I have been re-reading my early books as I convert them to e-books–a humbling but ultimately satisfying, exercise. Humbling because: God, I was young. The books are full of beginner mistakes (well I was a beginner–a beginner with a very … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: May 2011
The stallion is the ultimate macho fantasy critter. A knight won’t be seen on anything else. A hero rides a big one, preferably white. A heroine tames a wild one and rides to the rescue of her personal world. Of … Continue reading
By Steven Popkes Like any opinionated adult, I’m drawn to gender bias discussions like a moth to a flame. Two interesting articles came across my desk a while back. Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like A Man? by Christina … Continue reading
by Sherwood Smith I had some misgivings when I discovered that a panel I’d volunteered for had in its program description some fairly heavy weaponry: I hate fantasy and SF prologues! If I see that a book opens with a … Continue reading
By Chris Dolley I must admit to a certain fascination with the Placebo effect. I love the idea that the mind can exert an influence over the health of the physical body. I’m also amazed that it’s not studied more. … Continue reading
by Laura Anne Gilman The previously scheduled entry is being bumped for a by-request special report from the floor of the Javits Center – this week also known as Book Expo America. BEA, as you might have seen it referenced, … Continue reading
To Save Free Enterprise, Books Must Die Publishers Weakly – May 27, 2011 The publishing house Harpy (formerly Harpy & Roe, then Harpy Collie, then HarpyCollie, now just Harpy again), a wholly owned subsidiary of the international corporation headed by … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough, Sue Lange, Amy Sterling, and Judith Tarr. The Nebula Awards weekend is not a Worldcon. It is a business-oriented function sponsored by the Science-Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. We were very pleased to be called … Continue reading
There are no good people in Paolo Bacigalupi’s Hugo- and- Nebula-winning novel, The Windup Girl. Everybody is out for themselves and even people you think are loyal, if not decent, turn out to have betrayed each other. I say this … Continue reading
By Sherwood Smith As I get older (in a few days I’ll turn sixty) I look back over those decades. Before I retired from teaching, I was asked to emergency substitute in first grade the first week of school, and … Continue reading