The Fire in Fiction is Maass’s clearest enunciation yet of what separates the competent but disappointing novel from those that...

OK, folks, you didn’t take me seriously about Ken Rand’s The 10% Solution. I have my ways of knowing. Listen, though: this is an editing...

I note with sadness the passing of Ken Rand, author of Tales of the Lucky Nickle Saloon, Golems of Laramie County, many short stories and...

If there isn’t a conference, con, or retreat in sight–or one you feel attracted to–create your own. That’s what Louise Marley, Sharon...

I am doomed. Someone (the husband of a famous sf/f writer) played this song in my presence, and now I can’t get rid of it!! White Bird....

I took the test “Which Science Fiction Writer Are you?” As a total time-waster, if you want to find out which well-known SF writer you...

Due to overwhelming demand, I am conducting this little tour of my writing place. That’s what my writing space looked like today, March...

On Fantasy Book Critic, here’s my list of favorite books I read this year. (The lists this time didn’t have to be recent books, they just...

Tom and I are in California at our little getaway place in the desert. I love coming here. I’m reading Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey,...

At every convention I ask people what books they can recommend. I wish I could remember the person who pointed me in the direction of...

I am amazed by all the self-righteous anger and personal snarkiness of this election. People keep repeating the same stale mantras, the...

It’s been some time since Tom and I up and got out of Dodge for a true road trip. I’d forgotten how much fun they are. You know, stuff a...

The latest book of Dan Simmons, The Terror, has been keeping me awake at night. Normally I wouldn’t appreciate that, but this story is so...

Do you have a secret and inexplicable desire to use semicolons, but feel the world has beaten them out of you? Perhaps you do, but will...

Yours truly made a guest appearance, or guest mind meld, on SFSignal today. Other contributors were Kathleen Ann Goonen, Nancy Kress,...

Two great books lately, one fiction, one nonfiction. Is anyone else reading this blog fascinated by China, or it just my peculiarity?...

I checked out some books that have hit at least one Best of the Year lists. Overall, I’m amazed, as ever, how different people’s...

Questions taken from Hornswoggler the Great Antimucker. 1. What is in the backseat of your car right now? A toner cartridge ready to be...

Just returned from the desert near Palm Springs. I managed to tuck in a con in San Diego, see relatives, and have a week at golf and...

This was Thursday morning on my street in Wenatchee WA. And this is Thursday afternoon in Tom’s and my desert get-away. Don’t hate me. I...