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.
December 23, 2018 · 641 words
Gifts for Readers #8 and #9: Two for the Price of Two
Here are what I suspect are the final two publications for veterans of Taos Toolbox, all published in the last year. (Unless someone clues me in to a novel I didn’t know about.) First up is the latest from Hugo-winning author Will McIntosh, a YA fable about a group of teens and their infallible lie […]
Read entry →December 21, 2018 · 187 words
Welcoming Our New Robot Executive Chefs
We’re about to enter a holiday period in which vast quantities of food and beverage will be consumed. Which means, as a corollary, that there will be a lot of leftovers. Why not do something different with your leftovers this year? Like make use of a recipe created by an AI? We have two AIs […]
Read entry →December 20, 2018 · 325 words
Gifts for Readers #7: Tisiphone’s Quest
We are now at #7 of my list of gifts for readers, all written by veterans of Taos Toolbox, the master class for writers of science fiction and fantasy. (And have I mentioned that all these books were published in 2018? And these are only the 2018 novels I know about— there may have been more, […]
Read entry →December 19, 2018 · 364 words
Operatic
Lo! It’s another photo from our 2019 calendar! This is Olavinlinna (“St Olaf’s Castle”), a 15th century fortification on a Finnish island near the Russian border. The castle was built by the Swedes to keep the Russians out, but in the early 18th Century Sweden ran out of the money necessary to defend themselves and [&h
Read entry →December 19, 2018 · 181 words
Gifts for Readers #6: The Invisible City
Brian K. Lowe’s The Invisible City is #6 in my list of recommended reading from veterans of Taos Toolbox, the master class for writers of science fiction and fantasy. Here’s the flap copy: Captain Charles Clee stumbles onto a secret archaeological expedition from the 23rd century and finds himself stranded nearly one m
Read entry →December 17, 2018 · 350 words
Moody
Here’s one of my favorite pictures in the new 2019 calendar. It’s a small boat tossed on a moody monochrome ocean, with a moody skyscape above. If it weren’t for the bit of color provided by the setting sun, you’d think I’d printed this out with silver nitrate or something. The only thing that prevents […]
Read entry →December 16, 2018 · 289 words
Gifts for Readers #4: While Gods Sleep
. . . Aaaaand now we are at #5 of my reading recommendations, all by veterans of Taos Toolbox, the master class for writers of science fiction and fantasy. (And if you want to write SF or fantasy, why not click the link and find out what it’s about?) L.D. Colter’s While Gods Sleep appeared the […]
Read entry →December 16, 2018 · 212 words
Pleasantly Tart
I think it was nine years ago when Jean-Bertrand gave us a memorable dessert, a kind of upside-down apple tart. I was delighted by two things: first, by the tart itself; and second, by the discovery that actual French people cook from recipes by Julia Child. (And why not? They’re thoroughly tested and in their [&hellip
Read entry →December 14, 2018 · 291 words
Gifts for Readers #4: Arabella the Traitor of Mars
Here we are at #4 of my gift suggestions for readers, all books by veterans of Taos Toolbox, the master class for writers of science fiction and fantasy. Arabella the Traitor of Mars is the third in a series by Hugo-winning author David D. Levine, beginning with 2016’s Andre Norton Award-winning Arabella of Mars. The s
Read entry →