this one may prove to be useful, and perhaps important, in the future. The last time I read The Minäverse, I compared it favorably to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This was a mistake, not because neither were favorable, but because it bears little to Hitchhiker’s except for … Book Review: The Minäverse by Jill Domschot
Christine’s comment on my last post inspired me to throw out some song lyrics, as a type of poetry appreciation. The video for the song is at the bottom of this post, but don’t click play unless you’re prepared. At the very least, you can admire Mark deSalvo’s artwork in the video thumbnail, which appears … Other People Write: Advent of a Miracle by Strongarm
Men, arrayed on rays, vertex to vertex Reach across the plane with probisci Sleek and curious but blade-grass frail A lateral-diagonal intermingling God, as capstone, pours it downward Perpendicularity, liquid, and unpredicatable Few could apprehend from whence to where Most retract their probing lines, prophesying danger Only a few stay their hand to catch the … Story: Platonic Solid
The story below is a work of fiction. Initially, the object was only perceptible to the array of sensitive instruments focused onto the area, though it soon became visible to those gathered: astronomers, linguists, physicists. It emerged from the blankness of dead space, like a chick from its shell, at the exact coordinates and time … Story: Duality Erased
The story below is a work of fiction. “You and your inventions!” Talia shouted at Thomas, as she blasted away a few more of the large, crab-like, training room drones with her pulse rifle. “And now of all times!” “Those were the last ones, I think, for now,” Thomas reported from his crouched position next … Story: T.H.O.W.A.C.K.
These were published way back when I had a Xanga account. I was totally on point with these. Not sure what happened to the #1. Click to embiggen and make bigly.
From Chapter 2 of Oliver Twist: The members of this board were very sage, deep, philosophical men; and when they came to turn their attention to the workhouse, they found out at once, what ordinary folks would never have discovered—the poor people liked it! It was a regular place of public entertainment for the poorer … Dickens on Philosophers
Because he thought having a protagonist tell the whole story, through dialogue, that should’ve just been left as narration was a good idea. And he thought it was another good idea for the protagonist-narrator speak just like Joseph Conrad writes, which is nearly impossible given for anyone, much less someone not trained in elocution, large-content … Slapping Joseph Conrad’s Editor in the Neck
The story below is a work of fiction. He was on edge all week from finals. Miko had sensed it, and urged him up to the hilltop on a cool weekday night on a break, away from the campus lights. He watched, weary and passive, as she assembled the telescope, her pale deft hands grasping … Story: Faster Than Light
The story below is a work of fiction. With the adults, and most of the neighborhood kids, occupied with the block party outside, John fumbled with the lighter in his bedroom. He finally managed to keep it lit without burning his fingers, and ignited the cigarette that stood straight out of Victoria’s mouth. Chris looked … Story: It’s No Wonder
The story below is a work of fiction. All thirty employees gathered in the carpeted lobby for the first public beta play-through of the game. Becky, the project manager, won—she would say “lost,” after the fact—the shortest straw and was player one. Silence during the opening cinematic, and a quick cut to the gameplay, an … Story: The Soldier Has No Gun
From Ethan Frome: It was during their night walks back to the farm that he felt most intensely the sweetness of this communion. He had always been more sensitive than the people about him to the appeal of natural beauty. His unfinished studies had given form to this sensibility and even in his unhappiest moments … “Orion down yonder”
The Wisecrack Youtube channel has a great video on the philosophy of Ghost in the Shell (the original one). It’s actually a very Western movie because it’s Hegelian through and through, and Hegel is as Western philosophy as it gets. I left a comment on the video that I will cross-post here, for those interested. … The Philosophy of Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Mustafa sat proudly at the back of the rock outcropping, a paw—with just enough claw extended make the warning explicit—held firmly on the back of Sarabi’s neck. The mandrill, that neurotic mystic, walked out to the edge of the outcropping and held up Mustafa’s infant son, Simba, for all the gathered animals on the ground … Story: How It Should’ve Gone
The story below is a work of fiction. Alice was the person in the audience least willing to be called upon, so naturally the magician volunteered her for his first trick. Seated on the stage chair, being so close to the magician—she forgot his name but he looked like a Mark—wasn’t as embarrassing as she … Story: Magicland
Jill has decided to serialize her new book, The Minäverse, and you can read the first chapter here. Jill was kind enough to send me an ARC* and it’s definitely a good ‘un if you like absurdist sci-fi, a la Douglas Adams and that other author of that one book I can’t recall right now. … The Minäverse by Jill Domschot
