Walter Jon Williams's Blog, page 35

I Don’t Get It

Last night I started feeling a little ill, with a sore throat. This morning I still had the sore throat, plus a bit of elevated temperature that fell far short of anything I could call a “fever.” Otherwise I felt reasonably okay.

But we’re in a pandemic, right? So Covid was the first thing that came to mind, and I thought I’d better get tested.

Kathy is out of town this week, traveling with a college friend, so I’m on my own. At least if I were contagious she wouldn’t get it.

I wo...

Across the Sea of Genre

Who says Taos Toolbox is only for writers of science fiction and fantasy? We teach skills that are applicable across all genres.

Case in point: Stephanie Vance, a real-life DC political consultant, has written Across the Aisle, a romance set in our nation’s capital.

Tough as nails DC lobbyist Dallas McGrath can’t believe she’s being ordered to reach a legislative compromise with the opposition. And not just with anyone…with the most arrogant, obnoxious lobbyist in DC, Grant Pierce. ...

Another Fine Sunset Here in the Southwest

Cover Reveal

The cover for the forthcoming Czech edition of Hardwired, by an artist who rejoices in the superhero name Dark Crayon.

Plot Rant

I just finished listening to an audio book, a mystery/thriller thingie with an interesting, somewhat science-fictiony premise. The writing was on the high end of competent, and the characters held my interest, and the novel’s milieu was interesting and fresh, at least to me.

What finally broke my patience was the author’s method of building suspense, which was to have one of his characters do something bone-stupid in order to get into jeopardy.

We see this on TV all the time, where polic...

Rolling the Bones

We continue our survey of recent or forthcoming works by veterans of Taos Toolbox, the master class for writers of science fiction and fantasy.

Sara A. Mueller’s The Bone Orchard was workshopped at Taos Toolbox, and will be published by Tor Books on March 22nd. Here’s your takeaway:

“A masterfully woven plot with refreshing narrators ” — Publishers Weekly

Sara A. Mueller’s The Bone Orchard is a fascinating whodunit set in a lush, gothic world of secrets and magic–where a dying emper...

Marrying the Sea

In our review of recent and forthcoming books by veterans of Taos Toolbox, the master class for writers of science fiction and fantasy, we’ve seen Toolboxers write novels and edit a collection of stories.

Here’s another kind of collection from award-winning author and Toolbox vet Fran Wilde, this of her poetry.

In this collection illuminated with whimsical fountain pen illustrations, Wilde explores family histories, feminism, visual art, disability, mythology, and of course the sea ...

Oops! We’re At It Again

Almost every day I check the New York Times Coronavirus map— which, unlike the rest of the NYT, is not behind a paywall, presumably so that citizens in other parts of the country, or the world, can see how safe it is to venture outside their own homes. (Good on the NYT for making these stats available to everyone.) In these maps, the darker the color, the worse the outbreak.

On Monday, my little rural county was a pale, pleasant orange. By Wednesday, it was a dark, angry orange— cases had d...

Vital Signs Are Good

Taos Toolbox veteran Ralph M. Ambrose has edited Vital: The Future of Healthcare, a new anthology on a timely topic.

Our visions of the future – whether dark or hopeful, thrilling or mundane – have always challenged us to examine our world. How can we improve? What challenges will we face? Are we even ready? 

Top Science Fiction authors, collectively holding 25 Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Sturgeon awards (a few for Vital stories!), employ the power of engaging fiction to explore these ...

Behold!

Here’s another treat from a Taos Toolbox veteran, due to be published in April 2022 by Lethe Press.

Christopher M. Cevasco has delved into history to write an ambitious, twisted tale about a Saxon woman called Godgyfu, but better known to us as Lady Godiva.

A darkly twisted psychological thriller exploring the legend of Lady Godiva’s naked ride

Having survived a grave illness to become one of 11th-century England’s wealthiest landowners, Godgyfu of Coventry remains forever grateful...