Monthly Archives: December 2009

Life is long, history short

Posted on December 31, 2009 by jlredford

So I was reading Alan Furst’s new novel “The Spies of Warsaw” when I was struck by a particular passage.   A typical Furst protagonist, the world-weary French Colonel Mercier, is attending a grand reception in Warsaw with a typical Furst … Continue reading →

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Are SF writers Lettuce or Whiskey?

Posted on December 10, 2009 by jlredford

Alexander Jablokov lists on his blog “Five reasons writers don’t improve with age”.   It’s a depressing thought for an SF writer like him, although he’s one of note, but is it true?   Are writers more like lettuce, best when … Continue reading →

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Living in the Anthroposphere

Posted on December 8, 2009 by jlredford

So I was planting tulip bulbs a few weeks ago when it occurred to me – this is the first time in weeks that I’ve touched something not man-made.  Almost everything in our day-to-day environs is an artifact.  Our clothes … Continue reading →

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Is SF Bloating As It Leaves the Main Sequence?

Posted on December 3, 2009 by jlredford

So I was perusing a typically wry and colorful Jack Vance novel from the 60s, when I noticed that the whole book was only 170 pages.  A lot of them were in those days.  It was only half the thickness … Continue reading →

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