Many of these reviews were originally written for the rec.arts.sf.written newsgroup. Although originally rather informal productions, their scope and purview quickly grew to become substantially more elaborate. I've often thought of reviewing as an attempt to communicate an essentially experiential phenomenon -- in other words, I am more interested in describing what it was like to read a novel rather than describing the novel itself. In many ways, therefore, the writing of the WIRs was (and is) an essentially blog-like activity. It should be noted that, as I repost the WIRs here, I will be reformatting them to a web-friendly form. In time, you will also be able to find entirely original WIRs here.

WIR Grading Practices 

Definitions of Speculative Fiction

On the Definition of Genre

 

1. Nightside City - Lawrence Watt-Evans

2. The Garden of Iden - Kage Baker

3. Gods in Darkness - Karl Edward Wagner

4. The Ruby Dynasty - Catherine Asaro

5. The Stars My Destination/Demolished Man - Alfred Bester

6. Sky Coyote/Mendoza in Hollywood - Kage Baker

7. Cyteen - C.J. Cherryh

8. Archangel Protocol - Lyda Morehouse

9. Memory - Lois McMaster Bujold

10. Digital Knight - Ryk Spoor

11. Warrior's Apprentice/Cetaganda - Lois McMaster Bujold

12. The Vor Game - Lois McMaster Bujold

13. Downbelow Station - C.J. Cherryh

14. Diplomatic Immunity - Lois McMaster Bujold

15. A Song of Ice and Fire - George R.R. Martin

16. The Graveyard Game - Kage Baker

17. The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

18. The Gripping Hand - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

19. Ethan of Athos - Lois McMaster Bujold

20. The Misenchanted Sword - Lawrence Watt-Evans

21. Diaspora - Greg Egan

22. Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson

23. Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson

24. Deadhouse Gates - Steven Erikson

25. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser - Fritz Leiber

26. The Psi Corps Trilogy - J. Gregory Keyes

27. Komarr and A Civil Campaign - Lois McMaster Bujold

28. Midnight Sun - Karl Edward Wagner

29. Northwest Smith - C.L. Moore

30. 40,000 in Gehenna - C.J. Cherryh

31. Startide Rising - David Brin

32. The Tank Lords - David Drake

33. The Myth Novels - Robert Asprin

34. Unicorn Variations - Roger Zelazny

35. The Uplift War - David Brin

26. The Merchanter Novels - C.J. Cherryh

37. Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny

38. Skylark - E.E. "Doc" Smith

39. Lensmen - E.E. "Doc" Smith (forthcoming)

40. Star Wars: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn

41. Star Wars: Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy - Michael P. Kube-McDowell

42. Star Wars: The New Rebellion - Kristine Kathryn Rusch

43. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire - Steve Perry

44. Star Wars: Han Solo Trilogy - A.C. Crispin

45. Star Wars: Corellian Trilogy - Roger Macbride Allen

46. The Short Stories of Vernor Vinge

47. The Early Novels of Vernor Vinge

48. Across Realtime - Vernor Vinge

49. A Fire Upon the Deep - Vernor Vinge

50. A Deepness in the Sky - Vernor Vinge

51. Rainbows End - Vernor Vinge

52. Dune - Frank Herbert

53. Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert

53a. Quick Shot: Dune Saga - Frank Herbert

54. Icewind Dale Trilogy - R.A. Salvatore

55. The Legacy / Starless Night - R.A. Salvatore

56. Crest of the Stars - Hiroyuki Morioka

57. Ringworld Sequels - Larry Niven

58. Jhereg - Steven Brust

59. Yendi - Steven Brust

60. Teckla - Steven Brust

61. Taltos - Steven Brust

62. Phoenix - Steven Brust

63. Athyra - Steven Brust

64. Orca - Steven Brust

65. Dragon - Steven Brust

66. Sign of the Labrys - Margaret St. Clair

67. Khaavren Romances - Steven Brust

68. Gateway - Frederik Pohl

69. Gateway Sequels - Frederik Pohl

70. The Gateway Trip - Frederik Pohl

71. Twilight Saga - Stephanie Meyer

72. Pushing Ice - Alastair Reynolds

73. The Elfish Gene - Mark Barrowcliffe

74. Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Volume 1