(Quote from the official Jack Vance website)

On a day when posts about Jack Vance abound, another one may simply be white noise. When one of the greats in the world of Fantasy and Science Fiction passes away, I often find myself in the position of lamenting having not read their work while they were alive. Later on when I pick up one of their books I feel that small pang of regret that I cannot express my appreciation, whether said author would ever see it or not.

Gratefully this is not the case with Jack Vance, and thus I thought I might use the opportunity of his passing to remember my small but significant exposure to his work, and in the process hopefully encourage you to give him a try.

Continue reading In Remembrance of Jack Vance →

As snow fell in the Kansas City area last night (yes…snow. In May. I don’t want to talk about it), Mary and I had the privilege of spending the evening with one of our favorite friends who came into our lives through the wonder of ye ol’ interwebs: author Colleen Gleason. Colleen is one of several authors who together have formed The Indie Voice. The Romantic Times Booklovers Convention is in Kansas City this week and The Indie Voice authors hosted a cocktails and appetizers get-together at Pierpont’s restaurant in historic Union Station, and Mary and I had the honor of being able to attend as Colleen Gleason’s guests.

Thank you Colleen!

We had a wonderful time!

Continue reading A Fine Romance →

(Image copyright Charles Vess)

“A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?”

Pointless, really…”Do the stars gaze back?” Now that’s a question.”

~Neil Gaiman, Stardust

Neil Gaiman’s novel Stardust is one of my cherished treasures; it is one of those books that can only be described as “magical” because of the way in which it simultaneously opens a door to draw me in while at the same time coming inside of me and making itself at home. Choose a printing with Charles Vess illustrations, as it was originally released, and you have something exponentially more special.

As my annual Spring reading event, the Once Upon a Time Challenge, is about to kick off its seventh year (official sign up on Wednesday, March 20th), it seemed only fitting to journey back to the village of Wall for an adventure with Tristan and Yvaine. While journeys of this sort often start out alone, I thought it would be more fun to extend the invitation to anyone who would like to come along.

Continue reading Stardust Read-Along →

Last night my friend Dominique and I had the pleasure of joining with a small but enthusiastic group of fans in an intimate setting for a discussion with the self-publishing phenomenon that is Hugh Howey. You may recall that Hugh Howey’s book Wool was my favorite read of 2012 and it is a book that has a firm hold on a top spot on my favorite reads of all time list. I can hear you saying, “Yes, that’s nice. You got to meet an author. But why should I keep reading this post? What’s in it for me?”

I am so glad that you asked.

Well, in addition to my scintillating conversation, you have the chance to win your own autographed copy of the newly released trade paperback of Wool.
But wait, there’s more.

I suspect many readers are like me and have some interest in the future of the industry that supplies us our drug of choice: books. Hugh Howey has set some interesting precedents that we may be looking back on as game-changers for authors and publishers in the not too distant future. Most importantly, Hugh Howey is one helluva nice guy and it would be my pleasure to share my experience in meeting him with you.

Continue reading An Evening with Hugh Howey →