Columns

Book Brawl: Lexicon vs. Snow Crash

July 1st, 2013

During the opening scenes of Lexicon, Wil Parke, abducted by mysterious attackers, almost dies when an SUV ploughs into his kidnappers’ car. As Wil struggles free, he notices that it has just begun to snow.

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The Sleeper Must Awaken: A Dune Primer

June 28th, 2013

Image via LSGG Let me start this by stating that Dune is not only one of the best science fiction novels ever written, it’s one of the best novels (period) ever written. It’s my favorite single novel and it’s a masterpiece of literature, not just the genre, and I fully believe that everyone should read it. This Primer is an attempt to show you why (though you’d be better off just picking it up).

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UPDATED WITH WINNER: LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: June Edition

June 28th, 2013

Flash Fiction: A style of fictional literature marked by extreme brevity - The Gatsby/Summer Edition Welcome to LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown, a monthly bout of writing prowess. How It Works We give you inspiration in the form of a picture, poem, video, or similar. You write a flash fiction piece, using the inspiration we gave you. Put your entry in the comments section. One winner will be picked and awarded a prize.

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Anthony Bourdain: Is He A Better Chef, Writer, or TV Personality?

June 28th, 2013

"I'm Taylor Houston. I write, I (wish I could) travel, I eat... and I'm hungry... FOR MORE." Ok, so yeah, I stole that line from the opening of Anthony Bourdain’s show No Reservations. You could say that I’m a fan. I have probably seen almost every episode and I’ll read pretty much anything he has written.

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Eating Babies: Boundaries for Writers in Fiction

June 27th, 2013

Following our discussion on the Unprintable podcast about transgressive fiction, I decided to make a list of things we should never, ever write about. Here it is:

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Authorial Artists: 5 Painters Who Also Wrote

June 26th, 2013

Everyone wants to be a writer—deep down anyway. And maybe not everyone wants to tell stories on a professional or even professionally amateur level, but it is true that we're all storytellers at heart. The desire to share information, life lessons, and laughs through constructed narratives is innate to our species. We tell stories to engage with others, to flatter them, impress them, bond with them.

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Adaptations: Passionate, Not Precious

June 26th, 2013

Last weekend, I was visiting my girlfriend in the suburbs of Boston. Wishing to push my absence from the Big City to its breaking point, we decided to go camping in the woods of nearby Plymouth (everything in Massachusetts is frighteningly close together). “Glamping” (glamour+camping) is probably the appropriate portmanteau; the site we chose at random turned out to have coin-operated showers, running toilets, a store with firewood, sunscreen and other essentials, and wi-fi available at daily or hourly rates.

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Is Batman: Li'l Gotham the Best Comic In the DCU Right Now? Yes.

June 25th, 2013

You may wonder why, as an adult, you should care about an all-ages digital first title called Batman: L’il Gotham. Here’s why: it is quite simply the best book DC publishes right now.

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Storyville: How Do You Know When Your Story is Done?

June 24th, 2013

You have a great idea so you rush to the computer to get it down, and there is the genesis of your next short story. You then read it over and think it’s crap. So you edit it, you push some scenes around, you fix the typos and grammar, do a little research on handguns and the avian flu, and even show it to a few friends. But how do you know when it’s done? Here are some tips for figuring that out.

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The 10 Books Every Zombie Fan Must Read

June 21st, 2013

Let’s face it, vampires are played out. Sparkles and sexiness vanquished their frightfulness in a way garlic and holy water never could. But the world needs a monster, particularly in tough times, so zombies have spent the last few years shambling in to fill the pop culture void. We play Plants vs.

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