The journal

November 19, 2016 · 1,525 words

On the Wrecks

During my week in Palau I did 25 dives, but after we shifted to Chuuk I did eight dives over the course of five days, all of them on Japanese wrecks from the Second World War. I was more than ready for the more leisurely pace. Doing five dives per day is work. Instead of […]

November 16, 2016 · 17 words

Another Fine Giveaway . . .

Tor.com, through Goodreads, is giving away three copies of my new novel Impersonations. Check it out!

November 13, 2016 · 95 words

Enter the Dragon

This just in . . . Most Famous Author in the World George R.R. Martin will be joining the Taos Toolbox faculty as a special guest! George was our guest for the very first Taos Toolbox, and now he’s consented to return for our tenth anniversary. We’re pleased and flattered to have him, even if […]

November 13, 2016 · 36 words

Review’d

File 770 has some very nice things to say about my Praxis series, Impersonations in particular. “Not only is this on my 2016 Hugo Best Novel shortlist, the series is on my Hugo Best Series shortlist.”

November 11, 2016 · 698 words

First Week Underwater

This week I’ve been knocked flat by a cold, not to mention by the American election, so I thought I’d try to cheer myself up by posting pretty pictures. Palau is known for the wild diversity of its dives. You can dive coral walls, caverns, and wrecks. You can get swept along by surging tides, […]

November 9, 2016 · 15 words

Oops

Well. That was unexpected. Apologies to the world in general. Hope we don’t all die.

November 4, 2016 · 203 words

Return of the Nitrox Cowboy

This is far from the best lionfish photo I’ve seen, but it’s probably the best one I’ve taken, on the stern of the depth charge wreck, described below. For the last four days I’ve been diving the lagoon at Chuuk, formerly known as Truk, in the Federated Republic of Micronesia. The lagoon is covered with […]

November 3, 2016 · 16 words

Dawn Squall

One thing about this trip, I’ve taken an amazing number of terrific dawn and sunset photos.

November 3, 2016 · 92 words

Mystery Plane

I’ve run a number of mystery plane contests, with my online friends of the Ground Observer Corps never taking longer than about 20 minutes to identify the plane. So I thought I’d put up a poser. What plane did I find here on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean? There’s an oval defense blister on […]

November 2, 2016 · 0 words

Last Night’s New Moon

November 2, 2016 · 1,112 words

Manta Ray

It’s always been my ambition to view a manta ray, or devilfish, though luck has always been against me. One of the best places in the world to see a manta is the German Channel in Palau, a channel in the reef blasted by German engineers in support of their phosphate mining endeavors, back when […]

November 1, 2016 · 304 words

Ghost Ship

Wanna hear a ghost story? (It’s still Halloween in the States, I believe, though I’m on the far side of the dateline myself.) This is the story of an unknown ship, known as the “depth charge wreck” or the “helmet wreck,” from its cargo. It was a Japanese sub-chaser sunk during the Second World War, […]