A World Without Childhood
Childhood is an important part of the human experience. Our extended maturity period has been cited many times as part of why we are the smartest species on...
Alchemists Rule
Review: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett It’s rare to get an entire fantasy world where the primary magic system is alchemy, but Bennett does this...
Flap, Flap, Flap!
So, this has not been a fun week. Instead of working, I spent last Friday…having emergency eye surgery. Look up posterior vitreous detachment. Or don’t. You...
Is This Your Lucky Day?
Black Sails 2.6 Don’t listen to Max. Just don’t. It looks very much like she’s selling prize locations to multiple crews now, with predictable results. Billy...
Two Popes, No...
Tomorrow, all of the Cardinals who haven’t achieved the age of 80 go into conclave to choose a new Pope. Supposedly, God guides them. In reality…ideally...
Robots and Time Travel
If you’re wondering what happened to Friday’s post…guess who spent all of Friday getting emergency laser eye surgery. I’m on a bit of a screen time...
Nuke It From Orbit...
Doctor Who 2.3 “The Well” Doctor Who is at its best when it leans into horror. “Nuke the site from orbit.” We all finish the sentence…well, the older viewers...
Hugs, Not Kisses - the Importance of Non-Romantic Relationships in Spec Fic
Many years ago, somebody told me as a baby writer that I had to have a consummated romance involving my main character or “Nobody would read my books.”It...
Alien Horrors?
Sorry this is a little late in the day…I had to get a bunch of con stuff done! Review: Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky I haven’t read much Tchaikovsky....
Not Here! Nope, Not Here...
Not there either, although I wouldn’t mind. Actually, I don’t mind where I am…when this goes out I’ll be at RavenCon waiting for registration to open. I’m on...
Content Warning: Torture
Black Sails 2.2 Ow. All I can say is ow. We have torture in this episode, just saying. We also have goat f**king. Maybe. Possible. I mean, not on camera,...
Global Trade is Not New
Okay, so there’s an ongoing myth that our ancestors only traded very locally. And it’s true that a lot of people never traveled more than a day’s walk from...
Nebula Novel Finalist Thoughts
I spent the last week rereading Murderbot, so I don’t have any reviews. So, I thought, instead I’d give my analysis for the Nebula Award for Novel and who I...
Ack! Crows!
The crows have a new game. It’s called “take turns buzzing the human.” There are no eggs yet. They only do it when I’m working out on the balcony. They are...
Revolutions
Yes, there’s a bit of a theme this week. The Handmaid’s Tale 1.5 “Faithful” This episode is about sex. And who has it better. The new Ofglen was a street...
Dire Wolves? We've Seen That Movie
News broke last week that a genetics company had successfully genetically engineered three healthy dire wolf pups. Yes, dire wolves were real. They lived...
Moons, Ghosts, and Mood Ring Hair
Review: Moonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee In Machineries of Empire, the Hexarchate’s technology is controlled by rituals. Change the rituals, change the laws of...
Ravencon, Poe!
Okay, so I have part of my schedule for RavenCon. Subject to alteration, as such things are. Friday, 4pm: A Panelist’s Guide to Panels Friday, 5pm: I’ve Got...
Arrr...and Argh
Black Sails 1.5 Actual piracy! This show is much more about piratical intrigue than actual theft on the high seas. That’s probably because piracy is...
The Tales of Robin Hood
I recently experienced a disappointment when a book entitled Sherwood Nation turned out not to be about Roin Hood (but only stealing some imagery from the...