Category Archives: writing
Soundproof #10 : Escape Pod
My review of Lavie Tidhar’s “Osama” was reprinted in this month’s Soundproof Escape Pod. Soundproof #10 : Escape Pod
Book Review: “Osama” by Lavie Tidhar
It’s been about ten years since Al Qaeda operatives flew jets into three U.S. buildings (and were thwarted before they could hit a fourth). In that time we’ve all suffered the effects, which is to say: a couple of wars, … Continue reading
Posted in alternate history, book, escape pod, nonfiction, review, writing
Tagged lavie tidhar, osama, review
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The Medzilla Report for July 2011
The first half of 2011 closed out with several small layoffs and a slight reduction in new jobs created in health care, and although only one major domestic job cut was announced in June, there was plenty of troubling employment … Continue reading
forumite’s review of “Bring on the Rain”
The standouts for me were Rusch, Spinrad, and Josh Roseman. Being mentioned in company like that still makes me squee a little. Okay, more than a little. Back For More:–July Asimov’s – The Magazine – Asimovs.com Forums
Posted in fiction, short story, writing
Tagged asimov's, bring on the rain, climate change, post-apocalyptic, review, sci-fi, science fiction
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Book Review: “Pirates” by Nobilis Reed
Nobilis Reed is a good writer — he really gets into his characters’ heads, which is all the more difficult when the story is told via first-person-limited perspective. I just felt that the first 50-60 percent of the book didn’t … Continue reading
Posted in book, erotica, escape pod, nonfiction, review, sci-fi, writing
Tagged adult, deep space nine, erotica, nobilis reed, pirates, review, sci-fi, scouts
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Soundproof #9
My review of China Mieville’s “Embassytown” has been reprinted in this month’s Soundproof Escape Pod. Soundproof #9
Book Review: “Geist” by Philippa Ballantine
Geist combines the best of what I like in 1990s fantasy fiction with the scope of a doorstop novel… and then pares out all the extraneous crap that makes a fantasy novel into a doorstop. What’s left is 300 pages … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, fantasy, nonfiction, review, writing
Tagged fantasy, geist, philippa ballantine, review
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Book Review: “Hit List” by Laurell K. Hamilton
I don’t think Hit List is a really good book, especially when held up to others in the Anita Blake series. While the writing is definitely better and tighter than the past couple of Anita Blake novels, this one doesn’t … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, fantasy, nonfiction, review, supernatural, urban, writing
Tagged anita blake, hit list, laurell k. hamilton, reviews, vampire hunter
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Book Review: “Embassytown” by China Mieville
Unlike Kraken, Embassytown doesn’t force the reader to perform mental gymnastics to keep up with Mieville’s use of language. However, the book did take me quite a while to get through. There’s a lot to absorb, and a lot of … Continue reading
Posted in escape pod, nonfiction, review, sci-fi, writing
Tagged china mieville, embassytown, review, sci-fi, science fiction
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Book Review: “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms” by N.K. Jemisin
To go back to my comment on storytelling style — the best way to explain it is that I felt like I was reading Anita Blake: God Hunter. The same problems I have with Laurell K. Hamilton’s storytelling, I had … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, fantasy, nonfiction, review, writing
Tagged fantasy, N.K. Jemisin, review, the hundred thousand kingdoms
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Book Review: “Scouts” by Nobilis Reed
Warp drive. Hyperspeed. Folding space. Immersion. The Infinite Improbability Drive. Read five different pieces of science fiction and you’re guaranteed to find five different propulsion methods with five different names. But one thing I can guarantee is that you’ve never … Continue reading
Posted in book, erotica, escape pod, nonfiction, review, sci-fi, writing
Tagged erotica, nobilis reed, review, sci-fi, scouts, sex
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Soundproof #8
We hope you enjoy this issue, chock full of awesome stories, reviews, and Nebula reporting. We hope you have a wonderful summer (or winter, if you’re on the other side of the world) and keep listening! We will have other … Continue reading
“27 Jennifers” makes the top ten
A young woman is considered all-too replaceable by her demanding husband Michael. This is the unofficial winner of the annual Broken Mirror Story Event for 2009. I forgot to link this a few months ago, but “27 Jennifers” was named … Continue reading
Posted in fiction, short story, writing
Tagged 27 jennifers, dunesteef, review, sci-fi, science fiction, top 10, top ten
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“Belief”
IF YOU CAN READ THIS MESSAGE ACCEPT OUR GREETINGS ATTEND THE SPORTING CONTEST BETWEEN THE TWINS OF MINNESOTA AND THE DEVIL RAYS OF FLORIDA ON THE 194TH DAY OF THE HUMAN CALENDAR YEAR INFORM YOUR COMRADES SO THEY MAY WITNESS … Continue reading
Posted in fiction, short story, writing
Tagged aliens, belief, fusion fragment, sci-fi, science fiction
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a forum reader’s take on “Bring on the Rain”
Use of the present tense in narrative writing is generally a technique of the avant-garde, but here in “Bring On the Rain” it’s put to its use in a piece of military-oriented fiction, seeming either out of place or too … Continue reading
Posted in fiction, short story, writing
Tagged bring on the rain, climate change, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, science fiction
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Book Review: “Blind Man’s Bluff” by Peter David
For fourteen years, David has been sharing with us the adventures of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the U.S.S. Excalibur — his unorthodox style, his unorthodox crew, his unorthodox worldview. In fact, if New Frontier had a single word to describe … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, nonfiction, review, sci-fi, writing
Tagged mackenzie calhoun, new frontier, peter david, review, star trek
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The Medzilla Report for May 2011
Despite generally good news on the employment front in the U.S., the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in April that the nation’s unemployment rate increased to nine percent. They noted that of the 244,000 new jobs created, 37,000 of them … Continue reading
“Bring on the Rain”
“Bring on the Rain” is now available in the July 2011 issue of Asimov’s. You can purchase it electronically or… um… non-electronically. It’s a huge thrill – my hands are still shaking – to be in the same magazine as … Continue reading
Posted in fiction, short story, writing
Tagged asimov's, bring on the rain, climate change, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, science fiction
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The MedZilla Report for April 2011
An employment report I write monthly for MedZilla.com was reprinted by sfgate.com (the online arm of the San Francisco Chronicle). They’ve been doing this for months now; one would think I’d call attention to it. The MedZilla Report for April … Continue reading
Josh Roseman: Writer, Voice Guy, Dad, Human 