Ian Tregillis

Recent Blog Entries:

Wednesday, May 1 2013, 10:29 AM Monday, April 8 2013, 04:07 PM Friday, April 5 2013, 05:15 PM Friday, February 22 2013, 09:41 AM Sunday, February 17 2013, 04:41 PM Friday, February 15 2013, 09:17 PM Friday, February 8 2013, 11:06 AM Thursday, February 7 2013, 12:22 AM Sunday, January 27 2013, 06:38 PM Wednesday, January 23 2013, 09:44 PM

Blog Archive

Praise for the

Milkweed Triptych

"A major talent... I can't wait to see more."

—George R. R. Martin

"Mad English warlocks battling twisted Nazi psychics? Yes please, thank you. Tregillis's debut has a white-knuckle plot, beautiful descriptions, and complex characters-- an unstoppable Vickers of a novel."

—Cory Doctorow on Bitter Seeds

"Ian Tregillis triumphantly concludes his astonishing, brilliant, pulse-pounding debut trilogy, The Milkweed Triptych."

—Cory Doctorow on Necessary Evil

"Tregillis' conclusion of the Milkweed Triptych is the piÃ¨ce de rÃ©sistance of the series. Necessary Evil is a perfect marriage of science fiction, fantasy and alternate history."

—RT Book Reviews (4.5 stars, Top Pick) on Necessary Evil

"Darkly fascinatingâ€¦A thoroughly fascinating conclusion to an imaginative tour de force."

—Kirkus on Necessary Evil

"A cross between the devious, character-driven spy fiction of early John le CarrÃ© and the mad science fantasy of the X-Men... Despite the jaw-dropping backdrop and oblique plotting, the narrative is driven by character and personal circumstance...
Grim indeed, yet eloquent and utterly compelling."

—Kirkus on The Coldest War

"The characters come alive via [Tregillis's] imaginative dialogue and his storyline will keep readers spellbound and on the edge of their seats with an intense sci-fi/alternate history thriller plot."

—RT Book Reviews (4.5 stars, Top Pick) on The Coldest War

"Well-drawn characters and a feel for time and place make this an excellent journey into an alternate Britain."

—Library Journal on Bitter Seeds

"Engrossing... Tregillis ably mixes cold war paranoia with his mythology."

—Publishers Weekly on The Coldest War

Choose Your Own Incredibly Boring Adventure

Recent Blog Entries:

The End: NECESSARY EVIL Is Out! - 5/1/2013, 10:29 AM Because I Haven't Posted About tDCS In A While - 4/8/2013, 04:07 PM Announcing the NECESSARY EVIL Signing Tour - 4/5/2013, 05:15 PM Nuclear Deterrence in a Blood Magic World - 2/22/2013, 09:41 AM Guest Post #2 at Charlie Stross's Blog - 2/17/2013, 04:41 PM Guest Post at Charlie Stross's Blog - 2/15/2013, 09:17 PM A Conversation with Charlie Stross - 2/8/2013, 11:06 AM NOW OUT in the UK: THE COLDEST WAR - 2/7/2013, 12:22 AM Clarion Is Accepting Applications for the Class of 2013 - 1/27/2013, 06:38 PM Holy Smokes! Cover Art for Something More Than Night - 1/23/2013, 09:44 PM

Show all blog entries

Saturday, March 5 2011, 10:08 PM

It occurred to me today, while doing my 2010 taxes, that filling out income tax forms is quite a bit like a labyrinthine and depressing Choose Your Own Adventure game for adults. (Or maybe Lose Your Own Adventure is more apt.)

If you choose to try sneaking past the Audit Dragon, fill out form 1040-Schedule X. If you choose to wield the Wand of Deferred Tax Credits For First Time Home Owners Who Are Also World War I Veterans, fill out form 1040-6652N…

If you choose to itemize your deductions, fill out form 1040-Schedule A. If you choose to take the standard deduction, proceed to line 34.

If you choose to claim your primary residence aboard a hospital ship floating in the Bay of Bengal and which is registered in the Netherlands, fill out form 1040-0093123-a. If you choose to claim your primary residence aboard a hospital ship floating in the Bay of Bengal and which is registered in Honduras, fill out form 23.

If you are 26 years of age or older with two dependents one of whom has an irrational fear of greasepaint and cotton candy, fill out form 1040-Schedule CLWN. If you are claimed as a dependent by somebody with a glass eye, fill out form 1040-Schedule GGM.

1040-Schedule X