Pre-orders for my next book 'The Asterist' are now available at both @barnesandnoble.com and Amazon. Be the first kid on your block to get a copy. All links on the book's Goodreads page- goodreads.com/book/show/25... #speclit

Hey folks, today's a great day to pre-order "The Asterist," by the super-talented @atsayre.bsky.social!

Tonight's movie. My publisher keeps name dropping Andy Weir when talking about my book. I've never read him. I did see The Martian, though. And I almost feel obligated to watch this too if I'm not gonna pick up one of his books anytime soon, to see if I feel the comparison is a good or a bad thing.

Tonight's movie. This is one of the best war films of all time. But it is a lot, so you have to be in the right mindset for it. The less said about that kind of mindset the better, though.

Kaleidotrope re-opens to fiction and poetry submissions in one week, for one week, April 19-25. kaleidotrope.net/guidelines/

Well I guess Katie Porter doesn't have to drop out anymore.

Twilight Zone S05E31 'The Encounter' Not exactly the most enlightened story now, but this is the biting social commentary Serling always wanted to do, but had to hide under speculative motifs in the rest of the series. And unfortunately probably the last good or better episode in the series.

Pre-orders for my next book 'The Asterist' are now available at both @barnesandnoble.com and Amazon. Be the first kid on your block to get a copy. All links on the book's Goodreads page- goodreads.com/book/show/25... #speclit

Have a cover for my upcoming novel, releasing in October. What do you think, sirs? #speclit

Twilight Zone S05E28 'Ceaser and Me' The second ventriloquist dummy who's alive story in the series. It's an all right episode (but not as good as 'The Dummy'), but honestly more indicative of how they were running out of steam near the end of the series' run.

Twilight Zone S05E26 'I Am the Night, Color Me Black' TZ never shirked from social commentary-it leaned into it. It's one of the things that made it one of the greatest TV series ever. This one is a more direct about it than usual. Which is not bad, but I do miss the soft touch Serling usually used.

Twilight Zone S05E25 'The Masks' I studied Ida Lupino who directed this one in college. She was one of the very few women directors of her era, having transitioned to it from acting. Great episode, and it would've been interesting to see what she could have managed with more opportunities.

Twilight Zone S05E22 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' This is the only episode not produced by the show, but bought by the show a few years after it was made. And it's no surprise why. It's one of the greatest short films ever made, right up there with La Jetee. I love this episode unreservedly.

Twilight Zone S05E18 'Number 12 Looks Just Like You' Love how the evil society is portrayed in it--kind, soft, benevolent even. Goes with the 'pretty' motif, of course, but they stick with it when a lesser show would have done a 'mask unveiling' bit at the end. Which would have been a disservice.

Twilight Zone S06E16 'The Long Morrow' A sweet, romantic episode with a deceptively brutal twist at the end. Really comes out of nowhere, which is difficult to do when most of your audience is expecting something.

Twilight Zone S05E07 'The Old Man in the Cave' When your show is so subversive you can set up the establishment presence as the bad guy, only to turn it around and have it in the right. That's master-class subversive thinking.

Twilight Zone S05E06 'Living Doll' This one and the evil doll theme in it in particular might be the most riffed on episode in the entire series. Though none of them are anywhere close to this good.

Twilight Zone S05E03 'Nightmare at 20,000 Feet' A classic episode, no question. But to be honest, I've always thought Shatner was better in 'Nick of Time'.

Just finished a first draft of a brand new flash story. A simple little humorous piece, that it is almost certain I am the only person who is going to think is actually funny. #speclit

Everytime I sit down to write the last few months, I play online chess when I need to work out the little subtlties in whatever it is I'm trying to put down. Or are otherwise feeling stuck. It's not great for my writing produtcivity, but my chess skills have probably never been better. #speclit

Twilight Zone S05E01 'In Praise of Pip' Classic episode, and a great way to start out the fifth and final season. When in doubt cast Jack Klugman.

A long, but fantastic analysis of conversion therapy and many of the adjacent issues. youtu.be/_S5w18sjYLk?...

