Monthly Archives: June 2020

The Big Idea: Kester Grant

A dash of history, a pinch of literary invention, and a soupçon of imagination — all of these combine in The Court of Miracles to create author Kester Grant’s new novel. She’s here now to tell you how all these ingredients came together. KESTER GRANT: As I left the cinema after seeing Disney’s latest Jungle […]

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Five Things: June 4, 2020

It’s only June 4, y’all. Here’s today’s five: James Mattis stabs Trump in the eye: And courageously says what everyone already knows, which is that Trump is awful and divisive and wants to use the military on American civilians so he can feel big and tough.  And yes, I’m giving Mattis a bit of stick […]

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The Big Idea: Jeremy Szal

War changes people, and in Stormblood, some wars change people more. Author Jeremy Szal is here today to explain how, and why. JEREMY SZAL: Blood is thicker than water. Does that still apply when your blood is infused with alien DNA? Let me explain. The central idea for Stormblood is that a far-flung, interstellar society […]

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Five Things: June 3, 2020

Let’s get to today’s five, shall we? Hey, did you remember that there’s a presidential campaign going on? Well there is, and seven states and the District of Columbia even had primaries yesterday. Not that you would know it from the front pages of the news sites, I had to dig deep, deeeep into the […]

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The Big Idea: Robert J. Sawyer

Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer has gone “back to the future” with his newest novel The Oppenheimer Alternative. But why does he go back at all — and back to this particular Great Man of History? Sawyer is here to explain it all. ROBERT J. SAWYER: It’s been obvious since the days […]

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Uncle Hugo’s Fundraiser + Editorial Note

First things first: Uncle Hugo’s, the venerable Minneapolis science fiction bookstore, was burned down last week (along with Uncle Edgar’s, the next-door mystery bookstore). Almost immediately a GoFundMe was set up, but it wasn’t endorsed by Don Blyly, the owner of the bookstores. The GoFundMe has since been taken over by the Blyly family, who […]

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Five Things: June 2, 2020

Oh, not much going on in the world at the moment, is there? Here are today’s five things: Trump gassing peaceful protestors to walk to a photo op: I think we’re all used to the president being appallingly tone deaf, but this one seems destined for the top ten collection (I’m hesitant to rank it […]

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The Big Idea: Drew Murray

Author Drew Murray knew he wanted to write a technothriller with his novel Broken Genius — but how to do it in a way that reader would not get lost in the technological weeds? Murray explains his solution for you now. DREW MURRAY: Very close on the heels of every technology humans invent is a […]

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Five Things: June 1, 2020

For the month of June I thought I would try something sort of new, sort of not: A brief daily write-up of five things I’m thinking about in one way or another for that day — could be news, could be personal things, could be a piece of entertainment, whatever (there’s that word). The point […]

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