Steven D. Brewer

"Watcha doin'?" he said.
"Planting tomato starts."
"Starts?"
"You #start 'em inside, then move 'em out after the last frost."
"What else are ya plantin'?"
"Onions, peppers, and cilantro."
"Whatcha gonna make?"
"The hottest salsa you ever had," she said, tweaking his nose. "Wanna help?" (2/2) #wss366

The boy knocked on the door. There was no answer.
"Grandma?" he called.
"'Round back!" she said.
He skipped around the corner of the house and into the back yard. She was wearing old clothes with a bandana over her hair. She was kneeling next to a raised bed with her hands in the soil. (1/2) #wss366

Thank you. My father was an ecologist who studied forests.

a vendo tent selling books in an odd corner

a panorama showing the full market and construction vehicles

I'm set up for the Amherst Artisan's Market (Thursdays from 3-7pm). Due to nearby construction, they've packed us into a smaller space. But the weather is nice and people are happy to be here. #WesternMass

Personifications of allegorical figures I have long been a big fan of allegorical figures, such as these two outside the Chicago Board of Trade. My education in such things was slightly deficient. I mean, every educated person ought to b...

Outside the Chicago Board of Trade:

www.philipbrewer.net/2025/08/07/p...

"How far off is this cave?" the Ranger called.
"About a half a kilometer," Forrest replied from a treetop. "As the owl flies."
They continued to #march over the damp leaf litter, following Forrest's guidance. (2/2) #wss366

At the edge of the forest, the undergrowth was thick. The bear cleared a path, heedless of the briars & thorny shrubs. Once they were under the mature trees, the forest floor was largely clear. Here & there, a wind-thrown tree left an opening in the canopy creating an island of growth. (1/2) #wss366

"Most of the androids we have are in the form of animals," the penguin said, as he waddled along. "Having animal androids was a fad for a while and vast numbers were replicated. But now they've fallen out of fashion." (2/2) #wss366

The penguin led the Ranger through the doors and into the back of a huge, dim, warehouse that was divided up into cubicles. It was dingy and had a musky odor mixed with the acrid smell of cleaning solution. The penguin maintained a line of #patter as they walked back. (1/2) #wss366

Lambda whined and pointed.
"Smoke?" Totemo looked up and saw smoke rising above the distant hilltop. Then she saw flames spring above the trees on the ridge.
"Run!" she said. "Back to the DR20!" (2/2) #wss366

Totemo worked through the afternoon, recording species in a forest clearing. Lambda, padding around her, suddenly stopped. She turned, lifted her muzzle, and sniffed. She swiveled her head, sampling the #air.
"Do you smell something?" Totemo said. (1/2) #wss366

My Worldcon Debut - Steven D. BREWER Attending conferences and conventions is nothing new to me, but when I signed up as a participant of Chicon8, my self-described "semi-benevolent" editor, Steven Radecki rubbed his hands saying, "I can...

I suck at conventions. My main advice to myself is to not beat myself up when I feel overwhelmed and need to retreat to my room to hide. You can read what I wrote about my first Worldcon: stevendbrewer.com/my-worldcon-... Or my post about reverse imposter syndrome: stevendbrewer.com/reverse-impo...

Seattle Worldcon 2025 Schedule - Steven D. BREWER The final(ish) Schedule for Worldcon has come out and I am on the program! My experience with Worldcons seems to be either feast or famine. I had eight appearances as a participant in Chicago, for my ...

I'll be there! stevendbrewer.com/seattle-worl...

What's really important is the story. Everything else is secondary.

‘AI slop versions’ of books on retailers like Amazon ‘risk harming consumer confidence’ Low quality AI books “risk harming consumer confidence”, the Publishers Association (PA) has said after comedian Rhys James shared online that he had found a number of “AI slop versions” of his upcomi...

We may be moving to a period where the only way to be sure you're getting something genuine is to buy direct from the author themself. That's why having control of your own name web address is a good idea. It's not a perfect solution, but it's a step in the right direction.

