Category Archives: Books

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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The 2020 July Short Story Challenge Postmortem – 31 Stories in 31 Days

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Cora

With everything that happened regarding Worldcon, the 2020 Hugo Awards and the Retro Hugos, I didn’t really get around to doing the usual postmortem post for this year’s July Short Story Challenge yet. To recap, in July 2015, Dean Wesley … Continue reading →

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Retro Review: “The Martian and the Milkmaid” by Frances M. Deegan

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Cora

I keep finding more stories by obscure and forgotten women authors of the golden age, so enjoy this review of  “The Martian and the Milkmaid”, a science fiction short story by Frances M. Deegan, that was published in the October … Continue reading →

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Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month for August 2020

Posted on August 31, 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 authors newly published this month, though some July … Continue reading →

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Indie Crime Fiction of the Month for August 2020

Posted on August 30, 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 July books I missed … Continue reading →

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Why the Retro Hugos Have Value

Posted on August 26, 2020 by Cora

Once again, this is not the post I wanted to write. I had been planning to review The Old Guard, which I finally got around to watching, and maybe write a quick con report about the virtual 2020 NASFIC. However, … Continue reading →

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Retro Review: “Gambler’s Asteroid” by Manly Wade Wellman

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Cora

“Gambler’s Asteroid” is a space opera short story by Manly Wade Wellman, that was published in the Spring 1944 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories and would have been eligible for the 1945 Retro Hugo Award. The story may be read … Continue reading →

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Cora’s Adventures at CoNZealand, the Virtual 2020 Worldcon, and Some Thoughts on Virtual Conventions in General

Posted on August 16, 2020 by Cora

So far, I’ve talked a lot about the Hugo ceremony at CoNZealand, the virtual 2020 Worldcon, but little about the con itself, which is a pity, because CoNZealand was actually pretty good, all things considered. Normally, this would be a … Continue reading →

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