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a cracked view of nerdiness
As a regular visitor to the Cracked website, I came across this piece on “5 things that modern kids don’t understand about being a ‘nerd.’” Having been one during my high school years (1981-’84)–and...
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sci-fi or fantasy? how about sci-fi AND fantasy?
There’s a long (but well-worth reading) post on the blog of sci-fi writer John C. Wright wherein Wright tackles the age-old question of what differentiates science fiction from fantasy. It’s a thorny...
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flowers for uncle jerry
Once upon a time, reading science-fiction was frowned upon by older people. Growing up, I had many a teacher or other grown-up tell me, “Stop wasting your time on that garbage and read something...
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a super-missed opportunity
Despite mixed reviews, Man of Steel has successfully rebooted the series that was dead even before the ”meh” Superman Returns. The movie’s admirers have praised its innovations: the depictions of...
View Articlenot going “under the dome”
Stephen King’s books are like KISS records: loud, not very smart, but occasionally fun. Also, the best ones were done 35 years ago. So no, I did not watch the premiere of Under the Dome last night,...
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“no way” to the sfwa
Casual fans of sci-fi and fantasy might not be aware of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, a group founded in 1965 to promote the interests (primarily financial) of writers in the...
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when the world was young: the “trilogy of terror” doll
The latest in a series about influences from my childhood Fantasy/sci-fi/horror writer Richard Matheson passed away earlier this year, and I had been meaning to write about that when I saw that...
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teacher appreciation: verlyn flieger
In honor of the kids going back to school, this will be the first of several posts about the great teachers I was fortunate enough to have in my academic career. To kick things off, let me tell you...
View Articlenot “going there” on politics
I like to discuss a range of topics on this blog: mostly fantasy and science-fiction, of course, as that’s what I read, what I watch, what I write. But also book writing and publishing; superheroes...
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thug notes: a new take on old books
(hat tip to Mary Robinette Kowal) When I was in high school and college, I sometimes found it difficult to appreciate certain classics. Great Expectations did nothing for me; likewise for Crime and...
View Articlelearning from “tropes vs. women”
I swear, I’m forever behind the curve on pop culture things. I only realized how awesome Led Zeppelin was after they’d broken up. I only saw maybe one or two episodes each of Cheers, Friends, and...
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a newbie’s review of “ender’s game”
This is a shameful admission on my part, but I am probably the only sci-fi writer who hasn’t read Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. I don’t have any particular reason: I’ve just never gotten around...
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“lost dogs” on kent island
One of the things I’m enjoying about writing Lost Dogs, my work-in-progress sci-fi novel, is that it’s set on Kent Island, MD, where I live: actually, a good chunk of it takes place in my neighborhood....
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when the world was young: walt simonson and “thor”
The latest in a series about influences from my childhood Thor: The Dark World opens today, and you can be sure that our family will rush to go see it. We saw the first Thor movie and, of course,...
View Articlefinally, some good news out of dc…
…Washington DC, that is, which will, in a few years, be home to a sci-fi museum. Fans of Captain Kirk and Captain Nemo unite: A new science-fiction museum coming to Washington, D.C. Its creators...
View Articlelooking back, looking ahead
2013 was a good year for my budding writer career: I started (in earnest) drafting Lost Dogs, my next work; I learned a lot at the Bay to Ocean conference and I joined the Eastern Shore Writers...
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how to speak dog: lesson #2
The second in a series to help you better communicate with your canine Friends. ¡Hola! I take it you’ve read the introduction and taken the first lesson in this series? If not, go do that now: the...
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this week’s sci-fi food fight
Sigh. You know, I was going to blog about another of the big influences on my writing, but once again, current events in the speculative fiction realm have reared their ugly heads. [warning:...
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how to speak dog: lesson #3
The third in a series to help you better communicate with your canine Friends. Guten Tag! Once again, we come together for another lesson on how to speak Dog (if you missed the first and second...
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interview on jan bowman’s blog
Author Jan Bowman was kind enough to interview me about Dragontamer’s Daughters, the Navajo Water Project, writing and publishing indie-style, and who I like to read. Drop by Jan’s blog and check it...
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