Read more about the article SciFiMonth: My Favorite Science Fiction Books
Consuming all things SFF

SciFiMonth: My Favorite Science Fiction Books

This post is a part of SciFiMonth by Lisa from Dear Geek Place and Imyril from One More, celebrating all things science fiction. Join us on Twitter at #SciFiMonth and check out all the posts!

My transition from adventure and action books to speculative fiction happened through fantasy. To the teenage girl I was back then, magic had more appeal than technology-heavy books. Even though I enjoyed science fiction movies, some recommended books discouraged me from diving into the genre (back then, in Poland, prevailed socially involved hard scifi, and the teenage me didn’t find them appealing). It wasn’t until a few years later, when my library was running out of fantasy books I wanted to read, I started picking up science fiction books. I discovered that science fiction could be fun too, and my imagination as well as the understanding of possible future technologies broadened, so I wasn’t bogged down by technical details anymore.

I still tend to read more fantasy than science fiction, but if you ask me about my favorite speculative books… the science fiction ones always first come to mind. (more…)

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November 2, 2020
Read more about the article Liftoff!—Joining SciFiMonth
Consuming all things SFF

Liftoff!—Joining SciFiMonth

I think it was 2 years ago when I first came across the SciFi Month on Sarah Higbee’s blog. I loved the idea, since I’m as much a fan of science fiction as I am of fantasy, but it felt rushed to try joining mid-month. Instead, I hoped to join the following year, which in the end, never happened.

This year, I was determined to not miss it. I noted the date in my calendar and started gathering ideas—and there were so many! Time, of course, flies and I might be far from feeling prepared, but I’m still joining it. (more…)

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October 26, 2020
Read more about the article Why I Decided to Become an Indie Author
On Writing

Why I Decided to Become an Indie Author

“Dreams do not come true just because you dream them.” – Shonda Rhimes

Back in my youth, when I was only starting my writing journey, it always seemed clear to me that I would one day be traditionally published. But while I grew as a writer, gathering short story publications from publishers small and big, the world around me grew as well, changing in the ways I couldn’t have predicted. Traditional publishing wasn’t the only valid way anymore.

Over the years, my perspectives broadened, and my priorities shifted, leading me to realize that it was time to change my decades-old approach to my writing.

I decided to become an indie author, and here’s why.

(more…)

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October 12, 2020
Read more about the article What Went Wrong With Netflix’s Altered Carbon
Personal Rants

What Went Wrong With Netflix’s Altered Carbon

I’ve read Richard Morgan’s Takeshi Kovacs series in my early twenties, back when I lived in Poland. There was a bit of hype about it, and I decided to check it out. Needless to say, a book that started with the main character dying on the first two pages had to suck me in (and I missed my tram stop because of it). I devoured all three books as they became available in Polish, and then—since there were no more Takeshi Kovacs stories—I moved onto other exciting reads.

When Netflix released its series based on the books, I hardly remembered the stories, only the setting, so it took me a while to actually get around to watching it. That delay allowed me to watch season 1 and 2 of Netflix’s Altered Carbon almost back to back.

If you had not watched the series, be warned—some spoilers ahead. (more…)

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May 18, 2020
Read more about the article Remembering Mike Resnick’s Books
Personal Rants

Remembering Mike Resnick’s Books

Last year, I came across information that writer Mike Resnick was sick, but people get sick all the time, and then they get better… except for when it’s the sickness which gets the better of them as it was in his case.

To be honest, I didn’t know Mike Resnick as a person. I didn’t even know him as a writer. But I did know his books, so when the news of his recent death reached me, I immediately thought of his works. I don’t have those fancy memories of meeting him in person, but I have all the memories of reading his books and how formative some of them became. So today, to honor his memory and let him live on within his words and worlds, I’m sharing the ones I liked the most with you. Who knows, maybe you’ll feel tempted to pick one up?

(more…)

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January 13, 2020
Read more about the article Melfka’s Best of 2019
As a Side Note

Melfka’s Best of 2019

Do end-of-year lists have a point? 355 days is enough time to both get acquainted with massive amounts of creations and… forget about a lot of them, no matter how good they were. Yet, those subjective “the best of” lists do have an appeal of discovery of another person’s favorites that in the next year might become mine.

Nowadays I’m more focused on creating rather than consuming, so I don’t have dozens of books or tv shows to pick from, but I still can point toward my favorites, so here’s a meager Melfka’s Best of 2019 list. (more…)

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January 6, 2020
Read more about the article Pride and Prejudice and Other Classics I Didn’t Read
Personal Rants

Pride and Prejudice and Other Classics I Didn’t Read

Some time ago, I stumbled across people discussing some reference to Pride and Prejudice. To my surprise, one of the points raised was that one cannot consider oneself a book-lover if one has not read Pride and Prejudice. That gave me a pause. I definitely consider myself a book worm, but at the same time, I haven’t read anything by Jane Austen. And come to think of it, I haven’t read a bunch of other books considered classics either.  (more…)

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September 17, 2018
Read more about the article Dear Book, I Want to Fall in Love with You…
Uncategorized

Dear Book, I Want to Fall in Love with You…

Dear Book,

It’s been a while since I’ve fallen in love with a novel, so I’m really looking forward to you being my next love.

It’d be so perfect! I’d re-read you over and over again. I’d tell my friends about you. And I’d re-read you once more then, because you would be so worth it! I wouldn’t even care if you had beautiful and enchanting style. Your words could be simply entertaining, and I’d love you all the same. (more…)

6 Comments
April 23, 2018