Category epic fantasy
Dark Fantasies
Tonight’s post is a review of another short story collection by Misha Burnett, Dark Fantasies. It contains stories set in fantasy worlds inspired by HP Lovecraft, Ancient Rome, medieval Europe, and 1930s/40s America. I didn’t read the first two stories, “A Hill of Stars” and “In the Gloaming O My Darling”, as I had read […]
Short Story News
Today, I have a few links to outside content for you. The most important is a call for submissions from Misha Burnett for a new anthology titled “Young Dragons”. This is a unique opportunity if you are a new or aspiring fantasy author, as stories are only being accepted from authors who haven’t been published […]
Thinking about RPGs
This isn’t a post about Rocket-Propelled Grenades – I’ve been thinking about RolePlaying Games lately. The post will be a bit about my personal life, a bit about old-school roleplaying games, and a bit about more modern games. If my readers don’t tell me to shut up because this is a boring topic, I’ll […]
Magazines! Get Yer Red Hot Magazines!
Issue Five of StoryHack is now out in both Kindle and Print versions. This issue includes a story written by me! I hope you’ll all buy the issue and try to guess which story I wrote. Leave me a comment if you have a guess. I’m really proud to be in the same magazine as […]
Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, issues 36 and 37
Before I get to the HFQ stories, it’s time for another installment in the Saga of the Four Apes: Sam got a tip from a mole in the AEAA (Agency for Exploitation of Animal Abilities) that the Bad Guys were planning to use a Fedex distribution center for some dastardly purpose. So, we cover our […]
Vote for the best stories of 2018
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
Vote for the best stories of 2018 If you’re a blogger, podcaster, or youtuber, then you’re eligible to vote in the 2018 Planetary Awards. The nominated science fiction and fantasy stories are: Short Stories / Novellas The Flowers of Vashnoi by Lois Bujold Kakerlacs by Alexandru Constantin Mortu and Kyrus in…
A Last-Minute Contender
Last week, I posted a list of 2018 books I’m thinking of reading, looking for something I can nominate as the best book of the year. I’ve just noticed that a book which I thought had been released in January was actually published on December 31st, 2018. The book is Voyage of the Lanternfish, by […]
Extra Reading from 2018
It’s time to nominate your favorite 2018 stories for the Planetary Awards, where book bloggers choose the best books and short stories of the year. I’ve realized that I read very few 2018 books during 2018, so now I’m scrambling to read some more. (This seems to be an annual event for me.) Here are […]
Magazine: Lyonesse Volume 2
Lyonesse volume 2 I put my street clothes into my locker, make sure my badge is visible, and clip a few more spare magazines onto my pistol belt. I’ve heard coyotes are running bootleg copies of Lyonesse over the border, and rumor is, they don’t plan to give up their cargo without a fight. As […]
Magazine: Beneath Ceaseless Skies, round 2
I’m out in the desert again, this time to talk to an old guy who, it is said, is the wisest of all the wise men. His run-down trailer says “meth lab” more than “wise man”, but I figure that’s just part of his marketing shtick. I remind myself of this again when he opens […]
Magazine: Cirsova #4
Cirsova #4 Cirsova’s fourth issue isn’t part of my magazine quest/contest, but I decided this would be a good time to blog about it. Cirsova launched a Kickstarter campaign recently, covering issues 9 and 10, and a friend of the editor is doing a Gofundme fundraiser to cover some unexpected veterinary bills. Lately, my job hasn’t left […]
Magazine: Astounding Frontiers #2
Astounding Frontiers, Issue #2 With its second issue, Astounding Frontiers moved almost entirely to a serial-story format. I’ve seen very few serious attempts to bring back serials, so it will be interesting to see how this magazine does. I don’t think it’s fair to compare episodes of a serial to stand-alone short stories, so I […]
Magazine: Cirsova, issues #2 and #3
The hospital room isn’t clean enough for Heaven, but not dirty enough for Hell, so I guess I’m still alive. I close my eyes again and sleep. When I wake up, the captain is there, showing his badge to the nurses and telling them he won’t stay too long. He sits in a chair next […]
Magazine: Red Sun, issues #2 and #3
I warm up the temporal transporter and double-check the contents of the box I’m sending. If I can get my collection of Red Sun magazine into the hands of the right person at the right moment in history, I might end bad science fiction forever. Red lights flash and a klaxon sounds, warning of an […]
2017 Winners
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
The 2017 results are in: The winner for best shorter story is “The First American” by Schuyler Hernstrom. The story is in issue #5 of Cirsova Magazine. This follows Hernstrom’s victory for best shorter story of 2016. The winner for best novel is Legionnaire (Galaxy’s Edge) by Jason Anspach and Nick…
