“Wondrous, and not just in the feats of imagination, which are so numerous it makes me dizzy to recall them, but also in the humanity and tenderness with which Sequoia Nagamatsu helps us navigate this landscape. . . . This is a truly amazing book, one to keep close as […]
Read MoreStrange Fire, Joel Burcat
Fracking for natural gas has turned deadly in Bradford County, Pa., and not only is the water contaminated, but people are dying. Round-the-clock operations conducted by Yukon Oil and Gas may have poisoned a residential well and threatened a town’s water supply. Who is contaminating water wells in Bradford County? […]
Read MoreGreen Rising, Lauren James
Set in a near-future world on the brink of ecological catastrophe, Lauren James’ novel is a gripping, witty and romantic call to arms. Gabrielle is a climate-change activist who shoots to fame when she becomes the first teenager to display a supernatural ability to grow plants from her skin. Hester […]
Read MoreParadise on Fire, Jewell Parker Rhodes
Paradise on Fire (Middle Grade Fiction) Reviewed by Kimberly Christensen Flying cross-country for the first time, fifteen-year-old Addy leaves the Bronx to attend a wilderness camp with five other Black, inner-city kids. Although she’s never experienced life in a rural setting before, Addy takes to it quickly, rising early to […]
Read MoreBackyard Wildlife – Building a Bat Box
Back to Series It’s been an amazing wild winter, with two big storms just in the last two weeks, but of course I am dreaming of spring projects. We’re done planting trees and have a lot of new work to do on the garden this coming May, but I’ve got […]
Read MoreIndie Corner – Barbara Newman
Back to the Indie Corner series This month’s Indie Corner explores Barbara Newman’s The Dreamcatcher Codes. Barbara Newman always wanted to be a cowgirl. Growing up in New York didn’t stop her. She took that can-do spirit and became an award-winning global creative director, leaving an indelible mark on brand culture. […]
Read MoreThe Beautiful and Dangerous Ecology in A Song of Ice and Fire
Click here to return to the series This article contains a few spoilers. To follow along, it’s helpful for the reader to be familiar with author George RR Martin’s series and the screen adaption Game of Thrones—this article is based off the novels, particularly Book 1. Update: I first published […]
Read MoreA Snake Falls to Earth, Darcie Little Badger
Darcie Little Badger introduced herself to the world with Elatsoe. In A Snake Falls to Earth, she draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave another unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. It is not to be missed. I get how there’s a lot of uncertainty about the […]
Read MoreStorm, George R. Stewart
A violent storm, affectionately known as Maria, sweeps through California and changes the lives of many in its path–with a forward by Ernest Callenbach. The original version was published in 1941, but the story has been reprinted as new versions throughout the years.
Read MoreA Voice in the Night, William Hope Hodgson
In my new quest to add more fungi fiction to the database, here’s a short story by William Hope Hodgson, which I read a few years ago when I began to read more ecologically weird fiction. You can read the story online here. Two men are sailing in the northern […]
Read MoreDon’t Look Up, a Review
I’m surprised at the few negative reviews I’ve read of Don’t Look Up, a movie written, produced, and directed by Adam McKay. I was determined to watch the movie with an open mind, just like I do everything else, so disregarded such reviews. Also, while the movie is critiqued more […]
Read MoreThe China Garden, Liz Berry
When Clare moves with her mother from London to Ravensmere, an historic English estate, she can’t shake the feeling that the residents already know her, especially Mark, a maddeningly attractive biker. Clare also feels compelled to take midnight walks in Ravensmere’s abandoned China Garden. Then her mother reveals that their […]
Read MoreFungi, Orrin Grey and Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A collection of fungal wonders…and terrors. In this new anthology, writers reach into the rich territory first explored by William Hope Hodgson a century ago: the land of the fungi. Stories range from noir to dark fantasy, from steampunk to body horror. Join authors such as Jeff VanderMeer, Laird Barron, […]
Read MoreAmbergris, Jeff VanderMeer
Ambergis is the hardcover volume including the three books in his cult series that includes City of Saints and Madmen, Shriek: An Afterword, and Finch. The new volume came out in 2020, even though its books were published before the Southern Reach trilogy and Borne. “Ambergris is also the New […]
Read MoreIndie Corner – Sonia Myers
Back to the Indie Corner series It was great to talk with Sonia Meyers about her first novel, We Have Something to Say!, a children’s book. Sonia Myers started her writing career at the Half Moon Bay Review newspaper, contributing articles and reporting on sports. She is currently a middle-school […]
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