Alt or Not?

Alt or Not?

Imagine my surprise to find that the redoubtable Injustice Gamer independently contributed to the ongoing conversation about alternative cultural institutions that others such as JD Cowan and I are wading into. Here's IG's Alfred Genesson: Vox Day put up a post responding to yet another article on building another culture.…
September 15, 201719 Comments
Losing the Plot

Losing the Plot

JD Cowan addresses how the corporatists in charge of every major entertainment medium have enthusiastically lost touch with the comic book reading, video game playing, and TV watching public. My thesis is simple; we've lost the plot. Not only have we lost the plot, we're proud of having done so.…
September 14, 201711 Comments
Casting Call: The Secret Kings

Casting Call: The Secret Kings

Every author daydreams about casting hypothetical movie versions of his books. Today I present to you my preferred cast for 2017 Dragon Award finalist The Secret Kings. Note: this list will only cover characters who are new to this book or who haven't been cast before. Actors already chosen for…
September 13, 2017
The Thinking Man

The Thinking Man

Bradford Walker contrasts the thinking man's pulp hero with the more familiar Man of Action over at PulpRev.com. The Fighting-Man is the default protagonist, but there are other archetypes. They arose out of defining themselves against the Fighting-Man, often in the form of a tradeoff: he's really good at (X)…
September 12, 20175 Comments
IT (2017)

IT (2017)

Art by Rabbittooth My low opinion of Hollywood, particularly their creative bankruptcy, is a matter of public record. Having exhausted the reserves of creative capital amassed by better men, the high priests of our culture are reduced to churning out one bland carbon copy sequel, remake, reboot, re-imagining, etc. after…
September 11, 201714 Comments
A Consistent Theme

A Consistent Theme

Having listened to the latest episode of Geek Gab: On the Books, blogger Bradford Walker notes a common theme running through my podcast episodes and blog posts. If there is one consistent theme to a lot of Brian's posts at his blog, and his episodes of this podcast, is that…
September 8, 20179 Comments
DBZ Syndrome

DBZ Syndrome

Author JD Cowan warns writers against making the same mistake with superpowered heroes that Toriyama did with Dragon Ball Z. There's always been a problem getting superpowers across in fiction. For instance, Superman has almost no defined limits to his abilities, which is fine for a Superman tale but it…
September 7, 201711 Comments
The Dragon Awards with Daniel Humphreys

The Dragon Awards with Daniel Humphreys

Geek Gab: On the Books returns tonight with special guest Dragon Award nominee Daniel Humphreys. Tonight, Daniel and I will be discussing this year's Dragon Awards--both the escalated controversy and the stunning results. Join us at 6:00 PM Eastern to chat lie with two Dragon-nominated authors. I'm expecting lots of…
September 6, 20172 Comments
The Story of a New Author

The Story of a New Author

Ultra-prolific indie author Dean Wesley Smith, he of Pulp Speed fame, tells the story of every debut tradpub novel you see advertised in Locus or Publishers Weekly. Here is the story… — Author spent years wanting to be a writer. — Author rewrote that “special snowflake novel,” following all guidelines,…
September 5, 201713 Comments
2017 Dragon Award Winners

2017 Dragon Award Winners

Dear Kairos readers, it's my pleasure to present YOUR 2017 Dragon Award recipients! Best Science Fiction Novel Babylon’s Ashes, by James S.A. Corey Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal) Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge, by Larry Correia and John Ringo Best Young Adult / Middle-Grade Novel The Hammer of Thor, by Rick…
September 4, 201730 Comments