375. Talking About Coping in the Time of Coronavirus (While Not Talking About Coping)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sandf375coping/SandF_375_Coping.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS Viruses, coping mechanisms, and rants, oh my! In today’s off-the-cuff-totally-not-normal episode, Jen and Shaun turn their attention to discussing the things they’re doing to cope with this new pandemic situation we all find ourselves in. Only, that’s not exactly what this episode is about. It’s about coping. It’s about what’s going on right now. And it’s about some very honest feels regarding the nature of U.S. society from beyond the Corrupted Curtain. You might say that making this episode was part of the coping process. So if you’re interested in our rambles about COVID-19, the U.S. response, and even some of our personal coping mechanisms, this is the episode for you! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!
Book Review: THE ART OF STARVING by Sam J. Miller
A few years back I quickly fell in love with the short fiction of Sam J. Miller. Published across a spectrum of electronic genre venues (Shimmer, Apex, Lightspeed, Nightmare, Clarkesworld, Uncanny), Miller also gained recognition in print with “Calved”, originally published in Asimov’s Science Fiction and reprinted in multiple ‘Year’s Best’ anthologies. I’m drawn to Miller’s fiction for several reasons that tie together. Foremost are his characters: strong and unique voices that reflect points of views not frequently explored in genre fiction. Even though these characters may often be very different from myself – with conditions or experiences I’ve never faced – Miller excels at making them universally relatable. His themes focus on the strengths and weaknesses of their basic humanity. Beautiful mixtures of fragility and fortitude, Miller’s characters compel reader empathy and emotion, even if the character’s specific situation is personally unfamiliar to the reader. This character-driven realism gives Miller’s insightful explorations a mainstream, literary tone. Yet, Miller’s stories are firmly in the genre camp. It is this deft balance between literary realism and the uncanny or speculation of SciFi/Fantasy/Horror that I enjoy so much.
