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Bringing you stories, book and game reviews, writing tips, and updates from author S.G. Baker.

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Author: S.G. Baker

S.G. Baker is a writer and editor who penned the Hopeful Wanderer web series, forthcoming as a novel-in-stories. She has authored climate fiction, fantasy, and horror shorts in Beneath the Bluebonnets, Writing the Mother Road, Freelancer, The Legacy, Little Blue Marble, and Road Kill Vol. 2. Find out more at summergbaker.com!

Book Review: All the Crooked Saints

Maggie Stiefvater weaves metaphors like a spider weaves silk, and she filled this brief, slim novel to the brim with them. There are so many to examine, but I think I've picked out the main one...

S.G. Baker Book Reviews 7 Comments October 21, 2017October 20, 2017 3 Minutes

On Deborah Elliott-Upton

This is a true story of an almost-assassination: mine. When I was just setting out on my journey, I apprenticed myself to a professional king-killer. For someone purported to move unseen in the shadows, she had a glamorous air about her. But since she used the same black ink for a weapon that I did, … Continue reading On Deborah Elliott-Upton →

S.G. Baker Stories Leave a comment October 19, 2017December 7, 2018 1 Minute

Pre-Ordered Books of 2017

I've waited all year to read both of these.

S.G. Baker Book Reviews Leave a comment October 12, 2017 1 Minute

On Nydia Brandstatt

Before I met her, she was something of a ghost. I would sometimes get mail to my department at work addressed to her, but I, in my position as the center of the company’s neural network, knew that no one by her name worked there. So I shrugged and disposed of it. But then one … Continue reading On Nydia Brandstatt →

S.G. Baker Stories Leave a comment October 12, 2017December 7, 2018 1 Minute

Book Review: Un Lun Dun

The story itself mockingly dodged predictable hero's journey tropes, twisting around and jumping the curb every chance it got, as if to say, "you just thought you knew what was coming next."

S.G. Baker Book Reviews Leave a comment October 7, 2017May 6, 2018 2 Minutes

On Valerie Hendon

I met a wizard on the corner of an unassuming street in the middle of a bustling city. It was right in front of her glass-paned studio—what passed for her wizard’s tower—as I exited a trolley, one that had turned in a direction I didn’t wish to take. I should say, rather, that I met … Continue reading On Valerie Hendon →

S.G. Baker Stories Leave a comment October 5, 2017December 7, 2018 1 Minute

Road Kill Available on Amazon

As of this morning, Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers, Vol 2, featuring my short-story "Thirsty Ground," is now available for purchase on Amazon! This Halloween season, embrace the creeping dread of Texas living with a copy of Road Kill for your very own. For those of you who can't make it to any of the book … Continue reading Road Kill Available on Amazon →

S.G. Baker Author Update Leave a comment October 4, 2017May 6, 2018 1 Minute

On Laci McGee

The quiet life was not for her. She had a seeking, searching quality about her, a desire to forge ahead farther and farther. In a bygone era, she might have been an intrepid explorer—leading an expedition to chart vast seas and map hidden lands. In this time, she was a traveler. Every time I turned … Continue reading On Laci McGee →

S.G. Baker Stories Leave a comment September 28, 2017December 7, 2018 1 Minute

On Heath McLaughlin

In him I found a quiet attentiveness. Within a group setting, he was the one with his head cocked to the side, paying attention to everyone. An observational creature myself, I recognized him as one of my own, though of a different variety. He had a way of ascertaining a situation—listening, discussing, considering—then placing himself … Continue reading On Heath McLaughlin →

S.G. Baker Stories Leave a comment September 21, 2017December 7, 2018 1 Minute

On Samantha Sader

The sunshine loved her cheeks. Imagine a wildflower planted right next to a busy sidewalk—face toward the sun, conversing with bees, colorful petals waving to passersby. That flower was her. A pedestrian’s day was made just a little brighter for having seen her; folks often left her presence wearing a fresh smile. I happened to … Continue reading On Samantha Sader →

S.G. Baker Stories Leave a comment September 14, 2017December 7, 2018 1 Minute

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S.G. Baker is a writer and editor who penned the Hopeful Wanderer, a far-future science-fantasy novel-in-stories with sub-tones of soft-apocalypse and climate change. She has authored climate fiction, fantasy, and horror shorts in Beneath the Bluebonnets, Writing the Mother Road, Freelancer, The Legacy, Little Blue Marble, and Road Kill. Find out more at summergbaker.com!

