Nick Alimonos's Blog, page 4

Style Vs. Substance: McCarthy Vs. King

In this exciting matchup, I pit legendary authors against one another to see who comes out on top! Yessiree, folks, step right up for the fight of the century. In one corner, we’ve got legendary suspense author of over sixty-five books and counting, Stephen King, and his novella, The Body. And in the opposite corner,... Continue Reading →

Anthony Doerr Shows Us “All the Light We Cannot See”

After reading and reviewing Cloud Cuckoo Land, my best book of 2023, I knew I had to pick up another of Anthony Doerr’s books. This time, I figured, why not the book that won him the Pulitzer? In true Doerr fashion, All the Light We Cannot See is a masterclass in poetry. Every sentence sings.... Continue Reading →

My Soapbox Rant: College is a Scam!

If you want to be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, or anything outside the humanities field, chances are you’ll benefit from a college degree. But woe to you whose heart is set on becoming an author, a musician, a visual artist, or any pursuit whose area of study depends on an arbitrary grading system... Continue Reading →

David Sedaris Grossly Misses the Point

David Sedaris would like you to know that nudists are ugly and weird and should probably know better. At least, that’s the impression he gives, if his book, Naked, is any indication. It’s crass, low-brow comedy—and a sneaky way for him to make fun of fat people just for being fat because, hey, they’re naked,... Continue Reading →

Asimov’s Foundation Fails as Fiction

While I love the idea-driven, philosophically oriented science fiction authors of the 50s and ’60s, the likes of which include Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clark, Philip K. Dick, Robert Heinlein, Frank Herbert, and Isaac Asimov—I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed by the first in Asimov’s Foundation series. I truly, truly wanted to love... Continue Reading →

The Best Aenya Book You Haven’t Read!

It’s sad that social media always appeals to our basest instincts. It’s why YouTubers make millions—YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!—and why Amazon authors find success writing ENF (Embarrassed Naked Female), harem, and dinosaur erotica. Unfortunately, my readers have fallen into the same trap with my latest book, The Feral Girl, but in reverse. They buy... Continue Reading →

Why AI Books Will Never Be Worth Reading

No matter how advanced artificial intelligence becomes—even after a thousand years of quantum computing—novels written by AI will never be worth anyone’s time because fiction isn’t a math problem to be solved. Storytelling is the greatest form of human expression. It’s how we share our lived experiences, our fears, our pain, our aspirations. But a... Continue Reading →

To Straight Up Murder a Mockingbird

What can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said? Harper Lee’s masterpiece and only true novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has been analyzed to death by critics and is quintessential reading for any middle school English class. How Lee manages to write with such pathos, conviction, and storytelling skill without ever having... Continue Reading →

The King’s Sacrifice: A Princess of Aenya Film

FINALLY!!! After a three-year-long wait, the short video I asked my daughter to help me produce is complete! “The King’s Sacrifice” is based on the fairytale intro that appears at the novel’s start. All of the art was done by Jasmine (save for the tower and the map), who has greatly improved since she started... Continue Reading →

Game-of-thrones-ification: How “Game of Thrones” ruined television

Every streaming service wants to make the next Game of Thrones. Barring the last two seasons’ abysmal ratings, George R.R. Martin’s book-based drama had studios the world over greening with envy, and because of that, viewers have been subjected to a flood of poorly conceived imitations the likes of which we haven’t seen since the... Continue Reading →