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Year: 2009

The Best Mystery Crime Fiction of 2009

On December 30 By Brian Lindenmuth In Book Reviews

2009 was without question one of the best years for crime fiction in many years, and trust me when I tell you that my top ten has changed so many times in the last six …

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James Cameron’s Avatar | movie review

On December 20 By Eli Lipschutz In Movies & TV

Avatar is a great film.  Here is a movie that will actually surprise you and offer things you have never seen before.  James Cameron has delivered a special effects powerhouse that is actually an extended …

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The Princess and the Frog – movie review

On December 13 By Elena Nola In Movies & TV

Brad Pitt called The Curious Case of Benjamin Button “a love letter to New Orleans.”  Well.  If Button was a love letter, then Disney’s The Princess and the Frog was a Homeric poem in the …

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Disney options Lauren Kate’s Fallen novel

On December 10 By Damon Cap In Books & Comics, Movies & TV

Medora was kind enough to point me in the direction of this news item and it was a tough call between BSCkids and this site, but in the end I felt it belonged here.  Disney …

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Stumptown – A Study In Retro Noir

On December 7 By Ryan Lindsay In Comics

If you missed Stumptown then you might not be blamed for the omission in your reading stack. Hell, even if you got the comic you might have missed the subsequent issues because the four issue …

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The Road | movie review

On December 2 By Eli Lipschutz In Movies & TV

The Road is, unfortunately, a boring movie, and the title might as well be Sittin’ Round the Campfire. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, is one of the very best books of the decade, and this …

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Heat Wave + Naked Heat by Richard Castle Review

On November 23 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

New York City is in the grip of a heat wave, and Detective Nicki Heat is in the grip of a stubborn case.  Real estate mogul Matthew Starr was pitched from his balcony, and the …

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Disney Channel New Year’s Eve programming – I vote Selena Gomez

On November 21 By Damon Cap In Movies & TV

Disney Channel viewers will be able to vote for the New Year’s Eve programming lineup at DisneyChannel.com beginning Friday.  After all the voting is done, the programs that have won will air on December 31st …

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Twilight New Moon | movie review

On November 20 By Elena Nola In Movies & TV

Going to a midnight movie is an experience that has to be included in the review of the film.  First, who was there?  Mostly female–about 1 in 10 people were male–and not as many shrieking …

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Coffee and Conversation with Hegel and Manfried Grossbart – Jesse Bullington Guest Blog

On November 16 By Jesse Bullington In (special) Guest Blogs, Interviews

Jesse Bullington – Good morning, and thank you for agreeing to this interview. Hegel: [Mutters something incomprehensible to Manfried] Manfried: [Mutters back. This goes on for some time, until:] Uh huh. Mornin. Hegel: Sure. Good …

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Tiffani Thiessen Interview – White Collar

On November 13 By Damon Cap In Interviews, Movies & TV

So I got a chance to join a conference call where we asked Tiffani Theissen some questions, mostly focusing on her role as Elizabeth Burke on the USA Network Show White Collar.

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World’s Worst Interview with Victor Gischler

On November 12 By Keith Rawson In Interviews

In case you haven’t noticed, over the past few weeks Boomtron has been republishing Victor Gischler’s World’s Worst Interview series, which he conducted on his old blog at the end of 2004 through the middle of …

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Brent Weeks Interview + The Way of Shadows Review

On November 5 By Damon Cap In Book Reviews, Interviews

Our guest this week is Brent Weeks, author of The Night Angel Trilogy, recently published by Orbit Books.  Unless something changes in the next few weeks before the end of the year, The Way of …

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On Blood, Bad Boys and Bottoms – Notes from New Sodom

On November 5 By Hal Duncan In (special) Guest Blogs, Notes from New Sodom

Vampire! Hal Duncan’s latest Notes on New Sodom examines vampires in popular fiction, specifically Anne Rice, Twilight, and Poppy.

