Science Fiction & Reproductive Rights

I believe strongly in reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. Many of these beliefs were encouraged through the science fiction & … More

Let Me Tell You About The Very Alien: They Are Different From You and Me

Whether you’re writing from a cat’s perspective or a being from Chiron Beta Prime, it’s easy to fall into the trap of giving the non-human very human motivations.

What is “alien”, what considerations do you need to create a well-rounded species, and what authors do it well?

Decolonizing SFF

While most of us know the bloody tales of how the European powers colonized much of the globe, fewer are … More

Fairytales & Folklore in Urban Fantasy

As humans, we look for patterns everywhere. So, when we see a new story, draped in the shape of a well-known fairytale, the vibrant mix of the familiar with the new and strange can be irresistible to many of us as readers.

Family Structures in Science Fiction and Fantasy (A Balticon 56 Panel)

From werewolf clans to alien hives, this panel will discuss the most imaginative and thought-provoking examples of family structures in genre works.

So many book recommendations!

p.s. This is also my 700th post! WHOA!

P.s.s. It’s also Catticus’s gotcha anniversary, so great week all around.

Writing The Alien: (A RavenCon 2022 Panel)

While some panels are good because of what they say, some are great because of the inspiration they give you. This? Was a great panel.

Here are their 6 tips on writing aliens, a couple of things NOT to do, book suggestions, and the 6 notes I took for my own story.

Imaginary Creatures, Real Biology

What if the creatures of folklore existed alongside us? How would we need to rearrange our taxonomic systems to incorporate them? What sorts of diseases would we need to watch out for? And what could you do to keep them away from your magnolias?

In Space, No One Can See You Hide The Evidence: Crimes In Space

Welcome to Part 12, my final WorldCon, CoNZealand panel write up. The panelists for the titular panel were as follows: … More

Constructed Languages

When we read a book or watch a show with a created language, it’s easy to wonder — did they invent a word or the whole language?

And when I write, do I need to create a whole language?

Here are the layers of a language, and the levels of language construction you can choose. Plus, a few more tips and tricks for getting your conlang just right.