Hello! I’m Patrick Hester – writer, podcaster, and two-time Hugo Award winner. Welcome to my site – All Things From My Brain.click for my full bio
News & Updates
INTO THE FIRE available pretty much everywhere!

INTO THE FIRE available pretty much everywhere!

Samantha Kane: Into the Fire, my new Urban Fantasy Novel, is now available pretty much everywhere! I’m excited you can download the eBook or order the paperback of my new book, published by WordFire Press, by...

A Moment About Grief
A Moment About Grief

As I’m looking to get back into writing things here for the blog, my brain is working through stuff related to my mother’s death – and that’s going to bleed through to things I post here. So – if that’s not something you want to explore right now, you won’t hurt my feelings by skipping

Read more
My Mom Died
My Mom Died

So, it’s been a while. I realized that when I thought about getting back on the blogging horse, and checked this site. Not only has it been a while, something big happened since I last posted something here – my mom died. Talking about it isn’t easy. But I feel like I need to here

Read more
Streaming Consciousness: Cobra Kai
Streaming Consciousness: Cobra Kai

This post originally appeared in a Patrons-Only area for backers of the Functional Nerds Podcast. For access to great content like this, and other rewards, consider backing the show over at patreon.com/functionalnerds. So. Cobra Kai. Where to begin? Anealio talked about this on The Functional Nerds Podcast back when it hit YouTube and encouraged me

Read more
ATFMB
Plot Holes. It Doesn’t Make Sense But We Really Don’t Care – Mostly
Plot Holes. It Doesn’t Make Sense But We Really Don’t Care – Mostly

A series of things came together to make my brain go, “Huh.” This is the way. The way of my brain… First thing. I was watching a rerun of Young Sheldon with my mom. The episode was about how Sheldon’s mother and father were dealing with the fallout of Sheldon’s mentor being hospitalized for a

Read more
I Hate Themes
I Hate Themes

The thing about themes is – they make things sooooo easy, right? Someone else takes the time to lay everything out, make it look good and all you have to do is fill in a few blanks. Except, they still have their challenges when it comes down to it. Take, for example, the theme I

Read more
Quarantine Ramblings
Quarantine Ramblings

It’s been an interesting couple of months. Understatement of the century? We’re all cooking more, reading more, playing more games, watching more things online. Adapting. For the most part. For me, I’ve definitely been cooking more. I post most of it on social media. Cooking provides a bit of control in a situation that feels

Read more
Wild Colorado
Photo Friday: Portrait in Stupidity
Photo Friday: Portrait in Stupidity

On a recent trip to Estes Park / Rocky Mountain National Park / Trail Ridge Road, I was able to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes – photographing Colorado.  I’m gonna be sharing those photos with you in the weeks to come, but before I do, I wanted to start with one I am

Read more
Photo Friday: More Snow Melt
Photo Friday: More Snow Melt

Here is the photo: “Now that’s a…river?” “Waterfall.” “Mostly.  I bet it’s cold.” *Tries it* “Oh yes. It’s cold!” This was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park, July 2014.

Read more
Photo Friday: Down The Tree
Photo Friday: Down The Tree

Do you have any idea how hard it is to take a photo pointing down a tree trunk? Ok – I’ll admit it – this tree was actually at an angle to the path I was walking!  It was a trip, but very cool. This was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park, July 2014.

Read more
Photo Tuesday-Frozen Falls
Photo Tuesday-Frozen Falls

Idaho Springs Colorado is a little town nestled in the Clear Creek Vally about thirty miles West of Denver on I70.  At an elevation of 7, 526 feet, it can get pretty cold there in the winter (I went white water rafting there a couple summers ago!).  You have to pass through one of the

Read more
Photo Tuesday-Pride Rock
Photo Tuesday-Pride Rock

Last weekend, I had the chance to hang out with Karen & Curtis, who were in town for Thanksgiving. Karen is Karen Burnham of SF Signal, Spiral Galaxy & Locus fame. She’s been coming on the SF Signal podcast since the beginning and I got the chance to meet her and her husband at World Fantasy. When they called to say they would be in Denver I was thrilled they thought to contact me to hang out. When I suggested we might do some mountain type stuff, they were thrilled…

Read more
Photo Tuesday: Uncles
Photo Tuesday: Uncles

I have three uncles, two of whom have been large parts of my life at different times.  When we moved to California, it was my mom, older brother, aunt, uncle, cousin and grandmother all in the same house.  I always thought he looked like Elwood Blues.  I remember the smell of his lighter, a zippo,

Read more
Photo Gallery