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Fun with Epistolary Novels and Short Fiction at Chicon 8
I was fortunate to be selected for a panel at Chicon 8 on epistolary novels in speculative fiction. We (author and moderator Meg Elison, author Caroline Stevermer, publisher and editor Sarah T. Guan of Erewhon Books, Professor Leigha McReynolds, and myself) had a wonderful and spirited discussion of many facets of epistolary writing and some…
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A Wonderful Mystery Solved About My Favorite “Solitary” SF Story
Back in September 2020, I read a great story, “Bircher“, by A. A. Walde, an author I had never heard about of. It was originally published in Worlds of If, July 1966. I don’t own that issue, so I am pretty sure the first time I read it was in “World’s Best Science Fiction: 1967”…
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Tomorrow’s Parties: Life in the Anthropocene
The Short: “Tomorrow’s Parties: Life in the Anthropocene“, Jonathan Strahan editor, 2022 The MIT Press, is a great anthology. My average rating for the stories is 3.81/5, or “Great”. Strongly recommended. The Full Story: I’ve been hearing about “Tomorrow’s Parties: Life in the Anthropocene”, Jonathan Strahan editor, 2022 The MIT Press, for about a year.…
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Beyond Armageddon: Twenty-One Sermons to the Dead
The Short: I just read “Beyond Armageddon: Twenty-One Sermons to the Dead“, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Walter M. Miller, Jr., 1985 Donald I. Fine. My overall average rating for the stories here is 3.72/5, or “Very good”. Recommended, with a caution noted below. The Full Story: Earlier this year, the Best Science Fiction…
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The Best of Gene Wolfe: A Definitive Retrospective of His Finest Short Fiction
The Short: I’ve been a fan of Gene Wolfe for a long time, although I have conflicted feelings. He is definitely one of the masters of speculative fiction writing over the last 50 years! I’m glad I read “The Best of Gene Wolfe: A Definitive Retrospective of His Finest Short Fiction“, 2009 Tor. My overall…
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“Someone In Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance”, Jonathan Strahan editor, 2022 Solaris
The Short: “Someone in Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance“, Jonathan Strahan editor, 2022 Solaris, is a great anthology. It includes 16 stories and 420 pages of short fiction, with 14 new stories. My overall rating is 3.79/5, which I’m rounding up to “Great”. Strongly recommended. The Full Story: When I heard about this book, I…
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“Robots through the Ages”, an anthology by Robert Silverberg & Bryan Thomas Schmidt
The Short: “Robots Through The Ages“, Robert Silverberg and Bryan Thomas Schmidt editors, 2023 Blackstone Publishing (7/25/2023 release date), is a great anthology of stories about robots, androids and AI. While mostly reprints, there are three outstanding stories original to this anthology. Rated 3.89/5, or “Great”. I strongly recommend “Robots Through the Ages”. The Full…
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ISFDB, SFADB, and Other Speculative Fiction Tools
Summary: My favorite public speculative fiction tools and resources include: I know there are many, many more, but these are the ones I usually start with. On a personal level, I have Book, Comic Book and SF Magazine Databases. I also have a very substantial Excel spreadsheet I use to track my short fiction reading,…
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The Best Science Fiction Stories: 1949, edited by Everett F. Bleiler and T. E. Dikty
The Short: I recently read “The Best Science Fiction Stories: 1949” Everett F. Bleiler and T. E. Dikty editors, 1949 Frederick Fell. This is the first “Best of the Year” or “Year’s Best” science fiction anthology. My overall average rating is 3.8/5, or “Great”. I am glad I read it, with some caveats below. The…
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“Twenty-First Century Science Fiction”, David G. Hartwell & Patrick Nielsen Hayden editors
The Short: I (re)read “Twenty-First Century Science Fiction“, David G. Hartwell & Patrick Nielsen Hayden editors, 2013 Tor/Robinson recently for my online short fiction Facebook Group. Upon reread, I thought this was a great anthology, and so far the best attempt I’ve seen to survey twenty-first century science fiction. Strongly recommended. The Full Story: The…
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The Best of World SF: Volume 2
The Short: I loved “The Best of World SF: Volume 2”, Lavie Tidhar editor, 2022 Ad Astra/Head of Zeus. Although my average rating is 3.73/5, or “Very good”, I’m giving it an overall “Great” rating, explained below. Recommended strongly for those interested in different voices in speculative fiction. The Full Story: I’ve been a fan…
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A Deep Look by Dave Hook 