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The Hopeful Wanderer
✨Countdown✨

On October 22, 2026, wander a world driven from mundane to magical by a secret hidden at its heart.

A slow apocalypse has corroded a distant planet, with the uncanny living in uneasy commune alongside those remaining. On a forgotten quest from the stars, the Wanderer roams among them, through crumbling societies and vibrant wildernesses, navigating a murky path toward an incredible past.

While helping and receiving help-or hindrance-from strange denizens of unusual destinations, the Wanderer must finish righting a wrong that threatens to extinguish the universe itself. Should memory of the responsibility return at all.

Join readers who loved the web series and journey alongside them in discovering the Wanderer's wondrous past and hopeful mission to save the stars.

"I love how varied the experiences were. The heartwarming stories mixed right in with the unsettling and strange is a perfect picture of life. The underlying story for why this is all happening was absolute perfection... Definitely one of the more unique story collections I have read. I really enjoyed it!"

—Amanda K. Collier, ARC Reader, The God of the Backrooms

"This is a whimsical yet potent selection of interwoven short stories about a Wanderer searching for something they once held dear. This book is filled with beauty, sadness, monsters, brilliant deadly things, and hope. You cannot forget the hope. This is a book for those that want to touch the stars."

—Laci McGee, ARC Reader, McGee Travel Tales

"Every part of S.G. Baker’s collection The Hopeful Wanderer has purpose. Sometimes obvious, other times layered and more hidden... Every vignette deserves mental, cognitive, and emotional scrutiny. The fragmentation we experience shines a bright light — bringing visible things wondrous, frightening, and difficult to explain... This is the type of book that begs you to engage beyond the plot and rewards you with more questions."

—Jason Brown, ARC Reader, Toastx2

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Appearances

Find me in the extra-digital world!

Jun 6 11a–3p
Readiculous Summer Book Fair
Texas High Plains Writers Booth
Amarillo, TX

Jun 13 4-6p
Route 66 Centennial Festival
Texas High Plains Writers Booth 41
Amarillo, TX

Jul 4 12-3p
Canyon Fair on the Square

Texas High Plains Writers Booth
Canyon, TX

Aug 1
Ama-Con
Texas High Plains Writers Booth
Amarillo, TX – Amarillo Civic Center

Oct 17 & 18 9a–5p
Pioneer Gun Show
Shepherds Tactical Booth
Amarillo, TX – Amarillo Civic Center, South Exhibit Hall ($8 entrance fee)

Nov 7 11a–3p
READiculous Fall Book Fair
Texas High Plains Writers Booth
Amarillo, TX – The Party Suite of Amarillo

Nov 14 3p–5p
Book Launch Party!
Chapterhouse Bookstore
Amarillo, TX – Chapterhouse Bookstore

All-Time Hits

Check out my top posts!

‼️The Hopeful Wanderer Cover Reveal‼️August 31, 2026
Book Review: Someone Who Can Help by Jenny MaloneyOctober 11, 2026
Book Review: The God of the Backrooms by Amanda K. CollierOctober 24, 2026

Those Who Hold My Attention

Explore authors whose works I've adored!

Maggie Stiefvater

Martha Wells

Suzanne Collins

Jarod K. Anderson

Micaiah Johnson

Naomi Novik

Holly Black

Tamora Pierce

Leigh Bardugo

The McElroys

Jason Pargin

Tamsyn Muir

Brent Weeks

Andy Weir

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Word Nerd Scribbles
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