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Safe Travels, Winners!

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Congratulations to the latest class of Writers & Illustrators of the Future winners! Their workshop week in LA just ended and I’m sure they are chock full of interesting observations and ideas for future projects. They will certainly have met some terrific fellow artists and had a fascinating experience. (I’m also betting they’re exhausted because that week is intense, but they can sleep on the way home!)

I look forward to reading volume 42!

If 42 is the answer, these stories ask the questions worth thinking about.

Discover fifteen unforgettable science fiction and fantasy short stories—illustrated in full color—featuring twelve emerging voices alongside three acclaimed masters of the genre. From visionary sci-fi to emotionally rich fantasy and quiet horror, this collection delivers bold “what ifs” that linger long after the final page.

What if a perfect rescue went catastrophically wrong?

What if the “better you” doesn’t want to share your life?

What if love could survive inside a virtual reality?

Inside, you’ll encounter a flawless time-rescue gone wrong, a beauty treatment with terrifying consequences, a detective hunted by a body-hopping killer, and a homesteader uncovering a truth that rewrites Earth itself. You’ll also find dragons that defy myth, fairy-tale chaos, supernatural horror, and high-concept science fiction that blends heart, humor, and imagination.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Well, that sounds interesting, and also I am not a professional (yet) and might qualify for this competition,” I say go for it. The contest is free, accepts entries quarterly, and can be excellent as a motivating deadline. (And who knows, you may find yourself in a room with the writers of some of your favorite childhood books. Now that’s magic made real.)

Writer Contest | Writers & Illustrators of the Future (illustrators too!)

Enter a short story science fiction, fantasy, light horror. 

Up to but not exceeding 17,000 words. 

Free to enter and entrants retain all publication rights. 

Enter 1 story per quarter, up to 4 per year. 

Anonymous judging. This is a merit-based competition.

Here’s to this new round of winners, and to artists everywhere!

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Photo by Jeff Tumale on Unsplash

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Experts Have Thoughts

Posted in Entertainment, Science!, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 7, 2026| 1 Comment »

Since my recent posts have spent a lot of time in space, let’s take a slight break from the nonfiction drama of NASA’s Artemis II mission and shift over to the fictional world of space adventure.

In his books, Andy Weir (The Martian) works hard to bring scientific accuracy to his fiction. The challenge is balancing the demands of a thrilling story with the science that grounds it in reality.

How did he do? Experts weigh in.

How plausible is ‘Project Hail Mary’? Experts have thoughts

While “Project Hail Mary” has its share of explosions and catastrophes, it’s the thinking that’s thrilling. Grace and Rocky must come together, with tools and whiteboards, craft and ingenuity, to solve a seemingly insoluble problem. They make mistakes, but they learn from those mistakes and from each other.

And an astrophysicist also has thoughts:

Project Hail Mary is packed with hard science. An astrophysicist breaks it down

… when I walked out of a recent preview screening of the film adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 science fiction novel Project Hail Mary, I had tears of joy in my eyes. The filmmakers had done justice not just to the original story, but also to the science at the heart of it.

From NASA, with lots of interesting subsidiary links: 

The Science Behind ‘Project Hail Mary’ – NASA Science

Let NASA shed some light: Explore the resources below to learn the science facts fueling the science fiction.

(Wait, Tau Ceti was also featured in fiction by Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Frank Herbert, Robert Heinlein, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Kim Stanley Robinson? And was the setting for Barbarella? This planet gets around!)

The final assessment of the science? Not perfect, but good. And precisely accurate or not, this promises to be another very entertaining movie. (I’ve read the book but haven’t seen the film yet. Yes, I am a little behind the curve!)

Since we’re here, how about an article on the movie as a climate parable? (warning, spoilers!)

AMAZE AMAZE AMAZE! Yes, this is an article about Project Hail Mary as climate parable

And what the heck, here’s the movie trailer just for fun.

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Photo by Alex Shuper on Unsplash

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Got Books?

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , on January 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Today, a little update related to a post I made in (checks notes) 2012: Today in Spectacular Bookseller Practices: A Random Used-Book Vending Machine.

The image for that post is broken and there wasn’t a lot of information about the actual book vending machine, but I’m here to rectify that oversight!

What am I on about? The BIBLIO-MAT, a.k.a the book vending machine.

