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I’ll Be Speaking on Panels at the Baltimore Book Fest!

I'll be speaking on panels on September 25th at the SFWA tent. I'm thrilled to have this opportunity, and will be speaking about short fiction in Science Fiction and Fantasy as well as what to read while waiting for the next season of Game of Thrones. My schedule will be as follows: 1:00 PM - Short Stories: The Heart of SFF A discussion of why short stories are the heart of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and where these gems can be found. 3:00 PM - Near Future/Far Future Science fiction has been touted as being predictive of what happens next, but what's the difference between what's around the corner, and far beyond our imaginations? 4:00 PM - Beyond Game of Thrones Yes, everyone's waiting for either the next season of Game of Thrones, or the next book. What can you read until then? We will discuss other books (and series!) where intrigue and politics are the norm. This will...

September 19, 2016
Science Fiction, Writing

The Get Down is the Best Netflix Series I’ve Seen All Year

If you haven't seen The Get Down, you're missing out. This series is so much fun, and unapologetic about how brash and hopeful its story is. I also have to say that the cast is almost entirely brown and black, with all the colors between, which is such a refreshing thing to see. I watched the first 10 minutes of the first episode with a smile on my face because the show knows exactly what it wants to do. The series takes place in a mythic version of 70's Bronx, mixing together references to Blaxploitation and Kung-Fu movies, along with a dash of The Warriors and West Side Story. Add to this  amazing, soaring musical numbers, and you realize this series doesn't care about naturalism. The storytelling is crafting a world that is epic and operatic, and I'm along for the ride. Go see The Get Down. Seriously.  ...

September 12, 2016
Series

Colonial Mindsets and Ancillary Sword

I came to the U.S. from Puerto Rico because of the economy, a slo-mo apocalypse that many people I know here can't begin to understand. I have family and friends who still live there, and I've been following how it's been reported in the U.S. as a result. $72 billion is an astounding number, and is a debt the island will likely never be able to repay in full. However, the U.S. government appointed a group to preside over Puerto Rico's economy. The Junta wasn't voted for, yet they will have the power to override the democratically elected government of Puerto Rico whenever payments to service the debt are endangered. This could mean pension plans and other welfare could be slashed to ensure the debt is serviced. It also means that young people (up to 25 years of age) can be subject to a minimum wage of $4.25. I've seen many articles which...

September 6, 2016
Latino, Science Fiction

The Use of AI in Science Fiction Stories Has Changed

One of the first science fiction books I read which seemed to make my synapses fire off all at once in a cognitive supernova was William Gibson's Neuromancer. In it, Gibson presents both AIs Wintermute and Neuromancer as complementary halves of one family's mega-corporation. In essence, by unifying both the AIs the corporation started by the Tessier-Ashpools, their corporation--and by extension, their family influence--would become immortal. Sort of like the literalization of a corporation's "going concern." As can be expected, the AIs here are vast demi-godlike entities, alien and threatening by turns. Re-reading Naomi Kritzer's "Cat Pictures Please" the AI there is more interested in finding ways to please or help different people who post cat pictures online. It's a cute and very positive story. It also offers a clever explanation for why cat pictures are one of the currencies of current internet culture. The story is told from the point of view of the AI...

August 29, 2016
Science Fiction, Writing

So, the Hugos. . .

While I enjoyed reading Chuck Tingle's posts, I must admit that I'm not at a point in my writing career where I followed all of the ups and downs. I also realized that the one thing I read was Naomi Kritzer's award-winning story, "Cat Pictures Please." What I'm getting at is that I'm woefully behind on my reading.  ...

August 24, 2016
Fantasy, Science Fiction