Dan's Sci-fi & Fantasy Blog

Ifrit comes roaring back into Bax's life in From Ash and Darkness, J.L. Sullivan's second installment of his series exploring the darkside of wishes.

Read the books "the man" says are dangerous. Be a rebel! Read banned books! Think dangerous thoughts! Read Animal Farm .

Another missive from the edges of sanity—it's WIP Report time! I planned to give Robbie, the protagonist in the Vampire Dragons WIP, a dog at home that he misses while away at a soccer tournament. While writing the draft, I decided to give another canine a more prominent role.

What aspect of writing do you struggle with the most? When I first started out trying to string sentences together, you could say I wrestled with the whole kit and caboodle—even if I didn't realize it. But what I grappled with the most in those early days was characterization, unless cardboard characters without discernible emotions are your jam! So I thought I'd take a moment to pontificate on some of my favorite denizens in fantasy and sci-fi literature. 500th Post!!!!! Whe

Can AI save us from ourselves?

We've reached the midpoint of the year. How is that possible? I guess time does have a way of flying by! Anyway, that means it's time to give a reading update, namely what have been my best reads of 2026 so far.

Recently, I convinced my now 11-year-old reluctant reader to pick up some science fiction novels. But there is a catch… these are books I read as a child. Not just the same title by the same author, but the exact same copies!

Read the books "the man" says are dangerous. Be a rebel! Read banned books! Think dangerous thoughts! Read Bag of Bones.

I am always looking for books to entice my reluctant readers, especially my 10-year-old. Here are some books we read together last year, and he positively devoured!

Today, in my occasional series Pages2Screen, I try to answer the question of which is better, True Grit or the movies this classic western spawned.

I am familiar with Susie Black's Holly Swimsuit books, which are tongue-in-cheek mysteries. I was curious to see how her snarky protagonists and trademark humor translate into the young adult genre.

Meet Kyt, an alien known as a rax and confident to none other than Allison's nemesis, General Bane. She quickly bonds with Allison Lee and is a prominent character in the fourth and final volume of The Allison Lee Chronicles, The Bane Dragons.

Meet Pallas, a wayward skaag warrior, befriended by Allison Lee and a prominent character in the fourth and final volume of The Allison Lee Chronicles, The Bane Dragons.

If you ever had a novel released, you know that in many ways, it's a feeling that never gets old! Well, Solarflame is my fifth novel to break out of digital prison and avoid the abysmal round file to see the light of day. As always, I feel quite pleased, energized, and ready to tackle the next project!

As hard as it is to believe, Solarflame, my epic fantasy, featuring dragons, of course, releases in a week! I thought I wouldtake a few moments to reflect on how this book finally became reality.

Read the books "the man" says are dangerous. Be a rebel! Read banned books! Think dangerous thoughts!

Read the books "the man" says are dangerous. Be a rebel! Read banned books! Think dangerous thoughts! Read The Called Us Enemy…

Honestly, I don't even know why I'm dreaming up reading goals for 2026. I read maaaaany books in 2025, but I didn't get to many of the ones I planned to read. There are so many great books and so little time to read them all!

Today on the blog, I have a review of the paranormal YA Twisted Fates by SD Porter.

It's that time of year to expound upon my favorite reads. These aren’t necessarily books that were written in 2025, but they are the most memorable I read last year. If you're looking to add to your TBR for 2026, these books are well worth your attention. Without further ado, the books.