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I always wondered which of my books would be the first to be banned, and now I know:
As noted above, I’ll likely have more to say about this when I get back the JoCo Cruise, but for now, two points, which I may expand upon in a later post:
1. On a personal level, I don’t expect this ban to move the needle much, positively or negatively, for sales of Lock In, which has been out for a dozen years now;
2. Please refrain from exclaiming “Having your book banned just means you’ll sell more!” or something similar in the comments. One, it’s absolutely not true for the vast majority of books that get banned; the usual result is a net loss for authors and publishers. Two, this is sort of comment that, however well-intentioned to be supportive, minimizes the seriousness of book banning as an intentional policy. The busybodies banning books in New Braunfels targeted more than 1,500 books, not just mine. None of that is a thing to be happy about; there is no actual upside to book bans.
— JS
Oh, hello. The JoCo Cruise is in full swing now and last night we had the “land concert” in Loreto, Mexico, and while there (and in between snapping pictures of the performers), I got this photo of Krissy. She was having a good time.
And so am I! Fabulous cruise with fabulous people and it’s humming along nicely. I’ll post about it more when I’m back on land, I’m sure. In the meantime, I hope you’re all well.
— JS
a thousand beaks, a million talons, ten billion eyes. RIP Ms. Beakman, you beautiful bird
You know ’em, you love ’em, authors Tiffani Angus and Val Nolan are back again with another installment of their speculative fiction guidebooks. Hop on board the Big Idea to see how they’ve done it again in Spec Fic for Newbies Vol. 3: A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Even More Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.
TIFFANI ANGUS & VAL NOLAN:
Imagine a classic scene: A car driving down a lonely rural road… a bright light overhead… an examination table aboard an alien spacecraft… and then, instead of the typical medical business, our protagonist—let’s call her Sally—finds herself sitting across from an extraterrestrial. This being communicates with a curious thought-to-text translator device it places on the table. When the entity speaks, its words appear in the air between them:
“My species has learned all we can about your physiology. Now we wish to know about your culture. Does your society… tell stories?”
Sally, who’s been studying Creative Writing, is only too happy to discuss this. “We sure do,” she says. “Lots of different kinds! Science Fiction stories, Fantasy, Horror. And they take all sorts of different forms, like written fiction, TV shows, comics books…”
The alien’s already wide eyes expand even further. “And your species just instinctively understands how to tell these stories?”
“I mean, kinda. We’ve been doing it since we sat around campfires in the Ice Age. But we benefit from practice, you know? Plus, it helps to have guidance from enthusiastic instructors. Not literary snobs who want to make everyone write the same way as them but people sympathetic to the kinds of stories you want to tell.”
“And does one need to go to a school or university for this?”
“Not necessarily. Some people who’ve taught Creative Writing at universities have written books about it.” Sally looks around, finds her backpack (which conveniently materialized beside her), and pulls out a copy of Spec Fic for Newbies Vol. 3: A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Even More Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror by Tiffani Angus and Val Nolan. “This, for example, helps novice scribblers and even more seasoned writers learn how to write thirty different subgenres and major tropes. It gives deep dives into the history and development of each subgenre or trope, offers spotter’s guides to their typical manifestations, and provides writing exercises to get you started. Plus, it’s all based on real classroom experience!”
“Subgenres…” The alien’s word floats in the air. “We have heard of these. So many to keep track of.”
Sally thinks about this for a moment. She reaches for the translator. “Can I…?”
The alien nods.
Sally quickly finds the translator’s settings and alters a couple of font choices. “There,” she says, returning the device, “I’ve set it so that when I mention a subgenre that’s in Spec Fic 3, it will appear in bold. That’s what they do in the book. Like all this”—she gestures around the silver room—“is a recognizable Alien Abduction narrative. But the book covers everything from Dinosaur Tales to Swashbuckling Fantasy to Fungal Horror to Superheroes.”
“Fascinating.” The alien considers the book. “I wish I’d been able to study this.”
“They don’t teach Creative Writing at Space Academies?”
