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Columnists

Toasting Thomas M. Disch – Jeff Baker, Boogieman in Lavender

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Jeff Baker

Lives are short. Literary lives even shorter. When a writer dies, of course, their output stops; there are no new books or stories being produced. Their memory fades from public consciousness. Prolific writers like L. Sprague De Camp, Edward D. Hoch, even Isaac Asimov to a degree are in the process of being forgotten; their novels not reprinted, their stories not anthologized in favor of newer, trendier writers. Such is the case with one of our own, Thomas  M. Disch, writer of science fiction and fantasy; creator of The Brave Little Toaster, and a man who would possibly rather be … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Writing Itself

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Sometimes I’ve found the best source of inspiration is to simply pick up a pencil and start writing. Or to force myself to start typing at a keyboard. There’s something about moving my hands, putting words down on a page (or screen) even if those words are garbage. I may be tired. I may to do something else. I sit down, groaning and grumbling. I stare at what I’ve written or an empty page. I try to think of few sentences, even if they’re jarring or not quite right. I’ve found that stopping at an exciting moment, at the height … Read more

Musing on Endings – Boogieman In Lavender

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                                         “All Good Things…” By Jeff Baker For this month, a brief rumination on the state of the Queer Speculative Fiction short-story. Word has reached us that the upcoming edition of Lethe Press’ fine “Wilde Stories” will be the last. Likewise, “Heiresses of Russ,” the edition reviewed in this column June 12, 2017 will be its last. This is sad news for followers of short fiction, for while there have been and will be Queer-themed short stories published in online, independent … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Other People’s Stories

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One of my favorite bookstores moved away. It was the closest thing I had to a local bookstore. On a sorrowful whim, I picked up The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter. Other stories were included besides the title story. The Company of Wolves was one of them. Years ago, I’d watched the movie which was based on this story. The Company of Wolves had been one of first experiences with fairy tale recreations, shaping and influencing my own work. Almost as soon as I opened The Bloody Chamber and started to read it, I put it down again. Not because … Read more

“Transcendent 2,” review. Jeff Baker, Boogieman in Lavender.

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Transcendent 2

                                       Transcendent 2 a Review By Jeff Baker               As this column was going to press, (read; as I was getting off my lazy behind and typing it up) word came that “Transcendent 2” won for best Transgender Fiction at the 2018 Lambda Literary Awards. Congratulations to all involved, starting with editor, Bogi Takacs. Those who want some specifics about just how good this book is, read on. —J.S. Baker “Transcendent 2,” Lethe Press’ second annual collection of Transgender themed speculative … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Just a Feeling

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Every once in a while, I walk by someone. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye. My skin crawls. I don’t know why. I don’t even know him. I just want to get away from him as soon as possible. Other times, I look into a stranger’s eyes and find myself smiling. She smiles back. We’re instantly at ease with each other. I don’t know why. Some of my favorite moments on television remind me of these moments. I remember a scene in the very first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy approached a shy, … Read more

Thomas Tryon, Dark Secrets – Boogieman In Lavender

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egg-shaped skulls

by Jeff Baker The strangers find themselves in a small town in the country. A town where the older, quieter, simpler ways are important. A town where religion is important and the people are close to nature, to the land, to the tall, growing corn. By the end of the tale, the strangers realize (too late) that religion and the corn have blended in horrific ways. Stephen King’s “Children of the Corn,” right? No. Thomas Tryon’s 1973 novel “Harvest Home,” which predates King’s 1977 short story. Thomas Tryon broke into the literary scene with his novel “The Other,” in the … Read more

U=(N/T)M*G: TOY

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Science finds stuff in weird places all the time. The nightmare creatures in the depths of the ocean. Sand rivers on Mars. Probable diamond storms on Neptune and Uranus. Living creatures in thermal vents, as well as the freezing vacuum of space. I have to say, this one made me giggle. Time crystals have been found in those rock-growing kits for children. Yes, I know what that sounds like. A material that has proven difficult to create in a lab setting is something that kids make on the regular to learn about crystals. Wild, right? It’s also presented some real … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Creativity vs. Practicality

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Too often, my desire to write, my creative impulse outstrips my ability to perform. My hands simply can’t move fast enough to put all the stories into words. Ideas come and go too quickly to transmuted into stories. I’ve got so many I’ve begun which I’ve put on hold, due to constraints of time or my own physical limits. I can only take sitting for so long. I have other things that need to get done. Many a practical concern awaits, ready to distract me from my manuscript. Practicalities often dictate what project I choose to focus. I need to … Read more

U=(N/T)M*G: CAT

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Ah, another holy grail of science fiction and science has once again caught my eye and imagination in a interesting fashion. The culprit, this time, is time-travel. Sort of. Allow me to explain. It all starts with quantum physics. You know, that branch of science guilty of giving people headaches since it went mainstream with Schrödinger’s infamous half alive, half dead cat. Schrödinger thought it would be a grand idea to theorize about quantum entanglement with the great Einstein, even if it left him with a sour taste in his mouth. Well, some enterprising scientists went in another direction with … Read more