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An Open Letter to Those Terrified of E-Piracy – Gary Gibson Guest Blog

On October 29 By Gary Gibson In (special) Guest Blogs

There are many pro writers out there worried by piracy, who see the internet as the greatest illegal intellectual land-grab of all time. Here’s the deal:  if you’re worried enough to want to stop it, …

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West Coast Blues by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Patrick Manchette Review

On October 29 By Brian Lindenmuth In Comics

Jean-Patrick Manchette was a French crime novelist who wrote 10 novels. He is held in the highest possible regard by his English-speaking audience. To date only two of his novels have been translated. Let me …

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30 Rock – Interview: Savanna Samson on Her Appearance

On October 23 By Damon Cap In Interviews, Movies & TV

Vivid Girl Savanna Samson gave us the scoop on her appearance on 30 Rock.  The episode was “Into the Crevasse,” which aired last night on NBC. Can you describe what it was like to walk on the …

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Top 50 Favorite Novels of the Decade: 2000-2009

On October 20 By Brian Lindenmuth In Book Reviews

Not too long ago I decided to make a list of my top 10 favorite books of the decade, from 2000-2009. I easily knocked out a list with a couple of dozen titles then decided …

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The 7-part Interview Series with R.A. Salvatore continues

On October 13 By Damon Cap In Interviews

When you think of the most popular character from the Wizards of the Coast stable, I do not think there is much debate. Drizzt Do’Urden leads the pack. Today we have R.A. Salvatore answering some questions we had …

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Quatrain + Fortune and Fate + Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn Review

On October 6 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

Quatrain is a collection of, as the name suggests, four all-new novellas from Sharon Shinn.  Each is set in a distinct world established from previous books, and each story stands firmly against the others.  Shinn …

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The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville Review

On October 6 By Brian Lindenmuth In Book Reviews

Those who believe that the short story is dead and/or irrelevant, and those who don’t see the value in publishing stories in e-zines that pay very little, if at all, to a circulation that is in …

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Notes on Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon

On October 6 By Brian Lindenmuth In Book Reviews

I’m picking my way through Inherent Vice, and I’m not even quarter of the way through it yet but I wanted to post some informal thoughts. By the end of the first chapter I was …

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Science Fiction and Why It Needs Secret Decoder Rings – Gary Gibson Guest BLog

On October 5 By Gary Gibson In (special) Guest Blogs

It does seem like the eternal war between SF and the mainstream just goes on and on and on, doesn’t it? One minute you think it’s dead and buried, the next it’s climbing back out of …

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Elena’s World – Zombieland review

On October 4 By Elena Nola In Movies & TV

The best romantic comedy of the year! I make that claim with only about 5% facetiousness. Zombieland, despite its name and premise (a pair of unlikely allies making their way through an America overrun with …

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samuel delany

To the Water Fountains – Notes from New Sodom

On October 1 By Hal Duncan In (special) Guest Blogs, Notes from New Sodom

Hal Duncan on discovering Samuel Delany, punk rock, the Ramones and Burroughs

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The January Dancer by Michael Flynn Review

On September 11 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

Michael Flynn is one of the more unusual figures in modern SF and especially in technically rigorous science fiction, one who delves into areas seldom touched by other writers:  taking a “hard” science approach to social science in …

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Elena’s World – My Thoughts on Shane Acker’s 9

On September 10 By Elena Nola In Movies & TV

Shane Acker’s 9 is a movie that has been much anticipated around BSCReview.  We pretty thoroughly covered the media blitz for this movie, all of which I found intriguing and enticing:  the date tie-in, “9/9/9:  …

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Fantasy: Violation of the Possible? – Betsy Tobin Guest Blog

On September 9 By Betsy Tobin In (special) Guest Blogs

Is it possible to break the rules of fantasy writing by adhering to them too strictly?  When Borders UK first shelved my novel Ice Land in the Fantasy/Sci Fi section, I was gobsmacked (to use …

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A Bad Day For Sorry by Sophie Littlefield Review

On September 9 By Brian Lindenmuth In Book Reviews

When young mother Chrissy Shaw asks Stella for help with her no-good husband, Roy Dean, it looks like an easy case. Until Roy Dean disappears with Chrissy’s two-year-old son, Tucker. Stella quickly learns that Roy …

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Evermore by Alyson Noël Review

On September 5 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

Evermore is the first book in Alyson Noël’s new YA series, The Immortals.  Fittingly, considering the title, a lot of E words popped into my mind when I was thinking of how to describe it:  Enchanting.  …

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Down in the Ghetto at the SF Café – Notes From New Sodom

On September 3 By Hal Duncan In (special) Guest Blogs, Notes from New Sodom

Defining science fiction, it’s birth, midlife, some punk, and current state with Hal Duncan in the latest Notes from New Sodom.

