The Literature Museum: Sci-Fi and Sexism

“Think of it as the literature museum,” my father told me when I was fifteen. I was a dually-enrolled high school student at the local college, and frustrated with some of the ideas I encountered in the curriculum’s so-called classic novels. Dad, a veteran English major himself, helped me contextualize the antiquated stories by likening … More The Literature Museum: Sci-Fi and Sexism

“Can books save the planet?”: my article for The Atlantic

If you’re interested in literature, STEM education, environmentalism, or just want to look at a picture of Jon Snow from “Game of Thrones” (yes, some culture critics argue the presence of cli-fi themes in George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series) check out the article I just wrote for The Atlantic about the growing popularity of cli-fi and its … More “Can books save the planet?”: my article for The Atlantic

Review: Saving the World One Word at a Time: Writing Cli-Fi

I received a promotional copy of this book from Ellen Szabo in exchange for my honest review: thanks, Ellen! In the preface to this book, author Ellen Szabo writes “I wish someone had told me when I was young that separation of the `hard sciences’ and `creative arts’ was a false duality”. I can certainly … More Review: Saving the World One Word at a Time: Writing Cli-Fi

Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 7)

This post concludes a seven-part series discussing my experience writing climate fiction in my novel, Blue Karma. Conclusion Over the past week, I’ve shared the five greatest challenges I encountered writing the cli-fi genre: turning a vision into a narrative, defining the scope and thematic focus of the story, drawing inspiration from current events, and avoiding rhetoric. … More Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 7)

Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 6)

This post is part six of a seven-part series discussing my experience writing climate fiction in my novel, Blue Karma. Challenge #5: Step Away from the Soapbox As both a writer and a bibliophile, I think the greatest power of fiction is its ability to provoke thought. Here the cli-fi genre has a clear mission. Less than … More Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 6)

Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 5)

This post is part five of a seven-part series discussing my experience writing climate fiction in my novel, Blue Karma. Challenge #4: The Headline Tango Writing Blue Karma felt like a race against time. Over the year it took me to finish it, more and more headlines about epic droughts , floods, and changing attitudes about water use peppered the … More Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 5)