Vote for the best stories of 2017
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
If you’re a blogger, podcaster, or youtuber, then you’re eligible to vote in the 2017 Planetary Awards. The nominated science fiction and fantasy stories are: Short Stories / Novellas “Acadie” by Dave Hutchinson “The Bitten Body” by AC Spahn “Death on the Moon” by Spencer Hart, found in Cirsova issue…
Side Quest: from Underbridge to Goodnight Moons
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume Six OK, I didn’t have good luck with the first nine stories in this collection, or the next ten, but here are the last twelve anyway: Underbridge by Peter Beagle. A troll statue eats small animals and, eventually, people. Relic by Jeffrey Ford. A story about a […]
Side Quest: from Malak to After the Apocalypse
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume Six I didn’t have good luck with the first nine stories from this collection, but I’m sure that was just nine anomalies in a row. Here are the next ten: Malak by Peter Watts. A drone develops (or gets programmed with, I can’t remember) a conscience, […]
Side Quest, attempt #2
Last year, I announced my side quest to read several “best of” collections and see whether any of them were worth reading through the years. My first attempt was a disaster. Check out the wrap-up post. For attempt #2, I’m reading The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume Six. Here are my takes […]
MidSouthCon 36
Last Sunday, my wife and I made a last-minute decision to drive to Memphis, TN and catch the final day of MidSouthCon. We had to work Friday and Saturday, and because Memphis is a couple hours of driving each way, and we didn’t have a dog-sitter, we only had a few hours at the con. […]
2017 Planetary Award Nominees
The reblog function on WordPress has been broken for several days, so I’m cutting and pasting the nominees below. If you’re a blogger, podcaster, or youtuber, and would like to cast a vote, go to the Planetary Awards Site. Nominees for Best Short Story or Novella: “Acadie” by Dave Hutchinson “The Bitten Body” by AC […]
Review/Nomination: Kings of the Wyld
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames Kings of the Wyld is about bands of mercenaries, with the modern concept of musical bands thrown in: the mercenary bands are small (four or five people), and have fans and booking agents. The primary characters are the older members of a band which broke up long ago, […]
More Charts and Tables!
How’s that for a clickbait title? It’s a mystery why internet marketing firms aren’t flooding me with high-paying job offers and consulting gigs. I’ve realized that in my hurry to look at the stories in my 49 ranked magazines broken down by genre, by nation, by gender, and by pay, I didn’t present the entire […]
Are they getting their money’s worth?
It would be reasonable to assume that magazines which pay more for their stories end up with higher-quality material to publish. I decided to plot my ratings of short stories in 49 ranked magazines against the cents per word paid for them. I was only able to use 299 out of 365 stories, as some […]
Gender Breakdown
Let’s break down the stories in my 49 ranked magazines by the author’s gender. Gender Avg Stars (5 max) # of stories Avg Wordcount Unknown 2.88 4 3,982 Male 2.79 217 4,342 Female 2.46 138 4,406 Indeterminate 2.42 6 3,667 “Unknown” means that the author used initials so I couldn’t guess at their gender, and […]
National Breakdown
Now, let’s break down the stories in the 49 magazines by the author’s nationality. I couldn’t always find this information, and I’ve left out countries which only had one data point. Here’s what’s left: Nation Avg Stars (5 max) # of stories Avg Wordcount Australia 3.08 18 5,513 South Africa 2.83 3 3,660 New Zealand […]
Genre Breakdown
It’s time to look at the stories in my forty-nine ranked magazines by genre. First, let’s see if editors prefer one genre over another. I removed magazines which were only science fiction or only fantasy, and came up with the following breakdown: Genre # of stories % of stories Science Fiction 120 41.0% Modern-Day Fantasy […]
Five Star System
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be writing at least four posts discussing the results from the first round of my magazine quest. They will reference the ratings from one to five that I gave individual stories. So that you’ll have some perspective, I decided to describe what the different star ratings mean […]
49 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Magazines Ranked from Best to Worst
In my last post, I explained why I’ve cut off my first round of magazine reviews at 49, and described my ranking method. So, on to the results, giving my first issue of each magazine an Olympic-style score from 10 to 1: [WARNING: Do not go to the website of Red Sun Magazine, as its […]
DingDingDing!
