J. Robert King

Given that I am not a digital native, or even an early adopter, or even a non-NeoLuddite, some of my friends ask me why I tweet.
To answer that question, I first need to answer a few built-in objections:
Objection 1: Isn’t Twitter just a bunch of people telling other people about the baloney sandwich they are eating?
Answer 1: [...]

As author of Angel of Death, I am often asked the Ultimate Question: “What will it be like after I die?”
My answer is simple: “What was it like before you were born?” This response invariably leads to quizzical looks, so I press on with another question. “When were you born?” 
“In 1966.”
“What was it like in 1965?”
“I [...]

On Saturday, I took my wife out for breakfast to celebrate our 23rd anniversary. Though we sat across the table from each other, making conversation, she soon got a text message from her sister and began a conversation with her. I tried to continue talking, but it was clear that what I had to say [...]

Most historians agree that King Arthur was real.
It’s not because they have found Camelot or have dug up a mythic sword in  Glastonbury. It’s because there must have been someone like an Arthur who could stand in the power vacuum between Rome’s collapse and the Anglo-Saxon’s invasion. Someone must have fought hard enough that the [...]

I had a great time last night talking at ConCinnity at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Thanks, Kevin, for thinking of inviting me, and thanks, everyone at MAGE, for putting on a great show.
I talked about writing SF and fantasy, with an emphasis on writing for games, such as Magic: The Gathering. We had a [...]

I’ve long known of singularities. In astrophysical terms, a singularity is a point in space with no height, width, or depth–often with a whole star shoved inside.
But there’s another kind of singularity–a cultural change that is so revolutionary that the world will not be the same afterward. The shift from hunter-gatherer to agricultural city-state was [...]

Okay, I know this is not a great follow-up to that terrific series with Ed Greenwood, but life brings wonderful things followed by terrible things.
This morning, my cat Merlin died.
Eleven years ago, a gray tabby kitten followed a 32-year-old man who was taking his three-year-old and one-year-old boys on a walk in their wagon. The [...]

 Lightning Round
To wrap up these Twelve Days of Greenwood, I thought it would be fun to ask Ed a bunch of rapid-fire questions ala Inside the Actor’s Studio. Here are my questions and his responses:
What is your favorite word?
I haven’t got a favorite word, but I like to slip certain words into most of my [...]

 
Favorite Novels and Games
With such a voluminous output—over 30 published novels and 180 published game products—I thought for sure Ed would have a favorite. But Ed is not so much about novels or games, but moments. He enjoys wherever he is and whatever he’s doing. Here’s his response:
I really don’t have a favorite novel. I [...]

Advice to Aspiring Writers
Ed Greenwood is a treasure trove of experience for young, aspiring writers. I asked him to give his advice for what aspiring writers should do—and not do:
Writers should . . .
Read. Read, read, read. Not so you can copy stuff, but so you can experience all sorts of styles of writing, so [...]