6 Novelists Who Started In the Pulps…Or Are Still There

Leave a Comment / Reading, SF Industry /

Why am I talking about pulp fiction? (No, not the movie — which got its name from Tarantino’s inspiration for the story.)

Two reasons: Classic SF got its start in the pulp magazines. And my Ptolemy Lane Tales series was my nod to classic hardcore pulp fiction.

Classic pulp stories are often decried for their simplicity and dependence upon erotic elements to move copies.  The criticism overlooks one of the primary functions of pulp stories:  They were written to entertain.

And my god, they did that in spades.

At their peak of popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, the most successful pulps could sell up to one million copies per issue. In 1934, Frank Gruber (writer) said there were some 150 pulp titles.*

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What Makes a Book a “Classic” in Science Fiction?

Leave a Comment / Reading, SF Industry, The Future /

There are some books in science fiction that never seem to fade. Dune. Foundation. The Left Hand of Darkness. Decades later, we’re still reading them, studying them, arguing about them. They’ve carved out a permanent space on the shelf—and not just for their fans, but for the genre itself.

So what is it that makes a book a “classic”?

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The 2024 Nebula Award Finalists Are Here — Let’s Talk About Them

Leave a Comment / Awards & Kudos, SF Industry /

Every year when the Nebula finalists are announced, I get a little zing of anticipation. If you’re a fan of science fiction and fantasy, you probably know the feeling—wondering what made the cut this time, what surprises the list holds, and what favorites didn’t quite make it. The 2024 shortlist just dropped, and there’s a lot to dig into.

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Murderbot is Coming to TV: Excitement, Anxiety, and a Few Questions

24 Comments / TV Series & Movies /

Like many fans of The Murderbot Diaries, I was both thrilled and deeply wary when I heard that Apple TV+ was adapting Martha Wells’ beloved series. On one hand, more Murderbot! On the other… well, adaptations are tricky, aren’t they? They can capture the heart of the source material (The Expanse), fumble it (Wheel of Time), or turn it into something unrecognizable (Foundation—which, to be fair, I ended up loving once I let go of my expectations).

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How to Hack BookFunnel Promos for Maximum Reading Gain

2 Comments / Deals & Discounts, Giveaways, Reading /

Last week, I talked about author email lists, free books, and how to handle them in a way that benefits both readers and authors. This week, as promised, I’m diving into BookFunnel promotions—one of the biggest and best ways to load up your e-reader with fantastic books, discover new authors, and grab deals you won’t

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