John Scalzi's Blog

Stick out your tongue and say “ahh!” for author Caitlin Starling’s newest gothic novel, The Graceview Patient. Follow along in her Big Idea as she recounts all of her real-life experiences in the wild world of hospitals that led to the inspiration and creation of this medically based horror story.

CAITLIN STARLING:

I feel like I’ve written a variation on this essay several times already, for various purposes and varied audiences. At first, I felt a little embarrassed–for my past works I’ve had ...

It’s a simple one: if you queried about a Big Idea slot for November and haven’t heard back yet, don’t panic, those will be addressed next week. I’m traveling again and punting a number of things until I’m back home. As one does.

— JS

Eras in the past had a focus on manners — a word that in itself was a code for something more controlling. For her novel The Doxies Penalty, author Madeleine E. Robins revisits a past era to look what maneuvers behind the manners, a thing much more interesting and possibly more sinister.

MADELEINE E. ROBINS:

One of the tasks adolescents face is trying to parse the rules of the world they live in — and the potential penalties. Not the say-thank-you or don’t-kill-people rules, but the s...

With the admission that I somehow missed it last year, probably because I have a head full of mostly cheese these days. That said, Whatever’s been on WordPress now for 17 years, both the blogging software and the hosting of the site, and in that time I’ve been absolutely grateful for WordPress’s platform stability and accessibility. The downtime I have experienced with WordPress has been so small that it’s genuinely surprising when it happens, and even then the issue is usually resolved i...

The motto for the Olympics translates to “Faster, Higher, Stronger” — but in Gold Dust, author Catherine Asaro takes athletic competition to heights even the greatest of Olympians might not have ever dreamed of.

CATHERINE ASARO:

With Gold Dust, I wanted to explore sports in the future, track and field especially. My interest in the subject has a long history. In my youth, ballet was my forte; I never considered myself an athlete. But for some reason in my teens, I decided to go run ar...

Hello from Boise, Idaho! It’s not a particularly exciting view but it also isn’t as non-exciting as the parking lot view from yesterday’s hotel.

I find myself in Idaho for a wedding, which is taking place tomorrow, so I shall be preoccupied with that and flying home on Tuesday, and I hope you all take care until I get back!

-AMS

Look, the rest of the hotel room I was in was perfectly nice, but this one chair had absolutely the most unseemly aura. I did not sit in it. I did not place anything in it. Indeed, I tried not to look at it. Madness would undoubtedly follow.

I did make note of it to the front desk dude, who grimaced in acknowledgement and assured me that the entire hotel was going to have a visual refresh in December, which presumably means this chair will be on its way to the junk heap. Not a moment too ...

Creepy crawlies can become less creepy when you characterize them. Such is the case for author Mike Allen, who shares with us his initial fear of spiders that has turned into more of a cautious appreciation. Follow along in the Big Idea for his newest spooky story, Trail of Shadows, and see the web he’s spun for us.

MIKE ALLEN:

My Southern Gothic-meets-surreal horror novel Trail of Shadows is a story of spirit beings and murderous monsters set in the Appalachian Mountains, where I’ve lived sinc...

If you saw my post earlier this week over my friend and my’s spa experience, I’m sure you’ve been asking yourself, “but where did you guys go eat after having such an amazing, relaxing spa experience?” I’m so glad you asked, dear reader! My friend and I went to Forno Kitchen + Bar in the Short North area of Columbus. Open daily for dinner, lunch Tuesday through Thursday, and brunch Friday through Sunday, this stone-fired pizza joint won #1 best restaurant in the Short North and best happy hour i...

Small acts of kindness may not always seem like they change the world, but they certainly change the world of whoever you’re helping. Author D. M. Beucler discusses how acts of kindness are a comfort for her amidst this crazy world we live in. Dive in to the Big Idea for her newest novel, Memory and Magic, to see how her main character makes the choice to change someone’s world.

D. M. BEUCLER:

In 2010 I had my first child. I was home all the time with this adorable alien, who would not sleep, s...