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”?
What Makes a Book a “Classic” in Science Fiction? Read More »
The line between dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction has always felt a little blurry, hasn’t it? As someone who loves speculative fiction in all its forms, I often find myself asking: Is this book really dystopian, or is it post-apocalyptic wearing a shiny, Capitol-colored coat?
Dystopia vs. Post-Apocalyptic: What Exactly Is The Hunger Games? Read More »
People, Places and Things For all the Hammer series. The index, below, will tell you what is in this tiny dictionary. The index isn’t linked, but you can search to find the entry, or just scroll down. This dictionary, by the way, contains massive spoilers. If you’ve found your way here accidentally, and have not
People, Places, Things (Hammer Down) Read More »
As I’ve mentioned before, Amazing Stories is in the middle of an effort to revive the iconic science fiction magazine. After sharing the news about their commitment-based pre-order model, the team has made progress—but they’re asking for a little extra push to reach their next milestone. Currently, 50 fans have signed on to the program—an
Amazing Stories: Join the Mission to Bring It Back—One Fan at a Time Read More »
Hello, lovely readers! Well, that was quite the break! I hope you’ve all been doing well and enjoying some good reads in my absence. I’ve missed chatting with you all, but the good news is…I’m back! And not just back, but back in full creative swing. You might remember that I signed off last time
I’m Back—and Plotting Up a Storm! Read More »
For various reasons, including time crunches, I won’t be adding to the posts here on the site for a while. I will continue to send out emails to everyone on my email list, which has always been the way to receive any news about new releases, etc., soonest and most reliably. So if you happen
Posts will stop for a while. Read More »
I’ve had the English translation of Liu Cixin’s science fiction novel, The Three Body Problem, sitting in my TBR pile for a couple of years. It won the Hugo. I figured that made it a must-read. But I never cracked it open. Why? Because I kept hearing rumours: As much as I love Asimov, his
Three Body Problem has problems. Or does it? Read More »
Short and quick, today. One of Isaac Asimov’s classic and most well-known short stories is “The Last Question,” which can be found in multiple anthologies, including Robot Dreams and Nine Tomorrows, two collections of Asimov’s. If you like listening to audio, you can hear this story read by Leonard Nimoy. 🙂 I found a recording
Spock Reads Asimov Read More »
The first really effective dystopian setting I saw in movies was Ridley Scott’s 1982 Bladerunner, which both made me a fan of anything Ridley Scott made (and I am still a diehard fan), and made me aware that there was no guarantee that humanity’s actual future would be rosy, the way the Star Trek franchise
The Quiet Acts of Small Individuals Read More »
A couple of years ago, I watched a short video on YouTube that compared the depths of the oceans. I found it again today. It’s quite mind-blowing seeing how puny human efforts are to reach the greater depths. And it’s equally as jaw-dropping to see how truly deep the oceans run. Both times I’ve watched
We Don’t Need Spaceships to Find Strange New Worlds. Read More »