Author Archives: John Walters

Book Review: Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2105 edited by Joe Hill and John Joseph Adams

I picked up this anthology recently when I went to check out the new physical Amazon book store in University Village shopping mall in Seattle.  I had heard through the online short story market grapevine that Adams was soliciting story … Continue reading

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Book Review: The Ballad of Beta 2 by Samuel R. Delany

I went to a Halloween party held by a local writers group and among the festivities was a book exchange.  I brought a suitably creepy Stephen King novel and came away with this one.  “The Ballad of Beta 2” is … Continue reading

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Book Review: The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss

This book is not only fascinating, exciting, surprising, adventurous, eye-opening, invigorating, and educating but it’s well-written too.  You’ve heard of Alexander Dumas, of course, the author who wrote “The Three Musketeers,” “The Count of Monte Cristo,” and other tales of … Continue reading

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An Encounter With the Amazon Book Store

There are advantages to living in Seattle.  The first ever brick-and-mortar physical Amazon bookstore opened here recently in the University Village shopping mall near the University of Washington, and late on a rainy Saturday morning I had a chance to … Continue reading

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After the Fireflood

My new novel “After the Fireflood” is available in print and electronic form here. It’s a series of interrelated stories set in the future. Here’s what it’s about: During the Fourth World War, the entire Earth is engulfed in a … Continue reading

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Book Review: 21st Century Science Fiction Edited by David G. Hartwell and Patrick Nielsen Hayden

This is a good anthology.  It’s an effort to showcase the work of science fiction and fantasy writers who have made their mark on the field since the beginning of the 21st century, and for the most part it succeeds. … Continue reading

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Who’s My Enemy?

The tendency of human nature is to place blame when things go wrong, or even if things don’t go as right as you would like them to.  I’m not as successful as I’d like to be as a writer.  I … Continue reading

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Book Review: Grumbles From the Grave by Robert A. Heinlein, Edited by Virginia Heinlein

I had never heard about this book before I came across it while browsing at the Seattle Friends of the Library book sale, but I had certainly heard of the author.  Even before I took a science fiction literature class … Continue reading

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On Rereading Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr.

James Tiptree Jr. has been one of my favorite short story writers for over forty years.  Lest anyone get confused when I refer to the author as “she” or “her,” James Tiptree Jr. was a pseudonym for Alice Sheldon, a … Continue reading

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How the Film “All Is Lost” Reminds Me of My Writing Career

When I first began this website/blog I wrote a few essays on my favorite films, but early on I decided to steer clear of film reviews and focus on book reviews, memoirs, and thoughts on writing.  In writing about “All … Continue reading

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