Short news from the writing world: Colson Whitehead has just been revealed as the 2020 Pulitzer Prize winner in the fiction category. This is his second Pulitzer Prize. He also took home the award in 2017 for his novel, The Underground Railroad. He won the 2020 award for The Nickel Boys.
2020 Hugo Award Shortlist
If you, like me, didn't notice, the 2020 Hugo Award shortlist went up almost a month ago. Like so many other events, the 2020 Worldcon in New Zealand, where the Hugo's are being handed out, are cancelled due to Covid-19. However, a virtual con and award ceremony is being arranged instead. And like most other … Continue reading 2020 Hugo Award Shortlist
Story Recommendations April 2020
It's that time a month again, and I have very strong lineup waiting for you. I've been digging through anthologies and the dark corners of the web to give you some the best short fiction out there. So here goes. How to Talk to Girls at Parties by Neil Gaiman (Fragile Things): As always, Gaiman's … Continue reading Story Recommendations April 2020
Birdman: How to Develop a Theme
I finally, finally got around to watching Birdman. It's the kind of movie I felt like I really should watch, but at the same time I kept postponing it because, well... it looked artsy. I know. It's a dumb reason. Artsy/literary stories are no worse and no better than those of any other genre. Sturgeon's … Continue reading Birdman: How to Develop a Theme
Locus Award Voting
A heads up for anyone with an interest in speculative fiction. Voting for the Locus Award, one of the major awards within fantasy, science fiction, and horror, is open until April 15th. Anyone can vote, and, no, you don't have to have read every story already listed. You don't even have to vote for any … Continue reading Locus Award Voting
Story Recommendations March 2020
In the midst of the surrealistic event that is the Corona/Covid-19 pandemic, one good thing is happening: the monthly short story recommendations are out. So here's something to keep you occupied while you're stuck in quarentine. A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman (Shadows Over Bakerstreet anthology/Fragile Things collection): I'm almost certain I've recomended … Continue reading Story Recommendations March 2020
Story Recommendations February 2020
I appologize for being a little-- okay, very late with the story recommendations. But there's no such joy as the joy of expectation, right? Right? Right. Let's just get on with it. You didn't come here to read my ramblings anyway. Or at least not ramblings unrelated to stories. Chrysalis by Will Shadbolt (Daily Science … Continue reading Story Recommendations February 2020
Good News From Denmark and the World of Publishing
So... if you're a writer or just generally love books and you're the kind of person who thinks a bit of equality isn't a bad thing, then I got some good news for you. Right, unless you happen to understand Danish, that link probably means nothing to you. But that's why I'm here. Despite the … Continue reading Good News From Denmark and the World of Publishing
Don’t Tell me the Meaning – Exhalation: Stories vs. The Story of Your Life and Others
Let's jump right in to it. This is going to be an essay about how to explore themes and big ideas when writing fiction. It's going contain some minor spoilers for some of the stories in the two Ted Chiang short story collections Exhalation: Stories and The Story of Your Life and Others (also known … Continue reading Don’t Tell me the Meaning – Exhalation: Stories vs. The Story of Your Life and Others
Backman’s Second Law of Writing Success
It's not that long ago I wrote my first law of writing sucess. Now, I'm happy to announce that I have another "law" to follow up with. As with the first law, a billion people have probably had the same idea before me, and it really isn't all that profound. It's just my way of … Continue reading Backman’s Second Law of Writing Success
Toby Backman 