The No-No’s: What NOT to do when submitting fiction Welcome back to my on-going and generally weekly series on how to market and sell short fiction. These posts are written in a very specific sequence, […]
“Do not annoy a dragon, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.” — Author Unknown A myth about ancient map makers is that they’d adorn the distant uncharted areas with “Here Be Dragons”, […]
First contact stories are among the most fertile ground for science fiction humor. They make excellent vehicles for looking in the mirror for a good laugh. In his first novel, Shh! It’s a Secret, Daniel […]
At Long Last…Centuries in the Making!….Like Nothing Ever Seen Before!…..For the First Time Ever!….Is This the Beginning of the End?…or is it just THE END OF THE BEGINNING!?! Da Da DAAAAAAAAAAA! Almost from our opening […]
There are only three nominations for short stories on the Hugo ballot this year, Sure a larger selection would be better, but any one of these on the list is worthy of winning.
Like many readers, I became a fan of John Scalzi after reading his Old Man’s War. It’s a wonderful book and it led me on to his others. I’ve now read most of his novels […]
“The safest place there is. . . .” It’s a dubious, quizzical line, delivered by Lois Smith near the end of her one unforgettable scene as the self-proclaimed mother of Precrime. Dubious because we’re talking […]
Sequels tend to be the re-used tea bags of film—reminiscent of earlier, stronger experiences now weak and watery. Remakes can be even more dangerous, especially when the original material is revered. There are some instances […]
There are a number of science fiction tropes that might come true at some point, but not necessarily within our lifetimes or near future. They’re extremely common, however, and challenging them can elicit strong emotions […]
Henry Kuttner deserves our thanks. If things had been left to Clifford Ball, Sword & Sorcery would have fizzled out in the pages of Weird Tales. Ball, who we know very little about, was the […]
Every year, the Hugo Awards -presented by the World Science Fiction Association at its annual event, Worldcon – are announced amidst much internet and real-world coverage and every year the announcement is immediately followed by […]
Whenever I think about black-and-white illustrations from the old science fiction magazines, it is always the work of Virgil Finlay that I picture in my head. And why not? The man was a genius with […]
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
The death of Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago film critic Roger Ebert has already been eulogized far and wide. Most of the accolades concentrate, rightfully so, on Ebert’s storied career as a newspaperman and critic and his […]
Only one item today: Your’s truly was interviewed by the prestigious StarShipSofa and its enormously enthusiastic host Tony C. Smith this past Tuesday (at the ungodly hour of 6 am no less). The interview appears […]
The strength of characterization in Sailor Moon is, in my opinion, what has made it such an enduring series. When we were children, we chose our favorite and used her to represent who we were […]
Here’s how to do cultural appropriation right. Look at the man and his fox bride; you can tell he loves her.
This is going to be a first for me- I’m going to review a book BEFORE I finish it. Hold on! You might be thinking. How can I pass judgement on a book without finishing […]
Hello, folks! Now that I’m back on my feet, I find that April’s here. A few days ago was April 1st, also known as April Fool’s Day. And while I may not be clever enough […]
By the early 1980’s, following the success of Carrie and The Shining in the cinema and Salem’s Lot on TV, Hollywood was falling over itself to film anything from the typewriter of Stephen King. King’s […]
One thing that’s been abundantly clear to me, as someone weaned on video games, is how indebted we are to science fiction and fantasy. Final Fantasy’s core concepts―its monsters, its ridiculous evil antagonists, its specific […]
“SHOULD YOU BE BLACKLISTED, MR. CARD?” The SoHo Gallery for Digital Art New York, NY Share this event: Wednesday Apr 10, 2013 7:00 PM – Wednesday Apr 10, 2013 9:00 PM | $12.00 “SHOULD YOU […]
Update below. via Facebook and SFX, today we learned the sad news that Iain M. Banks has late-stage gall bladder cancer. Iain has written a letter to his fans and readers that you can see […]
Most readers—me included—will pick a book off the bookstore shelf because its cover interests us: the title intrigues; the cover illustration attracts; the author’s name is one we trust. If you don’t know the author […]
Who isn’t fascinated by the images of outer space, which have become available over the last few decades from ever more powerful telescopes: the iridescent colour play of stars in the making, the drifting clouds […]
Animals have a very special role to play in stories, at least according to the long history of tales utilizing their presence as potent symbolism. Throughout the world of story-telling, a multitude of beasts have had very […]
When I walked out to my back patio, I unexpectedly met resistance. My throbbing forehead had crashed against an unseen force. I stepped back to look more closely and noticed a barrier standing between me […]
At last Doctor Who has returned to our screens in the lead up to the 50th anniversary episode. Still part of season seven we are officially introduced to the Doctor’s new sidekick, Clara Oswin (even […]
We’re going to take a break from all the philosophizing for a minute – there’s just too much news in the horror universe right now! We’ll get back to the textbooks soon, I promise. Amazing […]
Taking a short break from science horror to talk some more about steampunk, because our superior mechanical overlords assure me it’s the next big thing. But what exactly is steampunk? Instead of wading into a […]
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