Monthly Archives: September 2012
Feeling Under the Weather
Sorry, folks. I’m afraid I’m feeling a touch under the weather today, and as my brain stops working when I come down with something, I don’t trust myself to make sense. So I won’t offer my fevered ravings here, amusing … Continue reading
SF Signal Mind Meld on Urban Fantasy
Just in case you missed it, there’s an interesting discussion of where urban fantasy is headed over on this week’s SF Signal Mind Meld. Lots of interesting points of view!
Some Mechanisms Underlying Narrative Tension
Since the WIP I’m finishing up is an espionage fantasy, it’s safe to say I’ve been thinking a lot about pacing and how thrillers achieve their heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat engagement with the reader. Superficially, they do it through mounting tension followed … Continue reading
Why Do Thrillers Outsell Science Fiction?
I’ve written before about the relationship between spy fiction and science fiction, but after recently re-reading Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October, the relationship is even further solidified in my mind. While Fleming and Le Carré provide good examples … Continue reading
A Reaction to Klein’s Pyramid of Literary Quality
When I was fifteen, I went through a psychology phase. Fascinated by the workings of the human mind, I dove through Freud, Jung, Skinner, Pavlov – the whole crowd, always looking for deeper understanding. But it wasn’t until I came … Continue reading
