Many real people often inquire whether I think about writing while running. Is that where I come up with all this insane tech? Is mile 2 reserved for working out a diatribe against the advancement of artificial intelligence? Is my cooldown dedicated to figuring out how and where I can
In a time when everything is a service (including this website!), it's rare to come across a piece of software that is A) free and B) so valuable that you actually want to pay for it. This year, two apps have met that criteria for me. The first
"The old man is dying." Banks says this to me when I walk into his office in lieu of a greeting. No time for them, he once told me. As overseer of the second largest feed on the west coast, I couldn't blame him for being
Sometimes, when you're between jobs, paralyzed by anxiety, and staring down the barrel of yet another election season, you just need a distraction. Something productive. Something that keeps your mind off existential dread and the growing certainty that your career prospects might have better luck running as an
Howdy, Carl! Have I ever told you that sometimes, when I'm writing and a little stuck, I like to imagine writing directly to one of my readers sitting in their easy chair at home with a cute little pug in their lap? It's true! And since
Last month, as I was tending the grounds (walking in my yard), I noticed a shiny cylinder standing upright on the stylish concrete block that holds my air conditioning unit. Upon further inspection, I realized it came from a small valve on the AC itself. When I tried to replace
In February 2021, like many Texans, I learned that our statewide power grid is not connected to either of the national grids. So when Winter Storm Uri hit, and temperatures plunged, we were unprepared for the surge in demand and how the extreme cold would affect the energy infrastructure, leading
It was a mess the next morning. Muriel and I watched some of it from our balcony, behind the safety of some bamboo shades that her parents had bought us for Christmas. At first it was just the odd apartment dweller out for a morning amble, walking like a half-drunk
In today's rapidly evolving World Wide Web, protecting intellectual property has become more challenging–and more important–than ever, especially for authors. Generative AI is promising to write your resume, respond to your emails, and help you come up with an assortment of social media posts that are
The advertisements for Metro Futurology featured a cavernous lobby full of glass and metal in a building that resembled the Tower of Babel stretched too thinly toward the sky. The sleek videos boasted finely appointed rooms with climate control, memory foam mattresses on the bed, and enough square footage to
In no particular order except for Replay, which is my favorite all-time. * Replay, Ken Grimwood * Neuromancer, William Gibson * Altered Carbon, Richard K. Morgan * House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski * The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger * A Scanner Darkly, Philip K. Dick * Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov * The Martian Chronicles, Ray
Howdy, and thank you for considering me as the newest team member at your prestigious company! You've likely seen my resume and LinkedIn profile, so I'd like to take this opportunity to go into more detail about my experience, lessons learned, and some of the projects
For Writers
I don't have a very high opinion of the so-called "AI" that has come to dominate every aspect of our lives, from regurgitated content on social media to AI-first initiatives from every CEO with a Fortune subscription. Furthermore, as a writer, I'm firmly against
For Readers
I never joined a hacker collective when I was younger, mostly because I wasn't a hacker. But I did have a dope-ass handle... XRISIS. Unpronounceable like my last name, Xrisis became my mask of anonymity on the World Wide Web. And then social media came along and destroyed
For Writers
When did this: I recently spoke with the CEO of a large energy company (that will remain nameless) about the value of generative AI in business. My opinions have always been very black and white: either generative AI is good, or it's the devil. After much discussion and
Open to work. What a strange phrase. It makes me think of "Work? Yeah, I've heard of it. Do it? Sure, I suppose I'd consider it." I see many posts in my LinkedIn feed of people who are not just open to work but
The independent publishing world has changed so much since I joined it in 2004, but one thing that has remained constant is the immeasurable value of support from friends and family. Year after year, decade after decade, my work has been sustained by the efforts of others, from purchasing and
For Readers
I first had this conversation about superpowers in the Dominican Republic at an awesome destination wedding in 2015, and when it came time to bring all the guests together for dinner in VISE MANOR years later, I knew exactly what they would talk about. Hopefully, it added some depth to
For Readers
Brigham Plaza was so much fun to write because not only did it bring together so many fun storylines, I got to draw on my memories of FETCH BBS, which is what we Gen X'ers had before the Internet. My friends Tanzy, Cleo, Whisper, Strider, and I would
For Readers
Although I've never really dreamed of being a full-time author, I can't deny it would be nice to sit around every day and do the thing I love the most: eat French bread pizzas. Then, after the pizzas were gone, I would spend the rest of
For Readers
As I'm finishing up House of Nepenthe and looking to the next project, I'm curious to know which Vinestead Anthology novel has been your favorite so far. Is it the cyberpunk murder mystery Vise Manor? Or the twisty thriller Por Vida? Or the OG hacker against
I haven’t read… like sat down and opened a book… in months. I’ve listened to Dune and Sure I’ll Join Your Cult, but there really is no time for casual reading these days. But, this is normal, and part of an effort not to let other, better
Behind the Scenes
This is one of the worst notes I leave myself. Worse than “terrible.” Worse than “full rewrite.” Very short means I couldn’t even write 2,000 words in a chapter, which means there just isn’t much here. Not enough conflict. Not enough plot. And yet we have to
Flashes From the Verse
Julius pulled the rig from his face and felt the rush of cool air over his skin. His apartment was dark, lit only by the glow of his laptops. Gray Man flashed frantically, warning him that the proxy path had collapsed and the hops between his rig and The Net