first line friday

First Lines for the Holidays

Lynette M Burrows

Welcome to First Lines for the Holidays. December has more than just the Christmas holiday. See my posts on December Celebrations for some of the celebrations held this month.   For this First Lines Friday, here are a selection of first lines from science fiction and fantasy books that include or are about the holidays. I hope you find at least one you will enjoy. Have you heard of the great Forest of Burzee? The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum There was a Christmas tree in the lobby when Lauren got to work, and the receptionist was sitting with her chin in her hand, watching the security monitor. A Lot Like Christmas: Stories by Connie Willis The Reverend Lizzie Blackmore slowly blinked awake, and found, to her surprise, that she was already furious. The Lost Child of Lychford by Paul Cornell Once there was a boy who lived in a cabin in the deep woods with no one for company but an old woman and an old man. Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire Santa Claus… How vile your name upon my tongue. Like acid, hard to utter without spitting. Krampus: The […]

Do You Want to Read More?

Lynette M Burrows

First Line Friday is a series of blog articles posted on the first Friday of every month. The first line of a story, we’re told, must hook the reader. Implied is that the reader will not buy the book if the first line isn’t great. These entries are from Amazon, my personal library, or other online booksellers. Do these first lines hook you? Do you want to read more? John Allerton sucked in another painful breath and struggled not to cough it out. Tom Abrahams, Unprepared (The Scourge Book 1) Harvey Watson didn’t want to admit it, but he was lost. Ryan Casey, Outbreak: A Post Apocalyptic Survival Thriller  I had my recurring dream last night. Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower Alex Hawk looked from one corner of his basement to the other. Shawn Inmon, A Door Into Time: An Alex Hawk Time Travel Adventure Let’s start with the end of the world, why don’t we? N.K. Jemisin, The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth Book 1) It feels like we’re running away… S. M. Anderson, A Bright Shore (The Eden Chronicles Book 1) I sometimes wonder what was disappeared first—among all the things that have vanished from the island. […]