“Cataclysm.” First definition: a large-scale violent event in the natural world. Second definition: a sudden violent upheaval, especially in a political or social context. These are the definitions that fuel many science fiction narratives. Couched within them is a persistent … Continue reading Divergences–Thoughts on the Writings of Philip K. Dick–Part Two
Once in a while I spot an article in the New York Times about the quest to extend human life and the promise of a technological, nutritional, or magical discovery addressing that pursuit. Some people in some cultures are … Continue reading Parallel Worlds – Thoughts About a Few Novels by Philip K. Dick – Part One
Some of the most endearing characters on Saturday Night Live! in the late seventies and into the eighties were Gilda Radner’s creations. My favorite was Judy Miller and her ‘showtime.’ Dressed in her GSA Brownie uniform, Gilda/Judy hosted and performed some of her ‘shows’ in the privacy of her own pink frilly bedroom. She crashed into closet doors, leaped on the bed, rolled around, and ran through a dizzying series of story lines until she landed, exhausted on the floor. The performances amounted to what appeared to be a great catharsis or at least an escape from a too real … Continue reading Dancing in the Kitchen
I’ve been thinking about monsters and menace as I craft the last book of my fantasy genre trilogy. Because I have been working on this project for several years, my greatest challenge is writing a coherent and consistent series; but … Continue reading Birthing Monsters
“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another which … Continue reading The Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul
“There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before.” Willa Cather Yes, Willa, but each re-telling wears a different face and leads us to another place, perhaps never seen before, but somehow familiar. Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with One Thousand Faces and the works of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung propose that all stories, from the latest Star Wars film to Harry Potter’s epic, and—please permit me to promote my own Dragonwolder series–present a hero, among certain archetypes. To quote Christophe Vogler, “The theme of the hero … Continue reading One of a Thousand Faces
A Review of Serendipity by Thomas J. Thorson When people settle in a particular community—whether by choice or by circumstance—the site of their home informs their future experiences and outlook. Subsequent situations like the growth of friendships or enmities, volunteerism … Continue reading Turning Points
Just as I reluctantly left Paris years ago after an internship at a museum there, I regretted reaching the last pages of Paris, He Said a novel, by Christine Sneed. How to let go of characters whose feelings were so … Continue reading Missing Paris
Last weekend at a local book fair, one of my friends dropped by the writers’ tent where I was promoting my latest novel, Where Dragons Follow. She asked another writer sharing the tent to take a photo of the two … Continue reading It’s Not My Skin…Or is It?
After reading fiction selections, week after week, in dozens of New Yorker magazine issues, I concluded that unless the story I would dare to submit were grim, tragic, disheartening, disorienting, or all of the above, (does that series necessitate an … Continue reading Fear or Fungus
Susan Bass Marcus Writes 