Yes, it's a compelling image. And a little goes even farther than these dudes will.

Yes, I read The Lord of the Rings faithfully every couple of years. And I love Jack Vance, the modern master (if not god) of the SF travel yarn. That’s about it.

And Vance is really more fascinated with the human (or alien) landscape he deals with – curious cultures and characters – than terrain.

That’s not to say I bar descriptions of setting, or of what our characters see. In fact that’s a notable weakness of mine: I don’t do landscapes or interiors all that well. I do enjoy reading them when they’re well done. And to the point.

But trudge-trudge-trudging across the desert, over the ice, or through the forest, means trudge-trudge-trudging down the page. By all means, set your scene. Then, please, get the Hell back to your people and what they’re freaking doing in it.

Coming soon: winning with Wild Cards!