“Our universities mostly produce Mad Scientists,” the alien says. “Oh!” It points at the bolded word. “It did the thing!”
Sally smiles. “It’s fun, isn’t it? Plus, when Angus and Nolan discuss subgenres in the other volumes of the series, they underline its name so you can track it down easily.”
“Yes.” The alien turns Spec Fic for Newbies over in its spindly fingers. “I was wondering: can I just jump in with this third volume?”
“Oh absolutely! They’re all stand-alone books. Though if you want to know more about the previous ones…” She takes out her phone. “Have you got wi-fi here? Like, space wi-fi?”
The alien turns the translator upside down and shows her the password.
“Okay, cool,” Sally says, logging on. “So, Angus and Nolan have written about the previous volumes on Scalzi’s blog. You can read about Volume One here and Volume Two here.” She passes her phone to the alien, who reads the blog posts with interest.
“And people find these guides useful?” it asks.
“Useful and enjoyable,” Sally says. “The first two volumes were included on the Locus Recommended Reading List and shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Association Awards and British Fantasy Awards. Those are, like, big deals on our planet.”
“The section on Magic Schools and Dark Academia sounds interesting,” says the alien, now looking through the table of contents. “As does the section about Magical Realism.”
“I like some of the horror stuff myself,” Sally says. “I’ve lately given a go to writing about Near Death Experiences and Urban Gothic and Weird Fiction.”
“And?”
“And I’ve been trying lots of things that I never thought I’d try. The book is really encouraging that way. Angus and Nolan don’t believe in gatekeeping. The whole ethos of Spec Fic for Newbies revolves around bringing people into the realms of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror by giving them the tools to explore these really rich and rewarding imaginary worlds.”
“I see there’s lots of jokes, too,” the alien says, the translator registering its chuckles as a series of curious emojis.
Sally makes an affirmative noise. “Yeah, the authors have a really snarky sense of humor. Angus and Nolan don’t take themselves too seriously, which is another thing that separates this book from the really dry, old-school academic writing guides. Though, of course, that doesn’t mean the book isn’t smart—”
The alien holds up the section on End of the Universe stories. “I can see that.”
“—but it does mean it’s approachable. Anyone can read Spec Fic for Newbies. Anyone can learn from this book. That’s their big idea!”
“Bugs!!!” the alien suddenly shouts.
“Where?!”
“Page 229!”
Sally laughs. “I haven’t got to that part yet!”
“This book tells us much about humanity,” the alien says, “as well as things about Elves and Kaiju.”
“And we’ve barely even covered half of the subgenres here!”
The alien returns the book to Sally. “Where can I get my own copy?”
“Direct from Luna Press.” She opens up the website. “Or from any of your usual retailers.”
“I think I would like to beam down and pick one up right away!”
“Great,” says Sally, “let’s go get you writing!”
Spec Fic For Newbies Vol. 3: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Amazon UK|Blackstone UK|Waterstones UK
Author socials: Tiffani’s Website|Val’s Website|Tiffani’s Bluesky|Vals’ Bluesky
A Bacon Taste Test: Because That’s What The Internet Is For
Mar. 24th, 2026 12:41 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
scalziwhatever_feed
Today I was ordering a panini from the local sandwich joint, when I saw behind the counter that they had individually packaged slices of bacon. Though I have tried many a cured meat throughout the years, including dubious meat sticks, I have never seen individually packaged, fully cooked, flavored bacon. Of course, I knew I had to try every flavor they had available, especially since they were only a buck a piece.
Check these bad boys out:
These bacons come to us from Riff’s Smokehouse, creator of hot sauces and bacon, apparently. Here we have four out of their five flavors, as the fifth flavor was not available to me.
Each piece is 110 calories, and has 5g of protein per slice. When selecting my pieces, I actually rifled through the shop’s selection a good bit to find some sizeable pieces, as slice sizes were not all that consistent, funny enough. There were some skinny mini pieces of bacon! So, if you find these in the wild, find yourself a thicc slice.