That’s the bell signalling the end of round one of my magazine quest. I initially thought I’d only review twelve SFF magazines, but that number ballooned to forty-nine. I decided forty-nine was an appropriate stopping point, as my search for great stories has been like that of the 49ers who searched for gold in the […]
Thoughts on best SFF short story of 2017
Earlier this week, I posted my thoughts on the best novel of 2017, and now its time for short stories. I’ve been reading lots of them lately, wrapping up round one of my magazine quest, reading for rounds two and three, and working on another reading project that I’ll announce when the magazine quest finishes. […]
Thoughts on best SFF novel of 2017
It’s time for my annual realization that while I read many books in 2017, I read very few novels that were released in 2017. I generally read a non-fiction book for every work of fiction I read, and my fiction reading tends to jump around the years and decades. So, it’s time for me to […]
Podcast: The Overcast
The Overcast is a podcast, based in the Pacific Northwest, which puts out a short story every two weeks or so. It must be as rainy as they say in that part of the country, as there are approximately one gigazillion podcasts there which have named themselves “The Overcast”. I haphazardly selected seven stories from […]
Early Christmas Present
Merry Christmas Eve, everybody! I was trying to decide what to get all of you for Christmas, but it turns out the only thing you have in common is that you like to read a sci-fi book blog written by a grouchy old man. (My wife informs me that I’m not that old, but they […]
Magazine: Empyreome, issue #3
Empyreome, issue #3 Short Stories Quest for the Silver Shard by Adam O’Connell. A story about some fairy/pixie creatures, with a death by lawnmower at the end. Oscars on the Rue Jules Verne by L Chan. A human actress leads some mole-people in combat, because the mole-people need pheromone signals from queens, but mole-people queens are too […]
Magazine: Stupefying Stories, March 2017
Stupefying Stories, March 2017 Short Stories I Live the Warrior’s Life by Robert Russell. An engaging story with an abrupt mid-story ending. So, an engaging half of a story, I guess. Set in a post-apocalyptic America, where the apocalypse was caused by an Indian shaman unleashing spirits. The spirits don’t kill Amerindians. This is Not When […]
Magazine: Outposts of Beyond, July 2017
Outposts of Beyond, July 2017 (note that the linked item at Amazon has an incorrect cover image) You may have noticed that my last few magazine reviews did not have intro stories. I’m trying to wrap up round one of my magazine quest (which, I’ve just realized, began in late 2015) by the end of the […]
Magazine: Strange Horizons
Strange Horizons is not a magazine in the traditional sense, with monthly or quarterly issues. It’s a website with weekly issues, each containing one short story along with other types of content, such as poetry, articles, and reviews. I selected roughly a month’s worth of issues, from March 20 to April 17 of this year. […]
Magazine: Lyonesse Volume 1
Lyonesse, Volume 1 Lyonesse is another magazine in the superversive tradition, which I mentioned in my review of Astounding Frontiers. Unlike Astounding Frontiers, Lyonesse has open submissions periods, so if you’ve written some superversive fiction, this could be a home for it. There are two ways to read Lyonesse: you can subscribe and receive […]
Magazine: Broadswords and Blasters, issue #2
Broadswords and Blasters, issue #2 Broadswords and Blasters describes itself as “a pulp magazine with modern sensibilities.” By pulp, I’m assuming they mean that they publish both genres, action and adventure. (I stole that line from the editor of a competing magazine, Storyhack.) By modern sensibilities, I believe they mean stories featuring heroes who […]
Magazine: Mothership Zeta, issue 2
Mothership Zeta The human brain isn’t perfect. For example, most adults don’t remember the moment of their birth. I’m different. I remember the day I hatched, a fully grown human, from a pod on the mothership. I can’t tell you what the mothership told me that day, because the language she used has no written […]
21st-Century SFF Publishers
If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I’ve been struggling to find good science-fiction stories in magazines. Although I haven’t blogged about longer fiction lately, I also have trouble finding good sci-fi and fantasy novels. I normally don’t pay any attention to a book’s publisher. I usually decide what to read based on […]
Magazine: Beneath Ceaseless Skies
