One really important aspect of being a guest of honor at a science fiction con has nothing to do with the Con itself. It’s making sure the world turns. Luckily, most Cons happen over the weekend and so for most of us the worst that happens is you might lose a Friday of work or […]
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I allowed the alarm clock to sleep in. It hummed in the darkness still hours away from its scheduled cry. I removed the blankets and sat up. A chill touched me as a green LED light blinked 5:30. It really was too early to be up, but my car waited only half-packed. Today mattered. It […]
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Impeccably researched, Voor Elise has both the scope and intimacy you look for in good non fiction. It tells the story of an Austrian woman as she navigates poverty, war, and immigration during the early part of the 20th Century. Sienkiewicz recounts his family history in a way that embraces both the trees and the […]
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One of the first barriers in a book is how much exposition are you willing to wade through to get to the story. Every book takes a little bit of investment. It’s learning the author’s world, adapting to their writing rhythms, and getting through the set up. Fran Wilde’s first novel Updraft provided 20 pages […]
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July 22, 2016 Saw Cirque yesterday and it was a fine show full of contortionists, daredevils, jugglers and clowns. I was really impressed by the sets, props, and costumes. Really great craft. If you’re into steam punk you’ll get a bonus thrill or two. As I got in my car, I turned the radio to […]
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I liked the second volume of Fairyland better than the first and I liked that one a lot. In Book 2, our main hero September has to clean up the mess that she was accidental catalyst to. She goes through a labyrinth of adventures and meets an absurd cadre of characters and creatures, but the […]
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Ryan Doughan’s Mist Falcon is a well told epic fantasy told in the classic fashion with rich characters who live in a deep and complex world. The stakes are high, real, and best growing more dear chapter by chapter. The well drawn characters are pulled together in snaking story lines. At the start, the main […]
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Sunday, June 14, 2009 The first time I entered the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, I remember losing it . . . all because of a pile of shoes. The stories didn’t get to me. The pictures didn’t get to me. I was steeled for those. It was that innocent pile of shoes. An image worth […]
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I’ve been a Redskins fan all my life. Ever since a friend bet me in third grade that the Cowboys would whomp up on the local team. Back then, I didn’t watch football, didn’t know anything about the game, but I knew that you supported your local team. I took the bet but didn’t watch […]
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