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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Wild Colorado
Photo Tuesday
Photo Tuesday

So.  Yesterday on Twitter, I mentioned that my car slid right out into a busy intersection and that I was lucky I didn’t get t-boned. I thought I’d use some satellite imagery to illustrate exactly what happened. Here’s where I live: Nice little neighborhood, am I right?  Lots of green, leafy things. The ‘A’ indicates

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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,

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Photo Friday: A Stream By Any Other Name
Photo Friday: A Stream By Any Other Name

Here is the photo: Here was the conversation (mostly paraphrased from memory): “There’s a stream!” “Stream or creek?” “Creek?” “Crick?” “Babbling brook.” “Brook.” “Tributary.” This was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park, July 2014.

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Photo Tuesday-Rattlesnakes
Photo Tuesday-Rattlesnakes

The way we read things isn’t always the way an author intended. Take, for example, this sign from Red Rocks Park, elevation 6,400 ft. It makes me wonder – when is the rattlesnakes area open…? ~P

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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

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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.

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Photo Gallery