This is what can come from reading lots of science fiction!
Info for Readers and Writers
Here, you will find reviews of science fiction I like. I hope you will seek these stories out. Writing reviews of high-quality SF helps me focus on what I want to do with my own writing.
I also post resources and items of interest for anyone who enjoys the genre.
My work will appear here from time to time. Novella chapters are appearing periodically. I am a big fan of the short story form so expect short SF too.
Kinds of Science Fiction Reviewed on DCDietrich.ca
Modern Stuff and the Classics: I can still see the bookmobile shelf (back in 1965), where I discovered a treasure trove of hardcovers by Heinlein, Bradbury, and Clarke. I was hooked and soon started reading stories in anthologies of mostly pulp science fiction, including collections by Damon Knight and Robert Silverberg, many compilations by Gardner Dozois and David Hartwell, and recent anthologies by Jane Yolen, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Carmen Maria Machado.
These days, I continue to read the pulps and their online equivalents (e.g., Asimov’s, Analog, Tor, and Lightspeed), and I try to keep up with award-winning science fiction. There is so much great work out there!
SF poetry and visual art have grown on me.
Other influences range from Timothy Caulfield, Stephen King, and Joseph Heller to Kay Boyle, Eudora Welty, and Byrna Barclay.
My name is Don, and I am a news junkie.
Themes and Tropes: I grew out of a science-as-saviour mentality, but that trope and early science fiction realism are still influences. I am drawn to stories that are the opposite of dystopian. Despite that, I loved 2001 and the Blade Runner movies, and I binge-watched The Expanse. The story “Fondly Fahrenheit” by Alfred Bester (“Reet!”) has stuck with me.
Going Forward: I want to dive deeper into the rich and not-well-known-enough world of Indigenous SF. Thomas King is a great entry point for anyone looking to find out about how stories are integral to Indigenous culture.
Comment If You Will
Let me know if you find my posts useful and enjoyable.
Respectful comments are always welcome. Feel free to criticize or disagree. Harassing or inflammatory messages will be deleted and reported.
References
Bester, Alfred. “Fondly Fahrenheit.” The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume 1. Edited by Robert Silverberg, Avon, 1971. pp. 570-590 – see p 587.
Image Notes
Cover images throughout this site are reproduced for fair dealing purposes.
Some images on this site were produced at OpenAI. I am open to discussion of the ethics of using such images.
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