Category Archives: History

A Sense of History

Posted on June 9, 2013 by

    I’ve heard it said that California has no history. Well, that’s wrong. Written history of human lives, not so much. The people who lived here before the Spanish came didn’t leave records, but they were here. Richard Henry … Continue reading →


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Posted in Books and Reading, History, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Free Cornish Army Redux

Posted on June 1, 2013 by
Free Cornish Army in TruroA

I had an unexpected email this week from a Free Cornish Army veteran. For those unaware of my teenage revolutionary past, you can read the full story of the FCA here. Yes, in the fun-loving 1970s, freedom of expression included … Continue reading →


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Posted in History, Humor, journalism | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Nostalgia Vacations and Indoor Volcanoes

Posted on May 18, 2013 by

There was another report this week about the rise in the traditional British holiday. Part of this is down to economics – ever since the financial melt down of 2008 people have had less money to spend on overseas holidays … Continue reading →


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Posted in Culture, History, Humor, Lifestyle, Travel | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

How Feminism Killed Cooking

Posted on April 30, 2013 by

I read an article on Salon yesterday: “Is Michael Pollan a Sexist Pig?” by a writer named Emily Matchar.  The title is, of course, very tongue in cheek; the article is about the omnivore/ locavore/ femivore movements, and about the myths we … Continue reading →


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Posted in feminism, Food and Cooking, History | 43 Comments

An Alien Mindset

Posted on April 16, 2013 by

When I first started writing science fiction, my workshop buddies and I talked a lot about aliens and whether it was possible to write from a truly convincing alien mindset.  In the years since then I’ve come to the realization … Continue reading →


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Posted in historical novels, History, Uncategorized, Writers on Writing | 5 Comments

The Hero through the female gaze

Posted on March 24, 2013 by

      A discussion of the quest, the heroic quest, and heroes at ConDor a few weeks back got me to thinking about male heroes, as written by women. The hero from the female gaze is one I think … Continue reading →


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Posted in Books and Reading, History | Tagged , , , , | 24 Comments

Caught in the act of greatness, part three: the author as creator

Posted on March 10, 2013 by

            Part three of three discussions of rereading, covering the first three of Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series. The first six chapters of Patrick O’Brian’s H.M.S. Surprise read a lot like Post Captain; they largely carry … Continue reading →


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Posted in Books and Reading, historical novels, History | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Caught in the act of greatness, part two: worldbuilding, character, and voice

Posted on March 3, 2013 by

          It delighted but didn’t surprise me to discover that Patrick O’Brian’s historical series appealed to so many fans of SF and F. There are three aspects of the books that seem to appeal to fans: … Continue reading →


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Posted in Books and Reading, historical novels, History | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Caught in the act of greatness–rereading Master and Commander

Posted on February 24, 2013 by

When I first read a great book I am no longer I, but ego dissolves away into an eye, absorbed completely into the world of the story. Rereading overlays the text with a palimpsest of memory: the first time I … Continue reading →


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Posted in Books and Reading, historical novels, History, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Evolution, Competition, Cooperation and Government

Posted on January 27, 2013 by

(Picture from here.) One of the persistent memes that came out of the November election is “You didn’t build that”. I’m not going to go into how the meme is a lie how it is represented. (American Crossroads edited his … Continue reading →


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Posted in History, Science | Tagged | 1 Comment