Author: marylowd

Scattered Thoughts on Star Trek Movies

I’m rewatching Star Trek: Generations for the first time since… oh, I don’t know, high school? And I still hate what they do with Data and the emotion chip.

The way Brent Spiner plays it, it’s like Data becomes a completely different person with the emotion chip. Continue reading “Scattered Thoughts on Star Trek Movies”

The End of a Closed World

I’m realizing, as I close in on the end of this trilogy, that I’ve never finished writing a book without any future plans to write more books about those characters before. I usually write open-ended worlds, meant to be revisited…

But in my mind, the trilogy that starts with The Snake’s Song has always been specifically a trilogy, and it’s very much a separate world from my other books and stories. Continue reading “The End of a Closed World”

Working on “The Otter’s Wings”

I don’t want to give too many spoilers for a book I haven’t finished writing, but… it’s really fun writing an octopus who wears an otter skeleton like a mecha and loves a gryphon who has a hybrid baby with her that’s basically a little elder god bundle of tentacles and feathers. Continue reading “Working on “The Otter’s Wings””

Crystal and Rainbow

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in New Myths, December 2019

“But the colors have no patience. They can’t wait for precision. They happen. Whether the crystal is ready to contain them or not.”

I am a cracked crystal vase holding a rainbow cloud.  The colors leak out through the cracks. The crystal is too rigid; it can’t contain them. The colors are too strong, too big. Too bold. And the crystal is precise. It desperately wants — no, needs — to be precise. But the colors have no patience.  They can’t wait for precision. They happen. Whether the crystal is ready to contain them or not. Continue reading “Crystal and Rainbow”

Baseline Normality in Ocean Horror Movies

I’m watching Underwater (2020), and it seems to have a monster that should interest me… but I’m barely paying attention.

Now, sure, I could TRY HARDER to pay attention, but I’m watching it for fun. And also, I’ve learned from being a slush reader to trust my instincts… Continue reading “Baseline Normality in Ocean Horror Movies”