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Interdimensional Hit Parade: Sci-Fi Influenced Pop Music
April 12th, 2012
For a geek like me, spotting a science fiction reference buried in popular music is a rare and wondrous thing. In the middle school of life musicians are the cool kids, while online sci-fi columnists are… crap, this analogy is depressing. Regardless, it’s always nice and surprising to discover that creative people are being influenced by the same authors and stories I revere.
Read Column →The Long & Winding Road: Part II - Revision Hell!
April 12th, 2012
Recap: The Long & Winding Road is a multi-part essay about my endeavors to get an agent and publish my first novel. Part 1 discussed writing my first novel and seeking representation.
Read Column →The Problems of the Disassembled Narrative
April 11th, 2012
It’s trendy nowadays for writers to create stories with non-linear narratives. While the experiment can produce some interesting results, I’m going to champion an unpopular position and say that most of the time it’s a terrible idea.
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Super Story Theory with Grant Morrison
April 10th, 2012
Sometimes you read a book and it changes the way you read everything else. Your perceptions are forever altered and your literary history is cleft in two: what you read before, and what you read after.
Read Column →Great Book, Crap Film: 5 Adaptations That Truly Suck
April 9th, 2012
Ever had the experience of reading a fantastic book and wishing someone could make a film of it? Ever had the experience of seeing that film and wishing you could maroon the director on a very small island with only Rush Limbaugh for company? In the spirit of being careful what you wish for, here are five book to film adaptations which had me choking on my popcorn and wondering how anyone could take something so good and end up with something so…there’s no other word for it…crap.
Read Column →The Importance of George R. R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire'
April 6th, 2012
George R. R. Martin has become a huge voice in the fantasy genre. By now, many of you will have seen the HBO series, A Game of Thrones, based on his A Song of Ice and Fire series of (New York Times Bestselling) novels. The series has become a massive success, but more importantly, it’s redefining our expectations of the genre.
Read Column →LitInk: LitReactor's Literary Tattoo Showdown
April 6th, 2012
About a week ago, we were gobsmacked when we saw the above tattoo, which was posted to the forum by jacks_username (real name: Dakota Taylor). I guess that makes us a big deal now, right? I asked Dakota why he permanently scarred this site's logo onto his forearm:
Read Column →LURID: Spanky Panky, Fifty Shades of O
April 5th, 2012
LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a twice-monthly guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading.
Read Column →Career Writing in Three Steps
April 5th, 2012
It was roughly ten years ago when I made the decision to write. I was the angry, young author archetype pounding away on his keyboard, totally wired on cigarettes and booze and this passion for the written word. Nothing could stop me. Yet, like most people starting out, I had no direction whatsoever. I approached the craft guns blazing, paying little mind to things like agents and query letters and lit mags. Even if I had a book ready I wouldn’t have known what to do with it.
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