Nonfiction

Essays and opinions relating to genre subjects

a picture of a painting of a demonic creature.

Getting Unstuck

Making up your story as you go along has been variously called being a pantser, a gardener, or a discovery writer. Whatever you call it, this approach is what works for me. I can’t/wouldn’t change it, but it does entail some floundering in the middle, getting stuck a lot, and writing myself into corners.
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a poster with a robot holding a tennis racket.

Optics

Who am I supposed to be mad at in that situation? Light? The way the paper towel dispenser uses it? The team that designed it? Do I blame Boston Dynamics for creating the algorithm for AI dogs to navigate an obstacle course or the paramilitary group using it to ferret out humans fleeing violence in their homes?
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the cover of apex magazine, featuring a sci - themed image.

You in Your Headmeats

So… Maybe you’re up a bit later than normal, even though you know that nowadays a regular sleep cycle does wonders for you. But it’s only because you mixed yourself a very adult cocktail. The kind made entirely of liquors—like a Negroni—and it’s on a good amount of rocks, a drink for sipping, not gulping. There you are: sipping like a responsible adult, watching a bit of TV. You’re on your own since your partner has made a smarter decision than you. They do that. Often. It’s okay though, you can watch some stuff, the sorts of things only you enjoy. Can even skip through to the best parts because you’ve seen it before.
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a book cover with a robot holding a book.

Always and Forever

The reality is that there had always been Black authors and readers in speculative fiction, reaching as far back as the 19th century. Samuel Delany won the Nebula award in 1966, and there are very few people who are not familiar with the amazing work of Octavia Butler. However, despite their presence, the number of Black speculative fiction authors was sparse. Some surmised this was because there were few writing such works, but those of us who understand know that this lack of representation was seeded by those making the decisions of who would or would not be published.
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