One of the most common questions authors face is a deceptively difficult one to answer: “Where do you get your ideas?” Yet, the answers to that common question can be almost as interesting as the resulting story. Welcome to You’re My Inspiration, a column dedicated to discovering what inspires a particular author and their work. […]

At Speculative Chic, we feature a lot of authors who share everything from their favorite things to the inspiration for their work. But why not also share their fiction? Welcome to Fiction Friday, where you’ll be able to sample the fiction of a variety of authors, including those who write at Speculative Chic! Today, we’re […]

Can you believe that we’re already through the first four months of the Speculative Chic Book Club? One thing we’ve learned is that everyone gets their hands on books a little differently, and as a result, they may need a little more time to do so and finish reading. Between that and social distancing making […]

For the first time since the challenge started, I thought about not doing the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge this year. I haven’t been thrilled with the most recent prompts and the challenge had started to feel like a chore. Then I perused the list and much like the mafia, just when I thought I was out, […]

They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with Jeff Young, who is participating […]

I’ve got to give thanks and a shout-out to Casey for stepping in for me last week while I dealt with some fothermucking health issues last week, oy. The good news is none of it was ‘rona-related; the bad news is it was still quite awful and severe; and the good news AGAIN is that […]

Are you hiding from the outside world right now? Practicing “social isolation”? Welcome to my life! There are always good reasons to stay inside, especially if you’re an extreme introvert. However, there are other good reasons to sequester yourself. You may live in an area where COVID-19 has arrived. I’m so very sorry to hear […]

At Speculative Chic, we feature a lot of authors who share everything from their favorite things to the inspiration for their work. But why not also share their fiction? Welcome to Fiction Friday, where you’ll be able to sample the fiction of a variety of authors, including those who write at Speculative Chic! Today, we’re […]

Are you ready for a summer vacation? I sure as hell am, but since we’re all confined to our yards, let’s take a trip to paradise, to a female utopia that is plague free, where the men are timid (and excellent cooks), and Calcutta is a garden paradise governed by sensible women. Let’s get the […]

They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with John G. Hartness, whose most […]

At Speculative Chic, we feature a lot of authors who share everything from their favorite things to the inspiration for their work. But why not also share their fiction? Welcome to Fiction Friday, where you’ll be able to sample the fiction of a variety of authors, including those who write at Speculative Chic! Today, we’re […]

Ninety percent of the books I find these days are when I’m working at the bookstore. Usually, when pulling returns. You take so many of them out, it’s impossible not to look at them. Inevitably you’re going to come across one that catches your interest, leading to reading the book’s blurb, and then adding it […]

One of the most common questions authors face is a deceptively difficult one to answer: “Where do you get your ideas?” Yet, the answers to that common question can be almost as interesting as the resulting story. Welcome to You’re My Inspiration, a column dedicated to discovering what inspires a particular author and their work. […]

Editor’s note: We haven’t officially discussed many of the Hugo nominations this year, but our fabulous Merrin wanted to tackle the short stories. Who were we to say no! Merrin has covered this particular category of the Hugos twice before, so she knows her stuff. Handy links have been provided for your own reading enjoyment, […]