THE BIBLIO-MAT

The BIBLIO-MAT is a random book vending machine designed and built by Craig Small for The Monkey’s Paw, an idiosyncratic antiquarian bookshop in Toronto.

It’s awesome and handmade and should be something you can get in multiple sizes and formats for next-day delivery because it is just that cool. (Seriously, what would a suitcase sized or food truck style or e-book version of this look like?)

Check out the link for how-it-works videos and enough interior sketches to inspire your own if you are mechanically inclined (and have a significant pile of maybe-never-to-be-read books).

Because as Dame Margaret Atwood says, “THIS! IS! BRILLIANT!”

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But where are all the books? Photo by Victoriano Izquierdo on Unsplash

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That’s a Lot of Books

Posted in Other, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , on July 31, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Ever wonder what kind of books get assigned in college courses? Wonder no more!

Open Syllabus: Galaxy

This plot shows the 1,138,841 most frequently assigned texts in the Open Syllabus corpus, a database of 7,292,573 college course syllabi.

The books are grouped by field and sized by the number of syllabi on which they are assigned. Click for details, browse from archaeology to information science to writing and more, and have fun. 

You will have to do a lot of zooming, however. There are a lot of books in this graphic!

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Photo by Shiromani Kant on Unsplash

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I Say Yes

Posted in Likes, Other, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I love libraries. Growing up, our local library was a great place to study, read, or wait for the bus, and was a never-ending source of new and interesting information. I’ve moved away but still donate, because I want others to enjoy the benefits I had. Libraries are idea repositories, the physical embodiment of one of humanity’s most impressive accomplishments: the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. The real genius of our current iteration of this concept, however, is that we made so many of our libraries free.

Once upon a time, only the rich could afford books. (Heck, for a long time, few could read at all. And while we’re here, feel free to take a quick detour into the world of traditional bookbinding.) 

Now, we all benefit when we all learn.

To those who say that the world is worse than ever? I give you public spaces filled with the magic of ideas, free for the borrowing.

Libraries are a great source for reading material but can also supply music, movies, information, classes, tools, seeds, eclipse glasses, museum passes, fishing poles, a taxidermied sandhill crane, or help with your taxes.

How cool is that?

Why am I talking about libraries? Because PBS has a new documentary about the evolution of the public library system in the US, and it got me thinking. Here’s a review from another national treasure, NPR:

‘Free For All’ review: This library documentary is worth checking out

…this documentary ends up covering all sorts of ground. The historical beginnings of American libraries, with nods to Ben Franklin and Andrew Carnegie. The growth and importance of tiny branches in rural communities. And, at each stop, a focus on individual libraries, librarians and everyday patrons.

Those in the US can watch the full film here:

Free for All: The Public Library – Independent Lens

How public libraries shaped a nation and remain a beloved sanctuary for Americans today.

If you can’t access the film, here’s a bonus article:

10 Ways Public Libraries Make Our Lives Better

Any answer must begin, of course, with books.

It asks, “With the internet putting a seemingly infinite supply of answers, arguments, and amusements at our fingertips, do we still need libraries?”

I say yes.

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Photo by Christian Garcia on Unsplash

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To a Future of Promise and Ingenuity

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Perhaps you remember me mentioning the submission call for this year’s Grist climate collection. Folks submitted (1200 of them!), editors did their editing thing, and now we have a brand new collection of free climate stories for 2025!

Here’s the full collection, including twelve new stories with the goal of looking “beyond the current moment to picture what could be.”

Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest: The 2025 collection – Grist

Welcome to the 2025 Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors collection. For four years, this contest has celebrated stories that invite us to imagine the future we want — futures in which climate solutions flourish and we all thrive. These stories have never pretended the path will be easy — some of the most compelling Imagine stories showcase the struggle as well as the successes — but they all offer the promise that through the transformative power of radical imagining, we can envision a better world and work toward making it our reality.

Yes, please!

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Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash

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If We So Choose

Posted in Other, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

My mother sent me an article about Octavia Butler, one of a number I’ve seen recently in the wake of the LA fires. Butler was an award-winning sci-fi and fantasy author know for her all-too-realistic versions of the future. Although she died in 2006, a week of devastating fires in LA fit right in with her vision of 2025.

In fact, she was once asked how she was able to predict the problems of the future as accurately as she did, and her answer is a telling lesson for writers but also for people who want to make a difference.