Tonight’s intro story is a continuation of my last intro story, which was a continuation of the previous intro story. Heck, maybe you should just read the entire Four Apes Saga from the beginning. Herman is the first to break the standoff. He charges into Balto’s tank, cracking it open, spilling the whale out and […]
Side Quest
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know that I sent myself on a magazine quest to find the best SFF magazine, and ultimately subscribe to it. When I began my quest, I thought I’d review a dozen magazines. I’ve already reviewed 32 magazines here, and I’ve discovered so many others that […]
Magazine: Heroic Fantasy Quarterly #32
Tonight’s intro story is a continuation of my previous Four Apes intro story: … Ape-proof steel doors slam shut across the exits, trapping us inside. I scan the upper walls and ceiling until I spot a security camera, then face it. “Quit screwing around, Director. The Bad Guys are up to some bad stuff, and you […]
Ichabod Brooks
Ichabod Brooks is a character written by fantasy author and fellow blogger Charles Yallowitz. He’s a monster-hunter who’s been around the block a few times and knows the monster-hunting game inside and out. Ichabod Brooks is, I mean. I have no first-hand knowledge of Charles Yallowitz’s monster-hunting credentials. I’ve only read the first short story […]
Magazine: Storyhack, issue zero
Storyhack, issue zero On the Fourth of July, I feel it’s my patriotic duty to write another Four Apes intro story: Traffic around the Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington DC slows to a crawl, as drivers gawk at the Eight Apes on the sidewalk outside. Samantha looks into my eyes. “We don’t have to go […]
Magazine: Leading Edge, Issue 68
Leading Edge, Issue 68 The Saga of the Four Apes continues: Fu, Herman, Bobo, and I move quietly through the construction site, sticking to the nighttime shadows. We know the bad guys have some connection to this piece of real estate, but don’t know the details. We freeze when an attractive young woman steps from […]
Magazine: Phantaxis Nov 2016
Phantaxis Nov 2016 The following intro story will confuse you if you haven’t read my spaghetti western intro story: My phone rings, waking me up at 5AM on a Saturday. Resisting the urge to throw it against the wall, I answer it. “You better have a good reason for calling.” “Oh, I do indeed, sir. […]
Planetary Award Winners – 2016
The winners of the 2016 Planetary Awards have been announced. The winning short story was “Athan and the Priestess” from the collection Thune’s Vision by Schuyler Hernstrom. I’ve purchased a copy, and I’ll review it once I’ve read the entire book. I’ve only read the winning story so far, but I enjoyed it. I found it very Conan-esque, […]
SFF Magazine News
I don’t have time to write up a magazine review (or a silly intro story) this week, but I thought I’d mention some news concerning two of the magazines which are competing for the top spot in my magazine quest. Red Sun Magazine’s third issue is out. I haven’t read it yet, but it looks […]
Magazine: Deep Magic Aug 2016
Deep Magic, August 2016 I’m on the record as disliking prequels, but for today’s intro story, I decided to write a Four Apes prequel anyway: — The Assistant Director only makes me wait twenty minutes outside his office, so I know there’s a crisis. He motions for me to sit. “We’re shutting down your program.” […]
Magazine: On Spec #102
On Spec #102 I don’t normally work for cartels, but my magazine quest is getting expensive, and this cartel doesn’t pay in worthless dollars — it pays in cold, hard maple syrup. One of the cartel bosses lays out the problem he wants me to take care of, but I don’t speak French, so I just […]
Magazine: Space and Time, issue 125
Space and Time Magazine, issue 125 A steward shows me onto the cruise ship’s bridge and introduces me to the Captain, who reaches out to shake my hand. “You’re that science journalist I’ve been hearing so much about.” “Science-fiction book-blogger, actually. I’ve heard your ship’s library has a copy of Space and Time Magazine that I’d […]
Vote for the best stories of 2016
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
We’re expanding the voting pool for the awards this year, so read this entire post to find out if YOU are eligible to vote. But first, here are the 2016 stories nominated by book bloggers across the internet: Short Stories / Novellas “Athan and the Priestess” by Schuyler Hernstrom, found in…
Award Thoughts – Indie Reading
I’ve already posted my award thoughts concerning short stories, and the better novels I read last year. At the start of 2017, I made an effort to read some self-published books (and a couple of traditionally-published I hadn’t gotten to) to see if they might be worth nominating for best SFF book of the year. (I […]
