Author Archives: Michael R. Johnston

Last year I noticed, at some point, that I was asking students to repeat themselves more often than I used to. I started to think about it, and I realized I also was asking my wife what characters in shows/movies said more often than I had before, and running things back more often. So IContinue reading “An end to “Say that again?””

A while back, I wrote about how I had four cats, and why. Well, it’s been a while, and things have changed. I still have four cats. But different cats! Fletcher, like his brother Caisha before him, came down with cancer, and the tumor was inoperable, so we sniffled and wept as we put himContinue reading “The Current Cat Situation”

I belong to a group of writers who all had our debut novels (traditionally) published in 2019. NONE of us have had massive success. ALL of us–some from small publishers, like me, others from Big 5 houses like Tor Books–are basically still languishing in obscurity. Now, I haven’t read ALL of the books written byContinue reading “Why “Waiting to see it complete” kills careers”

I mean, not really–except, kind of. I’m currently in the middle of teaching Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to my AP Literature students, and one of the things I’m realizing on this–counts on fingers–17th time reading this is how close to Mr. Darcy I really am in temperament. I mean, of course I’m not reallyContinue reading “I am Mr. Darcy”

My debut, The Widening Gyre, was released in 2019. In the first two quarters of the book’s life, I sold over 1000 copies. That’s relatively good for a no-name author published by a small press. It’s gone on to sell more since. The sequel, The Blood-Dimmed Tide, was published in February 2020, just before everythingContinue reading “The Pandemic’s Effect on (my) Book Sales”

I came across an announcement that Star Trek: Picard had been renewed for a season 2 already. Attached to that article was this comment: And, well… sigh. Talk about wishful thinking. This is right up there with NeoCon talking points. This is the kind of viewer who is so ensconced in his echo chamber thatContinue reading “Star Trek and the Echo Chamber of ‘fandom.’”

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Star Wars fan. I watch the movies and the shows, I read the books, I wear the costumes, I spent more money than was perhaps warranted at the time for a custom lightsaber for my costumes, I wrote a book heavily influenced by Star Wars. So how didContinue reading “Rise of Skywalker: What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like”

When self-checkout registers first showed up, I thought “This is amazing; I can check out without annoying small talk about random crap in my basket!” I happily got in line. Now? Now I hate the things. I want to like them. I want to use them. But the bloody things were programmed by enemies ofContinue reading “Rant: Self-Checkout Machines and Why I Hate Them”