The Young Elites by Marie Lu turns out to be the story not of the Young Elites, but Adelina, a survivor of a plague which mutated her such that she gained magical/mutant powers… In her case, the power of illusion, but not only illusion of sight, but smell, touch, etc. Lu’s exploration of perception reveals […]
Continue ReadingI’ve been thinking a lot about the Bryce Harper situation when it comes to Kirk Cousins in recent weeks. The parallels are really interesting to me. For years, the Nationals said that they are going to try to keep Harper and Bryce mostly kept his mouth shut, but when really pressed the outfielder said how […]
Continue Reading
Great time at the Olney Library! I was one of six local writers invited to be part of a reading. To my delight, we had a full house. They organizers asked me to lead off and so I chose a silly, humorous piece about robot dinosaurs and a master sculptor who happens to be a […]
Continue Reading
Okay guys, I think I hit the big time. A Halo of Mushrooms is a featured part of a major exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery! Visitors who enter the central room on the second floor are welcomed to mellow other-worldly music and a series of kinetic, glowing, prismatic mushrooms. If you stand on their […]
Continue Reading
It was a hot day at the Maryland Renaissance Fair and not only because it was 105 degrees plus humidity. Some of the heat emanated from the amazing acts, the cosplay, and the phenomenal pieces of craft on display like life-sized chain mail version of the Maryland state flag by Brian Galloway. But mostly it […]
Continue Reading
I really like Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor series so far. The world building and the blend of dystopic sf with its religious/political backdrop is well done. Possibly because Lawrence never lets ideas take dominance over the characters themselves. Grey Sister is more of a split narrative than Red Sister. The story tracks […]
Continue Reading
The Bear and the Nightingale is a soothing, familiar story. Katerine Arden tells her narrative with beautiful delicate phrases plucked from gossamer and fey. It leans, like the works of Charles DeLint, on folk tales and sets them into reality although Arden’s reality is a foregone Russia in the place of DeLint’s modern Ottawa. It […]
Continue Reading
In the weeks that pass between the conclusion of Sin of the Empire and the start of Wrath of Empire, the Dynize have been busy. They have staked holds on the continent and their forces are consolidating in search of ancient artifacts needed to birth or resurrect a god. Our heroes, in the meantime, are […]
Continue Reading
Strangely, I’ve been alternating Jemisin’s Inheritance trilogy with Pullman’s Golden Compass/Dark Materials… and it works. There is something interesting about how both deal with spirituality, the impact of the unknown on our lives, and dust… though Jemisin’s dust in Broken Kingdoms takes the form of charcoal, conte crayon, paint, and eventually dried blood. Still, there’s […]
Continue Reading
I stir. With eyes closed, I can tell it’s still dark out. I turn over, but it’s no use. I’m awake. The Sun still has its night cap on. It gets to hit the snooze button and gather the horizon around its shoulders while I rise. Groggily, I wonder, When did the Sun get to […]
Continue Reading