Twilight Zone S04E18 'The Bard' Make no mistake, this is not a great episode. It's only remarkable points are that it's the final episode in the weak fourth season, and the wild Marlin Brando impersonation Burt Reynolds does.

Tonight's movie. I didn't care for Cronenburg's previous film. It was actually quite the letdown, really. But he is still worth a watch. Certainly nobody else does what he does.

Twilight Zone S04E16 'On Thursday We Leave for Home' Might be the one of the few episodes in the fourth season that works in the hour long format. Also might be the best in the entire season.

Twilight Zone S04E14 'Of Late I Think of Cliffordville' A perfect example of a story that is done no favors by the hour long format. It's not bad (and Julie Newmar is a 'devilish' joy in it), but if you trim out the excess until its 22-24 minutes long it could've been among the classics.

He used his actual birthday in The Prisoner. Which is kinda funny considering how much of the show was about them trying and failing to get information out of his character. Happy birthday, Patrick McGoohan.

Ater spending the last week and a half working with the publishing editor's notes on my upcoming book, I spent eleven hours yesterday doing one more read through from cover to cover, doing quick clean ups other little changes. #speclit

Tonight's movie. Sometimes you're just in the mood for a mean spirited, cynical comedy. Or if you're me, most of the time. All of the time.

Happy birthday, David Gilmour

Twilight Zone S04E06 'The Death Ship' Leave it to a Jack Klugman episode to be one of the few bright spots in season four. It's why his TZ episodes collectively are better than Burgess Meredith's.

Congrats, excited to be working with you on this one!

Twilight Zone S04E04 'He's Alive' There isn't much in the fourth season to talk about. This one being one of the exceptions. The twist is very obvious, probably was at the time, but that doesn't matter because the idea is strong and Dennis Hopper's performance is one of the best in the whole series.

Signed the contract last Friday. My second novel, 'The Asterist' is coming out in October from @diversionbooks.bsky.social It's wild that this time last year I actually finished the first draft of this one. And here it is already striking out on its own. #speclit #booksky

Tonight's movie. It's really weird to me that someone who made such a subversive, experimental film like this went on to have such a convential, mainstream film career ever after. Where'd this guy go?

Twilight Zone S03E37 'The Changing of the Guard' Great episode to end the third season, which is the best of all five. Such a beautiful story, and my favorite Donald Pleasnce performance. I like it even more than Pumaman.

Twilight Zone S03E35 'I Sing the Body Electric' Ray Bradbury working with Rod Serling should be a match made in heaven. But alas, no. There are some lovely Bradbury touches in this story, his special kind of midwest magic, but overall it just doesn't work. They should've done 'Zero Hour' instead.

Twilight Zone S03E31 'The Trade-ins' Might be the most underappreciated episode. Whenever people talk about the great ones, I never hear this one mentioned. It probably should be, though.

Just signed the contract so it's official: My novelette, "Bella's Heart' is gonig to appear in @analogsf.bsky.social Details on when forthcoming. #booksky #speclit

I love it in a film or TV show when, in need of a piece of paper or stack of them in a scene, use what can clearly be seen by the way the type is arranged on the sheet, a page taken out of the shooting script. Angel Eyes' note in The Good, The Bad, & the Ugly is a particular favorite.

Twilight Zone S03E26 'Little Girl Lost' Good episode, but... You're young child goes missing, leaving only her disembodied voice behind, and the first person you call is a physicist? Shit, I'm kind of an atheist and I still probably call a priest.

Tonight's movie. RIP Tom Noonan. A Charlie Kaufman penned film is a very singular thing. When it's one he directed as well, doubly so.

Twilight Zone S03E24 'To Serve Man' Classic episode, with one of the best twists in the whole series. Though it's reactionary libertarian theme is hard to get over sometimes.

Twilight Zone S03E21 'Kick the Can' Not to take away from this episode, because it's not bad, but the version done for the film is better. The only segment from the movie that can be said about.

Tonight's movie. I've only seen this once, a long time ago. Seems kind of forgotten now, though. Perhaps its too much a product of its time.