Award Thoughts – Novel
I’m having trouble picking my favorite novel of 2016, just like I’m having trouble picking a short story. I don’t have as many novels to choose from, so I’ve expanded my candidates to include books that aren’t the first in a series. Joel Shepherd’s Drysine Legacy was in the lead, until I realized that although the […]
Submit Your 2016 Nominations
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
Happy New Year — it’s time to nominate your favorite science fiction and fantasy writing for the 2016 Planetary Awards. We’re doing only two categories this year: Shorter story (under 40,000 words/160 paperback pages) Longer story (novels) If you’re a book blogger, book podcaster, or booktuber, the nomination process is…
Review: The Second Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack
The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack II CS Boyack‘s second experimental notebook is the perfect book to read just before Halloween. It has vampires, a haunted house, murderers, grave robbers — What? I missed the Halloween deadline? OK, I can work around that. Let’s try something else: CS Boyack’s second experimental notebook is the […]
Magazine: Plasma Frequency Q1 2016
Plasma Frequency My buddy Jack says he can get me a copy of Plasma Frequency Magazine. Well, he says he knows “a guy who knows a guy.” I’m at his house, helping him set up for a coworker’s surprise 70th birthday/retirement party. We lift an over-sized paper cake from the back of his truck, and […]
Magazine: Uncanny #8
Uncanny #8 I’m walking through a library, searching for a magazine, but I can’t seem to find one. Stuffed cats wearing hats and boots sit on the shelves of one aisle. Climbers in dark clothing move up the empty shelves of another. I avert my eyes from the next aisle, as a man and woman […]
Magazine: Grimdark #8
Grimdark Magazine #8 When I was a child, I passed my neighbor’s house every day while walking home from school. He would often be sitting on his front porch, tying his shoes, and would wave or say hello to me. I remember one day that was different from all the others: “Hi, Billy. I hope […]
Magazine: Albedo One #46
A bowl of cereal in one hand, a jug of milk in the other, I head to the kitchen table. There’s no room to set down my breakfast, because a two-foot-tall man in a three-piece suit is stretched out there, snoring. I use my elbow to shove him off, and he hits the floor with […]
Something for writers, something for readers
First, some news: I received a rejection letter for my first short story submission. I was originally going to give this post the pessimistic title of “Rejection #1”, because I’m a ‘glass is 96% empty’ kind of guy, not ‘glass is 4% full’. (According to The Grinder, 96% of stories are rejected at Analog magazine, […]
PDC on Facebook
I’ve bitten the bullet and created a Facebook page for Planetary Defense Command. Facebook considers PDC an “artist, band, or public figure”. I’m certain I’m not a band, and I’ve never considered myself an artist, so I guess that makes me a public figure — and I didn’t even have to put on a tie! […]
Today is the day
Originally posted on Entertaining Stories:
Well, it’s one of the days. My newest book The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack II is now available for purchase on Amazon. It’s a pre-sale, and the books will deliver on August 31st. That is the other day. I wanted to do a short pre-sale, but Lisa my…
Magazine: Fantasy Scroll #9
Fantasy Scroll Magazine This can’t be the place. I’m looking across a dirty, crowded train station at a magazine stand. My sources tell me this is where I should look for my next magazine, but I’m thinking about looking for new sources instead. I decide not to approach right away, in case it’s a trap. I walk to […]
Cirsova #2 at Kickstarter
Cirsova’s second issue now has a page at kickstarter. If you haven’t heard of Cirsova, you can read my interview with the magazine’s founder, or my review of Cirsova #1.
Free David Drake
David Drake isn’t in prison (as far as I know) – I’m referring to free David Drake ebooks at Amazon. I don’t know if these are permanently free or short-term promotions, so grab them now if you want them. Several of the books are also available as audiobooks at audible; once you have the ebook […]
Free: Cirsova issue #1
The kindle version of issue #1 of Cirsova magazine is free at Amazon through Saturday, March 19th. I recently interviewed P. Alexander, Cirsova’s founder/editor, and I plan to review issue #1 in a couple of weeks. Get your free copy so we can compare opinions of the stories!