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MPD – Psycho No.1 by Eiji Otsuka Review

On August 31 By Brian Lindenmuth In Comics

MPD Psycho was a mini-series that came out in 2002 and was inspired by a Manga that came out in 1997. Dark Horse has been releasing the book in America since 2007. I’ve been meaning …

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Never Slow Dance with a Zombie by E. Van Lowe Review

On August 29 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

Never Slow Dance with a Zombie is a novel for young adults.  I read a fair amount of YA books, and I’m never quite sure how to judge them.  I mean, I can tell you …

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Level 26: Dark Origins by Anthony Zuiker & Duane Swierczynski Review

On August 26 By Brian Lindenmuth In Book Reviews

Level 26 is problematic at best. I’m going to take a more personal approach to this review then I have in the past because that just seems like the best approach. When I first started …

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Darkborn by Alison Sinclair Review

On August 21 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

Darkborn is a fantasy novel that I’m not quite sure how to further classify or qualify.  It’s not quite romantic fantasy, because even though it has strong themes of love, it is not a love …

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Glenn Martin DDS with Kevin Nealon on Nick at Nite

On August 15 By Damon Cap In Movies & TV

On Monday night Nickelodeon’s network new family plan will begin and Glenn Martin DDS will be leading the way as the only original series ordered for the new Nick at Nite schedule.  This will be …

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District 9 | Eli’s Plot Twist

On August 15 By Eli Lipschutz In Movies & TV

District 9 is a revival of the good old days of R rated 80s and early 90s sci-fi action films.  This is a great movie, showing true originality, and delivering on its entertainment mandate.  District …

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G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra | Eli’s Plot Twist

On August 8 By Eli Lipschutz In Movies & TV

Don’t watch G.I. Joe, it’s about as appealing as an abortion.  This isn’t realistic/serious G.I. Joe, and it isn’t pure cartoon fun G.I. Joe.  No, this is a third variety; this is pure, unadulterated shit.  …

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Fast and Furious | DVD Review

On August 3 By Eli Lipschutz In Movies & TV

“Dom, your engine is throbbing!”  Fast and Furious is out on DVD, a trip back in time, to a simpler time, a time when Limp Bizkit was popular, and import racing was fresh and exciting …

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Best Served Cold + The Heroes + The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie Review

On July 22 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

Since the books in the First Law trilogy cannot stand alone, I consider them to be one work.  One super-massive-red-giant, thousands-of-pages-long, split-into-three-volumes work.  That makes Best Served Cold Joe Abercrombie’s sophomore effort–which is not to …

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Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender – Cast Images

On July 15 By Jay In Movies & TV

To be completely honest, I am aware of the The Last Airbender in general because of this film, and I am aware of this film because it’s directed by M. Night Shyamalan.  Now we have …

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What the Devil Taught Me – Richard Kadrey Guest Blog

On July 13 By Richard Kadrey In (special) Guest Blogs

The author of the bestselling Sandman Slim series is here to bless you with a guest blog.

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On Religion and Safehold – David Weber Guest Blog

On July 8 By David Weber In (special) Guest Blogs

I’m definitely trying to make a statement about religion in my novels, at least in the case of the Safehold novels, although people who have read my other books will be aware that I’ve used …

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Gabrielle Faust Interview

On July 4 By Elena Nola and Jay Tomio In Interviews

Elena recently caught up with Gabrielle Faust, author of the Eternal Vigilance series, to talk about inspirations, favorite vampires, and what happened to Texas’s football stadium when Austin got bombed in the apocalypse.  Read on …

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Public Enemies | Eli’s Plot Twist

On July 3 By Eli Lipschutz In Movies & TV

Michael Mann is the de facto king of cops and robbers city street shootouts. Public Enemies makes a nice shift to period piece old timey stuff with no loss in crisp edge. Few people can …

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Bookspot 2009 Summer 6-pack of Books

On July 2 By Brian Lindenmuth In Book Reviews

Summer is here and BSC has the car packed up and we’re taking a road trip. We called some friends and the only thing left to do is load up the cooler with potluck 6-packs. …

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The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly Review

On June 28 By Trine Paulsen In Book Reviews

Irish author John Connolly is perhaps best known for his crime stories that hover on the edges between traditional detective stories and supernatural horror, but with The Book of Lost Things, Connolly travels deeper into …

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EVirtuality | TV (FOX) review

On June 27 By Elena Nola In Movies & TV

Virtuality is a new original program that Fox premiered last night.  It was unclear to me whether it was a TV movie or the pilot for a new series that may or may not actually advance …

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Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen | Eli’s Plot Twist

On June 27 By Eli Lipschutz In Movies & TV

Michael Bay is the mad hatter. Truly bizarre visions and creatures rule the screen for nearly two and a half hours. Also on display; epic scope, true summer blockbuster scale; Transformers 2 has everything, and …

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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith Review

On June 16 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

Letter from Jane Austen to Seth Grahame-Smith Dear Sir, I have recently become acquainted with your work as a novelist, while I believe your acquaintance with mine is of a much longer standing.  Nevertheless, I …

