Hey there!

Thank you for all your responses to my email about why we’re drawn to story!

I especially appreciated that a few of you pointed out that when I got all “English lit major” on the deep purposes of Why We Read, I missed something fundamental about science fiction.

It’s just plain fun.

Escapism and fun are, I would argue, the biggest reason that most people read. It’s the main reason I read or watch movies — I want to be entertained.

That’s also why I write. I’m here to see if Jay can stop the space train from blowing up. I’m here for Starla’s motorcycle chase scenes. I’m here for the amazing race through the jungle to find a mysterious object.

As one reader put it, “Sometimes I just seek sheer escapism, in a galaxy far far away and long long ago from my present life.”

To put my English major hat back on for a second, though (sorry, I can’t help it!), I think the reason we seek entertainment and escapism in science fiction versus romance or memoir or WWII epics still harkens back to those fundamental questions that concern us, personally.

Anyway, it got me thinking about some of my favorite moments in books that I’ve read. Those moments that you can see as clearly as if you’re watching a movie.

Early on, it was the zero G battles in Ender’s Game. I devoured that book and its sequels in high school because I could so clearly picture the epic action. Same with the action scenes in Dune, another book I adored.

More recently, the epic final battle in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time now lives rent-free in my brain. I won’t spoil anything (GO READ IT!), but those last few chapters are just pure mayhem and delight.

Rachel Bach’s Paradox series and KB Wager’s Indranan War series also come to mind as filled with epic, cinematic fun. And of course, Ian Banks is such an incredibly visual writer it’s impossible not to see the orbital cities and vast underground train systems and everything else he describes so epically.

So yes, sci-fi is just plain fun. 🙂

And speaking of fun!

You’ve all been waiting so patiently for the next installment of the Nanshe Chronicles series, and your wait is almost over! I’ll be announcing the pre-order date as soon as I get the manuscript back from my editor, but expect it to be out before the end of the year.

Before then, though, I do have a new Nanshe Chronicles story for you.

I’m doing another edition of the CROOKED sci-fi crime anthology series! CROOKED V.3 will be out on October 28th, and it will include a Nanshe Chronicles side story, as well as brand new short stories from 9 other sci-fi crime authors.

I’m extremely excited about all these stories, and delighted to share them with you!

Mark your calendars and stay tuned…

CROOKED V.3 Welcome to CROOKED V.3! This third installment in the Crooked anthology series brings you ten more stories of space crime. The goal of the Crooked anthology series is to introduce you, the reader, to authors who are currently writing sci-fi crime stories. Many of the stories in this collection are set in larger universes, which means that if you read something you like, you'll find plenty more in that author's catalogue to keep you busy. Jobs will go wrong. Backs will be stabbed. Mayhem will break out. And things will definitely explode. You're gonna love it here. I promise. Learn More

Happy reading!

Jessie