Ramblings on Writing
Reviews, Rants, and Observations on SF/F/H

I am a thirty-something speculative fiction writer. More importantly to this blog, I am a reader of science fiction, horror, and science fiction. Recently it came to my attention that there are very few places reviewing short stories in the genres that I love. I also had the epiphany that I had not been reading enough of these stories. So, an idea was born to address both of these issues.

So, starting in September 2012, this silly little blog of mine that has more or less been gathering dust will be dedicated to looking at and reviewing short form works published both in print magazines and in on-line formats.

Reviews will be posted at least once a month, hopefully more, and stories will be selected completely at my whim. However, if you have read something amazing, thought-provoking, or interesting, please feel free to drop me a recommendation.

Because a big part of the point of this exercise is to improve my own writing by looking at people doing it successfully, I will only be selecting stories to look at from professional or semi-professional markets.

Please note, however, because a big part of the point of this exercise is to improve my own writing by looking at people doing it successfully, I will only be selecting stories to look at from professional or semi-professional markets.

I intend to write honest, and hopefully interesting, reviews to let people know more about the wide variety of fantastic (both in subject and quality) stories out there. There will be no personal attacks on authors and no excoriating hatchet jobs. There is nothing to be learned from reviewing truly bad work and nothing to be gained by being mean. I will not do it and, should I be so lucky as to get readers and commentators, I would ask that they not do so either. Be respectful and everyone gets to have a more interesting conversation.

What I will do is to give my honest and reasoned reactions to stories and try to determine why or why not particular elements worked. I will try to acknowledge my personal biases and to become more open-minded about those things that are not in the realm of my personal preference.

Also, because this is my blog and I can, there may be occasional entries on my own writing process, things I find interesting, or whatever else I feel inclined to add. This may all crash and burn spectacularly, but it's going to be a heck of a lot of fun in the meantime.

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CLARION: Where Allergies are Ruining My Life

I missed class today. I didn't want to, but I had to use my rescue inhaler for the first time last night and after I did I felt odd. First it was that sort of really surreal feeling. I was there but nothing quite felt right, and I was really detached from the events around me. Then the pain started. I got a horrible, horrible headache. And it just got worse as the night went on, even in a dark room with relative silence.

When I woke up this morning is was still there. I could barely open my eyes it hurt so badly. So I missed class for a morning of resting (or trying) with the occassional nausea thrown in. Splendid.

Now, to be fair, I am prone to migraines, so this could have just been a normal occurrance of one of those and completely unrelated to the inhaler. It's possible. Still, usually those migraines are in a different place, often behind one eye, while this one exploded right between both eyes and sort of spread from there. Also, my normal migraines are almost always gone after I get some rest. This one is hanging on. It's better than it was, of course, or I wouldn't be writing this, but it's still pretty bad.

I refuse to miss anything else though. I'm going to dinner and Richard's reading if it kills me. I wonder if it might?

I have to say I really thought my alcohol allergy would be less of a problem, but it seems to have gotten remarkibly sensitive recently. I feel bad because there are people here who like to drink and I'm causing them problems. I hate being a bother for people. For example, I know a lot of people wanted to drink at the barbeque tomorrow, but if they do I won't be able to go and so they've said they won't. Now I think that's terribly unfair to them. I mean they should be allowed to have a good time, and I feel like such a kill joy over all of this. Maybe I just won't go anyway so they can have fun. It's not like I don't have a ton of writing I need to do anyway.

Other than that not much to report since I spent the whole day suffering in my room. :) Brian is sending Settlers of Catan to me though, so that should be cool.

Oh hey, for those people I was supposed to write and didn't my address is:

Jamie Kress
W-505 Owen Graduate Center
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48825.

Okay, time for the last Alleve I can take for the day. Bye, all!


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