We start the week with a bit of topping, tailing, and appendixing of some stories we’ve been following for a little while. First and most significantly comes news from the Anthropic case that could have a direct impact, with thanks to Jane Friedman for pointing to the story. It seems as though there might be …
The book’s opening essay, “Breakfast for Dinner,” sets the tone for the rest of the work with its blend of childhood trauma, comedic storytelling, and poignant reflections. The essay opens with the inaugural family dinner in Staples’ new home. In attendance with his wife and in-laws was the author’s mother, who (with “the calm of …
Saunders acknowledges that Athens was part of a larger world but largely confines herself to the city in surveying “Greek” art and thought, political institutions, home life, and social customs. The picture she draws isn’t entirely idyllic, as she points to sharp class divisions and repeatedly contrasts the very different lives boys and men could …
The chaotic opening scene gives readers a clear indication of what they’re in for: Contract killer Azure, attempting to complete a mission, is involved in a life-or-death battle with a multieyed biomachine called an Argos. “The thing’s bipedal but has six gorilla-like arms that end in half-metre-long claws,” he complains. After Azure barely dispatches the …
The ship Meridian Star departs eastern Russia unknowingly carrying a pair of containers with radioactive cesium chloride. The vessel is hijacked and scuttled in Micronesia near the Mariana Trench, and the crew is murdered. A huge insurance claim results, and Jack, an accomplished deep-sea diver who works for Hendley Associates, is there to investigate. The …
Rose’s childhood has been plagued by nightmares in which she dies “in different, terrifying ways.” Then there’s the near-death experience: She’s nearly hit by a truck and saved just in time by a beautiful boy whom no one else saw. Her insistence that he was real leads to her becoming a viral spectacle, exacerbating her …
A redheaded child describes his “busy body,” including his green eyes that help him see, his nose that helps him smell warm, fresh-baked cookies, and his mouth, with which he laughs, yawns, and enjoys eating his favorite treats. He counts the hairs on his baby brother Paul’s head, swims, jumps, and plays sports, and he …
Having recovered from adventures related to a prankster co-worker, Marty Moose (so named because of an unfortunate ink blot on his birth certificate) is ready to enjoy his day off. And what better way to relax than to attend the Annual Little Ditch Fastest Feathers Race, where birds compete for a solid gold egg? But …
My ALLi author guest this episode is David Barbur, a former law enforcement officer who now writes wilderness mysteries inspired by his interests in hiking, tracking, survival skills, and the natural world. Since 2017, he has published a novel every year while balancing writing with a full-time job and family. The post Inspirational Indie Author …
At the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y., Calamity Jane recounts her exploits to a diverse crowd of spectators. The crowd audibly gasps as the former Pony Express rider—known to friends by her birth name, Martha—describes how she bested a desperado armed only with a meat cleaver. Buffalo Bill Cody, his Cowboy Band, and mighty …