Thankfully, you can see through the back to the full picture of what you’re getting into:
Anyways, the package says to microwave them for 5 seconds, but I figured most people who are buying these “on-the-go” bacons will not have immediate access to a microwave, so I actually tasted each piece right out the package first, and then microwaved them and tried them all again. Science!
I started with the Sweet flavor. The bacon was sort of stiff, like a bit hard to chew through. It was a little sweet but not as sweet as I would’ve imagined the flavor “Sweet” to be. Definitely not overwhelming if you’re not the biggest fan of overly sweet meats. After microwaving it for five seconds, it didn’t seem all that warm, so I microwaved it for another five (ten total, for those counting along at home), and promptly burned my mouth on the literally sizzling piece of meat. So, don’t do ten seconds.
For the Sweet & Spicy flavor, it was actually a little bit tougher than the previous piece. Reminded me a lot more of something like a jerky. Jerky-esque, if you will. Initially, I didn’t think it was spicy at all. It just had sort of a more savory, smoky flavor, but after microwaving it it actually got more of a kick to it, leaving a touch of heat in the back of my throat.
For the Red Curry, I was sure this one would be spicier than the rest, but it was oddly sweet. The spices involved gave it a nice complexity that the regular “Sweet” didn’t have to it. This piece had a really good texture with lots of fattiness throughout (I like chewy, fattier bacon). After microwaving it, it crisped up just a little bit and tasted even better warm.
Finally, for the Raspberry Chipotle, I once again expected heat what with chipotle being in the name. No heat came, but it had an excellent raspberry flavor that wasn’t artificial tasting or too overwhelming. This piece had a nice, softer texture and was the thickest cut out of all the pieces I’d had. This was my favorite of the four.
If you go on Riff’s website, you can buy a variety pack of all five flavors, with three pieces of each, for a little less than $33. This comes out to about $2.15 a slice. If you commit to just one flavor, you get 12 pieces for $23 bucks, which comes out to $1.91 a slice. So, pick your poison! I’d go for the variety pack, because variety is the spice of life. If you get it and try the fifth flavor I didn’t get to, let me know how it is.
Are you a crispy bacon or chewy bacon person? Do you like maple syrup with your bacon? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
-AMS
Emily is my wife's favourite character so this story is basically a little present for her (and possibly...for you???)
Frank –
I sent that postcard MONTHS ago. We hadn’t spoken in a year. Tonight, he called me from rehab. Tomorrow, he gets his 90 days of sobriety. I think that accident may have saved his life. He’s going to be okay.
The post Sunday Secrets appeared first on PostSecret.
Dear Frank,
It has been many years, since my secret was featured on PostSecret, but I have never forgotten about it.
It was a hugely transformative moment in my life. I recently decided to share the story on a podcast. Here’s the link.
After my story was shared on the podcast, I got a tattoo to remind me of this whole story, and to symbolize my resilience throughout all of this. I am so grateful that I had my opportunity to share my secret with the world. I am also thankful that I am in a place where it is not a secret anymore. Thank you for providing the space to share.
The post PostSecret Podcast Episode appeared first on PostSecret.
There is a parking lot visible in the photo, I will note. That said, this is not the usual parking lot photo from when I travel.
San Diego is lovely. But then, when is it not. We will be in it only briefly before setting sail on this year’s installment of the JoCo Cruise. Try to have fun without us for a week.
Oh, and happy equinox! Spring is here. Thank God.
— JS
Hey, everyone! You may remember my post from 2024 over my friend Jon R. Mohr’s album he released that summer, Bioluminescent Soundwaves. Well, I’m happy to report that Jon has come out with a brand new song, Death is a Beautiful Cobalt Blue.
This eleven-minute composure featuring the vocals of Julie Elven is a piece that comes from deep within Mohr’s very soul, as it is the result of years of stress and existential crises. He mentions that this work is inspired by T. J. Lea’s story, “I Bought My Wife a Life Extension Plan,” which he listened to the audio drama of in January 2025.
According to Mohr, the story really spoke to him and was practically a mirror to him and his wife, who was diagnosed with POTS back in 2023.