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On Kings and Assassins – Lane Robins Guest Blog

On June 11 By Lane Robins In (special) Guest Blogs, Book Reviews

Writing the sequel to Maledicte was an interesting challenge, since I had originally thought of Maledicte as a stand-alone novel. Sure, it has some loose ends waving in the breeze, but life’s like that. A …

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Pixar’s ‘Up’ | Movie Review

On June 1 By Eli Lipschutz In Movies & TV

Pixar consistently delivers, to the point that any review of Up is more a measure of greatness, rather than a critique. Up matches the great craftsmanship and thoughtfulness Pixar is known for, upping the ante …

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Craig McDonald Interview – Rogue Males

On May 30 By Brian Lindenmuth In Interviews

With Art in the Blood Craig McDonald wrote one of the indispensable non-fiction books of the the mystery/crime fiction genre. How does one follow that up? First, by starting what is shaping up to be, …

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Star of the Morning + The Mage’s Daughter + Princess of the Sword + Tapestry of Spells + Spellweaver by Lynn Kurland Review

On May 28 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

The Nine Kingdoms series is another offering from a writer who normally writes romance. Despite the fact that these books are placed in the romance section at bookstores (along with the rest of Kurland’s work, which …

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Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson Review

On May 15 By Rob In Book Reviews

Warbreaker is Brandon Sanderson’s second standalone fantasy novel. It is unrelated to any of his other books. The process of writing this book was somewhat unusual, earlier versions of the story were released under a …

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Star Trek (2009) | Movie Review

On May 11 By Eli Lipschutz In Movies & TV

J.J. Abrams takes his place among the likes of James Cameron and Steven Spielberg to deliver the first true blockbuster of the summer. Top shelf special effects, epic space battles, and electric momentum make this …

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‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ | Movie Review

On May 3 By Eli Lipschutz In Books & Comics, Movies & TV

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is an epic catastrophe on every level, a confluence of poor ideas, poorer execution, and blinding stupidity. When faced with a celluloid abomination of this magnitude, a person must look back in …

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Dragon in Chains by Daniel Fox Review

On April 28 By Trine Paulsen In Book Reviews

Dragon in Chains is a stunning Oriental fantasy by Daniel Fox, which is the pen-name of the award-winning British writer Chaz Brenchley, known for the historical fantasy series The Books of Outremer. Dragon in Chains …

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Hand of Isis +Black Ships by Jo Graham Review

On April 25 By Trine Paulsen In Book Reviews

Last year Jo Graham made her debut as a novelist with Black Ship, a poignant and intimate re-working of the story of Vergil’s Aeneid, set in the Mediterranean Bronze Age, a world poised on the …

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Eve of Darkness, Chaos, and Destruction by S.J. Day – Review

On April 19 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

This book reminded me why expectations are so important to the reading experience.  I expected it to be “fun beach reading,” and that’s exactly what it is.  Had I expected something else, I might have …

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Chris Dane Owens | Interview

On April 6 By Elena Nola In Interviews

I am delighted to bring you a BSC exclusive interview with Chris Dane Owens!  Chris has recently created one of the most magical and fabulous fantasy videos of all time to accompany his new single, “Shine …

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The Dosadi Experiment by Frank Herbert Review

On April 5 By Rob In Book Reviews

The Dosadi Experiment is set in the same universe as Whipping Star, which has recently been reissued by Tor. After reading that book I just had to reread The Dosadi Experiment as well. First published …

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Rifling Paradise by Jem Poster Review

On April 3 By Trine Paulsen In Book Reviews

Rifling Paradise is the second novel of the critically acclaimed novelist and poet Jem Poster. The praise is indeed well-deserved – Rifling Paradise is a very well-crafted piece of literary fiction; it is intense, vivid …

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Torn and Frayed – The Electric Mayhem

On March 30 By Brian Lindenmuth In Book Reviews

Saturday’s Child by Ray Banks Saturday’s Child is the first Cal Innes book. It’s a couple of years old at this point and all I can say is that it kicks 10 kinds of ass. …

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Living With Ghosts by Kari Sperring Review

On March 13 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

Those words are the summary the publishers chose to put on the back of Living with Ghosts, and I think they are as compelling and accurate a summation of this story and this world as …

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The Night Sessions by Ken MacLeod Review

On March 1 By Trinalor In Book Reviews

After flipping past the title page, publishing information, dedication, and thank you’s, the reader encounters the above noted passage. Right away, it would seem much has happened since the present day and the time this …

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LIFE’S A BALL! CHASE IT – Margaret Weis Guest Blog

On February 26 By Margaret Weis In (special) Guest Blogs

What do authors do when they’re not writing? I race my dogs in a sport that is fun, loud, exciting, and crazy. It’s called flyball.

