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442 ratings | 271 reviews | avg rating:3.60

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David Erik Nelson

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.davideriknelson.com

Twitter

SquiDaveo

Genre

Science Fiction, Horror, Crafts & Hobbies

Influences

Stephen King, David Foster Wallace, Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Laura K ...more

Member Since

March 2008

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David Erik Nelson is an award-wining science-fiction/horror writer and essayist. His fiction has appeared in Asimov's, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, The Best Horror of the Year, and elsewhere. Find his fiction online at https://www.davideriknelson.com/FreeFiction
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Popular Answered Questions

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

David Erik Nelson When it comes to writing craft and DIY, I've learned a couple things the Very Very Hard Way:

1) TAKE GOOD NOTES! (Including supply costs, where you sou…moreWhen it comes to writing craft and DIY, I've learned a couple things the Very Very Hard Way:

1) TAKE GOOD NOTES! (Including supply costs, where you sourced parts, stock numbers, etc.) Everything is clear and obvious while you're developing a project, but let it sit on the shelf for a week or two, and you'll find yourself wondering why you made the decisions you did and how the hell you pulled them off.

2) Work through a project while writing it up, even if you've done the project a hundred times. Actually working through your steps while writing, and then again while revising, makes it much easier to see the places where folks might go off track or get confused.

3) Don't fall in love with insider jargon. There are plenty of folks who never get into knitting, for example, because they can't get their heads around the jargon and codes that knitters use. Feel free to be the person who describes it differently, and thus opens that craft up to the folks who were previously locked out.

4) Learn to take decent photos. Publishers (and readers) will want them, and want them to be as clear as possible (non-distracting, solid-colored background; lots of bright light; soft shadows; no glare; etc.) Similarly, if your work is best described with diagrams, learn to use SketchUp or Fritzing or Pixelmator or whatever it takes to make the images you need.(less)

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What was the first homebrew instrument you made? And, do you ever sell the ones you've made?

David Erik Nelson My first homebrew instrument was Tim Escobedo's "synthstick": http://www.davideriknelson.com/sbsb/2... —which is a great project, although some of the…moreMy first homebrew instrument was Tim Escobedo's "synthstick": http://www.davideriknelson.com/sbsb/2... —which is a great project, although some of the materials (certain types of cassette tape and Mylar wrapping paper), which were just the most common back-of-the-closet junk in the world when I first stumbled across his design, are getting increasingly scarce. Still, it's a really great synth circuit to start out with, and I continue to use the same basic core design in lots of projects.

As for selling instruments, I don't, but folks are always offering to buy them (esp. the electric guitars), and I can never really fathom why they'd want to do that. It reminds me of this story I once heard about Jobs and Wozniak. This is back in their blue boxes and garage-tinkering days. Early on, when they were developing that first Apple computer, they got into an argument over whether or not there was a market for a computer, as a finished consumer product. Woz was of the mind that the fun was in building it--that a computer, at most, should be a kit--and Job was of the mind that the fun was in using it, that you should open the box and power up and immediately have easy access to doing something cool. Evidenced by the fact that I'm writing this on an Applie bluetooth keyboard mated to an Apple iPad while listening to music on an Apple phone and running Disk Utility on an Apple laptop, I guess we know who was right. But still, I'm a Woz kinda guy. I don't want to sell guitars and synths that are all just like the guitars and synths I'd build; I want folks to build their own guitars and synths, and then show me what they did and why it's better for them. (less)

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David Erik Nelson’s books

Average rating: 3.86 · 1,837 ratings · 358 reviews · 43 distinct works • Similar authors

	This Place Is Best Shunned 3.41 avg rating — 104 ratings — published 2011 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	There Was a Crooked Man, He Flipped a Crooked House 4.13 avg rating — 53 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred: Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make with Your Kids 4.02 avg rating — 50 ratings — published 2010 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Nölmyna 3.41 avg rating — 51 ratings — published 2025	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tucker Teaches the Clockies to Copulate 3.78 avg rating — 27 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Junkyard Jam Band: DIY Musical Instruments and Noisemakers 4.50 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Women's Issues in Margaret Atwood's the Handmaid's Tale 3.70 avg rating — 20 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Perspectives on Modern World History: Chernobyl 3.29 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2009 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Soldering (21st Century Skills Innovation Library: Makers as Innovators) 3.90 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2014 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The New Guys Always Work Overtime 4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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David Erik Nelson's Blog

Pear. Perspective. (Sketch of the Week for Week 36 of 202)

I spent all of last week sketching pears, because we had a lot of them (we raided the garden my wife looks after all summer), and because pears that have grown without the benefit of culling and fertilizer and pesticide and proper cultivation are endearing and personable little guys.

