Dr. Shaun Duke, Professional Nerd

Editor. Writer. Professor. Host.

Another Week of Joy Commences Today

I’ve done this before.  Last night, I declared Friday the beginning of another Week of Joy, in which I will only discuss or talk about happy things, like books, movies, spaceships, magic wizard monkeys, and anything that should be, in principle, producers of happiness. You are free to join me in whatever way appeals to […]

Week of Joy (Day Seven): “The Wonders of Whimsy” by Adam Callaway

Whimsy is important to me. Most everything I love about art — music, movies, books — comes down to one aspect:  whimsy. I appreciate technical masterpieces like a Rachmaninoff concerto or a Joycean short story. I enjoy gritty realism like Law and Order or Lord of the Flies. However, my love lies with those pieces […]

Week of Joy (Day Six): Heart of Fire by J. Damask (A Mini Interview)

J. Damask (a.k.a. Joyce Chng) was kind enough to answer a few questions about her new book, Heart of Fire, which hits digital shelves in September.  The book comes from Masque Books, a digital-only division of Prime Books, a notable small press genre publisher (notable most recently for releasing the absolutely amazing Yoon Ha Lee collection, Conservation of […]

Week of Joy (Day Two): Rainbow Lights by Polenth Blake (A Mini Interview)

The lovely Polenth Blake was kind enough to join me during this Week of Joy to briefly talk about her writing and her collection, Rainbow Lights. Synopsis: A deep-sea robot tells stories in every colour, but no shade can describe meeting a giant squid.  Rainbow Lights is the first collection by science fiction and fantasy […]