Following the diagnosis, her job let her go, and each following job failed to accommodate her medical needs appropriately. Between the medical stress, job insecurity, financial complications, and facing the physical struggles of POTS, the couple experienced their fair share of breakdowns and emotional turmoil.
Within this story, Mohr says it entailed the most beautiful depiction of death he’d ever heard, and it brought him comfort. He decided then and there that he’d believe in this version of the afterlife, even if it made no sense, because all that mattered was that it brought him comfort, and that works for him.
Things are much better now, with Mohr’s wife having a great remote job and a better handle on her physical symptoms, plus the two of them are closer than ever. The journey through all of this made Mohr truly appreciate friends, family, and the simple things in life.
In Mohr’s own words:
“Death Is a Beautiful Cobalt Blue is the result of all of that. It’s an exaltation of life, loss, beauty, and grief. It doesn’t shame or try to hide pain or the negative aspects of life. It welcomes all of it, because I feel so lucky to be able to experience all these things and truly know what makes life worth living. I also consider myself very lucky to both know what intense happiness and intense pain feel like. Because all of it is life. THIS, now, is all I can guarantee to be true and real.”
So, there you have it. A baring of a composer’s soul and struggles, as well as his joys and comforts. I hope you enjoy it, it really is quite beautiful.
Don’t forget to follow Jon on Instagram, and have a great day!
-AMS
Krissy and I are on our way to the JoCo Cruise, and as you can tell, we are excited! Well, I am excited, Krissy is, as ever, tolerant. Also I have brought a tiny ukulele, because, after all, is it really a vacation without a tiny ukulele?
Don’t expect too much from me over the next week. Don’t worry, Athena will be around and posting good stuff. As for me, my plan is to get on a boat and not look at the rest of the world for a while. It’s a good plan, which is why I do it annually.
— JS
Like two peas in a time travel pod, archivist and author Katy Rawdon teamed up with Hugo-award winning editor Lynne M. Thomas to craft the perfect time travel narrative. Take a closer look at famous time travel stories from all across the globe in The Infinite Loop: Archives and Time Travel in the Popular Imagination, with a foreword from one such writer herself, Connie Willis.
KATY RAWDON (a.k.a. KATY JAMES):
Archives are made of time. Time is made of archives. Archives are where time gets mixed up, turned around, and pulled apart.
I have always been obsessed with time, frustrated with it, wanting to tear at it and see what’s behind and underneath it. No doubt that’s why I became an archivist some thirty years ago, so that I could look at the physical remnants of time and preserve them, see what’s missing, and organize and interpret time’s leftovers for people who, wisely, do not think about time all the… time.
When I was approached to submit an idea (a big idea!) for a book series jointly published by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Society of American Archivists (SAA) called Archival Futures – a series that tackles big ideas around the archival profession – there was only one possible topic for me to write about: time.
While the phrase “archives are like time travel” is thrown around a lot, I knew the relationship between historical records and time was far more complicated. Archives reinforce and challenge our very conceptions of time, of what has happened, of what will happen, of what is truth and what is unknowable. The evidence of archives can be used to demonstrate how the past is so much more faceted than the narrow stories of history we tend to tell ourselves and others. Archives can also be selectively wielded as propaganda, or erased to allow for falsehoods to sprout and flourish in the empty spaces. Time can be illustrated, illuminated, rendered invisible, or constructed in new ways using the material items created in the course of history.
Unfortunately, all of this turned out to be so complicated that the series’ word limit of 50,000 was never going to cover it, as I painfully discovered while writing the book proposal.
I am forever grateful that the inimitable Lynne M. Thomas stepped into my creative mess and provided direction: Why not analyze the depiction of both archives and time travel in popular narratives (books, television, movies, etc.) and see what we could unearth? As a romance author (Katy James) as well as an archivist (Katy Rawdon), I was more than happy to spend time in fictional worlds in order to better understand my non-fictional archivist profession.