Magazine: InterGalactic Medicine Show #47
Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show, issue 47 The department took away my canine partner, my badge, and my gun, but I’m still going to take down Talking Chicken. I leave my car by the highway and walk, baseball bat over my shoulder. I ignore the signs saying “Rainbow Farms employees only”. The huge metal […]
Short Story Writing Contest: Winning Story
Originally posted on Author of speculative fiction:
The Kiss of High Treason Chosen writing prompt: Knight To this day, words still whispered of the dark place concealed in the enchanted forest and the ancient secrets contained inside. Ariella had spent hours penetrating the thicket of oaks and silver birches hoping to uncover her one true…
Nebula Awards vs Planetary Awards
Over the weekend, the Nebula Awards nominees for 2015 were announced. You’ll notice that there is no overlap between those books and the nominees for the 2015 Planetary Awards. I’ve been brainstorming possible reasons: 1) Either the authors who vote in the Nebula Awards or the bloggers who vote in the Planetary Awards have crawled […]
Nine novels down, five to go
I read nine novels in my search for planetary awards nominees, so I thought I’d give you a rundown of them before I resume my magazine quest. I’ll also lay out my plans for reading other bloggers’ nominees. Traditionally-published, from best to worst: #1) Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia was my nominee. […]
Vote for the best stories of 2015
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
If you’re a book blogger, podcaster, or booktuber, then it’s time to vote for the best stories of 2015. You are allowed one vote per category, chosen from the nominated works listed below: Short Story / Novella: Something in the Water by C.S. Boyack, in The Experimental Notebook of C. S.…
Son of the Black Sword
Son of the Black Sword I’ve made my short story and self-published novel nominations for the Planetary Awards, and now I’m nominating Son of the Black Sword for best traditionally-published novel of 2015. This post will discuss the book, but won’t really be a review. I’m going to talk about the author’s previous work, my […]
Interview: P. Alexander
I’m in the back of a speeding van, loading a light machine gun. “How’d they find us so fast?” Cara looks over her shoulder from the driver’s seat. “Yeah, how did they spot four heavily-armed, ethnically-diverse strangers in a small town, driving a van with your logo on the side?” “Shut up, fool!” I kick […]
Maps of the World
If I’m at my computer without a specific task to perform, I’m likely to create strange things. Today, it was these maps. I decided to upload them in case they might spark a story idea in an author or roleplaying gamer. For those of you who’ve wondered what the world would be like with eight […]
Cirsova Issue 1 Kickstarter is Live! (please share!)
Originally posted on Cirsova:
The Kickstarter for Cirsova Issue 1 is a go! Issue # 1 is done and paid for. We’re just taking orders and raising money for the future so I can start work on Issue #2 right away! Basic pledge rates are as follows: Individual Copies $2 – PDF $10 + Shipping…
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #58
I keep my eyes on the rearview mirror as I speed across the Australian outback. Most of the pursuing vehicles are burning wreckage fading into the distance, but two are still on my tail. If I gunned the V-8 interceptor’s engine I’d lose them, but my fuel gauge is hovering just above ‘E’, so I’m […]
My 2015 Planetary Awards Nominations
The 2015 Planetary Awards have three categories open for nominations: shorter story (including novelettes and novellas), traditionally published novel, and self-published / small press novel. It wasn’t too hard for me to find a short story nominee. I’ve read a dozen 2015 science fiction magazines as part of my magazine quest, and I’ve also read […]
Magazine: Clarkesworld Nov 2015
Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 110 The Sri Lankan mountainside is steep, and the ground is slick with mud and algae-covered tree roots, but I’m not even breathing hard as I ascend — I’m riding in a palanquin carried by a gang of jungle squid. They wrap their tentacles around upslope trees and pull, repeating the process […]
Submit Your 2015 Nominations
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
It’s time for book bloggers, podcasters, and booktubers to nominate their favorite science fiction and fantasy books and short stories published in 2015. There are three categories for the 2015 awards: 1) Shorter story (under 40,000 words/160 paperback pages) 2) Traditionally published novel 3) Small press / self-published novel Nominations…
Magazine: Fantasy & Science Fiction Sep-Oct 2015
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction September/October 2015 I wipe the dragon’s blood from my axe as I enter its lair. Everyone in the business of dragon-slaying knows that killing a dragon is the easy part; the real work is searching through its disorganized treasure hoard. I expect an open cavern, but the lair […]
Free: Pearseus
Nicholas Rossis‘ book, Pearseus, Rise of the Prince, is free at Amazon from November 17th to the 20th. Nicholas is in Europe, and I’m not sure if the 20th cutoff applies to his time or to your local time, so don’t wait until the last minute to pick up your copy!
