Language is a slippery thing. I often marvel that American high schools require four years of English but not math or history, and think that it’s because rhetoric, language, and the grit that it takes to grasp and wield are… Read More ›
The world has fallen in love with the Mandalorian in large part because of his adorable little plushy sidekick known only as Baby Yoda. One look into those eyes and you know it is impossible to come back. You’ll do… Read More ›
By definition, the very notion of Santa Claus riding down from the toy workshop hidden in the frosty wasteland of the North Pole to deliver toys to all the good boys and girls of the world in a single nocturne… Read More ›
Jessica Reisman’s Arcana of Maps is a short story collection whose themes will be familiar to SFF readers. There are stories of the future, stories of the moment, and stories of somewhen. There are stories with intriguing technology and ones… Read More ›
Never before in my life have the ideas of others occupied so much of my thoughts. In grad school, twenty books a year seemed like a lot. This year, I’m past that and we haven’t even scratched December. Most of… Read More ›
To me, one of the great narrative failures is when important information is kept from the audience simply because the author wants to maintain the secret. The narrator knows. They share winks and nods with other characters in the scene…. Read More ›
“You might not get this book back,” the student said, despite my name being written in permanent marker like the gold leaf on bible pages. I’m not particularly protective of books. In fact, every good book I’ve ever loved (in… Read More ›
“Sword & Sorcery” fiction was one of the first fantastical genres I stumbled upon as a teenage reader. Mr Cahoon, my high school mentor, tried to steer me away from it but my friends urged me to try it out. … Read More ›
The cold snap that passed through much of the United States made one thing very clear: Winter is Coming. It’s already snowed a few times for my family in the northern states, and even down in south Texas, where I… Read More ›
A member of the family passed away on All Souls, November 1. As a resident of San Antonio, TX, I am very familiar with the importance of this day. It is the day when spirits return to visit their living… Read More ›