Tag: books

“Blue Karma” A Finalist in Shelf Unbound Indie Book Competition

December 11, 2015

Blue Karma made finalist in the Shelf Unbound indie book competition. Thousands of authors submitted their novels (so I’m told) so top six is a terrific accomplishment. Sarah (@sarahplusbook), the dystopian editor for Shelf Unbound, reviewed Blue Karma this summer and encouraged me to submit it. Thanks, Sarah: here’s further proof that authors need to listen to their readers! Seeing my book … More “Blue Karma” A Finalist in Shelf Unbound Indie Book Competition

The Real-Life Nilak? Company Proposes Shipping Water to Drought Zone

August 30, 2015

Back in February I wrote a post about the Cassandra curse of sci-fi writers: when a concept you’ve imagined is unexpectedly mirrored in reality. This weekend brought perhaps the most uncanny such moment I’ve ever experienced. According to USAToday, a private company plans to ship fresh water from Alaska to California, just like the fictional Nilak company in my … More The Real-Life Nilak? Company Proposes Shipping Water to Drought Zone

The Literature Museum: Sci-Fi and Sexism

August 25, 2015

“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

Review: “Dawn” by Octavia Butler

August 18, 2015

As a lifelong sci-fi geek, I thought I’d seen every variant of alien contact narrative the genre had to offer, from the invasion epics to the misadventures of benign visitors to thinly veiled social allegories. Even the enjoyable ones often rely on predictable tropes. But Dawn, the first installment in Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis trilogy, captivated … More Review: “Dawn” by Octavia Butler

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

August 15, 2015

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

Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 1)

June 4, 2015

Climate fiction, like the global average temperature, is on the rise. If you haven’t heard of this genre, you’re probably not the first. Themes of climate change and ecological disaster have appeared in contemporary fiction since the mid-20th century, but the concept of these as an independent genre is relatively new. The term climate fiction … More Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 1)