John Varley is a well-known science fiction author, with many books to his credit. I like the way he uses his imagination to conjure up scenarios for his novels. In “Red Lightning“, second in the four-volume “The Thunder and Lightning” series, he has his teenaged protagonist surfing the atmosphere of Mars (such as it… Continue reading Saturday Snippet: Surfboarding down to Mars
Tag: Writing
Not your average romance novel . . .
Mark Longmire is a graphic designer in Knoxville, Tennessee. At his Web site, he pokes fun at various and sundry aspects of modern life – including the rather over-the-top covers used to sell romance novels. Here’s a montage of some of his variations on that theme. Click the image for a larger view. There… Continue reading Not your average romance novel . . .
Quote of the day
Watching the chaos being unleashed on this country by the Biden administration, it’s hard to keep one’s cool. Consider: Hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens are being not just admitted to this country willy-nilly, but actively encouraged to cross our borders. The Federal Reserve is creating trillions of dollars out of thin air with no… Continue reading Quote of the day
Saturday snippet: “Don John of Austria is going to the war”
The naval Battle of Lepanto in 1571 was a turning-point in the struggle between East and West, between Christianity and Islam. It was also the last major naval battle involving primarily oared vessels, the galleys and galleasses that were the descendants of ancient Greek and Roman biremes and triremes. After Lepanto, the Age of Sail… Continue reading Saturday snippet: “Don John of Austria is going to the war”
Saturday snippet: What if Texas had stayed independent?
I don’t usually enjoy time-warp novels, where a protagonist from one era is somehow transported back (or forward) in time to another age, and has to figure out how to make it there, what he/she has to do, and so on. There are a few very good books in that genre, and many also-rans.… Continue reading Saturday snippet: What if Texas had stayed independent?
A screaming deal for book lovers – and everyone else, too
If you’ve lamented the shocking fall-off in the quality of books written today, where foul language, political correctness and rampant stupidity seem to characterize much of the modern market, then you’re in for a treat. The entire (yes, I said ENTIRE) contents of the Harvard Classics are now available in e-book format for just $1.99. … Continue reading A screaming deal for book lovers – and everyone else, too
“A love-letter to Terry Pratchett and Discworld”
That’s how the blurb describes “Troll Bridge“, a fan-made movie drawn from the late Sir Terry Pratchett‘s short story of that name, part of his Discworld series of novels. If you’re a fan of that fictional world and its stories, you’ll love this! I mean . . . how could anyone not respond to a character… Continue reading “A love-letter to Terry Pratchett and Discworld”
Heh
It’s always surprised me how “grammar Nazis” or “spelling Nazis” complain bitterly about the smallest mistake in a book, or a blog article, or whatever. They won’t cut us any slack at all. It’s as if any errors the author(s) make are somehow deliberately intended as a personal insult to them. They’re not, of… Continue reading Heh
Gaslighting in America
Author, blogger and friend in meatspace and cyberspace, Michael Z. Williamson, has put up an excellent article at MeWe about gaslighting and how it’s become commonplace in America today. I can’t link directly to the article, because MeWe doesn’t provide such links, but if you want to read it, go to his timeline there… Continue reading Gaslighting in America
The state of the author, and my current book projects
I’ve been asked by a reader (thanks, George!) to provide an update on my various writing projects, and how things look over the coming year or so. Let me begin by quoting from an article I wrote over at Mad Genius Club last week. Last November [2019], I suffered a heart attack (my second). … Continue reading The state of the author, and my current book projects