On a Quest
I’m setting off on a quest. I won’t be sailing after the Golden Fleece, or throwing jewelry into a volcano. Instead, I’m searching for a science fiction / fantasy magazine worthy of my subscription dollars. I haven’t read a magazine in quite a while. For many years, my reading time was entirely devoted to scientific […]
Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora
The Lies of Locke Lamora Two nuclear missiles (2 out of 4 rating) The good news: this novel has a great story. The bad news: most of that story is in the last third of the book. MINOR SPOILERS BELOW – ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK The book gets off to a promising start, as […]
Award Categories
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
We’ve announced a new science fiction / fantasy award, discussed who should be eligible to vote and when we should vote. Now, we tackle the issue of award categories. Should different genres get their own awards, such as one set of awards for science fiction, one for high/epic fantasy, and…
When to Vote?
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
This post continues the thread announcing a new science fiction / fantasy award, and discussing who should be eligible to vote. The next question is: when to vote? If a book is released on December 31st, it’s unlikely many potential voters will have read it by January 1st. So, how…
Who votes, and how?
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
The winners of our new science fiction and fantasy awards will be chosen by book bloggers, podcasters, and booktubers. That seems simple enough, but how do we decide if a person is one of those? Is one book review some time in the distant past good enough? One book review…
Creating New Awards
Originally posted on Planetary Awards:
I’m asking my fellow book bloggers, along with podcasters and booktubers, to join me in creating a new set of awards for science fiction and fantasy stories. Why invent another award? In addition to numerous regional and sub-genre awards, there are currently two broad awards: The Nebula and the Hugo.…
Review: The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack
The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack Four Royal Crowns (4 out of 4 rating) I had trouble reviewing this collection of 12 short stories. Deciding on a rating was easy — I enjoy short-format stories, and was totally immersed in 9 of the 12. My problem was what to write about each of them– […]
Writing Contest
I’ve agreed to be one of three judges in a writing contest. The contest is for those who have already self-published something, as first prize is a promotion package from a book tweeting service. Stories must be 1,500 words or less, and based on one of four “writing prompt” images, but can fall under any […]
Blurb Doctor: A Ransom of Flames
Anela has asked me to look at the first draft of a blurb for her upcoming work, “A Ransom of Flames”. A deadly blight. A crownless queen. A journey to the edge of the world. A mysterious blight is destroying the world of Aeden. At the return of each full moon the Vehlek, immortal men […]
Bookends: Leyfarers and Wayfarers
Leyfarers and Wayfarers is a collection of 16 stories (in a variety of genres) by G L Francis. As usual for my bookends series of posts, I read the first and last stories, then made a decision whether to continue. First Story: Tools of the Trade In this steampunk tale, Russian water spirits are killing […]
Interview: C. S. Boyack
It’s midnight, and I’m standing in a snow-covered field, waiting for C. S. Boyack. Something howls in the distance. The light of the full moon reflecting off the snow is almost as bright as daylight. Almost. A man approaches, and I spot fur sticking out from the top of his jacket. This guy has definitely […]
Say no to prequels
A while ago, I noticed that every time I read a novel (or see a film) that is a prequel, I like it far less than the original material. So, I’m going to make a conscious effort to avoid prequels in the future. I think I’ve boiled down my aversion to two factors: 1) Lack […]
Bookends: Wyrd Worlds
Wyrd Worlds is a collection of fantasy and science fiction short stories by self-published authors. The book is free, as is its sequel, Wyrd Worlds II. The authors of these stories are hoping that you’ll enjoy their work, then seek out something else they’ve written. As usual for my Bookends series, I have read the […]
Science Fiction Podcasts
SCy-Fy posted a list of science fiction podcasts last month, and more recently has been running a series of interviews with sci-fi podcasters. Despite being a regular consumer of audio content, I haven’t started listening to podcasts yet. A friend recommended a non-fiction podcast, Hardcore History, and I became aware of several of the sci-fi […]
Bookends: Quantum Zoo
In an earlier review of The Power of Six, I mentioned my plans for a new feature where I read the first and last short story from a collection. In each post of this feature, I’ll briefly describe the two stories, and then indicate whether I’m inclined to read further in the collection. My theory […]
Planetary Defense Command 