Tag Archive: arthur c. clarke

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is not as bad as you think

Time has not been kind to the reputation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the first big screen journey taken by Captain Kirk and the Enterprise. Though it got fairly positive reviews in its day, some audiences found it slow and plodding. Once The Wrath of Khan came out and became an instant classic, The Motion Picture was treated like that boring cousin you only think about when you see him at weddings, ignored all year long until you’re forced to think about him. That’s too bad, because the cousin is far more interesting than he’s given credit for. The crew’s first foray onto the silver screen takes what was meant to be the pilot of a relaunched TV series that never quite materialized and…
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Why did I stop reading books?

After never being away from a book for more than a few days at a time my entire life, the last year has been devoid of finished books. What went wrong? If that sounds like the setup for a piece that is going to explore some interesting ideas about reading, let me spoil it for you: It’s not. I genuinely ran into a wall. Not for lack of trying. I read on a daily basis, often for work (research, etc.), and regularly for pleasure. I subscribe to a number of magazines — yes, print magazines are still a thing! — and have my face buried in text for at least a portion of every day. Actually finishing a book, however, has become near impossible, and…
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These Are the 5 Authors Who Made Me Want to Write

Writing begins with reading. There is a vague rule of thumb that good writers read. A lot. Granted, reading a lot doesn’t mean you’ll be able to write. It’s a start, though. And without question, the thirst with which I drank in books as a daydreaming kid, and later as an in-way-over-my-head young man, had a huge huge huge (three huges) impact on my later, and very ridiculous, decision to devote my life to writing. It led me to journalism and books and other stuff, and these days, it has me working as a freelance writer. Which is amazing and stupid and can barely buy me coffee in the morning, but it’s so worth it (and SHAMELESS you should totally write me at ericsanjuan@gmail.com and…
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