tl;dr – I don’t want bread Stop with all the sandwiches for breakfast. Not everything has to be in sandwich form; you’re not leaving some moral culinary duty unfilled if you don’t serve sandwiches all the time. If you really must have sandwiches on the menu, the very least you can do is offer normal … Attn: Restaurants That Serve Breakfast, Please Take Seriously and Enjoy this Unreasonable Rant
They forced him into a blind date, claiming that her fetish for chefs would warm her to him. She was described as a Kirsten Dunst lookalike, which in his mental filters was synonymous with “looks like Kirsten Dunst plus 50 lbs,” or “looks like Kirsten Dunst with severe exotropia,” or “looks like Kirsten Dunst with … Third Person Dreams Means I Have Disassociative Issues
For his 40th they gave him folders of printed photos and transparencies. There was a machine, from a different era, where he had to insert the photos to be projected for everyone’s amusement. He had to do it himself; that was part of the fun. Some photos were animated. Others, inappropriate, and not in the … Taste the Memories – A Coca-Cola Commercial
That is, I actually like it: music and lyrics. The original is here, but I like the version posted below a little bit better. Note the lack of the word “I”; it’s only used once. Yes, I (heh) know…David used “I” plenty of times in the Psalms—what, is God’s word not good enough for me? … A Worship Song I Don’t Hate
Everything has to be something else. Actually, everyone has to be something you don’t expect. When everyone can be anything, nothing and no one becomes interesting. Novelty walks by and it’s a sore—tamp down on that bump of discoloration until it’s flat. It isn’t so bad that some men are smarter than most women, it’s … A Room Temperature, Gray, Lumpy Mush
It was a decent dystopia—it really wasn’t one…I was just the only person to know the context and the coming flood. I met a friend, I think from high school, in the multilevel city. He was pushing a small food cart. He opened the lid and tried to pass off the floating heads as meatballs, … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 7
There was an Hispanic lady at the Chinese takeout place. I don’t know how I knew that. I tried my rudimentary Spanish on her, and she responded back with salsa-flavored friendliness. She knew I made an effort. I almost jumped the counter to tell the cooks my order because I thought that was customary. Someone … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 6
Here’s a spoiler alert: zombies are tied to their lands, like feudal serfs in Medieval Europe. If their “lifeland” is doing well, they are going to be coming at you like strongmen. They draw energy from prosperous earth. A solution: drop every dead body far away from where they died so they will end up … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 5
Her car is full, but that’s not the reason she leaves you on the side of the road. The scenery is pleasant enough, though. You end up back at the gymnasium bleachers soon after and take a nap on the top bench. You fall asleep wondering why there are so many snack food wrappers sticking … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 4
The skeleton king sidestepped discretely to one edge of the throne room, and up a wall. He had made a mess of things, right in front of the dais, on the strip of crimson carpeting: a pile of bones. His confused courtiers gathered around the pile. The king disappeared into a dark corner of the … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 3
One night I’ll wake up to find an apocalyptic movie scene being projected onto the bedroom ceiling. Suburban ceilings have the light-colored, canvassy quality that’s needed to accomplish this. I’ll note this fact, and the accuracy of the projector’s keystone adjustments in how the image’s corners neatly fill parallel the ceiling corners. The cinematic hell … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 2
I can hear my heartbeat in my left ear. A heart can go at any time, and you’re gone. If you’re lucky, you expired on the sofa and your corpse can binge watch the next eight seasons of the Gilmore Girls Netflix revival. Spoiler: Rory will have a few dozen more babies out of wedlock … I Don’t Know What This Is
Probably the worst thing about Trump’s presidency is the perpetual onslaught of hand-wringing and fainting from writers. That series of essays, obviously, comes from elitist New York authors that that no one reads or has heard of but other elitist New Yorkers. Soon, look out for more accessible media like sci-fi films or endless stacks … Aftermath, Part 2
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook … Be An Insect
“I think that when in doubt about the truth of an issue, it’s safer and in better taste to select the least numerous of the adversaries…May I have the salt, please?” – Kira Alexandrovna Argounova, We the Living (Ayn Rand)
This stuff can be hard to write this kind of subtlety. There’s few who can pull it off well. Bradbury was one of them, as is Jill Domschot. Scott Adams went overboard in a fine way, in this regard; you could tell he was trying to drive the jokes home with an elephant gun. Forster … E.M. Forster’s Humor
Buy here.
