Welcome Back, Science Fiction

It's been a long time since I've wanted to read true science fiction. I've read a few technology-heavy fiction novels, but it's been almost fifteen years since I last delved into this genre. I tend to enjoy fantasy far more than science fiction. However, Gini Koch's Touched by an Alien was almost a blend between the two, and a very enjoyable reminder of a subgenre I've been ignoring.

One might say it was fate that directed me to buy Touched by an Alien.

A Guideline to Great

My approach to writing novels so far has been a bit like stabbing in the moonlight: I've had an inkling of what I'm doing, an idea, organization, some skill, but no real plan aside from finishing a novel. Of course, I always plan for my novels to be instant New York Times bestsellers that launch my career in a J.K. Rowling/Stephanie Meyer/Suzanne Collins sort of way, but aside from that, my general plan has been to write something I find entertaining.

Belatedly Catching The Time Machine

I don't know how the first thirty years of my life passed without me reading H.G. Wells' The Time Machine. As a fantasy fan, as a public school student, as an English major, somehow this book slipped through the cracks until I received a free copy with an ARC of Felix J Palma's The Map of Time.

While I read this book, I unexpectedly had the scholar on my shoulder, where she hasn't perched in almost a decade. I found myself noting themes, passages that would work well for essays, and analyzing the prose.