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TWO LIVES: Part 3 of 5
I escorted the merchant home, glaring at everyone who dared to stand in my way. The commoners took one glance at my daisho and the blood on my clothes, and hurried to make way. No one wanted to be the next to die. The moment the client opened the door, I practically shoved him through.…
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TWO LIVES: Part 2 of 5
I sat by the river and stared at the water. It seemed still, but the leaves drifting across the surface betrayed a hidden current, illuminated in the amber hue of the setting sun. No luck finding work. My funds were running low, and I couldn’t remember the last time I ate anything more substantial than…
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TWO LIVES: Part 1 of 5
Summer in Hokkaido was unlike the summers I have known. In Singapore, so close to the equator, summers were hot and humid, the sun so fierce it glazed the world in subtle hues of orange. Here, the air was cold and crisp, so cool I had to keep my jacket on all the time. The…
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Dragon Awards 2017 Winners
The results of the Dragon Awards 2017 are in. The winners have my heartiest congratulations for producing such fine stories, and the voters have my thanks for making the Dragon Awards the premier fan awards in science fiction and fantasy. While my own novel, NO GODS, ONLY DAIMONS did not win the award, against a…
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When In Doubt, Go Epic
Whenever I plan a story, I occasionally run into hang-ups. The setting isn’t coherent, the technology and/or magic system isn’t evenly applied, the characters aren’t plausible, the plot lacks history or context, the stakes are too small. In every single instance, they are resolved by the use of a simple expedient: make everything bigger, brighter…
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The War on Truth and Free Thought
The Bible posits that the world is in the grip of the Father of Lies. With each passing day I am inclined to agree. Today there is a war on truth and free thought. It is a war fought on the airwaves, in the newsroom, on social media, in print and in lectures. It is…