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D. D. Shade's Academic Publications D. D. Shade is a bookworm and can often be spotted reading soup cans in the grocery store or bottles of generic Tylenol in a drug store. You might say he is an obsessive/compulsive reader. Not even his wife will shop with him because of the time it takes to compare the contents of brand name shampoo to generic shampoo. If forced to, Shade will read the telephone book. However, to help with this problem, he can usually be found with a book in hand. A page here and a page there and it all adds up to a finished novel. And that, dear visitor, is the name of the game. But don't be caught thinking that Shade is not a selective reader. The above are examples of situations where no decent print material could be found. Shade is not a reader of romance novels, historical fiction, or any other form of "straight" fiction although he covered most of the classics in his youth. If Shade has a motto it is this, "So much speculative fiction and so little time!" Shade sprinkles his speculative fiction* reading with books about the War of Northern Aggression, Native American History (especially the Indians of the great plaines -- the once proud Sioux nation), other history books, and classics he missed in his youth and feels guilty for not having read them. And he will break the "No Other Fiction" rule if the book comes well recommended by someone he truly trusts or was written for young adults and children. Shade will admit to having tried to read "The Hunt for Red October" by Tom Clancy and other such best sellers but for some reason they cannot hold his attention. Perhaps having reached his late forties and having realized he can see the end of the rabbit hole from here, Shade has been forced to make serious choices when it comes to using the limited time he has left on this planet. Although he has no plans to leave abruptly, Shade has chosen to concentrate on speculative fiction. It's a commitment he does not take lightly. Please note the following rules by which Shade abides: If the first 25 pages do not grab your attention, read 25 more, etc. A book is not started until you have read 100 pages. If you've read 100 pages, you are past the point of no return (regardless of number of pages). You cannot judge a book until you have read the entire work. In other words, if you start a book -- finish it! In a more serious and sincere explanation, why would Shade limit his reading to speculative fiction? First and foremost, he is a believer in the power of speculative fiction to change lives. Many powerful books have had an impact on his own life and the lives of others he has known and observed first hand. Speculative fiction has the power to show us worlds that might be if we do not change our current perspectives or directions as a race or individual. Such books are sobering and make one pause and think. Speculative fiction is more than escape reading. It is more than entertainment. It is a literary laboratory (read more about this in "What is Speculative Fiction")! What, then, qualifies D. D. Shade to be a reviewer of speculative fiction novels by those who have spent their lives writing when he has written none?. First of all, Shade is a reader, a consumer, an expert buyer if you will. His mother read wonderful books to him as a child. Books such as "The Yearling,", "Treasure Island" and "The Cat in the Hat". The habit was drilled in from birth and still drives him today. Second, his academic training has made him a critical thinker. In the behavioral sciences one takes nothing on faith but demands as the Missourians do, to be shown. Currently Shade is a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Delaware where he teaches two courses he has developed, "Human Development through Speculative Fiction", which depends almost entirely on short stories, and "Human Development through Science Fiction Film". Shade feels his studies in human development, family relations, and early childhood education give him a unique viewpoint from which to review books. Most especially, Shade's academic research and papers have focused on the effects of technology on families and children. It is for this reason that the reviews you read here will often focus on the human interactions as they unfold in the world the author has created. Third, for over ten years, Shade has amassed a database of award winning speculative fiction complete with a scoring system (always a work in progress). With currently over 2,400 titles, many of the volumes reviewed here are from that source (see Shade's Top 102). Many are from other sources such as encyclopedias, 'best of' compilations and recommendations from Lost Books readers. Finally, Shade has a lot of books and a wonderful wife who supports his book buying and reading habits. Ask Shade why he buys so many books, more than he could read in this lifetime, and he will answer that buying is almost as fun as reading. There is a certain excitement to buying books. You hold it in your hand like a treasure box just waiting to be opened and its contents fall out. Books have a magical quality that gives out a fuzzy, almost electrical feeling in your hand. You place it reverently on your shelf knowing that the contents will not spoil or go to ruin but will be just as fresh when you come back to it in a month, a year or ten years later. Reading is also a very economical mode of travel. One can visit many wonderful places with a good reading lamp and a comfortable chair. On a more serious note, allow me to close this rationalization by pointing out that the ability to read and write is a gift from God. It is an ability to be treasured --one that is becoming a lost art in today's pictorial world. The worst part of aging for Shade's mother was when she lost her sight and could read no more. *speculative fiction will be used on this web site as an umbrella to cover all types of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. See, "What is Speculative Fiction."
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