Category: storytelling

• Why we suspend disbelief

  Last night I binged Russian Doll. The recursive structure, nested plots, and multifaceted characters make it a philosophical thriller as much as a psychological one. As each thirty-minute episode slalomed across the finish line, I fumbled for the remote to inform Netflix that “YES! I’m still watching! More! Now!” I woke up this morning thinking…

• Finding your voice

  I’ve written eight novels, and I still can’t quite wrap my head around the concept of voice. Like porn, you know it when you see it. But what does voice really mean? Hypothesis: Voice is the ability to communicate with precision, whether you hope to communicate punchy one liners or epic quests through baroque dreamscapes.…

• Geekiverse interview

  I talked to Pete Herr at The Geekiverse about writing the Analog series: https://thegeekiverse.com/books-conversation-science-fiction-author-eliot-peper/ “The Analog series is about how ubiquitous digital feeds shape our lives and politics. It’s about power and love and alienation and kindness and courage and adventure and perseverance. It’s about the decline of the nation-state and the rise of the tech…

• Kim Stanley Robinson on how to spark hope in a future ravaged by climate change

  Maria Popova says that critical thinking without hope is cynicism and hope without critical thinking is naïveté. Kim Stanley Robinson’s New York 2140 finds the golden mean between the two. He challenges us to reevaluate our own assumptions and priorities with a vision of the future that is at once hopeful and pragmatic. The novel follows…

• New Books in Science Fiction podcast interview

  I went on the New Books in Science Fiction podcast to talk to about the social implications of technology, the meaning of justice in an age of algorithms, and the near-future extrapolated in my new novel, Breach: https://newbooksnetwork.com/eliot-peper-breach-47north-2019/ Complement with How to see our world in a new light, Eliot Peper Imagines a Future Ruled…

• What if a giant tech company became sovereign and democratic?

  In my new novel, Breach, hackers and spies grapple over the future of governance. Dark, lush, and philosophical, Breach is a globe-trotting, near-future thriller brimming with intrigue and big ideas. If you’re curious about how technology is changing our lives and world, you’re in for a wild ride. Pick up a copy of Breach right here.…

• What is a story?

  A story is anything that makes you want to find out what happens next. A good story doesn’t leave you feeling cheated at the end. A great story changes your life and becomes part of who you are. Complement with a brief anatomy of story, three tips for building a writing career, and Eva Hashberg…

• Blogs will rise again

  Prediction: As people burn out on social media, blogs will rise again. This time around, readers will subscribe via email instead of RSS. Blogs = shareable evergreen newsletter archives. Complement with how to build an organic fanbase, how we made an internet public art project, and this interview about media diets. Get new posts delivered…

• TechCrunch on True Blue

  Danny Crichton ran a lovely piece on True Blue in TechCrunch: Eliot Peper and “narrative responsive design” on the web Novelist and strategist Eliot Peper gave Extra Crunch readers a lengthy reading list of great speculative fiction a few weeks ago to help inspire the creation of startups. Now, one of his major projects has…

• Eva Hagberg Fisher on Lifesaving Friendships and the Art of Memoir

  I interviewed Eva Hagberg Fisher for the Chicago Review of Books about writing, life, and her brilliant debut memoir, How To Be Loved: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2019/03/15/eva-hagberg-fisher-on-lifesaving-friendships-and-the-art-of-memoir/ “I had to find the heart of the story, which was really my transformation from someone who was loved but couldn’t feel it, into someone who could feel it. And once…