Monthly Archives: September 2020

Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month for September 2020

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Cora

It’s that time of the month again, time for “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”. So what is “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of speculative fiction by indie and small press authors (as well as the … Continue reading →

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Indie Crime Fiction of the Month for September 2020

Posted on September 29, 2020 by Cora

Welcome to the latest edition of “Indie Crime Fiction of the Month”. So what is “Indie Crime Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of crime fiction by indie authors newly published this month, though some August books I missed … Continue reading →

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Retro Review: “Blue and Silver Brocade” by Dorothy Quick

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Cora

I’m taking a bit of a break from Jirel of Joiry, because in my experience, those stories are best, when not read directly one after another. And so I decided to take a look at another underrated woman author of … Continue reading →

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Notes on the Virtual Bloody Scotland Festival and the Differences Between SFF and Crime Fiction Cons

Posted on September 20, 2020 by Cora

Bloody Scotland is a crime fiction festival that normally takes place in Stirling, Scotland. But like pretty much every other con or literary festival this year, Bloody Scotland has gone virtual for obvious reasons. Now Bloody Scotland is somewhat more … Continue reading →

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Retro Review: “The Werewolf’s Howl” by Brooke Byrne

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Cora

I’m continuing my quest to review stories by obscure women authors of the golden age with “The Werewolf’s Howl” by Brooke Byrne, a gothic horror short story which appeared in the December 1934 issue of Weird Tales. I came across … Continue reading →

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Retro Review: “Black God’s Shadow” by C.L. Moore or Overcoming Trauma as a Core Theme of Sword and Sorcery

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Cora

My last post was a review of “Black God’s Kiss” by C.L. Moore, the story that introduced the swordswoman Jirel of Joiry to the world. So it’s only fitting that I review the direct sequel, “Black God’s Shadow”, too. The … Continue reading →

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Retro Review: “Black God’s Kiss” by C.L. Moore or How to Suppress Women’s Sword and Sorcery Writing

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Cora

As I said a few posts ago, I will be reviewing vintage SFF stories beyond the confines of the Retro Hugos as well, beginning with “Black God’s Kiss”, a sword and sorcery novelette by C.L. Moore that was the cover … Continue reading →

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Some Comments on the 2020 Dragon Award Winners

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Cora

Dragon Con, a big media-focussed convention in Atlanta, Georgia, has gone virtual this year for obvious reasons, much like every other major or minor convention. Much/most of their virtual programming is free to access for everybody, but I have to … Continue reading →

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Retro Review: “The Golden Apples of the Sun” by Ray Bradbury

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Cora

“The Golden Apples of the Sun” is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury, which appeared in the November 1953 issue of Planet Stories. It would have been eligible for the 1954 Retro Hugos, awarded in 2004, but neither … Continue reading →

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First Monday Free Fiction: A Mess of Arms and Legs and Limbs

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Cora

Welcome to the September 2020 edition of First Monday Free Fiction. To recap, inspired by Kristine Kathryn Rusch who posts a free short story every week on her blog, I’ll post a free story on every first Monday of the … Continue reading →

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