It turns out that we unearthed a lot – about cultural views regarding time and time travel, the popular perception of archives and archivists, and the ways current archival theory and practice intersect (or don’t) with ideas about time and time travel.
How does time work? How is it understood by different people and cultures? How do archives help or hinder our understanding of the past (and future)? How can popular narratives about time travel and archives guide archivists to shift their methods to a more expansive, inclusive, transparent approach? How can archival workers apply current archival theory and practice to all of the above ideas to better serve their communities and increase the use of archives?
Researching this book and synthesizing all of the swirling concepts was a real mind-twister of an exercise, trying to write our expansive, big ideas while keeping it succinct and legible for archivists and general readers alike.
We hope we’ve succeeded.
LYNNE M. THOMAS:
Sometimes, if you’re very lucky, the right project turns up at exactly the right time. As a professional rare book librarian, twelve-time Hugo Award winning SFF editor and podcaster, and massive Doctor Who fan, I had a moment of “I was literally made for this” when Katy explained her concept for the book to me and asked me to join her. My initial contribution was more or less “but what if we add Doctor Who examples to make all this time stuff understandable,” and then … we got excited. Because when you have the chance to dive deep into a particular rabbit hole that looks perfect for you specifically, you lean hard into your personal weird.
Time travel stories often feature archives to prove the narrative truth of characters’ experiences. The main character goes into a locked room full of dusty boxes, and immediately finds the one piece of documentary evidence they need to solve their problem, or make sense of their experiences. And yet archivists—the people tasked with organizing and running archives—are almost always invisible or nonexistent in these very same narratives. When we do show up…well, it feels like writers haven’t talked to an archivist lately.
That…bothered us. It turns out, when you have professional archivists and librarians who are also active writers and editors in science fiction, we have thoughts and opinions about how archivists and librarians are portrayed (or not) in fiction and nonfiction. But we thought, maybe we’re seeing a pattern that doesn’t exist, it’s just that “red car syndrome” thing where experts pay more attention to the areas of their expertise in the narratives than non-experts do. So… we checked. We looked at dozens of time travel stories across novels, comics, television series, and films. We discuss Doctor Who, of course, but also Loki, Star Wars, works by Connie Willis (who wrote our foreword), Octavia Butler, Jodi Taylor, Rivers Solomon, Deborah Harkness, and H.G. Wells, among many, many more. We also looked at a whole lot of archival literature—how archivists and librarians talk about themselves, their professions, and their work to one another. And because we are both academic librarians, we laid out our findings in a peer-reviewed book.
What we learned is that there’s a massive divide between what pop culture thinks we do, and what we actually do, and the even greater divide between the level of resources pop culture thinks we have, and what we actually have…and we posit multiple ways to close those gaps.
The Infinite Loop is where archives and pop culture’s image of archives meet and have a long overdue chat. Our hope is that these conversations will lead to archivists being better able to explain what we do, and have that knowledge spread far and wide across popular culture. Ideally, with some time travel stories that feature archivists as main characters. It’s well past time.
The Infinite Loop: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Powell’s|Inkwood Books
Author socials: Katy’s Bluesky|Katy’s Instagram|Katy’s Website|Lynne’s Bluesky|Lynne’s Instagram|Lynne’s Website
The legal firm that is apparently handling at least some of the Anthropic Copyright Settlement case has started sending out notifications of some sort to presumably affected parties. Small problem: Some of these were sent not to the addresses of the presumably affected parties, but to mine.
I have not opened these notifications, as they are not addressed to me, so I don’t know what’s in them or what they say, and I will be henceforth disposing of these notifications unopened. However, if you are Jody Lynn Nye, Sarah Hoyt, Eric S. Brown, Christopher Smith, or the estate of Eric Flint, please be aware that JND Legal Administration is trying to inform you of something (probably that you have works that are eligible to be part of the class action suit).
I have contacted the firm in question and told them about these incorrect addresses and, for the avoidance of doubt, also informed them at no other affected author than me lives at my address. Hopefully that will take. That said, I would not be surprised if I get more notifications, not for me. What a wonderful age of information we live in.
— JS
