Wish You Were Here • 1

Today, the first installment in the second iteration of The Pete Wood Challenge. This week we will be presenting ten microflash stories—apparently these are properly referred to as “drabbles;” I didn’t know that—all of which spring from a simple challenge: to write a 100-word story that revolves around the line:“Wish you were here.” Today, the first two. Enjoy!—brb “ARE...

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Clash of the Schlockmeisters 4: It's Not Easy Being Green

2011 saw the release of two movies that really deserve to be considered together.A long time ago, when we were reviewing the then just-released The Lone Ranger, Henry Vogel asked:“...whenever a property like this gets unearthed and made into a movie, I have to wonder: are they venerating their sacred cow or grinding it into burgers?”Today’s selections are definitely two all-beef...

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Stupefying Stories Reviews: OXYGEN and ARMY OF THE DEAD

It’s Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer vacation season in the US. What the heck are you doing sitting indoors, doomscrolling the Internet and binge-watching movies on Netflix?Nevertheless, it appears that you are, so for your viewing pleasure, first Pete Wood reviews OXYGEN, and then Bruce Bethke reviews ARMY OF THE DEAD. Enjoy!OXYGEN • review by Pete Wood Beware...

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The Last Dangerous Would You Like Fries With That?

 Today, the fifth and final installment of the first iteration of “The Pete Wood Challenge.” This week we have presented ten, count ’em, ten microflash stories, all of which sprang from a simple challenge: to write a 100-word story that revolved around the question:“Would you like fries with that?”Two Monday, two Tuesday, two Wednesday, two Thursday, and today, the...

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Ask Dr. Cyberpunk • with your host, Bruce Bethke

 In lieu of a column, an invitation: why don’t you join me this evening at Balticon 55, where I will be talking (briefly) about—well, whatever it is the audience wants to talk about.Balticon 55 is a virtual con this year, so admission is free, but you do need to pre-register if you want to attend any of the Zoom sessions. If you have the time I recommend it, as there...

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Penultimate Fries

Today, the fourth installment of the first iteration of “The Pete Wood Challenge.” This week we are presenting ten, count ’em, ten microflash stories, all of which sprang from a simple challenge: to write a 100-word story that revolved around the question:“Would you like fries with that?”Two Monday, two Tuesday, two Wednesday, two today, and tomorrow, the Big Bang Burger...

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Yet more “Would you like fries with that?"

Today, the third installment of the first iteration of “The Pete Wood Challenge.” (Trust me, that sentence will make sense by Friday.) This week we are presenting ten, count ’em, ten microflash stories, all of which sprang from a simple challenge: to write a 100-word story that revolved around the question:“Would you like fries with that?”Two Monday, two Tuesday, two more...

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Write and Wrung Out • by Beth DeVore

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Heads-up: Balticon 55

 I’ll be putting in an appearance at Balticon 55 this coming Friday, 5/28—by Zoom, of course, as this year it’s an online-only con. Attendance is free for anyone who wants to attend, but it’s my understanding that you need to register in advance in order to get into the Zoom sessions.The main link for the con is here: https://www.balticon.org/wp55/The program guide is...

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Again, "Would you like fries with that?"

 Today, the second installment of the first iteration of “The Pete Wood Challenge.” (Trust me, that sentence will make sense eventually.) This week we are presenting ten, count ’em, ten microflash stories, all of which sprang from a simple challenge: to write a 100-word story that revolved around the line:“Would you like fries with that?”Two yesterday, two more tomorrow,...

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Assertions and Observations • 2

This is the future of fiction publishing. Seriously.Whoever figures out how to make in-book purchases work is going to make a fortune.I’m going to skip over a whole lot of research and case-building and begin with the conclusion. If it seems necessary I will backfill later, if I must, but the key points are these:» I love books. Some of my best friends are books. But books,...

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The Pete Wood Challenge • "Would you like fries with that?"

Way back before the Dawn of Time there was a writing contest -slash- workshop called The Friday Challenge that encouraged people to try their hand at writing fiction, by spotting them the beginning of a story and then posing some form of the question, “What happens next?”The Friday Challenge was a lot of fun—and a lot of work—and eventually became more work than fun, so we...

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Assertions and Observations

As threatened promised, here’s some of what I’ve learned from my deep dive into publishing market research. In no particular order and with no apologies for any overt cynicism:• Children love stories. They love to have stories told to them, they love to have stories read to them, and as they grow up, they love to learn to read stories by themselves. If you have never seen...

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The State of the Loon • 21 May 2021

Challenging days turn into weeks, and then grow to fill a month. RLP sales remain wildly erratic, and the deeper I dig into trying to figure out what’s gone wrong and how to fix it, the more cynical I become. I understand the issue now. I just don’t like the conclusions that flow from having developed that understanding.I’ll have more to say about this in the next few days,...

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Write and Wrung Out • by Beth DeVore

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The State of the Loon • 17 May 2021

Spring returns to the North Country. I know I’ve written this line several times before, but this time it seems to be for real. At least, the weather service assures us that last week’s frost was an unseasonably late anomaly and this time it really is safe to replace all those garden plants that froze to death last week. I suppose the uncertainty of the arrival of spring...

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Help Wanted: Curator(s)

As we’ve been floundering around and going off in six different directions simultaneously, a number of projects have fallen by the wayside for lack of time and someone to work on them. One of them is a bit awkward, and it is—Well, to be honest, in the past eleven years we have published hundreds of stories: so many so that we’ve actually lost track of what we published when and where. Our several misfired attempts at launching a webzine version of...

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Write and Wrung Out • by Beth DeVore

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A Twelve-Step Program for Writers • Part 6

   In 1997, in a few minutes of whimsy, I knocked off twelve lines of highly concentrated and somewhat snarky advice for writers seeking to develop or repair their writing careers. To my surprise these words of wisdom remain available on the SFWA web site. To my even greater surprise Guy Stewart has taken the time and trouble to explicate them in depth. Herewith,...

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Write and Wrung Out • by Beth DeVore

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A Twelve-Step Program for Writers • Part 5

   In 1997, in a few minutes of whimsy, I knocked off twelve lines of highly concentrated and somewhat snarky advice for writers seeking to develop or repair their writing careers. To my surprise these words of wisdom remain available on the SFWA web site. To my even greater surprise Guy Stewart has taken the time and trouble to explicate them in depth. Herewith,...

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