Find out more HERE. The Mountain in the Sea, Ray Nayler (2023) Here's an enthralling near-future SF novel of contact with another species, and it doesn't need outer space to do so. Is there other intelligent life in the universe? The answer lies beneath our own oceans. And don't we already know that? We have yet to access that intelligence, though researchers around the world are on it (see, for example, …

While I am mulling over my third review of novels about alien communication, I have realized today is the start of a festive season. So here is: A speculative fiction advent calendar of quotes: DAY ONE What is it about Advent calendars that thrills us so? I am not talking about the religious aspect, not at all. Like Christmas in general, the secular world has seized on the Advent calendar and turned it into a really fun version of the count-down calendar.

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In this series of posts, I will discuss six novels of alien communication I find convincing and satisfying: China Mieville, Embassytown Ann Leckie, Translation State--reviewed in this post Ray Nayler, The Mountain in the Sea Adiran Tchaikovsky, The Children of Time Cinxin Liu, The Three-Body Problem Ursula LeGuin, The Dispossessed Translation State, Ann Leckie (2023)

In the 1970s, the DNR released wild turkeys in southeastern Minnesota to help the bird population rebound. Over time, those turkeys found their way to town.

In this series of posts, I will discuss six novels of alien communication I find convincing and satisfying: China Mieville, Embassytown--reviewed in this post Ann Leckie, Translation State Ray Nayler, The Mountain in the Sea Adiran Tchaikovsky, The Children of Time Cinxin Liu, The Three-Body Problem Ursual LeGuin, The Dispossessed Find it HERE. Embassytown, China Miéville, 2011…

By NASA; vectors by Mysid - Extracted from the Pioneer plaque (File:Pioneer plaque.svg)., Public Domain, Communicating human to alien--a lot of SF makes it sound like a snap, when of course it couldn't possibly be. Here's an article that explains a little about xenolinguistics. Here's another. Those communications from NASA on the Pioneer plaque and the Voyager…

The winner of the best fantasy novel for 2025 is Robert Jackson Bennett's The Tainted Cup (Del Rey; Hodderscape). This fascinating fantasy novel also won the 2025 Hugo Award and was short-listed for the Locus Award. Find out all about it HERE. Bennett's novel is a sort of Sherlock Holmes in Fantasyland, and the first of a projected series of three novels.

Who will walk away with this amazing and evocative piece of sculpture? Read about the history of the World Fantasy Award trophy HERE. By now, I have read all the novels short-listed for the 2025 World Fantasy Awards, and I have reviewed them too, in this space. If you missed them, see the list of nominated novels below to be directed to the reviews.

The decision of the judges for the 2025 World Fantasy Awards will be announced at the World Fantasy Convention, held this year in Brighton UK on Oct. 30-Nov. 2, 2025. Coming up fast! Here's the list once again, and my final review of the books short-listed for the award in the novels category: The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey; Hodderscape)--This novel won the 2025 Hugo Award and was short-listed for the Locus Award.

Dear friends, Excited to announce that my book of poetry, Morning of the World, is now available for pre-publication sales. You can go to the Finishing Line Press web site, at  and order it at a discount. It's not available anywhere else yet, but will go on sale at retail outlets starting Feb. 13, 2026. Sale! Morning of the World by Jane Wiseman…