One of the eternal question in speculative fiction is: Is this fantasy? Or is this science fiction? And does the answer matter? For Adam, Mine, author K. Ancrum takes a stab at this question, using one of the most durable tales in literature as inspiration. K. ANCRUM: The moment of conception in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein […]

Cheer up, Saja. It happens to all the cats, sooner or later. Also, fun fact: Saja has officially been with us for just over a full year now. We fostered him for a couple of weeks and then decided to keep him, and his official naming day was September 1. I was traveling that day […]

Grow where you are planted. In author Amanda J. McGee’s case, that’s right in good ol’ Appalachia. It is because of this that she felt compelled to write her newest novella, A River Wide, about more than just a character from Appalachia, but about the land that so many of us see the beauty and incredulousness […]

This actually happened, like, a week ago, but I’ve been busy traveling all over the place, so I’m noting it here now: Hey! Monsters of Ohio got an other starred review in the trades! This one is courtesy of Library Journal. The review is behind a paywall, but here’s the “verdict” portion of the review: […]

As I note in the Instagram post above, I have a particular reason to celebrate the existence of Star Trek: Without it, I wouldn’t have written Redshirts, or at least, if I had written something like it, it would have had a rather different grounding and a very different existence. A different name, to be […]

The latest Hugo arrived while I was away at Tampa Comic Convention, and Krissy took the opportunity to go in and rearrange the award shelves a bit to accommodate it. Would you like a tour of the shelves? Of course you would! Top shelf (from left): The Summit Award (for 250,000 reads of my story […]

Every journey begins with a first step, but where that journey goes from there can take many forms. Betsy James took many journeys leading up to Practicing to be Lightning, but to play fair by the characters in her story, there were more journeys for her to take. BETSY JAMES: It started out simple. I […]

Hello, dear readers! I find myself at DragonCon, which means I am in Atlanta! I snagged a room upgrade while checking in and now have a view from the 37th floor, which is not half bad. Have an excellent weekend, both con goers and those of you elsewhere! -AMS

Nothing like a big ol’ vent to inspire one to lofty heights of imagination. In any event: Hello! I’m in Tampa. It’s warm. I figure I’ll find out more about it tomorrow. But first! Sleep. — JS

Freedom: What a concept. But for Janci Patterson (and her co-writer Brandon Sanderson), it’s a concept with relevance, because in Blightfall, the characters are offered a sort of freedom that comes with potential… but also consequences. JANCI PATTERSON: What would you do if the entire universe was suddenly at your fingertips? This is the question […]

I believe this is the turkey tail mushroom or some such. It’s on a fallen tree in the local nature preserve. It’s actually quite pretty. Today I am off to Tampa to take part in the Tampa Bay Comic Convention. If you are in or near Tampa, come on down and see me this weekend. […]

Sure, the world is ending, but there’s laundry to do and groceries to get. Most of us are not the revolutionary hero we wish we were, as author Steven T. Gibbon points out in the Big Idea for his newest novel, Lipsnitch Snilly, but maybe we can start the dishwasher and contribute to the world all in one […]

I posted a thread on Bluesky about an annoying person at Worldcon (originating thread starts here), and I’m posting it here as well for archival purposes. It’s useful information! Pay attention to it! 1. So, at the Worldcon this year there was a person who was going from panel to panel, bothering panelists by trying […]

I’m now back at home after a red-eye, and rather than go to bed in the early afternoon, I’m going to write a post about winning the Hugo Award for Best Series. To help me with this, allow me to haul from his dungeon my Fictional Interlocutor: (squinting) Why is it so bright? What month […]

If for some reason the embed does not take you directly to the announcement of the series finalists, and then me literally dancing up the ramp to the stage to make my comments, my bit starts at 2:41:21. Also, of course, you can go all the way back to the beginning to watch the whole […]

The first two trade reviews of Monsters of Ohio are in, from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, and I’m happy (and relieved!) to say they are both unreservedly positive, and in the case of Kirkus, also a starred review, which means the publication is holding it out for special attention. Both reviews have pretty significant spoilers […]

Tonight (well, since I’m posting this after midnight, technically last night) I was given the Hugo Award for Best Series, for “Old Man’s War.” It’s late and I’m simultaneously wired and about to collapse, so I will say more about it later. But suffice to say I am thrilled, and equally thrilled to have shared […]

Krissy and I didn’t attend Worldcon with the intention of purchasing art, but then we went into the art show and saw these bronze pieces from sculptor Vincent Villafranca: And then we thought, “You know what? Those would look great in our offices.” So now we own these. The one on the top is mine. […]

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and author Chris Gerrib has got plenty of it to serve up in his newest novel, Gunmaker. Follow along in his Big Idea to see how justice and revenge aren’t as much of opposites as one may think. CHRIS GERRIB: This novel started as an (admittedly one-sided) argument with […]

A bit past totality (well, 96%-ity, since it wasn’t quite a total lunar eclipse). Still an interesting thing to look up and see. Worldcon going well, I’ve had lunch with a Grand Master and am now off to go sign a bunch of books and then be on a couple of panels and then, of […]

By examining one’s present, you can catch glimpses of the past. Every moment in history leads to this current one, and this sentiment is noted by author Victor Ladis Schultz in the Big Idea for his newest novel, The Book of the Jaguar. VICTOR LADIS SCHULTZ: What if the lone survivor had to take all the […]

It’s the happiest parking lot on Earth! We are here, of course, for LACon V, this year’s Worldcon, where I will doing panels, a reading, a signing, and of course DJing a dance. I may also win a Hugo, but then, I might not. Either way, I still have Hugos, so it’s fine either way. […]

There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of things that I say I would like to do and then I never do them. After I posted about my intentions on making a gift closet, I knew if I shared some of my progress, it would help hold me to my intentional choices! The first […]

Why do lightning bugs light up? Why do birds sing? Why do humans wear makeup and workout? It’s in every species’ nature to try and be as appealing as possible. As authors Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon will tell you in the Big Idea for their newest novel, MAYA: Seed Takes Root, some of this appeal […]

It was pretty clear this day was coming — her health had been failing and she had missed several high profile appearances — but this doesn’t make today any easier for literally generations of people, some of who knew her from her music, and others who benefitted from her philanthropy, including the Imagination Library, which […]

Having a miscommunication can be annoying, or even cause some real tension, but rarely does it lead to something as severe as losing your life. Author Carolyn Ives Gilman is taking the miscommunication trope and putting a life-or-death spin on it for her newest novel, Testament of Leaves. CAROLYN IVES GILMAN: When I started work […]

One of my splurges is that I buy myself a new phone each year, and for the last several years, the phone I splurge on is the latest iteration of the Pixel phone by Google, usually the “pro” version of the phone, because it’s feature-packed without being too ridiculously large (that’s the “pro XL”). This […]

My mom, grandma, and I are in Columbus this weekend to celebrate my grandma’s 79th birthday, and here is the view from the hotel we are staying in! It’s definitely outside of downtown, but not a bad view, honestly. We’ve got some good, clean, wholesome fun planned (drinking, gambling, debauchery). You only turn 79 once! […]

In times of turmoil, where is our caped crusader to save the day? Heroes are good, villains are bad, and real life people are a whole lot more complicated. Author Suyi Davies Okungbowa examines this idea further, showing how people, while sometimes heroic, also contain multitudes and aren’t just one thing. Follow along in the […]

Because I feel like moving a bit beyond the hits. Enjoy. — JS