Synopsis:
The first of two anthologies featuring short stories by George RR Martin, ranging from fantasy to science fiction to horror to genre hybrids.
Review:
I am one of those readers who had never heard of George RR Martin before encountering A Game of Thrones, book one in his Song of Ice and Fire series. [...]

Popularity: 80% [?]

[Read more →]

The George RR Martin quote I posted yesterday has struck a nerve and garnered some very, very thoughtful and intelligent comments on both sides of the debate. Please check it out.
Additionally, Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist (where that Martin quote came from) points to this article in the online edition of a North Carolina newspaper, which [...]

Popularity: 10% [?]

[Read more →]

I had to call attention to this quote from the interview on Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist with George RR Martin, Garner Dozois, and Daniel Abraham, whose collaboration Hunter’s Run is about to come out. For those who are not familiar with George RR Martin, he is the author of the 7-book epic fantasy series A [...]

Popularity: 23% [?]

[Read more →]

I got a lovely email from Chauceriangirl telling me she loved my blog & expressing her shared admiration for my dear beloved Shirley Jackson. (The link takes you to a great post she wrote about Shirley Jackson inspired by our email exchange.)
In her email, she wrote (printed with her permission):
Popularity: 18% [?]

Popularity: 18% [?]

[Read more →]

Synopsis:
A new house in a suburban Atlanta neighborhood spells disaster for all its inhabitants.
Review:
It’s awfully hard to be frightened when you’re sitting on a rooftop deck in West Hollywood, letting the setting sun dry your bathing suit after discovering that you can float like a cork in the saltwater pool.
Popularity: 71% [?]

Popularity: 71% [?]

[Read more →]

Synopsis:
Harry Potter braces for his final battle with evil Lord Voldemort, knowing that only one of them will survive.
Review:
My biggest criticism of Harry Potter has always been his passivity. In the first few books especially, he spends most of his time being rescued or protected, simply because he’s “The Boy Who Lived.” And [...]

Popularity: 59% [?]

[Read more →]

Last night’s work read saw a celebrated author of so-called “literary fiction” attempting a murder mystery. Great characters, fabulous dialogue, smart ideas–terrible plot. Why? The writer doesn’t know the first thing about genre satisfaction.
This happens from time to time. A “real writer” will decide to take on a genre, thinking that [...]

Popularity: 30% [?]

[Read more →]

In the comments thread for Will the Series be Unbroken, Brad & Imani’s insights made me realize that I was thinking of series in a very limited way. I was only considering a series as having the following criteria:

Set in the same world
Recurring characters
A forward-moving story that aims for cohesiveness across multiple books
There is [...]

Popularity: 37% [?]

[Read more →]

I have no intention of reading every book on this list. I have zero interest in reading anything more by Philip Roth, Saul Bellow, EL Doctorow, Thomas Pyncheon, or Don Dellillo than what I’ve already read, for example. But I did enjoy going through the list and finding out how well read [...]

Popularity: 13% [?]

[Read more →]

I just realized that I read a book for work on Tuesday night and forgot to put up a blog post. Slacker!!
I can’t help feeling a little embarrassed that I read fantasy and sci-fi, also known as speculative fiction.
Popularity: 9% [?]

Popularity: 9% [?]

[Read more →]