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influences

Jeff Baker—Boogieman In Lavender: “Remembering Dennis Etchison.”

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                       Remembering Dennis Etchison                                                  By Jeff Baker             A fine writer I know, well-versed in the field of horror, had never heard of Dennis Etchison. This seems to have been a problem for Etchison who was continually being referred to as a “new discovery,” even though he began publishing fiction when he was in school in the early 60s. Etchison published horror stories in the girlie magazines (then a thriving market) about the same time Stephen King was breaking in to print. Etchison passed away at the end of May. I never met him or even spoke … Read more

FOR READERS: How Did You Become a Speculative Fiction Feader?

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reading fantasy - pixabay

FOR READERS Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer J. Scott Coatsworth: For each of us, there was a time when we first discovered sci fi or horror or fantasy or paranormal fiction – or maybe all four. For many of us, it was a revelation, and changed the course of our lives. So when did it happen for you, and how? Did you stumble upon Lord of the Rings at a library, or see one of Sherri Tepper’s books in the checkout line? Was it a Steven King book-turned-film? Or maybe seeing your friend read the Twilight series? Or maybe … Read more

For Writers: Who Influenced You?

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Many of us started reading speculative fiction as children. The books we picked up, whether they were recommended by our parents, friends, or were found at the library, often have had a profound affect on our later reading and writing tastes. For me, there are three writers in particular who influenced me – the first was Anne McCaffrey – her seamless integration of sci fi and fantasy ideas in her Pern series captivated me, and it reached a pinnacle in the hauntingly sad Moreta’s Ride. On the fantasy side, JRR Tolkien’s middle earth sucked me in and remains my go=to … Read more