Inverted Tropes

These days, the term trope is often used as a sign of derision, but not all tropes are bad! There … More

Black Speculative Poetry

Poetry hasn’t always been my thing. Then, I spent a year and a half reading slush for an online Americana … More

Reaching Past Riordan

Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series has led to an explosion of YA speculative fiction that explores mythology and folktales through the adventures of modern-day characters. What made this subgenre so popular? And who are some authors to pick up after Percy Jackson? And how has the genre expanded to feature non-Western mythologies?

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?