The Mimicking of Known SuccessesMalka OlderCozy Science Fiction-2023 From Storygraph: "On a remote, gas-wreathed outpost of a human colony on Jupiter, a man goes missing. The enigmatic Investigator Mossa follows his trail to Valdegeld, home to the colony’s erudite university—and Mossa’s former girlfriend, a scholar of Earth’s pre-collapse ecosystems. Pleiti has dedicated her research and… Continue reading November Reads and Reviews
Tag: reading
A Year in Forums: People Don’t Know Anything About Stuff They Like
I spent some time in a lot of new pop media forums this year. This is what I observed I have this pet peeve that shows up the most in my more text-based book forums, and science fiction book readers are the worst offenders. Someone will come into a science fiction reading forum and make… Continue reading A Year in Forums: People Don’t Know Anything About Stuff They Like
October Reads and Reviews
BlindsightPeter WattsScience Fiction-2006 From Storygraph: "It's been two months since a myriad of alien objects clenched about the Earth, screaming as they burned. The heavens have been silent since - until a derelict space probe hears whispers from a distant comet. Something talks out there: but not to us. Who to send to meet the… Continue reading October Reads and Reviews
That’s My Secret, Cap, I Didn’t Read the Book
In talking about school books on TikTok, someone mentioned in a comment that one of the current strategies around teaching books is returning to a previously read novel years later and reevaluating it from an older perspective. That might be why some summer reading I was discussing for local high schoolers looked more like middle-grade… Continue reading That’s My Secret, Cap, I Didn’t Read the Book
How House of Seven Gables Almost Ruined Jr. High English Class
In fourth grade one of the whole class (not pull-out group) required readings books was a novel called Finders Keepers by Emily Rodda. This is one of those books that sort of fundamentally changed me as a person, but I’ve not met anyone else who remembers reading it. Even people I went to elementary school… Continue reading How House of Seven Gables Almost Ruined Jr. High English Class
A Childhood of Science Fiction Classics
On Tik Tok (and occasionally some other reading groups) I talk a lot about my own experience reading classic science fiction and fantasy (mostly sci-fi). And I think sometimes that gives a false impression of age. But the reality is that a lot of the classic or vintage or generally older sci fi books I… Continue reading A Childhood of Science Fiction Classics
The Physical Act of Reading Classic Literature
How do we then go about creating our little genre classic retinue? Because, surprisingly, this is a question you have to ask, sometimes.
Some of Y’all Just Don’t Want to Admit You Actually Like Fanfiction
Fanfiction is defined, at its core, is a piece of new work created by the fan of an existing work that borrows characters, settings, and other elements to craft a new narrative. A retelling is defined, at its core, is a piece of new work created by the fan of an existing work that borrows… Continue reading Some of Y’all Just Don’t Want to Admit You Actually Like Fanfiction
I Don’t Understand How Bookstores Work
This past weekend (the last Saturday of April) was Indie Bookstore Day. My usual indie bookstore was actually closed, however, their day dedicated to working the Texas Teen Book Festival. They moved their celebrations, instead, to Sunday. So, instead, I took to two stores that I had never been to before. One was newly opened,… Continue reading I Don’t Understand How Bookstores Work
But I WANT to Like It
There are a few authors and series in the science fiction and fantasy community that are, ostensibly, considered essential reads. But not every person is going to like any given book, even if it is a staple. Yet people still sit down to read them, not generally knowing how they’ll feel in the end.This leads… Continue reading But I WANT to Like It
Pixels and Pins Studio 