In our afternoon reading: fiction by Kate Axelrod, interviews with Nalo Hopkinson and Ryan Chapman, and more.
Afternoon Bites: R. O. Kwon, Nalo Hopkinson Interviewed, Dolan Morgan Comics, Kristen Arnett, and More
In our afternoon reading: Kristen Radtke on R. O. Kwon’s new novel, an interview with Nalo Hopkinson, and much more.
Morning Bites: Tommy Pico Interviewed, Nalo Hopkinson Revisited, Bruno Schulz, Joshua Wheeler’s Latest, and More
In our morning reading: an interview with Tommy Pico, thoughts on the writings of Nalo Hopkinson and Bruno Schulz, and more.
Permutations, Mutations, and New Ballads: Thoughts on Three Literary Remixes
Ubiquity is a hell of a thing. No two people will have the same narratives, pop culture references, or cultural mythologies dwelling in the back of their heads–but there are certain stories that are familiar enough to enough people that they’re ripe for retelling. Or, in some cases, they’re ripe for modification, for translation into another narrative, playing with readers’ expectations and knowledge of the source material. To cite a few examples, John Darnielle’s short novel Master of Reality used […]
Afternoon Bites: Kathleen Hanna Interviewed, Jeff Jackson’s Recommendations, Nalo Hopkinson, Michael Cisco Fiction, and More
In our afternoon reading: interviews with Kathleen Hanna and Joe Hill, new fiction from Michael Cisco, and much more.
#tobyreads: Impressively Disorienting Works From Hopkinson, VanderMeer, and Brubaker
Lately, I’ve been craving good science fiction. This isn’t an impulse born from discontent or dissatisfaction: I’ve also been reading a lot of good science fiction. Maybe it’s due to having heard Warren Ellis speak last week; Ellis’s work often inspires me to seek out interesting speculative fiction and reminds me of the ways that our world can evoke the uncanny.
#tobyreads: Unlikely Journeys and Unexpected Connections
Last week’s column looked at isolation and solitude. This week’s goes in a different direction: finding literature that brings together unexpected elements in deeply effective ways. This can include everything from science fiction incorporating elements of folklore to surreal fiction inspired by the lives of animals to an elusive, digressive take on the detective novel.
Morning Bites: Excellent Band T-Shirts, N.K. Jemisin on Speculative Fiction, Literary Mountains, New Oblivians, and More
In our Monday morning reading: Toby Barlow on George Plimpton, thoughts on small books, a review of the new Oblivians album, some excellent band t-shirts, tributes to the work of Iain M. Banks, and more.