Josh Vogt - Fantasy Author & Freelancer Posts

Can a genre become obsolete? Bruno Maddox, over in Discover magazine makes a startling statement as he observes participants of the Nebula Award weekend– “Science fiction, the genre that lit the way for a nervous mankind as it crept through the shadows of the 20th century, has suddenly and entirely…

Her name is China. She’s 5 months old, 35 pounds, and fortunately, does not have rabies. This is us beginning the “obey us” training where she learns all sorts of neat tricks like sitting and responding to her name. She started out rather frightened of the stairs, for some reason,…

The wife and I are off to Jersey today to pick up our new puppy from the adoption agency. China, who is a 5 month old Shar Pei-Lab mix, will be coming back with us, hopefully to stay. Pictures will be forthcoming. In the meantime, in honor of yesterday’s fascinating…

No, I’m not insulting anyone. This has really shown up in a medical study. This guy has a tiny brain. In fact, doctors estimate he’s had a 50-75% reduction in brain volume, which has been replaced with fluid. How did this happen? Apparently he had a shunt inserted when he…

Here’s another anthology that’s looking for submissions. They want: …stories of fantasy in East Asian-based settings. We want tales that are heavily influenced by Chinese, Korean, or Japanese folklore and history. We are not looking for stories set in the modern day. The mid-to-late 1800’s is as late as you…

Puzzle-solving skills. Mental exercise. Social dexterity. Developing focus, patience, prioritizing… All this from playing video games? So says James Gee, a professor of learning sciences at the University of Wisconsin. http://discovermagazine.com/2007/brain/video-games “He found that even escapist fantasy games are embedded with one of the core principles of learning—students prosper when…

I’ve got a loverly stack of books waiting for me to chew down on. Ever since I started my job at the publishing house, I’ve had an almost unending supply of titles to read, besides my own favorite series and authors that I shell out for. It’s funny being in…

I watched a movie the other night with my wife–Underworld. A B-rated vampire/werewolf action flick that I saw when it first came out. Why I suggested we watch it, I can’t rationalize. She and I somehow got through the whole thing, but I could tell she wasn’t enjoying it, and…

A writing alert. In less than two weeks, Clockwork Phoenix will open up submissions for its new annual anthology– http://www.clockworkphoenix.com/ Here’s what they’re looking for: Clockwork Phoenix is a home for stories that sidestep expectations in beautiful and unsettling ways, that surprise with their settings and startle with the ways…

Having these clocks on your desk or mantelpiece would be both incredibly cool and distracting. http://www.klockwerks.com/ It takes a lot of imagination to piece together these odds and ends into artistic timepieces. His website shows views of the workshop, which is intriguing in itself. Though considering these clocks start on…