The Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood

This novel tells a story parallel to Oryx and Crake, and although it was well written and enjoyable, I'm not quite sure what the point of it was. For anyone who has read Oryx and Crake, there is very little new info. It is stuff you already knew, seen through the eyes of new characters. …

Painting with words

I imagine sometimes that writing descriptively must be like painting, though I've not done much painting in my life. You get an idea in your head, and you choose the right colors, the right palate, the right style, to get the image you want across. Is finding the right word like finding the right color …

Endless stories

There are so many books out there I'll never read. So many characters I'll never know, places I'll never imagine, idea's I'll never entertain. Imagining this infinite landscape of fiction gives me a sense of exploration and openness--anything-is-possible-ness--that I used to get from playing open world video games. The slight sadness that I'll never get to …

Missing the point: IT

I saw the trailer for this remake, and I can't help but wonder if they are missing the point a bit... I remember Pennywise the clown being a villain in cheerful, friendly guise. In the new trailer, the 'clown' is pretty much a zombie in face paint. The surface is all that matters, it seems. The scary …

How to set the tone

  Look at that tree. It's a pretty normal tree, right? I tried to pick a very neutral picture of a tree--one that could be anywhere, with anything going on around it outside the frame. Anything could be happening to the person observing it. How would you choose to describe this tree? That choice should …