It's been a decent week for writing so far. Now, we're bracing for Hurricane Ike and whatever it brings to the DFW area. Predictions were for as much as 60mph gusts and up to 8-10" of rain at one point. It seems the predictions change so often, though, that I've lost track at this point. I'll know firsthand soon enough.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
Meet Me at the Secret Waterfall Fort
This fort is hidden at the top of an enormous waterfall, where it is shielded from attack by its height, and shielded from discovery by the loud waters, whose sound can cover up the rumble of air vessels arriving and departing. At least, that's how I imagine it.
Is SF Too Obsessed With Its History?
The problem with science fiction is that it cares too much about the past. Or, at least, that's the argument being put forward by SF writer Ian Sales, who's growing more and more concerned about the reverence that SF fans have for "classic" SF that's possibly past its sell-by date.
Student wins with bad writing
Alex Hall, 15, is not an ordinary student at Greeley Central High School. Perhaps it is his self-proclaimed "eccentric" personality, or his ability to win just about every game of Trivial Pursuit he sits down to play. Or maybe it is his knack to produce purpose-driven, award winning -- and really, really bad -- literature.
Remains of a 1500-Year-Old City Uncovered in Amazonian Jungle
A 1500-year-old Amazonian city, full of artificial lakes, large public plazas, and agricultural regions (including fish farms), is being excavated and mapped for the first time in modern memory. Until recently, the remains of the ancient city had been almost completely hidden by jungle.
My love-hate relationship with fantasy
I hate fantasy. People give me funny looks when I say that. “Jo, you write fantasy,” they remind me gently. “You won the World Fantasy Award. You love fantasy.” It’s true. I love fantasy. But I also hate it.
Fantasy Magazine: Saaaay… Why AREN’T there brown elves?
A few weeks ago during Fantasy’s Blog For A Beer on racism in the genre, we talked about using fantastic or SFnal elements as allegories to explore prejudice and -isms. My initial reaction to this is noted in the thread–mainly that I don’t think allegory is sufficient for exploring these issues anymore. But my secondary reaction is kind of tangential: why are we using elves as an allegory for skin color issues? Why the heck don’t elves have varied colors themselves?