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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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“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…