I love stories about magic and magicians. (My bio offers a clue why…) One of my favorite novels is Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel (now a TV series), and one of my favorite films is The Prestige (based on the book by Christopher Priest). However, it’s rare for magician books to feature women in any capacity beyond love […]
As modern science runs amok, achieving things once unimaginable and unlocking the secrets of the universe, writing science fiction gets increasingly difficult. Things once considered the ravings of wild-eyed novelists with rich imaginations are being mass-produced and sold (the iPhone is basically the Hitchhiker’s Guide, people), and the list of truly amazing things you can toss […]
When writing a science fiction or fantasy story that isn’t pure alternate history, including real-life events or historical figures is a dangerous trick: pull it off, and you’re rewarded with verisimilitude in spades, not to mention the fun of playing with reality in a very literal way. Get it wrong, and it can actually sabotage the suspension […]
Everything’s coming up roses for vaunted science fiction writer Christopher Priest. Today is a double-whammy book release from the man who brought you The Prestige, among many, many others, with The Adjacent and the paperback edition of The Islanders both hitting the shelves. The former is a time-hopping tale of loss and love, featuring the twists, […]
Science fiction, as a rule, loves its clones. The genre is littered with them, usually in the form of either clone armies or evil doubles. But sometimes, said copies are used in a way that’s a bit more unexpected. In these ten novels, clones are used as more than just plot devices, cannon fodder, or futuristic […]