Author name: shaunduke

Dr. Shaun Duke is an instructor at DMACC and the Director of the Portolan Project at the Speculative Literature Foundation. He received his M.A. and Ph.D in English from the University of Florida and a B.A. in Modern Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He studies science fiction, digital fan cultures, Caribbean literature, literary canons, postcolonialism, and digital rhetoric. In addition to his academic work, he wears many hats. He is a writer of genre fiction and a freelance editor at The Duke of Editing. His fiction has appeared in Curiouser Magazine, Stupefying Stories, and elsewhere. He also hosts and produces The Skiffy and Fanty Show, a four-time Hugo Award finalist podcast dedicated to examining the literary, cinematic, and cultural world of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. His podcast work has sent him around the world to participate in conventions, conduct interviews, and more. When he's not podcasting, he can be found on his Twitch channel, AlphabetStreams, or Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, and other social media places.

Question of the Week

? of the Week: What was your favorite novel in 2012 and why?

/

No need for introductions.  You’ve got the question and fingers for typing.  So do some thinking and offer your responses in the comments below. To get things started, here are our answers: Shaun Who would have thought that I’d pick another “literary” SF novel, replete with intense character development, an extraordinarily rich near future world with a slice of the weird, and an unconventional narrative style?  Oh, right.  That’s normal for me.  And that’s why I’ve picked Lost Everything.  Brian Francis Slattery’s novel blew me away last year.  You could call it a “river novel” set in a near-apocalyptic future and get away with loose comparisons to Mark Twain and Cormac McCarthy — comparisons even I’ve made.  But I think there’s something more to Lost Everything.  The characters are complex and beautiful, the world terrifying and yet strangely enticing, and the narrative just slightly off kilter enough to make this more than just another “dystopia.”  The deeper I got into the book, the more intrigued I was by the characters and their way of viewing the world.  From houseboat scenes, savage war with no apparent end goal, and a mysterious super storm set on destroying everything, Lost Everything never ceased to amaze me.   It’s the kind of book only Slattery can write, but also the kind of book that SF desperately needs because it has a depth of “reality” that so many SF novels lack (perhaps because they are too focused on plot and action).  We’ll see if it makes any awards lists this year…

Question of the Week

Question of the Week: Which Doctor Who villain should be retired?

/

We’re sure to get more of the classic villains in the final episodes of this season of Doctor Who.  Some of these have been with us since the beginning (or close enough) and haven’t had the same scary effect on audiences in the new incarnation of DW.  But should the makers of DW retire some of these classic villains? Or are some of the newer villains worse? That’s what we want to know.  If you were going to retire one a Doctor Who villain, who/what would it be and why? The comments are yours!

Question of the Week

Question of the Week: Who are the five greatest science fiction writers of all time?

/

I’m bringing back the “Question of the Week” feature with a vengeance.  And to start it off, I’m asking you all a rather large question: Who do you think are the five greatest science fiction writers of all time? I’m putting a lot of emphasis on you think.  Whatever your criteria for inclusion, the most important thing is that your list is your list. So — who would you include?

Blog Posts

Guest Post: Can Ghosts Have Sex? by M. R. Cornelius

/

I’m sure a ghost can fall in love with another ghost. They run into each other at the same movies. They haunt the same clubs. A man ghost spots a woman ghost at a Black Keys concert. He’s hanging out right next to Patrick Carney at the drums when the she-ghost climbs up on stage to dance in front of Dan Auerbach. They recognize each other, and after the concert, our twosome strikes up a conversation with the typical icebreakers: How did you die? When? Buried or cremated? And the next thing you know, they’re spending all their time together. But what about sex? I think we can all agree there’s no touching between ghosts. No kissing, no hugging, no fondling. What about eating? Drinking? It’s probably safe to say there won’t be any intimate dinners, or late nights at a bar. What will your new love be wearing that attracted you to them in the first place? Will she be decked out in the tight jeans and halter top she had on when she went through the windshield? Will her clothes be ripped, her face bloody? If he was blown to bits in Afghanistan, will his uniform be in shreds? Will HE be in pieces? I think not. Once they’re ghosts, I like to think our love-birds will be looking hot, and whole, not missing an arm, or wearing a hospital gown. (Although that open back might add a soupcon of excitement to the relationship.) Can they smell after shave or cologne? I doubt it. Although don’t we all assume ghosts can see and hear and speak? So basically, a ghost relationship is all talk? If they can’t do the same things the living do, can they at least travel back and forward in time? That might make a fun date, going back to watch dinosaurs, or catch a space freighter heading for Alderaan. But my gut feeling is they are stuck in the here and now, just like you and me. Oh, they can probably travel faster. They visualize the Eiffel Tower, and bingo – they’re gazing down on romantic Paris. If they’re the outdoor-types, they won’t have to bother with a bunch of gear, they can just look at the top of Mt. Everest and be there. Of course, that takes some of the excitement out of it. They can probably meet awesome people like Jules Verne, H. P. Lovecraft, Anne McCaffrey. (If they know where to look.) It’s not like there will be some kind of directory in the afterworld. ‘Jules Verne usually summers on the Cote d’Azur . . .’ So, I don’t know. With all these limitations, maybe it isn’t practical for a ghost to fall in love. Maybe all these obstacles just make them irritable. And that’s why they mostly hang around creepy places, waiting to scare the bejeezus out of us. M. R. Cornelius is the author of The Ups and Downs of Being Dead, the story of a 57 year-old man who chooses cryonics over death. A complete synopsis, and the book, are available on Amazon.  http://amzn.to/LvCEf7 

Viking Amoeba

A New Viking Amoeba Recruit from Paul Genesse

/

And another recruit! Many more to come, too… The Draekon’s Underling — Vannus Ebromia Strength 3; Intelligence 5 Special Ability:  Whisper (In secret, add +3 to strength for one of your Viking Amoebas for one turn; write the target amoeba on a piece of paper and reveal it during combat) (The Secret Empire by Paul Genesse)

Viking Amoeba

A New Viking Amoeba Recruit from Clay and Susan Griffith

/

I’ve been a bad host about getting these Viking Amoebas up in a timely manner. Expect a whole lot more in the future. But for now, here’s the newest recruit to the Army! The Consumer — Duchaosus Strength 5; Intelligence 1 Special Ability:  Absorb (During combat, you may sacrifice one amoeba to permanently increase Duchaosus’ strength by that amoeba’s strength) (Vampire Empire:  The Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith)

Scroll to Top