Chris Urie is a writer and editor from Ocean City, NJ. He has written and published everything from city food guide articles to critical essays on video game level design. He currently lives in Philadelphia with an ever expanding collection of books and a small black rabbit that has an attitude problem.
A well-worn fictional universe is something to love. When you’ve spent countless enjoyable pages exploring the depths of nebulas and far flung planets, you find yourself occasionally wanting to go back after the last page has been turned. Thankfully, authors love to dip back in and explore their universes almost as much as we do. […]
Marrying history and a far-flung future results in a partnership unique to science fiction. It allows authors and readers alike to explore the past, present, and potential future all at once. Like the best science fiction, it allows us to examine where we’ve been and where we may still go as a society. A Memory […]
Time is a slippery thing. So are stories. They intertwine. So when a story tackles time, and you invest your time in tackling that story . . . things get very interesting. Red and Blue slip along time threads. They’re on different sides of a war unlike any you’ve ever seen. They leave notes for one another, chiding […]
Mixing archeology and mystery with science fiction makes for a heady and addictive reading experience. Jack McDevitt’s latest entry into his Alex Benedict series of novels, Octavia Gone, starts when an artifact goes missing from Gabe’s collection which leads the group to investigate the strange disappearance of a group of scientists from a space station […]
Wishing to change the past is a common thought we all entertain. Whether it is to right a wrong, avoid regret, or to extend a kindness we didn’t have time for at the moment, hindsight provides a view of the good, the bad, and the murky. Messing with timelines has long been a popular topic […]
Most of us are prone to flights of fantasy. We imagine ourselves capable heroes of a mythical kingdom full of mystery, intrigue, swordplay, and magic. But fantasy stories are often shackled by shadows of elves, rings, and medieval knights. When a fantasy novel brings ideas both new and surprising, it’s worth celebrating. Anna Kashina’s new […]
A single-author collection of short stories allows for a unique peek into the mind of the writer. You get to explore worlds that have developed through different mind-sets and times. Whereas a novel is a singular coherent work of storytelling, it can only reflect one small piece of the many universes swirling around within an […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 149 – February 2019
When looking up at the stars, we’re often consumed with thoughts of the technology and science that launch us beyond the confines of our terrestrial world. Space also makes us think of adventure, excitement, exploration, fun, and the endless possibilities of an ever-expanding universe. Suzanne Palmer’s Finder captures all the best aspects of a science […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 148 – January 2019
In an era where every aspect of our online and public lives is being tracked, the last remaining bastion of privacy might only be within our own minds. But what happens when an alien invader takes up residence within your consciousness, hears your thoughts, and can occasionally control your body? That’s something Wesley Chu has […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 147 – December 2018
Quality and quantity are typically mutually exclusive. Bulk bought food is typically packed with partially hydrogenated filler while a uniquely tasty plate of haute cuisine is one of a kind. But sometimes, rarely, quality and quantity go hand in hand. Rich Larson’s Tomorrow Factory is his first collection of short fiction. It assembles the wide […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 146 – November 2018
Humans have been mucking around with the genetics of animals and plants for thousands of years through artificial selection. But at what points have we gone too far? What happens when a team of zealots with PhDs in science utilize their knowledge to decimate the Earth using nothing but a microbe? That’s what Nancy Kress’ […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 145 – October 2018
Humanity has unconsciously defined itself as the lone intelligence in the universe. From our attitudes toward other species, to our own sometimes overblown sense of self-importance. For all intents and purposes, many of us believe that the universe revolves around us—until it doesn’t. Steven Erikson’s new novel Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart tackles a […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 144 – September 2018
Mars is so close, yet it seems so far. The red planet has always been a mystery—inspiring scientists, authors, and stargazers. It may come as a surprise that we already have the tech to put people on that rust colored planet, but it simply comes down to will and wealth. For now, it’ll have to […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 143 – August 2018
As we continue to receive images from exploration vehicles launched years ago from deep within our own solar system, our imaginations look farther into the black abyss of space. Once we’ve finished pillaging this planet, or this planet is finished with us, will there be another home floating out there? How will we get there […]
