M.C.
Alien Megastructures
As the James Webb Telescope joins the Hubble and earth-bound radio telescopes in the search for alien life, what might they find?...
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Matthew Cushing
Speculative Fiction Author | Editor | Beta Reader
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Thoughts on all things Spec Fic
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M.C.
Mar 4
Hugo Awards Bow to Chinese Censorship
I don’t normally write a lot of editorial posts as I prefer the focus of my newsletter and blog on the fun things about writing...
M.C.
Feb 13
Book Review - Dune
I recently finished reading Frank Herbert’s Dune for the first time, and I can’t believe I had waited for so long. It is a foundational...
M.C.
Jan 25
Book Review - The Mountain In the Sea
In the not-so-distant future, oceans are reeling from effects of climate change, pollution, and overfishing. Yet, in one of the few...
M.C.
Jan 17
Book Review - Count Zero
In a return to the Sprawl, William Gibson brings us Count Zero, the follow-up to Neuromancer and second book in the trilogy. Taking place...
M.C.
Dec 15, 2023
Review of Asimov's Foundation - Book and Series
Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series is a seminal work of science fiction, prominently topping many lists of ground-breaking and...
M.C.
Dec 9, 2023
Top One Season Sci-Fi Shows
With so many fantastic science fiction television shows being released, we’re experiencing a second golden age of sci-fi. But that...
M.C.
Oct 8, 2023
Speculative Fiction Is...
As the term Speculative Fiction becomes more widely used and accepted, there appears to be a division of the definition. Many believe...
M.C.
Feb 1, 2023
Book Review - Fairy Tale
This book is exactly what the cover says: a fairy tale by Stephen King. The story is both familiar with elements integrated from a...
M.C.
Nov 28, 2022
Top 50 Sci-Fi Books of All Time
This list came up as a member of my speculative fiction critique group mentioned he had discovered a list of important books from a Great...
M.C.
Jul 7, 2022
Book Review - Iron Truth
I read this book as a judge of the 2021 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition. Everything about this book is epic. Epic story, epic...
M.C.
Jul 7, 2022
Book Review - Steel Guardian
This book was a finalist in the inaugural 2021 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition, and I read it as a judge. Simply put, this...
M.C.
Jul 7, 2022
Book Review - Captain Wu, Starship Nameless
This book was a finalist for the 2021 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), and I read it as a judge. A 61-year-old Asian...
M.C.
Jul 7, 2022
Book Review - A Star Named Vega
I read this book as a Finalist in the 2021 SPSFC for which I was a judge. This YA-oriented story is one of the mechanically best written...
M.C.
Jul 7, 2022
Book Review - In the Orbit of Sirens
This book is a Finalist in the 2021 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), and I read this as a judge. In the Orbit of...
M.C.
Jul 7, 2022
Book Review - Monster of the Dark
This book is a Finalist in the 2021 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), and I read this as a judge. The story of a...
M.C.
Jul 7, 2022
Book Review - Duckett & Dyer
In full disclosure, as a judge for the 2021 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), I read this book as it is a Finalist. ...
M.C.
May 29, 2022
Top 30 Spec Fic TV Series 2022
After a year, I thought I’d revise this list as I have been continually amazed at the quality of speculative fiction series on...
M.C.
Mar 22, 2022
Music as Writing Inspiration
When sitting down to write, the right environment and mood has enormous implications on both my creativity and productivity. Dual...
M.C.
Jan 18, 2022
Book Review - All Systems Red
I’m not sure why I’m late the party (there are likely many reasons), but I just started reading the Murderbot Diaries from Martha Wells...
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