“A Few Rules for Predicting the Future” by Octavia E. Butler – Seven Good Things

“I didn’t make up the problems,” I pointed out. “All I did was look around at the problems we’re neglecting now and give them about 30 years to grow into full-fledged disasters.”

Ouch.

But that’s not all Butler said. I recommend you read the essay in full. It’s not long, but it packs a punch.

“Okay,” the young man challenged. “So what’s the answer?”

“There isn’t one,” I told him.

“No answer? You mean we’re just doomed?” He smiled as though he thought this might be a joke.

“No,” I said. “I mean there’s no single answer that will solve all of our future problems. There’s no magic bullet. Instead there are thousands of answers, at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be.”

I so choose, and I hope you do, too.

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Photo by Luwadlin Bosman on Unsplash

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Mostly Books

Posted in Holidays, tagged , , , , , , on January 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Today is the last day before the day job resumes. I shall spend it wisely, with food, chill, and books. Mostly books.

“Sections in the bookstore

  • Books You Haven’t Read
  • Books You Needn’t Read
  • Books Made for Purposes Other Than Reading
  • Books Read Even Before You Open Them Since They Belong to the Category of Books Read Before Being Written
  • Books That If You Had More Than One Life You Would Certainly Also Read But Unfortunately Your Days Are Numbered
  • Books You Mean to Read But There Are Others You Must Read First
  • Books Too Expensive Now and You’ll Wait ‘Til They’re Remaindered
  • Books ditto When They Come Out in Paperback
  • Books You Can Borrow from Somebody
  • Books That Everybody’s Read So It’s As If You Had Read Them, Too
  • Books You’ve Been Planning to Read for Ages
  • Books You’ve Been Hunting for Years Without Success
  • Books Dealing with Something You’re Working on at the Moment
  • Books You Want to Own So They’ll Be Handy Just in Case
  • Books You Could Put Aside Maybe to Read This Summer
  • Books You Need to Go with Other Books on Your Shelves
  • Books That Fill You with Sudden, Inexplicable Curiosity, Not Easily Justified
  • Books Read Long Ago Which It’s Now Time to Re-read
  • Books You’ve Always Pretended to Have Read and Now It’s Time to Sit Down and Really Read Them”
    ― Italo Calvino, If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler

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A Great Big Bundle

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I just received word that my Writers of the Future book (volume 39 for those who are following along) is currently part of a great big story bundle from Arc Manor.

Bundle | Arc Manor

HOW DOES THIS WORK? You may select either the base bundle of five books or the enhanced bundle of  14 books (including a surprise title by a bestselling author). 

​For each choice, there is a suggested price and a minimum price. When you select either of the two options (base bundle or enhanced bundle), you will be taken to a checkout system that displays the suggested price. You may change this to any price you like as long as it meets the minimum price requirements.

The base bundle has big name authors like Joe Haldeman and Nancy Kress and Kevin J. Anderson. The enhanced bundle contains those authors and more, including Jody Lynn Nye, Robert J. Sawyer, my collection and more! 

If that sounds like something of interest to you, scroll down the linked page to see what’s included, and enjoy!

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Childhood Flashback, Bookshelf Edition

Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Funny how something can play a big role in your life without you knowing all the details behind it. 

My childhood bookshelves were filled with science fiction and fantasy, and a lot of those books were published by Del Rey. 

I’m not sure I knew what was behind the publishing house name, or that it was a she, or that she was instrumental in promoting speculative fiction that did not feature hobbits or Conan. Reading through the list of Del Rey books is a walk through some of the classics. The Sword of Shannara, the reissued The Princess Bride, Foster, Heinlein, Hambly, Clarke, McCaffrey, Anthony and many more. 

The woman who revolutionized the fantasy genre is finally getting her due

In publishing, the people who work behind the scenes rarely get their due. But on Oct. 1, 2024, at least, one industry pioneer got the limelight. On that day, PBS aired “Judy-Lynn del Rey: The Galaxy Gal,” the first episode of its new documentary series “Renegades,” which highlights little-known historical figures with disabilities.

A woman with dwarfism, Judy-Lynn del Rey was best known for founding Del Rey Books, a science fiction and fantasy imprint that turned fantasy in particular into a major publishing category.

Read the article or watch the PBS episode for more of the work she did to move this form of fiction into the mainstream. 

Here’s the episode:

(Also, as a somewhat related aside, how did I never have a Star Wars Intergalactic Passport?!)

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Photo by Vita Maksymets on Unsplash

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