Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 3,174 entries, all of them here in full.
January 31, 2020 · 265 words
Your Ears, Forever Feasting
Much though I hope you’ll all go out and buy audio books of Quillifer the Knight, I feel I should remind you that 2019 was a big year for me, audio book-wise. I can personally recommend the audio versions of Metropolitan and City on Fire, both read by the terrific Emily Woo Zeller. She’s absolutely great at bringing [&
Read entry →January 25, 2020 · 60 words
P/r/e/o/r/d/e/r Now!
The audio book of Quillifer the Knight is no longer available for pre-order, because it’s just plain available! It’s narrated by the wonderful Ralph Lister, who narrated the first book in the series. Give yourself a treat, and have a listen. (Also, I note that they’ve got my names in the wrong order. Ignore that. You [
Read entry →January 25, 2020 · 596 words
Reviews Too Late: 1917
I’ve been wanting to see 1917 and various other recent movies, but life has been too hectic to see any entertainment that’s running on a theater’s schedule and not my own. But today was the first day in ages I haven’t been dashing from Pillar A to Post Z, so I decided to celebrate by […]
Read entry →January 13, 2020 · 47 words
Speaking at Length
The latest issue of Clarkesworld magazine features an interview with me, conducted by Arley Sorg. (I seem to come off as a sort of punch-drunk, heavily scarred boxer staggering around the ring saying, “ME WIN? ME WIN?” Which may be close to the truth, I suppose.)
Read entry →January 8, 2020 · 128 words
Consider the Evidence
Over the last month, I’ve posted ten novel-length (or longer) reasons why, if you want to write SF or fantasy, you should apply to this year’s Taos Toolbox workshop. Our veterans are writing and publishing, being nominated for awards, and building their careers. I’ve mentioned ten novels (or series), but these are only
Read entry →January 3, 2020 · 113 words
Gifts for R/e/a/d/e/r/s/ Gamers #10: Slaughter in a Box
Taos Toolbox veteran Eric Kelley has spent a lot of time in the gaming field. In 2019 three of his games saw the light of day, Munchkin Dungeon, Trudvang Legends, and Zombicide. In Munchkin Dungeon, you delve into the dungeon, vanquish the monsters, backstab your buddies, and grab the loot! (Can’t miss with that, now c
Read entry →January 2, 2020 · 360 words
2020
2019 is over. While on balance it was a good year for me, it seems to have been a crapshow for the world in general. So happy 2020! (which will be worse) None of our friends were throwing New Year parties this year, so we decided to try something new and go to a party […]
Read entry →December 29, 2019 · 168 words
Gifts for Readers #9: Buffalo Dogs
The prolific Lawrence M. Schoen has been nominated for the Hugo Award, the John W. Campbell, and six times for the Nebula Award. He is also a veteran of Taos Toolbox. In 2019 Lawrence published Buffalo Dogs, a prequel to his popular humorous adventure series about his interplanetary hypnotist, the Amazing Conroy. He’s
Read entry →December 28, 2019 · 211 words
Gifts for Readers #8: Boss Fight
Taos Toolbox veteran Josh Roseman published his story collection Boss Fight in 2019. We all have battles to fight. Some of us rebel against the parasites in our heads; some of us face a choice between life and certain doom; some of us do magic when our parents say no; and some of us have to […]
Read entry →December 27, 2019 · 95 words
Gifts for Readers #7: Miles Morales and Ms Marvel
Just because Xmas is over doesn’t mean you can’t still buy your favorite reader a gift or two, right? Saladin Ahmed’s novel Throne of the Crescent Moon, workshopped at Taos Toolbox, was nominated for just about every award in the field. Since then he’s made a lateral move into comics, and in 2019 started two series [&h
Read entry →December 25, 2019 · 107 words
Newtonmass
Our celebration on Newtonmass Eve kept me busy, first preparing the roast beast and then eating it with half a dozen friends, after which I was too exhausted to do anything but nap and watch John Mulany’s extremely odd musical children’s special on Netflix, which is just the only sort of thing you’re capable of [&helli
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