Mysteries vs. Thrillers Most readers love a whodunnit story. A trail of clues to follow and reasoning to understand. These types of stories fall into two major categories: mysteries and thrillers. In both types, something dr...

Why do so many people lump mysteries and thrillers into the same category? Yes, they are both whodunnits, but I argue that they are very different beasts.

Check out my thoughts at: www.matthewcushing.com/post/mysteri...

Instead of calling all these LLMs "artificial intelligence" - which has an established connotation through decades of science fiction - why not call them "heuristic intelligence" or H.I.?

If you missed this quarter's newsletter, no worries! You can view it on my Newsletter Archive. And, be sure to sign up so that next quarter's edition lands in your Inbox.

www.matthewcushing.com/newsletters

Release is imminent! Don't miss out! Sign up today!

2 days ago, Credit @progressivepower.bsky.social

"progressivepower: It’s a fact and there’s no precedent"

FRACTAL: A McLeod and Masters Thriller (The McLeod and Masters Thriller Series Book 2) Amazon.com: FRACTAL: A McLeod and Masters Thriller (The McLeod and Masters Thriller Series Book 2) eBook : Fallin, Cheryl P.: Books

Good friend and author Cheryl Fallin has her second book in the McLeod and Masters series -- FRACTAL -- now available. A fantastic medical thriller full of action and a few laughs. A great read!

www.amazon.com/FRACTAL-McLe...

Benefits of Joining a Book Club Though book clubs have a reputation similar to sewing circles, i.e. more gossip than actually accomplishing anything, this is rarely the actual case, and book clubs can provide several benefits to aut...

Belong to a Book Club? If you don't, you should strongly consider it. There are a lot of benefits beyond just reading.

www.matthewcushing.com/post/benefit...

The months are flying by, and the next edition of my quarterly newsletter is fast approaching! If you like book reviews, odd bits of news, or other things that make you snooze, please sign up! Just drop your email address on my home page to not miss out!
www.matthewcushing.com

What a great word

Book Review - The Devils Few books manage to combine humor, strong character work, and relentless pacing in a way that keeps you turning pages late into the night. The Devils by Joe Abercrombie does exactly that. It may be th...

Really enjoyed this book. Check out my book review at www.matthewcushing.com/post/book-re...

Importance of Dramatic Elements When writing a novel, the first aspect that comes to mind for most people is the plot. The events that happen. Usually, there is an idea and maybe a twist at the end. And as important a plot is to the...

When dreaming up a book, most tend to focus on the plot. But I argue that is only one of the dramatic elements that needs to be considered and woven together for a truly engaging story.

www.matthewcushing.com/post/importa...

Sho-nuff!

Don't miss out on the next issue! Sign up today. It's quick and painless and FREE! What else could you ask for?

Multiple POVs Does NOT Mean Head-Hopping Complex stories engage multiple characters in a variety of situations, and it is completely acceptable to tell those stories from more than one character viewpoint. But multiple character POVs does no...

Based on some questions I was recently asked by an author struggling with this distinction, I had some thoughts on head-hopping vs. deep pov. Let me know if you agree.

www.matthewcushing.com/post/multipl...

It's that time again - well, a bit past my regular schedule - but the next edition of my quarterly newsletter is soon to release. If you like writing news, book reviews, and humorous views, then please consider signing up.

www.matthewcushing.com

Author | Matthew Cushing Discover the latest books, blog posts and tweets from the mind of author Matthew Cushing. Read book reviews, critique and editing advice, and top ten lists about sci-fi and fantasy books.

Been a while since I posted. I have new blog posts on my website covering Deep POV vs. Head Hopping, the ethics of spurious awards, my experience with November's novel writing month, and a recap of 2025. Whew!

And please consider signing up for my quarterly newsletter.

www.matthewcushing.com

Play fizzy off by six AI is the enshittification of civilization

Friend and author Mike Strickland posted an interesting (and humorous) take on A.I. with which I fully agree.

stricklandia.substack.com/p/play-fizzy...

Honored to be included.

America's Slide pre-sale | International Human Rights Art Movement (Powered by Donorbox)

Worried about the rise of fascism? Troubled by the current authoritarian administration?

So are authors and artists! Today is the last day to get "America's Slide Toward Authoritarianism" (an anthology from the International Human Rights Art Movement) at a discount.

donorbox.org/america-s-sl...

Another three months have passed and it is once again time for my quarterly newsletter to come out. If you like speculative fiction and want some book recs, humor, and articles, please consider signing up on my website.

www.matthewcushing.com

Adios Disney+ and @espn.com.

Another three months have passed and it is once again time for my quarterly newsletter to come out. If you like speculative fiction and want some book recs, humor, and articles, please consider signing up on my website.

www.matthewcushing.com

America's Slide pre-sale | International Human Rights Art Movement (Powered by Donorbox)

IHRAM Press' America’s Slide Toward Authoritarianism is available for pre-sale. A folio of American and international writers and artists responding to this dire political moment in the United States, this anthology fosters hope for a society that continues to speak up.
donorbox.org/america-s-sl...

A friend and author needs help. Please consider if you're in a position to do so.

kidney4naomi.info

America's Slide pre-sale | International Human Rights Art Movement (Powered by Donorbox)

IHRAM Press' America’s Slide Toward Authoritarianism is available for pre-sale. A folio of American and international writers and artists responding to this dire political moment in the United States, this anthology fosters hope for a society that continues to speak up.
donorbox.org/america-s-sl...

Good Book or Good Story Which would you rather read, a good book or a good story? The difference between the two has arisen a few times over the past couple of years as I’ve learned more about writing and publishing novels—a...

Which would you prefer to read, a good book or a good story. For me, it's a no-brainer. Check out my thoughts on the ongoing debate between literary and genre fiction.

www.matthewcushing.com/post/good-bo...

Worldshift: The Speculative Fiction Writers' Summit 2025 Speculative Fiction Writers' Summit

I'm attending this event. RT if you think others will find this helpful 🙌 worldshift.manyworldswriting.com

Nearly Done with a Novel, so Time to Plan the Next Adventure I’m nearly ready to tie the bow on a creative project. A novel in this case.

“Nearly Done with a Novel, so Time to Plan the Next Adventure“ by Oliver “Shiny” Blakemore on Medium: olivershiny.medium.com/nearly-done-...

#writerslife

Censorship vs Cultural Sensitivity A recent debate sprang up in my online critique group over whether or not to publish a particular story on the website. The story had won an award and publishing was part of the prize. But the story c...

A debate in my critique group led to this blog/opinion post about censorship vs cultural sensitivity. It's a tough subject and I don't claim to know all the answers, but censorship is a slippery slope.

www.matthewcushing.com/post/censors...