On Trails is a wandering tale that blends hiking, science, and history
On Trails is a wandering tale that blends hiking, science, and history

Hiking is one of life’s great joys. Turning off the screens and stepping out into nature for an extended period of time, perhaps even several days, is rejuvenating. Unfortunately, as someone with two young kids and a bad back, I’m not really able to go backpacking anymore. So I often find myself trying to live […]

The Stars My Destination is classic proto-cyberpunk
The Stars My Destination is classic proto-cyberpunk

This might feel like a somewhat obvious recommendation to some, but it flew under my radar until now. Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination (originally published as Tiger! Tiger! in the UK) is a 1956 sci-fi novel that some have cited as a precursor to cyberpunk. It’s a work I admit I have some conflicted […]

You need to read the subversive cosmic horror novella The Ballad of Black Tom
You need to read the subversive cosmic horror novella The Ballad of Black Tom

Things that H.P. Lovecraft was good at: Creating a mythos. Building atmosphere. Things that H.P. Lovecraft was bad at: Writing dialog. Creating compelling characters. Not being a racist. As a fan of horror in general, I can’t pretend that Lovecraft isn’t an important touchstone. But the man’s blatant racism is also impossible to ignore, especially […]