Browsing all articles tagged with Diana Wynne Jones.
Tough Travels: Minions
At the start of every month, Fantasy-Faction will lead you (yes, YOU!) on a tour of the fantasy genre. From high to low, from classics to new releases, from epic to urban; each month, we will guide you in search of a different trope, theme or cliché. Lest we become lost, we’ll be referring to […]
Tough Travels: Strongholds
At the start of every month, Fantasy-Faction will lead you (yes, YOU!) on a tour of the fantasy genre. From high to low, from classics to new releases, from epic to urban; each month, we will guide you in search of a different trope, theme or cliché. Lest we become lost, we’ll be referring to […]
Tough Travels: Adepts
At the start of every month, Fantasy-Faction will lead you (yes, YOU!) on a tour of the fantasy genre. From high to low, from classics to new releases, from epic to urban; each month, we will guide you in search of a different trope, theme or cliché. Lest we become lost, we’ll be referring to The […]
Tough Travels: Non-Human Heroes
At the start of every month, Fantasy-Faction will lead you (yes, YOU!) on a tour of the fantasy genre. From high to low, from classics to new releases, from epic to urban; each month, we will guide you in search of a different trope, theme or cliché. Lest we become lost, we’ll be referring to The […]
Tough Travels: Assassins
Back in 2014, Nathan Barnhart created a weekly feature called ‘Tough Travels’, which he hosted over on Fantasy Review Barn. Inspired by The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones – a tongue-in-cheek parody of the fantasy genre – it would spotlight a different trope every week, and invite other bloggers to compile their […]
Tough Travels: Beginnings
This is NOT an April Fools’ Day trick. Tough Travelling is back! At the start of every month, Fantasy-Faction will lead you (yes, YOU!) on a tour of the fantasy genre. From high to low, from classics to new releases, from epic to urban; each month, we will guide you in search of a different […]
Top Ten Books To Improve Your Writing
A likely first stop on the journey of any aspiring writer is the purchase of a writing book to teach them about the subject. Often they’re drawn to titles like “Write a Bestseller in Six Months,” or “Making Money from Kindle Publishing.” First and foremost though, the goal should be to master your craft, from […]
Tropes and Clichés in Epic Fantasy: Is It Time To Move On?
I just finished Diana Jones’s The Tough Guide to Fantasyland first published twenty years ago, but still accurately satirical in the shots it takes at the more recognisable “issues” in fantasy fiction. Tropes of plot, style and substance are all scythed down in a humorous harvesting of fantasy’s most memorable clichés, from the impeccably behaved […]
Children’s Fantasy: Eight of the Best – Part Two
This is Part Two of our look at Children’s Fantasy series. If you missed it, you can read Part One here. The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin Farther west than west Beyond the land My people are dancing On the other wind. This quartet can often be found in the adult fantasy section of […]
The Wonderful Worlds of Diana Wynne Jones
Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favourite writers. Her books are fondly remembered by generations of fantasy fans, and she has had a huge influence on many authors who are writing fantasy today. She wrote mainly for children, but also some young adult and adult books, some for even younger readers, and a little […]