The human aspect can often be overlooked in genres concerned with generation ship space battles, warring factions of angels, or titans of industry fighting for mining rights on the moon. When an author reigns in the trappings of science fiction and fantasy to make it hit closer to home, to focus on the human element, […]
The visual arts and genre fiction have always evolved together. Beautiful art complements a story while the story can help a reader find a deeper appreciation for an artist’s brushstrokes. One inspires the other and vice versa. John Picacio has long been one of the premiere artists working in science fiction and fantasy publishing. His […]
The afterlife has long been a source of fascination for storytellers. Ancient myths describe golden fields or a place in the clouds. But what if the afterlife and technology are closely linked? Hannu Rajaniemi explores an afterlife that allows for communication via radio waves in his new novel. In Summerland, it’s the 1930’s. The east […]
Reading widely, strangely, and diversely rapidly pushes out the boundaries of what you thought possible within the confines of your own imagination. The more you read, the more your conscious and subconscious mind laps up new imagery and ideas. Frequently, your new favorite author is the one that has shown you whole new worlds. From […]
Words are a kind of music. Writers who listen know this better than most. The crescendo of action gets punctuated by silence making both all the more palpable. The proper combination of words swirl through a reader’s mind forming characters and stories as varied as the depths of the imagination. A poet knows the musical […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 137 – February 2018
Classics are classics for a reason. Whether they’re the first of their kind or they redefine a genre, they’ve earned their place in the common consciousness as paragons of literature. They’ve been dissected, analyzed, and pored over for years by curious minds itching to find something undiscovered within their texts. But it’s rare to find […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 136 – January 2018
It’s inevitable that we’ll take to the stars to spread humanity beyond the confines of our blue and green orb. With new discoveries every month, planets not unlike our own are becoming more common. Unable to look closer, we can only speculate as to what we’ll encounter when we finally send a ship deep into […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 135 – December 2017
Worlds encompassed in books often extend past the pages. Rivers and mountain ranges spill over the margins slipping through gaps in fingers as they make their way through a reader’s mind. Worlds built over the course of a book series breathe and expand with the lives and machinations of characters and civilizations. Even when series […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 134 – November 2017
The only constant in life is change. For better or worse, everything is in flux. The more technologically advanced humans become, the more power we have to change the planet on a global scale. We’re already using science and technology to change ourselves. Austral by Paul McAuley shows us a world where climate change has […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 133 – October 2017
Shrugging off the shackles of the familiar and stepping into a brand-new world, the fantasy genre pulls you deep into elsewhere. Anything is possible—a metal creature can have a message, a dead man can talk, and ice-wyrms can rule the mountains. Elizabeth Bear’s new novel A Stone in the Skull, kicks off a new series […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 132 – September 2017
Novels can be clever or profound. They can be funny or horrifying. But rarely are they ever profoundly funny and yet stray into the kind of stuff reserved for nightmares. When a story gets just the right mix of lurking monsters, mathematical magic, and an unreliable character exhausted by paperwork, you may find yourself in […]
INTERVIEW by Chris Urie in Issue 131 – August 2017
Ownership is becoming a bit murkier. As tech advances and delivery systems become more convenient, we slide more and more into the rental economy with large companies retaining power and control. Instead of movie tickets and record shelves, we have monthly fees for Netflix and Spotify. Some companies have even patented genetic strains of farm […]
After a calamity, when the society we know has fallen, what community springs up from the ashes may be something familiar and will hopefully learn from past mistakes. But it will also have its own unique struggles to face. How do you feed a growing population outpacing available resources? What can be salvaged from technology […]
The effects of World War II echo through today. The scientific advances conceived on both sides during and in the wake of the last World War shaped the world. The Manhattan Project ushered in the atomic age and NASA sent astronauts to the moon utilizing V2 technology. But, as it is with many things, a […]
When the apocalypse inevitably happens and the end times come, what will be left? Will nature retake the cities? Will there be mutants roaming the subways? Will humans turn on each other? We’ve all seen the familiar trappings of what happens after the end of days. But one author has imagined something a little different, […]
History and the future are inexorably intertwined. It’s impossible to predict what will happen without first considering what has come before. Empires, dynasties, religions, and philosophical movements ebb and flow, pushing forward towards the horizon. This is why some of the best science fiction has one foot rooted deeply in history. In Too Like the […]
