A Confession

A Confession

I have a confession to make. Most of you know me as indie writer Brian Niemeier, author of such books as the award-winning Soul Cycle and the new high fantasy novella The Hymn of the Pearl. Now, a lot of folks know that authors write under pen names, but few…
August 1, 20174 Comments
Superversive vs. PulpRev

Superversive vs. PulpRev

This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting a few of my readers for dinner and lively conversation. We talked for hours on a wide range of subjects, which as you'd expect of SFF fans getting some personal time with an author whose work they enjoy, included several hot…
July 31, 201724 Comments
Moral Cowards

Moral Cowards

My recent exchange with a British Twitter user in the wake of the Charlie Gard decision provides a case study in the moral cowardice of those who preen about their support for using the state to strip parents of their rights. As the record shows, it didn't take long for…
July 28, 201717 Comments
Noob Author Mistakes

Noob Author Mistakes

Eighty percent of Americans want to be writers. Few will ever sit down to write a book, and fewer still will actually finish one. That's only half the battle, though, because the literary world is rife with pitfalls that are lying in wait for first-time authors. Publisher, editor, and author…
July 27, 2017

Postmodern Lit Is Cancer

Castalia House Lead Editor Vox Day has been making a strong case that postmodern literature isn't just bad writing, but non-writing, over at his blog. First, Vox relates a discussion he had with a CH author about a bad writing habit that's baffled him for years: What we were discussing…
July 26, 201712 Comments

Tremendous Trifles

The following quote from G.K. Chesterton comes courtesy of essayist extraordinaire Tom Simon: ‘“Can you not see,” I said, “that fairy tales in their essence are quite solid and straightforward; but that this everlasting fiction about modern life is in its nature essentially incredible? Folk-lore means that the soul is…
July 25, 2017
Valerian and Dunkirk

Valerian and Dunkirk

This week we're proud to bring you a Geek Gab double feature. First, Daddy Warpig and Dorrinal review Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets by Luc Besson. Does the movie live up to the venerable sci-fi comic series? Then, in a shocking twist, all of us saw Christopher Nolan's…
July 24, 20172 Comments
PulpFail

PulpFail

Appendix N author Jeffro Johnson recently took to Google+ to point out five ways that Rogue One fails to meet the pulp standards of the original Star Wars saga. #PulpFail number one: So the empire is here to kidnap dude's family and force him to create a doomsday weapon. This whole scene…
July 21, 201718 Comments
Appendix N vs The Great Books

Appendix N vs The Great Books

Just for fun, I've decided to post excerpts from the plot synopses of three books from the BBC's list of the 100 Greatest British Novels and three books from Appendix N. I made my selections at random by rolling d%. Now, if you'll indulge my decidedly un-scientific methods, let's begin…
July 20, 201715 Comments
Audiobooks with JimFear138

Audiobooks with JimFear138

The audiobook market is experiencing astronomical growth. On the latest episode of Geek Gab: On the Books, I talk audiobooks with narrator, audiobook producer, and podcaster JimFear138: In other book-related news, the eBook version of my Dragon Award-winning SF/horror novel Souldancer is now on sale for only $2.99: Speaking of #FakeBooks,…
July 19, 20173 Comments