The estimable Jamey Stegmaier emailed me the other day after I posted my last book review and asked me a very interesting question. What is it, he asked, that you like so much about dystopian fiction? The question really got me thinking. After all, I’m working on a book with strong dystopian elements, and I’ve read a whole…
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Writer, explorer, and keeper of Alder the dog.
Book Review: “Disconnect” by Imran Siddiq
I’ve been going on a bit of a YA reading spree lately, but I’ve been fairly disappointed by the fact that so many of the protagonists in this genre are female. I have nothing against female protagonists, but the imbalance in the genre is overwhelming. Where are the books for boys? Where are the coming-of-age…
Read MoreThe Life of a Young Writer (Through The Many Faces of Jennifer Lawrence)
In honor of Jennifer Lawrence’s win at the Oscars on Sunday (which only served to redouble my blossoming love for her) I decided to make use of her acting talents and multifarious faces to express some of the trials and tribulations of being an aspiring novelist. WHEN I FINISH A DAY OF EDITING WHEN AN…
Read MoreBook Review: NEXUS by Ramez Naam
The tagline for the book NEXUS, published by the Angry Robot imprint of Osprey, is “Mankind Gets An Upgrade”, but frankly, I don’t think that does the book justice. Lots of books are about “upgrading” humans, whether through genetic modifications, android additions, or drugs (as is Nexus). The tagline is technically correct: the basic premise of NEXUS…
Read MoreHow Jack Learned To Read
I have had the good fortune of conversing with a very interesting fellow over on Goodreads. This fellow (who requested anonymity, we’ll call him Jack) was kind enough to talk to me about how he got into reading at a much later age than most do, and how important books have become to him. I…
Read MoreThis Is What Obsession Feels Like
Obsession [uh b-sesh–uh n] (noun) 1. The domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, desire, image, etc. What was the last thing you were obsessed with? Something so gripping that you just couldn’t get it out of your mind, that your waking and dreaming moments were defined almost exclusively by that one thing? Maybe…
Read MoreBook Review: “Shatter Me” by Tahereh Mafi
I finally did something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. I bought the first book in Tahereh Mafi’s new series, SHATTER ME, which was released in November of 2011 by Harper/Harper Collins. Her second book, UNRAVEL ME, was just released on Feb. 5, which made me think, “Oh, how easy it will…
Read MoreBook Review: “Ready, Player One” by Ernest Cline
READY, PLAYER ONE is a vivid and compelling story: a fast-paced sci-fi novel that takes place largely in virtual reality, with a double helping of 1980s pop culture references and video game trivia. Centered around the quest to find an “egg” hidden inside this virtual world that contains the key to the largest private fortune…
Read MoreA Discourse on the Origin of Cheese
Ladies and gentlemen, I come before you today with a question of the utmost importance: The origin and nature of that delicious and inimitable substance, CHEESE. Where did it come from? How was it discovered? In what way was it bestowed upon humanity to enjoy it forever more? I propose here two theories, of alternate…
Read MoreWriting as Devotional Act
I just read a wonderful op-ed piece about writing that was completely inspiring for me. I blog a lot about books, but not so often about the craft that goes into creating books, and I wanted to take a minute to appreciate the creativity and devotion that goes into writing. The article, published on Dec.…
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The Z-Axis 