2016 WISB Awards Long List

It’s that time of year:  time for me to release some kind of list of things I loved in 2015.  This year is different, though.  This year, I’m releasing a long list for the WISB Awards, and it is from this list that I’ll select the winners of my annual WISB awards, the jury-less, vote-less […]

The 2016 Hugo Awards Reading/Watching List (or, My Next Few Months)

Last month, I asked for recommendations for my annual Hugo Awards reading bonanza.  A bunch of you responded with books, movies, TV shows, cookbooks, and so on.  The form will remain open for the next month or so, so if you haven’t submitted anything or want to submit some more stuff, go for it! So, without […]

2016 Hugo Awards Recommendations: What should I read/watch?

It’s that time again:  time to ask for recommendations for the Hugo Awards.  The nomination period will open up soon, and I haven’t done as much reading/watching as I would have liked this year.  The only categories I feel comfortable voting in at the moment are Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form), Best Novel, and Best […]

Shaun’s Rambles 011: Michael R. Underwood (Interviewing the Fans)

What makes Mike Underwood tick? What did he read when he was a kid? What inspired him to become a member of QUEST and invade the Free Worlds of the Noble and Benevolent Multidimensional Imperium?  I try to get to the bottom of some of these questions in an interview with the infamous figure! I […]

Shaun’s Rambles 010: On C.L. Moore’s Judgment Night and Gender Violence

Space opera attacks!  It’s been three weeks since I started teaching my space opera course, and I already have far too much to talk about!  In this edition, I take a look at the first half of C.L. Moore’s Judgment Night and the interesting ways in which I and my students read gender violence into […]

Shaun’s Rambles 009: On the #HugoAwards and #SadPuppies

The Hugos are over, but the controversy isn’t over.  In this episode, I talk about the results of the 2015 Hugo Awards and how the Sad Puppies have irreparably harmed whatever good message they had.  It’s not an exhaustive discussion, but it’s one I wanted to start while I had time. If you want to learn […]