It's been a while since I did a writing essay. In the meantime, I've spent a lot of time reading newer fantasy and science fiction best sellers award winners as well as listening to podcasts about writing and the publishing industry (like the Publishing Rodeo Podcast). This post is the results of all that writing, … Continue reading The Anatomy Of A Modern Science Fiction & Fantasy Best Seller
Writing and Non-Writing News – August 2023
July somehow slipped by without me noticing. I didn't even manage to post anything on the blog. Looking back, the last time that happened was July '22, so maybe I should just accept that summer is not a time where I have the mental energy or spare time to be all that active online. I … Continue reading Writing and Non-Writing News – August 2023
Writing and Non-Writing News – June 2023
So... this is where I was supposed to bring June's short story recommendations. For various reasons, though, there will be no story recommendations this months and probably not for the rest of the summer either. Instead, I bring this little news post about what's going in my life in general and with my writing. Maybe, … Continue reading Writing and Non-Writing News – June 2023
Story Recommendations – May 2023
Here are my short story recommendations for May. If you're a fan of Sarah Pinsker and haven't read her collection Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into The Sea, I think this month's lists will be of special interest to you. The Girl Who Never Was by Harold R. Thompson (Pod Castle, episode 782): In the … Continue reading Story Recommendations – May 2023
Story Recommendations – April 2023
April's list of recommendations is a meagre one. I simply didn't have as much time and energy for reading/listening to short stories as I usually do. Luckily, I did find two gems I want to share with you. The Hagfish Has Three Hearts by Monica Joyce Evans (Escapepod, episode 875 (originally published in Crossmass Infinities)): … Continue reading Story Recommendations – April 2023
Short Story Recommendations – March 2023
They are a little late because vacations, illness, and life in general just getting in the way. But here they are, my short story recommendations for March 2023. Housing Problem by C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner (Podcastle, episode 773): This is a quite old story, originally published in Charm in October 1944. but the … Continue reading Short Story Recommendations – March 2023
Story Recommendations – February 2023
Welcome to the 2023 Februrary short story recommendations. This month's recommendation are based on what I managed to read/listen to by the awesome science fiction and fantasy publishers of Apex, Podcastle, Analog, Lightspeed, StarShipSofa, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Uncanny Magazine. There is no magazine in particular who caught my attention this month. However, there is … Continue reading Story Recommendations – February 2023
Story Recommendations – January 2023
So far, my monthly short story recommendations have been a mix new and older publications. Partly, it is because I like digging through the achieves of my favorite magazines and bring out those almost forgotten gold nuggets. However, it's also partly because I'm lazy and tend to stick to a few magazines I know an … Continue reading Story Recommendations – January 2023
Story Recommendations – December 2022
It's time for the last set of story recommendations for the year, just in time for the holidays. A I bring you very strong setup. I finally got around to reading some of last stories Daily Science Fiction are going to publish (for now, at least), and, of course, I found a few golden nuggets … Continue reading Story Recommendations – December 2022
Story Recommendations – November 2022
So... In October, I pretty much promised that this month's recommendations would include a bunch of Daily Science Fiction stories. Instead--and I'm not really sure why--I ended up reading far more broadly than I had planned. I continued my journey down the rabbit hole that is Uncanny's backlog and returned to reading old, neglected favorites … Continue reading Story Recommendations – November 2022
Toby Backman 