Author Archives: John Walters

Strange Christmases – Part Two: Penang, Malaysia

On one of the strangest Christmases I have ever spent, when I was all alone on the island of Penang in Malaysia, I received an unusual but intensely valuable gift: a clue that led me toward my destiny. This was … Continue reading

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Strange Christmases – Part One: Goa, India

As we enter into the winter holiday season, I find myself looking back to some of the unusual places where I have spent past Christmases. The first that comes to mind is Goa, India, in the mid-1970s. I had spent … Continue reading

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A Christmas Gift for My Blog Followers

As a Christmas gift to readers, I have enrolled electronic editions of some of my books and stories in the Smashwords End of Year Sale, which runs from December 12th through January 1st. Complete books are half price, marked down … Continue reading

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Book Review:  Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever by Matt Singer

Before I read this book, I had no idea of the existence, let alone the popularity, of the Siskel & Ebert film criticism TV show and its various iterations such as Opening Soon at a Theater Near You, Sneak Previews, … Continue reading

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Books Make Great Gifts!

After Thanksgiving has come and gone, people commence a search for holiday gifts for family members, relatives, friends, acquaintances, in-laws, outlaws, colleagues, and sometimes total strangers. If you’re looking for fun, sophisticated, lively, intense, flamboyant, and otherwise variegated literary fare, … Continue reading

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Book Review:  The Future by Naomi Alderman

Don’t let the generic title of this novel fool you. It is a stylish, multifaceted, fast-paced, and well-written near-future fable that reveals itself as even more prescient due to recent political events in the United States. It concerns three billionaires, … Continue reading

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Nordic Celebration

Seattle has a multitude of fascinating museums, and since I haven’t been able to accomplish long-distance physical travel lately, I have been taking advantage of a museum pass to mentally travel not only to distant locales but to other times … Continue reading

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Book Review:  Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood by Ed Zwick

I have read several books on filmmaking from top directors and screenwriters, including Chasing the Light by Oliver Stone, Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino, and Adventures in the Screen Trade and Which Lie Did I Tell? by William Goldman, but … Continue reading

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Book Review:  Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie

I’m about halfway through this book but I have some thoughts that can’t wait. Knife is a memoir of Rushdie’s recovery after a near-fatal attack by a knife-wielding assailant. It is deeply ironic that this happened at the opening of … Continue reading

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“Sink or Swim” Is Now Available!

My novelette “Sink or Swim: A Near-Future Tale” is available as an e-book from various online bookstores or in print as part of my short story collection Road Signs: Tales of the Surreal and Fantastic. It is especially prescient in … Continue reading

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