Also, tasty.

Series by David Erik Nelson

New Guys Time Portal (2 books)
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David Erik Nelson (Goodreads Author)

3.90 avg rating — 10 ratings

David is Currently Reading

David Erik Nelson is currently reading

The Road To Ruin (Dortmunder, #11)

by Donald E. Westlake

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Sep 01, 2026 03:21AM

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Midwestern Chrome

by Michael Bettendorf

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Aug 26, 2026 03:00AM

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Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1)

by William Gibson

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Aug 04, 2026 03:40PM

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David Erik Nelson wrote a new blog post Pear. Perspective. (Sketch of the Week for Week 36 of 202) I spent all of last week sketching pears, because we had a lot of them (we raided the garden my wife looks after all summer), and because pears that h Read more of this blog post »
Sep 12, 2026 01:09AM · like
David Erik Nelson rated a book really liked it How to Sit (Mindfulness Essentials, #1) by Thich Nhat Hanh	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 03, 2026 03:15PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How to Sit by Thich Nhat Hanh. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How to Sit by Thich Nhat Hanh <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Erik Nelson is currently reading The Road To Ruin (Dortmunder, #11) by Donald E. Westlake	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2026 03:21AM · like
David Erik Nelson is currently reading Midwestern Chrome by Michael Bettendorf	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 26, 2026 03:00AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Midwestern Chrome by Michael Bettendorf. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Midwestern Chrome by Michael Bettendorf <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Erik Nelson entered a giveaway The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 10, 2026 03:23AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Erik Nelson is currently reading Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1) by William Gibson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 04, 2026 03:40PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Neuromancer by William Gibson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Neuromancer by William Gibson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Erik Nelson rated a book liked it Lullabies From Hell by Hideshi Hino	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
My second foray in Japanese horror manga. Very different from PTSD Radio, more uneven, and more R. Crumb-y than I like.
Aug 04, 2026 03:38PM · like · see review
David Erik Nelson rated a book really liked it The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2) by Thomas Harris	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I first read this around the time the movie came out, so I must have been around 14. It's crazy how clearly I recall the book as I read, but also how much the emphasis in the novel—what interests me and where—has changed. I have next to no interest i ...more
Aug 04, 2026 03:33PM · like · see review
David Erik Nelson rated a book liked it Strange Houses (Strange Houses, #1) by Uketsu	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I really don't know where to land on these books. The floor-plan gimmicks are fun, and there are enough (and the right kinds) of twists and turns to make the novel legitimately engaging. In the case of this book (more so than Uketsu's STRANGE PICTURE ...more
Aug 04, 2026 03:32PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Strange Houses by Uketsu. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Strange Houses by Uketsu <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Erik Nelson rated a book liked it Strange Houses (Strange Houses, #1) by Uketsu	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I really don't know where to land on these books. The floor-plan gimmicks are fun, and there are enough (and the right kinds) of twists and turns to make the novel legitimately engaging. In the case of this book (more so than Uketsu's STRANGE PICTURE ...more
Aug 04, 2026 03:26PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Strange Houses by Uketsu. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Strange Houses by Uketsu <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Horror Aficionados : Pseudopod for your short horror fiction needs!	138	291	Jul 15, 2019 10:53AM
Horror Aficionados : Pseudopod	508	1108	Jul 15, 2019 10:58AM
Reading with Style: FA 20 Completed Tasks	951	104	Nov 30, 2020 09:00PM

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David’s Quotes

“Life isn't a support system for art. It's the other way around.”
― Stephen King

tags: art-on-writing

561 likes

“I had no faith in the wise choices of the Aunts: I feared that I would end up married to a goat on fire.”
― Margaret Atwood, The Testaments

2 likes

“So men had something in their heads that was like fingers, only a sort of fingers girls did not have. And that explained everything, said Aunt Vidala, and we will have no more questions about it.”
― Margaret Atwood, The Testaments

2 likes

“and then she smiled and said that we were precious flowers, and who ever heard of a rebellious flower?”
― Margaret Atwood, The Testaments

2 likes

“Right now I still have some choice in the matter. Not whether to die, but when and how. Isn’t that freedom of a sort? Oh, and who to take down with me. I have made my list.”
― Margaret Atwood, The Testaments

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David Erik Nelson’s Followers (43)

David Erik Nelson

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