I read 24 fantasy books in 2018. These were my favorites... Ahab's Return by Jeffrey Ford At the end of a long journey, Captain Ahab returns to the mainland to confront the true author of the novel Moby-Dick, his former shipmate, Ishmael. For Ahab was not pulled into the ocean’s depths by a harpoon line,…
April 24, 2017: My Favorite Genre Short Stories of 2016
Yesterday, I offered up a list of My Favorite Genre Novelettes of 2016. Today I’d like to offer up a list of My Favorite Genre Short Stories of 2016. Of the roughly 200 stories I read last year, these were, in my humble opinion, the Top 30. I’ve included a short synopsis and links to…
August 22, 2013: Recent Recommended Reads!
Recommended reads: A Terror by Jeffrey Ford The latest release by author Jeffrey Ford is a nightmarish novelette that offers a supernaturally speculative take on the inspiration for one of Emily Dickinson's most famous poems, "Because I could not stop for Death". Emily Dickinson, awakens to an empty house, her parents and sister inexplicably gone. She…
July 21, 2013: A 17 (actually, 21) Question Science Fiction Book Meme!
The gang at http://www.sfsignal.com/ have launched another one of those irresistible SF-themed memes, what they're calling a " 17-question science fiction book meme for a lazy Sunday". I wrestled over a few of my responses, struggling with the relative worthiness of some of the titles, and finally decided to solve the problem by adding four extra questions to…
October 9, 2012: In which the author recommends stuff!
You know what's even better than discovering a terrific new book? Discovering a terrific new author. All too often, I've come across books I've enjoyed only to be disappointed by subsequent works by the same author. Not so with Jeffrey Ford, one of the most imaginative and consistently entertaining writers out there. Several years ago,…
August 19, 2012: Book Haul! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! The Ark!
I know, I know. What, you are no doubt wondering, am I doing STILL buying books - or, to quote an editor friend of mine, dabbling in "dead tree media"? Well, truth be told, I do own a kindle which I find very convenient...whenever I travel. But, the rest of the time, nothing beats the…
September 21, 2010: A plethora of pics!
Well fine. Apologies. The trailer won't be coming out until first thing tomorrow morning. 9:00 a.m. to be exact. So set your watches. Hopefully these pics will tide you over. Addendum: Nope, sorry. 9:00 a.m. PDT. Again, apologies. The gang at post, led by the lovely Kerry McDowall, did an excellent job getting the trailer…
August 16, 2009: My Belated July Picks
Lately, I’ve been so busy on the Stargate front that I’ve had little time for reading, much less commeningt on what I’ve been reading. So, today, with the first drafts of my last scripts behind me, I’d like to make mention of a few of the books I read and enjoyed back in July. The…
August 3, 2009: The Speed of Dark, by Elizabeth Moon
In the interest of full disclosure: This isn‘t my first time reading The Speed of Dark. It’s one of my favorite books and I have nothing but good things to say about it. Okay. Onto my review: Thirty-five year old Lou Arrendale is a bioinformatics specialist working for a pharmaceutical company in the…
July 4, 2009: Touching Down in Montreal
The guy sitting beside me was a talker, keen on engaging me as we sat there, waiting for the ground crew to sort out whatever issue had delayed us. A comment here, a question there. I was polite, but kept the discourse brief at the risk of initiating a five and a half hour back…
May 15, 2009: Wandering Eccentrics, Ponzi Schemes, and Some Recommended Reading
I was crossing the parking lot, my arms laden with almond milk (Capers was having a sale!) when an elderly woman approached and asked: “Did you vote for me?”. I stopped and eyed her uncertainly. Now whenever I’m approached by strangers, my first instinct is to either a) ignore them or b) feign some pressing commitment…
January 6, 2009: Back in the Office, My Top December Reads, and The Most Shocking Rose Ceremony Yet!
Almost didn’t make it into the office today. Hell, I almost didn’t make it out of the alleyway behind my house. I backed out of the garage and then spent a good fifteen minutes spinning my wheels in frustration before finally managing to work my way free. In retrospect, good thing I was delayed because,…
October 4, 2008: September’s Top Reads, Following Through on Your Recommendations, and The Return of the Mailbag
With the month of September behind us, it’s time for me to look back over my recent reads and pick my favorite titles of the past month. It was a pretty good crop but, of the bunch I did read (and not including the book of the month club selections) the, following were my favorites:…
September 4, 2008: The Lemons Roll In, August’s Top 3 Reads, and The Weird Food Purchase of the Day
Paul walked into my office and held up the lemon so that I could read the message marked on its plastic surface: “SGA!! not SGU!!”. And so it begins. “It’s part of the fan campaign protesting the cancellation of the show,”I enlightened him. “Yeah, I figured.” He set the lemon down on my desk. “But…
July 26, 2008: The Broken Ties Breakdown
I’d like to thank John Picacio for an entertaining and very informative guest entry. As someone who possesses the drawing and design skills of a six year old, I am in awe of John’s talent. I’ll be ordering myself a copy of Cover Story: The Art of John Picacio (containing over 180 images of John’s…