I wrote not one but two essays for the blog this week. Didn’t like either of them when they were done. That’s the kind of mood I’m in. Perhaps I’ll rework them and share them later. Perhaps I’ll file them away as pieces of journal therapy. At any rate, lacking substantive content, I thought it might be useful to review what I produced, and what I took in, literature wise, during this past year.
In addition to 59 blog posts, I shared the short stories “Call Me Sam” on Phil Giunta’s blog, and “Don’t Go in the Barn, Johnny” in the Firebringer anthology Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity. I did also write one radio play (first draft only), five short stories (one sold, yet to be published, two rejected, one pending, one slated for my podcast), a novella (thrice-rejected), a premise for a (non-SF) novel, a premise for a comic series, and a good deal of copy for work-related websites. Kind of a disappointing showing, all things considered. Let’s hope 2015 is better. I’ve already sold two essays sight-unseen to two books from a pretty prestigious publisher, so that’s good.
My top ten most-read posts of 2014 were, in order:
Leadership Lessons in Ender’s Game
Review – Ultraman Mebius
Helen Noel Kicks Ass! (And other reflections upon reading the first volume of James Blish’s Star Trek series.)
Getting to the heart of a character… Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Review – Space: 1999 – To Everything That Was
15 of Marvel’s Greatest Comics… Steve’s Perspective
Double Doors are a Two-Way Street – a silly but important reflection
Carter Hall is one bloodthirsty guy… A Review of The Golden Age Hawkman Archives
I F___ing HATE Political Memes!
The Globe Wernike Elastic Bookcase
Obviously, #1 shows that a lot of kids are using my blog to do book reports, and #10 shows that… um… I can pretty much write about anything and get some hits?
Finally, on the incoming side, I read about 60 books. That counts some “read” on audio. Here’s what influenced me this year:
Gods and Warriors Michelle Paver
Essential Fantastic Four, Vol. 8
Odd and the Frost Giants Neil Gaiman
Space:1999 Johnny Byrne’s Children of the Gods William Latham
Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four, Vol. 4
Peter Pan in Scarlet Geraldine McCaughrean
The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman
The House of the Seven Gables Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Annotated Peter Pan J.M. Barrie
Wonder Woman Archives, Vol. 5
Nextwave, Agents of H.A.T.E. Ultimate Collection
Destination: Moonbase Alpha Robert E Wood
Legion of Super-Heroes Archives, Vol. 11
Wind Dancers R.M. Meluch
Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil, Vol. 1
Classic Space: 1999 – To Everything That Was Selected Remastered Works Andrew E.C. Gaska
The Golden Age Doctor Fate Archives, Vol. 1
The Search For Maggie Ward Andrew M. Greeley
Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century Volume 2: The Man Who Learned Better William H. Patterson Jr.
The Mightiest Machine John W. Campbell Jr.
The Books of Magic Neil Gaiman
The Menace from Earth Robert A. Heinlein
Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men, Vol. 3 Roy Thomas
Something Wicked This Way Comes Ray Bradbury
Black Canary/Zatanna: Bloodspell
Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes: The Authorized Adaptation
The Steel Remains Richard K. Morgan
Marvel Masterworks: Marvel Two-In-One, Vol. 1
For Love of Mother-Not Alan Dean Foster
The Hugo Movie Companion: A Behind the Scenes Look at How a Beloved Book Became a Major Motion Picture Brian Selznick
Showcase Presents: The Brave and the Bold: The Batman Team-Ups, Vol. 2
Icerigger Alan Dean Foster
The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why It Endures Nicholas Wade
The Communist Manifesto Karl Marx
Marvel Masterworks: Captain America, Vol. 3
Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked Catherine Orenstein
Essential Avengers, Vol. 7 Jim Shooter
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Mark Twain
Spook Hole (Doc Savage, #70) Kenneth Robeson
Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D., Vol. 1
Superman Archives, Vol. 1
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Christabel and Kubla Khan Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Showcase Presents: Ghosts
My Years with Ayn Rand Nathaniel Branden
Marvel Masterworks: The Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 6
Sons Of The Titans Patrick H. Adkins
All Star Comics Archives, Vol. 1
Riverrun S.P. Somtow
Atomic Robo and the Fightin’ Scientists of Tesladyne
Superheroes!: A Never-Ending Battle Laurence Maslon
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 2009 Alan Moore
The Sandman, Vol. 3: Dream Country Neil Gaiman
For Us, the Living: A Comedy of Customs Robert A. Heinlein
The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde
Logan’s World William F. Nolan
DC Universe Christmas
Oliver Twist Charles Dickens
Alien 3 Alan Dean Foster