I was browsing in a local bookstore a few weeks ago when a book cover caught my eye. Or more specifically, it was the technicolor rabbit on the cover that got my attention. I picked up the book and read the inside flap, the back cover, and then flipped to a random page in the…
Category: Books
Fear of the Written Word [Books]
Lately, I’ve felt as if the United States has somehow slipped back in time a hundred years or so. It’s like our society has regressed in so many areas, but at the moment I want to look at the latest fad of banning and burning books. Book burning and banning isn’t new. Ever since humanity…
Review – A Puppet Scorned [Books]
It’s no secret that I love weird fiction. I like stories that go against convention, that are experimental, make me think, and make me look at the world in a different way. So when I was asked if I’d be interested in reviewing Jamie Kort’s short story, “A Puppet Scorned”, I had to say yes….
Review – The Labyrinth [Books]
As I mentioned in a previous post, I really enjoy Simon Stalenhag‘s art and storytelling. The first book of his that I read, The Electric State, was an excellent post-apocalyptic story that he told with both words and images. I found it heartfelt and moving. After having such a great introduction to his work, I…
Review – One Punch Man, Vol. 1 [Books]
Yes, I believe that comic books and graphic novels are legitimate reading materials. It’s fiction, but in another form. There’s a story, there’s art, there are character arcs, plots, beginnings, and endings. About a year ago I discovered an anime titled, One-Punch Man, and was immediately drawn into the story. I’ve always been partial to…
Review – Broken Stars [Books]
Following on the heels of my recent review of a Japanese science-fiction short story collection, I decided to stay in the same part of the world for my next read. That ended up being Broken Stars, a collection of contemporary Chinese science-fiction. I need to admit that I felt Broken Stars was a stronger collection…
We Are What We Read [Books]
We’re all familiar with the adage that we are what we eat. Especially with children, the food we intake makes us who we are, builds us, helps us grow up to be adults. I believe the same applies to what we read. The words we intake help to build us, as well. New ideas, new…
How Real Does Fiction Need to Be? [Writing]
I’ve noticed there are times when I’m reading a short story or novel and come upon a section that, in my mind, seems too unrealistic. It’s like hitting a speed bump in your car. It’s jolting and can take you out of the story. But other times I can read a piece of fiction, something…
Review – Best Japanese Sci-Fi [Books]
In my never-ending quest to read a wide variety of fiction from around the world, I discovered a great collection of Japanese science fiction: The Best Japanese Science Fiction Stories. Well, the cover says it’s a science-fiction collection, but it’s arguably more speculative than science. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I love speculative…
A Cut Up Poem [Poetry]
The Beat Generation writer, Williams S. Burroughs, was known for his experimentation with text. One of his more interesting exercises was creating cut-up prose and poetry. Basically, he would take a page of text, cut it up with scissors, then rearrange it into something new. On the surface it looks like a simple repurposing of…