Dave Higgins's Blog, page 102
April 1, 2016
Crooks and Straights by Masha du Toit
Combining themes of fear-of-the-other and generational conflict with a portrayal of Cape Town fine enough to leave a hint of the spice blend in the take-away, du Toit offers accessible urban fantasy free from the clichés of the US and Europe. Freed from apartheid, South Africa also became a haven for magical beings and practices […]
March 30, 2016
I’m Thinking About Thinking About…
As frequent readers will know, I post quite a few philosophical, social, or political pieces; and those are only outlet for my perspectives and musings. Unsurprisingly, I am sometimes accused of over-thinking these issues. However, this is patently inaccurate: I over-think everything. For example, earlier this month I purchased a different brand of oats. The […]
March 23, 2016
The Look of a Winner
This video of a man pretending to be a woman on a dating app has popped up across my social media streams today. The “barrage of sexist messages” point makes itself; but what did surprise me was how many people commented on whether or not he looks like a woman; and if so whether that […]
March 21, 2016
ImmerseOrDie Index Improvements
As long-time readers will know, as well as reviewing here every Friday, I’m one of the reviewers for ImmerseOrDie. So, I’m sharing Jeff’s announcement about the new search function there: The IOD index page is now super-charged. With over 300 posted reviews, finding the one you’re looking for was getting a bit dense. But that’s […]
March 18, 2016
My Delicate Destruction by Jillian Ashe
Dividing the narrative between risk-taking and devotion to family, Ashe paints an accessible portrait of a teenager unconsciously choosing danger as a rejection of the loss of control cancer brings. Katerina Anderson splits her time between racing cars and trying to give her twin brother, Kris, a pleasant last years as a rare form of […]
March 16, 2016
Money For New Thoughts
The comments thread on Monday’s post about paying people to write has revealed an interesting commonality: without controls anyone would sign up. So, I thought I’d post my response as a separate article: that’s what I want. In fact, I want to remove the obstacle of needing even a pretence of using it to compensate […]
March 14, 2016
Is Selling Books Unethical?
As small business owners, many author-publishers will be familiar with the idea of giving away a sample (in this case, a book) to draw in customers; and with the arguments for and against. However, yesterday, I encountered the apparently radical suggestion that all books should be free. A suggestion that I find myself supporting. Usually […]
March 11, 2016
The Alchemist’s Touch by Garrett Robinson
Combining his own spin on a school for sorcerers with the paranoia of a political thriller, Robinson has created a tale that will appeal to fans of both character- and plot-driven fantasy. Ebon Drayden discovered as a child that he possessed the gift of transmutation, one of the four schools of magic. However, his father […]
March 9, 2016
Worlds in the Palm of Your Hand
All These Shiny Worlds, an anthology featuring one of my stories, is now available in paperback. So, whether you like the smell of great speculative fiction or enjoyed the ebook so much you want it with you even if society collapses to a pre-electrical state, we have what you need. Pick up a copy from […]
March 7, 2016
Seeing the Good in People
An interesting overview of why accepting refugees might be a benefit rather than a burden. I agree with Betts’ points, both that the cost of providing asylum is an issue of perception not necessity, and that we should do more to help others. Despite that, I did get the sense he was preaching to the […]
