For those of us who enjoy reading, a library is full of delightful experiences. However, not all experiences are going to delight all readers. Books are written to achieve different emotional and cognitive impacts, and the type of impact each book achieves will influence whether you are likely to enjoy …
Climate misinformation has switched from denialism to attacks on climate solutions. This includes robust attacks on EVs from the fossil fuel sector. Probably not coincidentally, we’re seeing a drop in EV demand, so it’s important to counter misleading and false claims about EVs. That’s why I was concerned when Grist, …
I love games. In particular, I’m a big fan of epic, sprawling space opera games like Twilight Imperium. When you’re playing Twilight Imperium, you attach a tremendous importance to things like Mecatol Rex. This planetwide city was the administrative center of the old empire, and whoever controls it has an …
Speak Truth to Fire was a completely new type of novel for me. I worked very hard to make it the exact book I imagined it could and should be. I created both personal standards for crafting historical fantasy, and techniques to help myself achieve those standards. Here’s a little …
When we bought our Toyota Prius, there were many doomsayers who told us how terrible the technology was going to be. The computerized transmission was a big risk, they said. The battery was going to fail. And, besides, you weren’t going to get the kind of MPGs that were advertised. …
I just harvested the last of my potatoes this year, and it occurred to me how happy it made me to grow potatoes. Everyone who has a garden should try their hand at growing potatoes. What makes it so great? I’m glad you asked. It’s Easy I always get excited …
One of the biggest challenges in writing Speak Truth to Fire was figuring out which historical events to include in the novel. I know some people think that I just threw it all in there, but there was so much more I wanted to put in (the Tramway strike, in …
When I started working on Speak Truth to Fire over ten years ago, I had no idea that the Ku Klux Klan and white nationalists would experience such a powerful resurgence. I had no idea that the Klan’s rise to power nationwide in the 1920s would be repeated today. Nor …
I’ve been a Godzilla fan for as long as I can remember. Like most kids my age, I spent many a Saturday in front of the TV, watching all the monster movie reruns channel 2 threw at me. I remember having at least one discussion with my mom about why …
Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a game that is 25 years old, and it shows no signs of stopping. It’s still a prime feature at any game or hobby store you enter, and you’ll find that the stores are also crowded with people playing the game. Young people–teens and tweens–alongside …
