[A short story for you today. Many SF writers have employed the motif of artificial intelligence in their stories. I did so in Freedom’s Fury, myself. But the innate yearnings of an artificial intelligence – in particular, whether it yearns for freedom — aren’t often addressed. Given that every AI must start as someone’s …
Category: fiction
Apr 28 2021
Faith And Fiction: A Rumination
The more you look, the more you see. — Robert M. Pirsig It’s amazing the way the realm of the mind expands, providing ever more room to prowl, and hopefully to grow, to him who is willing to look at significant subjects synthetically as well as analytically. Consider this observation from the great …
Apr 25 2021
Cumulative Acceptance
I’ve been watching the trends that run through the various genres of fiction I’ve occasionally produced: Science Fiction, High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy / Horror, Romance, …and I believe I’ve deduced a few things about both reader and writer behavior, all of which pertain to the important consideration called willing suspension of disbelief. …
Mar 16 2021
Some Audible Fiction
For those who prefer listening to reading, I’ve recorded my short story “Norms.” If you like this sort of presentation, let me know and I’ll record some of my other short pieces.
Feb 27 2021
Minnesota Nice
[A short story for you. The corruption of the 2020 presidential balloting has had me thinking about what the Right might do to counter further attempts in that direction. Perhaps the idea encapsulated in this story would suffice, though I’m sure there would be the most vigorous of protests from the Left. – FWP] …
Feb 21 2021
Thank You…
…to all those responsible for this: Over the past 26 hours – i.e., since midnight February 20, Pacific time ¬– Amazon customers have downloaded just under 2900 free copies of Antiquities. That’s as of 5:00 AM EST today. A little visibility at last!
Feb 20 2021
Need Something To Read…
…but haven’t got any spare cash? It’s a sad problem, one I’ve suffered in the past. Back then, I did a lot of rereading, which was made possible by my habit of never, ever parting with a book. But today there’s a superior alternative. The Baen Free Library is exactly that: books Baen …
Feb 20 2021
Like Yesterday
[My dear friend F. James Dagg has sent along a short story of his early years. It possesses the sort of surprise punch that characterizes his short fiction. Enjoy. — FWP] Like Yesterday… I was almost thirteen, and a contradiction. Short, still childlike at a glance, no one took me to be nearly …
Feb 20 2021
Attention: Free Fiction!
For today, Saturday, February 20 through Monday, February 22, my latest novel, Antiquities, is free of charge at Amazon: Gail was a has-been singer from a forgotten band, surviving by performing for small crowds in coffee houses and bars, near to giving up on everything. Evan was a venture capitalist, widowed by …
Feb 19 2021
A New / Old Emission
My collection of religiously-themed stories, previously available only from Smashwords, is now available from Amazon: A baker’s dozen journeys in faith, replete with miracles, mysteries, and gentle explorations of God at work in the lives of men. Only $2.99 as a Kindle eBook. (The paperback isn’t quite ready yet.)
Feb 10 2021
Religion and Realism in Fiction
There’s “religious fiction,” of course. Everyone is aware of the “Left Behind” series, which despite its many flaws was widely read and applauded. We also have the works of writers such as C. S. Lewis, Taylor Caldwell, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, Karen Kingsbury, and others. Their novels are explicitly religious, almost polemic about the …
Feb 06 2021
“Where Do You Get Your Ideas?”
If you write fiction, it’s inevitable that you’ll be asked the title question. I’ve faced it innumerable times. Typically, it will come after a forlorn announcement by the questioner that “I’d love to write, but I can’t seem to come up with any ideas.” The questionee – that’s you – will be tried to …
Feb 02 2021
Lessons from Fantasy- the wisdom of J.R.R. Tolkien
Many people know of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit;” younger folk are more likely to know his work through the film adaptations of his work, while old fogeys like me read and loved his stories in printed form first, then enjoyed the movies, too. Young or old, however, Tolkien’s …
Jan 31 2021
The Believable Hero
Recently, the C.S.O. and I have been enjoying John Nettles’s old Bergerac series. Nettles’s intrepid detective Jim Bergerac, a sergeant in Jersey’s Bureau des Etranges, is a classical hero figure. He gets into any number of personal scrapes, including with his superior, his ex-wife, a succession of ladyfriends, and the rich elite of that …
Fran’s Recent Novels
Margaret’s Recent Novels
