Entertaining stories for smart readers.
For the sixth year running, here is the annual update to my list of The 110 Best Dystopian Novels. These four best dystopian novels of 2021 were selected from dozens of contenders based on curated lists from The Guardian, The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and more, suggestions from readers on Goodreads, and ratings on Goodreads and Amazon. To complement … Read more
For readers who grew up loving the Choose Your Own Adventure series, here are 10 contemporary interactive books for adults. From horror to romance to memoir to thought-provoking literary fiction and more, there’s something for everyone in this list. And all of these books encourage the reader to participate in the story by making decisions and following specific paths. But … Read more
While writing my short novel The Theory of Anything, I wanted some concrete examples to illustrate the effects of chance and randomness featured in that story. My research led me to three chance events that shaped history (click here to download The Theory of Anything and learn more about the wrong turn that started World War I, the horseriding accident … Read more
In 2019, I published a roundup list of The 112 Best Literary Mysteries and Crime Novels that covers all literary mysteries and crime novels published before 2019. In order to keep my list up-to-date, I will release annual rankings of the best literary crime fiction each year. So here is the best literary crime fiction of 2020* based on curated … Read more
Welcome to the annual addendum to my roundup list of The 105 Best Philosophical Novels. In order to keep that list up-to-date, I release annual rankings of the best philosophical fiction books published each year. Here are the best philosophical fiction books of 2020 based on curated lists from The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and more, suggestions from readers … Read more
After an especially dystopian year, it’s time for the annual update to my list of The 110 Best Dystopian Novels. Here is the best dystopian fiction of 2020* based on curated lists from Book Riot, The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and more, suggestions from readers on Goodreads, and ratings on Goodreads and Amazon. To complement these rankings, I have … Read more
Writers are often advised to “Write what you know.” This well-worn phrase encourages writers to base their stories around subjects they understand and experiences they have had. But if followed strictly, this advice does not leave much material for storytelling. Writing what I know would leave my stories populated entirely by white men, dealing only with sports and forensic science. … Read more
Great stories are built upon a careful organization of characters and plot. The main characters face conflict and engage in action that builds to a resolution. Skilled storytellers, whether they are writers or not, have a knack for this organization. Their stories are easy to understand and follow. They tantalize you with details and reveal twists and punch lines at … Read more
Understanding evil has long posed a significant problem for moral philosophers, especially since the end of World War II. Even today, philosophers disagree about what constitutes evil and the potential consequences of labeling a person or action as evil. In this essay, I draw on the work of Hannah Arendt to describe evil actions. I then discuss my struggle toward … Read more
In this interview on The Sample Chapter Podcast, host Jason Meuschke and I discuss my career as a writer, from the moment I discovered my love for storytelling to my forthcoming novel Parabellum. We talk in detail about my most recent novel The Friar’s Lantern, with a special focus on the challenges of writing an interactive novel and the nuts … Read more