"What's with the trash?" she asked.
"Oh," he groaned. "Those young hoodlums! I strained my knee and can't get after them. It's a real problem! But I think I've got a line on a solution."
"Let me see what I can do," she said.
She did a patrol and spotted four young men hanging around. (3/5) #wss366

They were drinking tubes of Snort! One of them finished one and threw it on the ground.
"Hey!" she yelled.
"Oh?" said one. "What do we have here?"
"Pick that up!" she said.
They surrounded her menacingly.
"Who's gonna make me?" the leader sneered.
A shadow fell across his face. (4/5) #wss366

"What's with the trash?" she asked.
"Oh," he groaned. "Those young hoodlums! I strained my knee and can't get after them. It's a real problem! But I think I've got a line on a solution."
"Let me see what I can do," she said.
She did a patrol and spotted four young men hanging around. (3/5) #wss366

For the briefest moment, she considered calling the Ranger of the Volpex Picnic Park to ask if they could get Forrest to come, but then shook her head with horror for even thinking it.
She arrived at the office to check in.
The Supervisor was sitting behind his desk with his foot up. (2/5) #wss366

The first thing Melly noticed was the trash: trash everywhere.
She had been assigned to assist the Supervisor of the Children's Park No. 843. The park was a rolling green landscape with colorful play equipment. But it was a mess.
"That owl would never let this happen," she thought. (1/5) #wss366

Note: If you're a member of the Straw Dog Writers Guild, please let me know to add you to the Straw Dog Writers Guild Starter Pack: go.bsky.app/8vZsjLn

WriteAngles Conference - For writers by writers Save the Date for WriteAngles 2025! The leading literary conference in Western MA. For writers, by writers. ​ We’re back in 2025 with another inspiring day of learning and connection. Mark your calend...

Registration has opened for the Straw Dog Writers Guild #WriteAngles Conference: writeanglesconference.com The leading literary conference in #WesternMass, for writers, by writers. ​We're going to be at Greenfield Community College #GCC this year on October 18, 2025. Join us! givebutter.com/kN9XKy

Today's Wandering Shop Stories prompt at Mastodon is #intrigue. Join in and tag it with #wss366. Visit https://wandering.shop/@wss366 for more info.

Hazarda Esperanto: https://esperanto.philipbrewer.net/2025/08/hazarda-esperanto/

Let's Go Fantasy Review: Shadows of the Sorcerers by Joan Marie Verba This is in the same series as Secrets of the Sorcerers, which I read in the past. It’s a pretty standard...

I had missed this review of Revin's Heart: buttondown.com/JenniferRP/a...

"It’s ridiculous, but it’s fun. And it has airship pirates. Always points for airship pirates."

❤️

I went into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. When I returned, he'd fallen asleep on the sofa. I sat down and sighed.
It was bad enough remembering all the stupid shit I'd done with the time machine when I was younger. But having to confront it face-to-face was mortifying. (2/2) #wss366

"We're chums, ain't we?" he said.
"I'm not your #chum."
"Oh, come on. Don't be like that!"
"You're drunk," I said.
"Don't you mean 'I'm drunk?'" He laughed hysterically at his own joke.
"Let me make you some coffee."
"Oh, poo. You're no fun." (1/2) #wss366

vendor tent for water dragon publishing

We are set up at Look Park for Rock, Roll, and Gather! stevendbrewer.com/rock-roll-an... #WesternMass

"What about our treasured memories?" she continued plaintively. "They'd be contaminated by that woman!"
"Oh, dear heart!" Kasseh said, putting her arms around her. "I will overwrite them with new memories."
Cecelia hugged Kasseh back, then turned her face up and kissed her on the lips. (4/4) #wss366

Cecelia looked at Kasseh with horror. "Never!"
"So you need some neutral territory to meet… How about the Crown and Sceptre."
That was the nicest restaurant in the Capital. Kasseh had taken Cecelia there for their anniversary.
"But…" Cecelia considered, biting her lip. (3/4) #wss366