Author Archives: John Walters

On Rereading The Best of the Nebulas Edited by Ben Bova; Part Three

The novelette “Slow Sculpture” by Theodore Sturgeon has two characters: a woman with breast cancer and a disillusioned genius. They meet in a field where the man is conducting an experiment, and when she informs him of her plight he … Continue reading

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On Rereading The Best of the Nebulas Edited by Ben Bova; Part Two

And now we come to the novelette “Gonna Roll the Bones” by Fritz Leiber, which first appeared in Harlan Ellison’s groundbreaking anthology Dangerous Visions. It is ostensibly a classic deal-with-the-devil fantasy, albeit unusually rich in descriptive detail and stylistic depth. … Continue reading

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On Rereading The Best of the Nebulas Edited by Ben Bova; Part One

Having a strong urge to get back to my literary roots, I picked up the weighty tome The Best of the Nebulas and began to read. As Bova, the editor, explains in the introduction, these stories were selected by members … Continue reading

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The Genesis of The Dragon Ticket and Other Stories

The Dragon Ticket and Other Stories is the first of my thirty-five books. Although most of the stories in it take place on the Indian Subcontinent, I was living in Greece when I wrote them. I had lived in South … Continue reading

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Book Review:  Tolstoy by A. N. Wilson; Part Two: The Spiritual Seeker

After writing Anna Karenina, Tolstoy went through profound spiritual changes. He did not abandon literature, but the tone of his writings changed, reflecting his inner metamorphosis. Scorning the Orthodox church, he adopted a personal faith that included extreme pacifism, renunciation … Continue reading

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Book Review:  Tolstoy by A. N. Wilson; Part One: The Writer

This is a complex, opinionated biography of a literary genius. It is at its weakest when Wilson attempts to introduce his personal observations and impressions of Tolstoy’s life and thoughts as if they were the only possible interpretation, and at … Continue reading

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Life in a Storage Unit; or, How to Declutter Without Losing Your Sanity

This all began with my desire to do a deep cleaning of the apartment. As I contemplated the task, I began to realize how difficult it was due to the overwhelming presence of – stuff. All kinds of stuff that … Continue reading

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On Rereading Jurgen by James Branch Cabell (again)

Due to my ongoing need for literary comfort food, I turn once again to the brilliantly written fantasy Jurgen (subtitled in the original, though not in the edition I own, A Comedy of Justice). I think I was still a … Continue reading

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Living Alone: An Anti-Primer

Let’s clarify this from the outset: I like being alone, but I dislike living alone. It’s an ideal situation for me when I can close myself up in a room and do my work, but when I open the door … Continue reading

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Book Review:  Lion (original title A Long Way Home) by Saroo Brierly

In my view, this book has two strikes against it before I even initiate the reading, which makes it unusual that I would have picked it up at a used bookstore and read it all the way through. First of … Continue reading

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