There is no such thing as a "typical" entry in this lively and varied weblog, which reads like an eclectic magazine about the arts in general and speculative fiction in particular. The meat of its content is formed by book and film reviews, announcements about readings and links to Cheney's various publications—he writes reviews and columns and edits the prestigious Best American Fantasy series, along with an occasional author interview. Mumpsimus also offers a near-inexhaustible selection of links: to writers' Web sites, assorted blogs, discussion boards, publishing sites, bookstores and writing resources.

Mumpsimus is widely read, and its entries tend to spark lively online conversations. Its archives go back to 2003, making it a useful resource for anyone looking for good stories in webzines without regard to how recently they were published. This is, of course, one of the great benefits of Internet publishing—where a writer might once have reasonably expected any of his published short fiction to be on newsstands for a month or two before vanishing, now most of the field's up-and-coming authors (as well as more established names) can usually point new readers to fiction archived in various online markets. Readers of Cheney's blog can therefore find links to older stories by the likes of Eliot Fintushel and Richard Bowes ... and can check out what people thought of these pieces before reading them for themselves.

This is a blog that offers a keen critical view into the literary side of SF, examining not only where the genre is going but who may be driving it there.