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Saturn Returns by Sean Williams Review

On February 24 By John Markley In Book Reviews

Sean Williams is an experienced author in the field of space opera, having written the Evergence, Orphans, and Geodesica series’ with collaborator Shane Dix.  Saturn Returns is the first book of Williams’ solo Astropolis trilogy.

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The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop Review

On February 23 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

The Shadow Queen is the latest installment of the Black Jewels series, either Book 6 or Book 7 depending on whether you count only the novels or include the novella/short story collection.  It is a …

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Kick-Ass Female Authors and their Killer Heroines | NYCC Panel

On February 13 By Clare In Comics

Friday the 13th is the perfect day for Bookspotcentral Valentine to some wonderful women authors of paranormal fiction. Whether the label du jour is urban fantasy, dark fantasy, or some flavor of paranormal, with or …

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The Republic of Vengeance by Paul Waters Review

On February 9 By Trine Paulsen In Book Reviews

The Republic of Vengeance marks the entry of a new and interesting author into the newly revitalized field of historical fiction. Paul Waters is trained as a classicist and his first novel is a testament …

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Alternate Londons – Guest Blog By Ian R. MacLeod

On January 29 By Ian R. MacLeod In (special) Guest Blogs

Ian R. MacLeod visits Miclonian to help you make your way through all the Londons.

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Borders Essay – Guest Blog by Jacqueline Carey

On January 27 By Jacqueline Carey In (special) Guest Blogs

I’ve always loved mythology in all its forms. These are the stories that inform our collective unconscious; these are the raw stuff of our dreams. Gods and monsters, heroes and villains, saviors and victims. All …

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The Latest Teacup Tempest – Notes From New Sodom

On January 22 By Hal Duncan In (special) Guest Blogs, Notes from New Sodom

Hal Duncan breaks down the latest book world debate, examining Elitism, Escapism and authorship in publishing.

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Whiskey and Water + Blood and Iron by Elizabeth Bear Review

On January 22 By Trine Paulsen In Book Reviews

Whiskey and Water is the second novel published in Elizabeth Bear’s series of the Promethean Age and should be considered as an independent sequel to Blood and Iron. The story of Whiskey and Water takes …

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Swords and Dark Magic edited by Lou Anders and Jonathan Strahan Review

On January 22 By Elena Nola In Book Reviews

I grew up reading fantasy.  More than that, even, I had fantasy read to me before I could read for myself (clearly, I never had a chance).  There was a point, though, in adolescence, where …

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Why I Write Science Fiction: An Apology – Alan DeNiro Guest Blog

On January 18 By Alan DeNiro In (special) Guest Blogs, Book Reviews

I read a lot of pulp when I was a kid. Most of it was crap. I also wrote a lot of adventure stories and half-baked space operas, most of which were crap too. Around …

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Petals of the Rat: loose notes for a new movement – Alan DeNiro Guest Blog

On January 15 By Alan DeNiro In (special) Guest Blogs, Book Reviews

This isn’t a manifesto. This is a series of observations in a particular range of time, made on a mode of writing that I love, what on any given day can be called speculative fiction. …

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Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman of Dragonlance – Interview

On January 14 By Damon Cap In Interviews

Boomtron is proud to introduce the Bestselling author tandem of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.  They were kind enough to answer some questions after just releasing their new book Bones of the Dragon (Dragonships of …

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The Mosaic Novel – Guest Blog by Richard Bowes

On January 14 By Richard Bowes In (special) Guest Blogs

When I decided to call From The Files Of The Time Rangers, a Mosaic Novel, I thought that the term was one that Jeff VanderMeer had invented for his brilliant multi-layered Veniss Underground. But when …

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Join me or Die! : A Few Words on the Necessity of Dark Power – Guest Blog by Elizabeth Bear

On January 12 By Elizabeth Bear In (special) Guest Blogs

Darth Vader is your father. But you knew that already, didn’t you? Despite the power of those words to evoke a reaction of surprise – a shiver of fear, a frisson of titillation – don’t …

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The Scourge of Sci-Fi – Notes From New Sodom

On January 5 By Hal Duncan In (special) Guest Blogs, Notes from New Sodom

Fantasy & Science Fiction as genre, where it came from and where it’s going and the discussion around it from Hal Duncan.

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