Changes Without Notice

by Angelina Adamson Anne McCaffrey and the Dragonriders of Pern series

So very often, the pivotal moments of our lives slip by without fanfare or notice. Such was the day I picked up my first Anne McCaffrey book. Unlike many of her fans, I had not grown up reading science fiction. Instead of curling up with a good book, I spent most of my teenage years with scripts, arias, and in rehearsals. This meant I missed joining my friends on the mass migration from horse books and classics to science fiction and fantasy. It also meant I had no idea of the treasure I was holding when I saw her name for the first time.

At twenty-four, my life was in the middle of a major shift. I was adjusting to being a new wife and mother, I had quit performing, and I was attempting to adjust to life in a new city. My cousin had come to visit, and as is … read more»

Recent Free Essays (Still Available!)

Available Until
Fri 4/26

Science Comes Second in Next

by Phill Joneson the books of Michael Crichton

“The novel is fiction,” Crichton says in Next’s disclaimer, “except for the parts that aren’t.”

In its e-book release of Next, HarperCollins publishers included an interview with Michael Crichton. The interviewer tries to get the author to clarify just how much of Next is true and how much is fiction.

“It’s odd … read more»

Available Until
Thu 4/25

Looking for Mr. Smarty Pants

by Dylan R. Keil, Frank C. Keil, Derek C. Keil, Kristi L. Lockhart, Martin F. Keilon The Simpsons

There is virtually no culture, either real or fictional, that does not have experts in different areas of endeavor. In traditional cultures, artisans and craftspeople develop bodies of knowledge that are deeper and better articulated than in the minds of non-experts. In advanced societies such as our own, knowledge specialization … read more»

Available Until
Wed 4/24

Your Heart Is a Weapon the Size of Your Fist

by Mary Borsellinoon the Hunger Games trilogy

There’s a piece of graffiti on a wall in Palestine. Over the years since it was painted, it’s been photographed by scores of travelers and journalists. It reads:

Your heart is a weapon the size of your fist. Keep fighting. Keep loving.

More than bombs, fire, guns or arrows, love is the most powerful weapon … read more»

Available Until
Tue 4/23

Stripping the Bones

by A.M. Dellamonicaon Battlestar Galactica

There are those who believe that being a Battlestar Galactica fan means always having to say “I’m sorry.”

That was how it once seemed.

“It was the helmets,” a friend confided, smirking. “Apollo’s making a parachute drop into a Cylon city and he’s wearing the exact same hockey helmet I had in … read more»