Columns

Crossing the Rubicon: A Steve Erickson Primer

April 24th, 2013

On January 10th, 49 BC, Julius Caesar led a legion of soldiers across the Rubicon river into Italy, an act of insurrection that started the Great Roman Civil War. Roman historian Suetonius gives this apocryphal account:

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First Drafts in a Mobile Landscape: Five Word Processors for Tablets & Smartphones

April 23rd, 2013

In my previous column, Paperless Writer: Five Steps to a Successful Digital Rewrite, I focused on draft editing practices in a mobile landscape. Now I’d like to take a step back and talk about the first draft, that initial pouring of characters and plot onto the page (or in our case, the screen). Just as there is an abundance of word processing software for both Mac and PC, so it goes for iPad and other tablets on the market.

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The Blagger's Guide to L Frank Baum

April 23rd, 2013

To blag (v): to sound like you know what you’re talking about when you don’t The Blagger’s Guide to Literature (n): an invaluable resource for those who wish to blag about books without actually reading them.

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The Drought of Environmental Fantasy

April 22nd, 2013

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I would write a column about ecological fantasies, about fantasy novels and stories that explore environmental and ecological themes. I prepared, as I usually do, to come up with a list of books off the top of my head and... I couldn’t think of any.

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Recap: Game of Thrones 3.04 - And Now His Watch Is Ended

April 22nd, 2013

This is going to contain spoilers for this episode, and also for the books. I won't tell you what happens in the fifth book, or what I think is going to happen in the next episode, but I will talk about differences between the book and the show thus far. Deal with it. Emilia Clarke owned this episode. 

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Cover Battles: Classic Book Redesigns vs. Original Art

April 19th, 2013

They say not to judge a book by its cover, but nobody said we couldn't judge a cover by its art. Classic novels see redesign after redesign, but do any of them stack up to the originals? Let's find out...

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LURID: Losing My Mind Control - The Facts and Fictions of MKULTRA

April 18th, 2013

LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading.

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Notes from the Drunken Editor: Be Unhinged! or, Why You Really Shouldn't Give Up

April 18th, 2013

I'm pretty democratic about the things I find intolerably tacky: every political position has its stupid catch phrases and clichés, every social group its stereotypes, and every artistic genre its aspects just waiting for someone to exploit in parody.

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6 Tips on Reading to Train the Writer's Eye

April 17th, 2013

One of the most often repeated lessons for writers is the importance of reading. As Stephen King put it, "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that." However, reading alone is not enough. If you want to read in a way that trains your writer's eye, active engagement is required. Here are some tips for maximizing your learning during the reading process.

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Reading With Purpose: Four Reasons Every Writer Should Join a Book Club

April 16th, 2013

About a year ago, my friend decided to start a book club, and he asked me to join. It seemed like a logical move on my part: I've always been an avid reader, consuming books either as meals for intellectual sustenance or desserts for joy and entertainment. It was for this reason, however, that I had serious reservations about becoming a member. I always have a significant stack of novels that I'm trying to work through.

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