I was reading a well-known science fiction author last night and found myself repeatedly bumped out of the story by all the techno-babble. I’m not averse to techno-babble, mind, it’s just that I didn’t buy that this POV character viewed the world through techno-babble glasses. If you’re staring at a sunset, it’s highly unlikely that […]
Swords and Sociology, Redux Read More »
Last night I was watching a show about emotions – how people overcome grief and trauma, how depression and happiness shape our lives. The parent of one of the VA Tech students who was killed a few years back said he talked to a nurse who said that the most unnerving part of her experience
WorldBuilding 301: The Difference is in the Details Read More »
I used to get a lot of hate mail and death threats, so when I got my latest hate note in response to this guest post of all things, I just shrugged it off, clicked the “spam” button and went on with my life. But then I saw somebody on Twitter post something about how
In Which I Share My Hate Mail Read More »
I’m pleased to share that GOD’S WAR, INFIDEL and RAPTURE will be published in the UK (and the British Commonwealth) by Ebury Publishing, a subsidiary of Random House, UK. For those keeping an Irony Meter handy, my first contract for GOD’S WAR, which was cancelled and resulted in us heading over to Night Shade, was
Deals, Deals Deals: GOD’S WAR UK & Audio Editions Read More »
For reasons various and sundry, I have just now released a draft of RAPTURE to my editor, agent, and first readers (yes, the book was due 4/30, and I finished it 4/30, but I had to hold onto it due to Boring Business Things). I’ve been toodling around with it, of course, since I finished
On hitting deadlines, writing a book a year, and subverting the limits of make-believe Read More »
NOTE: This post assumes you have already watched Prometheus, so is full of SPOILERS. In the world of Prometheus, we all came from white dudes, who went around seeding the universe with their magical, life-giving sperm. It was a fine feat those boys managed, creating whole worlds all on their own. I can’t help but
Prometheus: White Dudes Seeding the Universe with their Magical Man-Sperm (Naturally) Read More »
When I rant about biases and stereotypes and authors’ blindspots, I get the impression that some people think I’m some perfect person without any biases. I’ve talked a lot about my awareness of my own misogyny and racism, but there’s other stuff that creeps up on you too, sometimes when you least expect it. Bias
What is this Fat Woman Doing on TV? Read More »
I had to go to the doctor yesterday, which is something I have to do often and have come to hate and resent more than is probably appropriate. I had not been to my endocrinologist for nearly a year and a half, which isn’t to say I haven’t been to the doctor in all that
May 17, 2012 During times of great social upheaval, it can often seem safer to say nothing. You get noticed less. You piss off fewer people. You go around making sure the trains run on time. You make your dollars and go home and stuff them in the mattress and keep your head down and
They’ll Come for You… Whether You Speak up or Not Read More »
Last night, J. cooked up a bloody rare steak. It was the first rare steak I’d had in a long time. I’ve been known to prefer my steaks mooing. We raised cows when I was growing up. I’m a happy carnivore. But as I cut into raw, meaty inside this time, my stomach seized. My
Eat Your Bloody Steak. You’ll Like it: Eight Years of War, and Writing, and Bugs Read More »