Asking the Wrong Questions

The first of my three reviews in the August 2026 issue of Locus is now online, and it's of a book that I hope to see getting a lot of attention as the year draws to a close.

"The Departure of Boromir" by Anke Eißmann, 2003Aragorn hesitated.

In the mid-90s, my family went on a road trip in New England.

In a little more than a day, the winners of this year's Hugo awards will be announced in Los Angeles.

Cover design for Unfinished Tales (1980) by J.R.R.

There are tropes that have been around for so long, and become so codified within pop culture, that they hardly feel like science fiction anymore.

"Argonath" by Naci Caba'Begging your pardon,' said Sam.

It seems that my life recently has been revolving around literary awards.

Being on an award jury has been a dream of mine for years.

My June 2026 Locus column had a bit of an informal theme of considering the influence—acknowledged and unacknowledged—on the works under review.

Illustration by Morgan Rogers, 2020'Are these magic cloaks?'

Violet Allen has been on my radar for years, since I read her transcendent short story "The Venus Effect" in Lightspeed Magazine.

"Caras Galadhon" by Ray Shield, 2025'I know what it was that you last saw,' she said; 'for that is also in my mind.

Earlier this year, the literary and genre fiction communities were startled by the announcement that Daniel Kraus's Angel Down, a fantasy-horror novel in which a squad of WWI soldiers discover an angel on the killing fields of 1918 France, had won the Pul…

"Flame of Udûn" by Weirling, 2025The last thing that Pippin saw, as sleep took him, was a dark glimpse of the old wizard huddled on the floor, shielding a glowing chip in his gnarled hands between his knees.

Sometimes I make very odd reading decisions.

"The Fellowship" by Robin Robinson, 2024'We cannot go further tonight,' said Boromir.

"The Council of Elrond" by Cor Blok, 1960'Then,' said Erestor, 'there are but two courses, as Glorfindel has already declared: to hide the Ring for ever; or to unmake it.

I had three reviews in the April 2026 issue of Locus, and they are now all online.

Publicity still for Lego Rivendell'You have done well to come,' said Elrond.

"Rivendell" by J.R.R.

Illustration from the Swedish translation of The Hobbit, by Tove Jansson, 1962[A previous version of this essay appeared on Asking the Wrong Questions in October 2010]The most that can be said for the dwarves is this: they intended to pay Bilbo really han…

I've made no secret of my admiration for Ancillary Review of Books's podcast A Meal of Thorns.

"Ringwraith" by Anato FinnstarkImmediately, though everything else remained as before, dim and dark, the shapes became terribly clear.

Reviewing every installment in a series is a rare accomplishment, even for a prolific critic.