This weekend’s San Francisco Chronicle features my review of M.T. Anderson’s “The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation Vol. II — The Kingdom on the Waves.”
I was very impressed by the first volume, and I think this concluding installment lives up to everything that has gone before. “Octavian Nothing” truly is a [...]

My Chronicle column has been posted at SFGate.com and will appear in tomorrow’s print edition. It covers three books by writers whose work I always look forward to.
I wasn’t familiar with Jo Walton’s fiction before I started hearing the buzz around “Farthing,” but her trilogy about a fascist Britain is one of the best [...]

Wow, the bulldog edition of The Chronicle arrives even earlier these days. My latest science fiction column, not slated to run in print until Sunday, is already available in the online edition at SFGate.com. I wouldn’t even have known had I not seen Matt Staggs’ list of links over at Ectstatic Days.
It’s odd working in [...]

A week behind schedule, my latest science fiction review column appeared in today’s San Francisco Chronicle. I’m still getting used to the new format. Only two books this time, and I was requested to edit my copy to the shape of the page.
One of the two books is “Infected,” the first hardcover release from local [...]

In last Sunday’s Chronicle, I reviewed Toby Barlow’s “Sharp Teeth,” John Meaney’s “Bone Song” and “Kirby: King of Comics” by Mark Evanier.
The Kirby book is the unqualified success of the bunch. It’s a handsomely produced art book that also presents a heartfelt overview of the life of one of the 20th century’s most distinctive illustrators.
I [...]

One of the great pleasures of being a book review columnist is getting to read the latest work by your favorite authors three to six months earlier than the public at large (and be paid to do it, at that).
One of the drawbacks of a column like mine, however, is that it appears only every [...]

On the last Sunday of the month, the San Francisco Chronicle Book Review spotlights new children’s books. Today, the paper features my review of “Runemarks” by Joanne Harris, author of “Chocolat.”
Although I think it too often loses track of its feisty main character, “Runemarks” has an interesting take on the old Norse myths. Ragnarok has [...]

As the song says in “Gypsy,” you gotta have a gimmick. Even as a book reviewer.
Well, “gimmick” isn’t the right word. But you probably do need to specialize. You can’t approach an editor at the right time and say, “Gimme any old book to review.” You’ll need to pick something appropriate to your tastes and [...]

Howard Owens presents 2008 Objectives for Today’s Non-Wired Journalist. He’s even offering a $100 prize to someone who follows his advice. Lots of good ideas here.
Is it ethical to review a book without reading it in its entirety? Should a reviewer read other reviews of a book before writing about it? These and other questions [...]