jamesdmacdonald

For Reasons That Seem Good to Me

I recommend this story to all.

The Coldest Equations Yet

The Coldest Equations Yet by James D. Macdonald Stardate 31-20.6. Half-way through the first dog watch on the cruiser Stardust, bound for Mimir, the light on the communications panel that showed an open sub-space carrier wave blossomed. Communications Tech First Class Sylvia Harlin flipped the ‘respond’ switch and leaned closer to the mike: “Stardust. IdentifyContinue reading “The Coldest Equations Yet”

It’s January, Which Means Arisia Is on the Horizon

Originally posted on Dr. Doyle's Blog:
Doyle’s Arisia Sked What Lies Beneath: Adding Subtext to Your Story Alcott Fri 8:30 PM ??? In real life and in storytelling, what -isn’t- being said is often more gripping than the actual dialogue between your characters. How can you use subtext to develop your characters and boost…

Where O Where Has My Middle-Earth Gone?

Where is The Lord of the Rings set? I say it’s the Americas. Here’s why: Pipeweed. That’s tobacco, sure enough, and that’s a native American species. Potatoes. Same deal: the Americas. The Great River. Nothing in Europe, and especially nothing in England, can compare with either the Mighty Mississippi or the Amazon. Conclusion: TheContinue reading “Where O Where Has My Middle-Earth Gone?”

Cheating at Cards

From our very good friends at the Library of Congress, a .pdf facsimile of Harry Houdini’s personal copy of The Expert at the Card Table by S. W. Erdnase. [Erdnase, SW. Artifice Ruse and Subterfuge at the Card Table: A Treatise on the Science and Art of Manipulating Cards. Frederick J. Drake & Co., 1905] Continue reading “Cheating at Cards”