Monthly Archives: June 2013

Morning Sounds

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Marion

When I lie awake at 4:00 am, the only sound I hear is the low-pitched rumble of a motor. I think it is the motor on our neighbor’s spa. There are no bird sounds, so cars, and no sirens. What … Continue reading →

Posted in Ruminations | Leave a comment

… Until it Reaches Up and Grabs You

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Marion

Books are machines, in a way, are they not? They are communication devices; televisions, telephones, time-travel machines, letting a person we don’t know and may never know share their thoughts, fears, visions and beliefs with us. Books are diagnostic devices… … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

In Which a Part-Time Bookstore Clerk Dispenses Advice to a Best-Selling Writer

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Marion

During a quiet few moments at the bookstore yesterday I talked to Brandy about my disappointment in Clockwork Princess, Cassandra Clare’s third book in her Infernal Devices series. You can read my review here. Basically, Clare buried the true climax … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 4 Comments

Crow’s Eye View

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Marion

I’m trying to write a fantasy story from the point of view of a crow. Actually, that is the only fantasy element in the story; otherwise it’s pretty mundane. There are three ways to go about this. Option One; bag … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts about Writing | 2 Comments

SF Bulletin; The Generational Divide

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Marion

The Science Fiction/Fantasy Writers’ Association (SWFA) is having a kerfluffle over – what a surprise! – institutional sexism. I missed the first part of the story, but apparently SF Bulletin columnists Barry Malzberg and Mike Resnick made references to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts about Writing | 4 Comments

61 Hours; Jack Reacher Rocks

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Marion

No one writes a thriller like Lee Childs. Jack Reacher is a hero who gets into highly unlikely situations, and resolves them with his strength, experience and his wits. While the situations themselves often involve wildly technically inventive and mostly … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Leave a comment

Jack Vance; Lighting the Way

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Marion

Jack Vance was a writer’s writer. His own work was wonderful, and he wrote the kind of fantasy that I fell into and emerged hours later, dazed and blinking; historically, he will probably be remembered as the spark, or the … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Leave a comment