Moore, especially from his insider’s view, sees the writing on the wall. And the writing is getting bigger: “I think I have done enough for comics. I’ve done all that I can. I think if I were to continue to work in comics, inevitably the ideas would suffer, inevitably you’d start to see me retread … Alan Moore Bails Out of Comics
Saw this on Reddit and found it too good not to post it in its entirety, because I can. Enjoy responsibly. Second-to-minutes: major insanity within minutes at the emergence of Great Cthulhu all along the pacific region. Massive earth quakes in some regions. Madpeople world wide scream, some die, others attack their staff muttering strange … Cthulhu in Real Life
I don’t pay attention to literary awards, so the Hugos are off my radar unless someone I listen to already sends a signal through. Hence, Jill on the 2016 Short Story winner, “Cat Pictures Please,” about a self-aware search engine that tries to help people with their problems: See, the AI helps people by meddling … Zero Cat Pictures, Please
When a prequel is made with ultra-modern filmmaking technology—CGI and the like—the visual effects are “held back” when illustrating the in-universe technology to match its look and feel. This only seems to affect prequels, not sequels or reboots, since prequels necessarily take place in the in-universe’s past. I tried Googling some things, but I’m coming … Someone Give Me a Good Phrase For This
Every editor will tell you the first sentence in a novel is crucial. Most first sentences that are perceived as “good” are really first paragraphs comprised of short, punchy, humorous or incongruous sentences: “The earth ended yesterday. That wasn’t the weirdest thing to happen to me. But there’s no hiding it: I grew wings overnight.” … The Children of Men – First Sentence
A bookstore chain in Great Britain figured out how to please customers, and the big step was letting the individual operators use their space as they saw fit. Waterstones stores stopped selling shelf space to big publishers (emphasis mine): Next came the staff. [managing director James] Daunt shrunk Waterstones’ central office and fired half of … How to Sell Print Books
I was going to write a review of The Aeneid for Goodreads, but it would get rejected eventually since it’s not about the book itself but just a few lines about my copy’s previous owners. Reviews are highly patrolled there, more so than on Amazon, so it’s bringing owls to Athens to post this there. … Book Review: The Aeneid
I finally got around to reading Jill Domschot’s The Jaybird’s Nest and other stories (disclaimer: Jill is an Internet acquaintance of mine and has been my editor in the past). The seems ordinary but the stories are not: they are mostly absurdist sci-fi and fantasy, and there’s plenty of humor, mostly subtle or satirical, in … Book Review: The Jaybird’s Nest and other stories
Gillian Anderson is cool with being a James Bond incarnation, because the Internet brought it up: Anderson is on Tumblr under the name Chewie’s Girlfriend (a reference to Chewbacca from Star Wars). She recently answered a series of questions on the platform, one of which was “What’s the best rumour you’ve ever heard about yourself?” … Everything Has to Really Be Something Else
“Say, I really like Thing X,” said the private, who was Jewish or from a southern state. “That’s dumb. You’re dumb,” said the other private, who was the opposite ethnicity of the first private. “You’re such a racial epithet.” Later, after tossing around more ethnic slurs, they searched for food or booze, fooled around with … Every 20th Century War Novel
The Running Man is on Netflix. I re-watched it. It’s the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie that missed the mark commercially, but it was the perfect blend of all of the more popular Reagan-era dystopian movies: Robocop, Tron, They Live, with a little bit of Total Recall foreshadowing. It wasn’t a bad movie, aside from Arnold’s lame … How to Make “The Running Man” a Better Movie
The 2015 Nebula Awards were announced today. Glaring inequality abounds* inside the sci-fi and fantasy world, and it’s not okay: Earlier tonight, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America handed out the Nebula Award in Chicago, and this year women have swept one of science fiction’s biggest awards. This year’s Nebula Award Banquet toastmaster … The SFWA Has a Gender Problem