Asking the Wrong Questions

Oh, how the tables have turned. Now it is the reviewer who is reviewed! Happily, the reviews for Track Changes so far have been very positive, and perhaps none more so than Ian Mond's in the August issue of Locus . I mentioned this review already in my appearance on the most recent episode of Critical Friends , and I'm glad to be able to share it in full online . In her introduction, Nussbaum explains that the title, Track Changes, captures the book's intent – to not only "track changes in the world – in the fields of science fiction and fantasy, [but also] my own growth as a writer and critic." To achieve this, the book is structured into five sections – "Space", "Systems", "Places", "Bodies", and "Tales" – with the reviews in each section placed in chronological order. I want to say that I saw significant shifts in Nussbaum's style and concerns across the decade and a half these pieces cover. But the realit...

Hello from Worldcon at Glasgow, where I have a copy of my review collection Track Changes in my hands, and where it can now be purchased both from dealers at the convention, and online from the Briardene Books website or from Amazon ( US , UK ). In honor of the day, I have a short reflection on John Scalzi's series The Big Idea , discussing the process of reviewing nearly twenty years of criticism and selecting from it what is worth collecting and preserving. Going back to your old work can be painful. Your writing isn’t as good. Your ideas aren’t as developed. There is sometimes a shocking naïveté. But you also get to watch yourself get better, figure out the tools of the trade. How to construct an argument and back it up with evidence. How to keep from getting lost in the weeds of a digression. How to turn your back on the seductive freedom of an online format that lets you go on for thousands of words, and do the same work more effectively at a shorter length (well, relatively...

The 2024 Worldcon in Glasgow, Scotland is now only a week away, and today the convention programme has been published. It is, unsurprisingly, chock full of fascinating stuff that has already got me gritting my teeth and wishing I could be in two or three places at once. The excellence of the programme is also the reason I found myself unable to say no to any of the events I was offered, which is why my Glasgow programme is the busiest I've ever had. First up, my book Track Changes: Selected Reviews will go on sale on August 8th (eagle-eyed blog visitors may have noticed the dedicated book page on the blog title bar). We will be having a launch event for the book at Worldcon on Friday the 9th. If you're around, I'd love to see you there. Friday, August 9th, 11:30           Book Launch: Track Changes by Abigail Nussbaum Argyll 3, In Person Abigail Nussbaum is a Hugo Award-winning critic and author of the blog Asking the Wrong Questions -- and now, author ...

Cover design by Tom Joyes I'm thrilled to announce that my first collection of reviews, Track Changes , will be published by Briardene Books this summer. Track Changes collects nearly sixty reviews from nearly twenty years of writing, covering novels, short fiction, television, and film in the science fiction and fantasy genres. It is, as the title suggests, a chronicle of shifting tides in genre fiction, in world politics, and in my own understanding of both. I've been working on this book for nearly a year, selecting, evaluating, and re-editing my old material, and the result is something that I am very proud of. Track Changes will be published in paperback (and those of you familiar with Briardene will know that it is going to be a handsome, substantial volume) and ebook versions. Both are available for preorder from the Briardene website, and the ebook will also be available from other vendors. The gorgeous cover design is by Tom Joyes. Track Changes is scheduled for p...