A Moratorium On The Monomyth
Ryan Howse
Of all genres, fantasy is generally closest to mining the heroic journey archetypes for its inspiration. For some authors, the intent is to uphold these ideals; others wish to subvert…
November 2012
Vathek by William Beckford
Nyki Blatchley
During the course of the 18th century, two types of “exotic” fantasy fiction became fashionable. The “oriental” story was largely inspired by the Arabian Nights, gradually becoming available in western…
The Risen Queen by Duncan Lay
Dan Hanks
Editor’s Note: This review contains some slight spoilers for The Wounded Guardian. If you have yet to finish book one, please read with caution. Reluctant as I am to jump…
Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden by Yuu Watase
Dori
Are you familiar with manga? If not, maybe it’s time to fill that blank spot. Also called graphic novels or comic books, their roots go way back into Japanese history.…
The Week In SFF From The Web
Paul Wiseall
The last few weeks have been crazy given that we’ve had the likes of the Disney/Star Wars merger and the US election both of which have supplied us with more…
The Craft – Part One: Breaking In
Adrian Faulkner
All aspiring writers dream of breaking in, of getting that deal and one day seeing their work in print, but the reality is that getting a deal is taking on…
Minding the Gaps: The Dresden Files Books 1 – 6
Zachary A. Matzo
Author’s Note: This is the first in an intermittent series of articles covering fantasy series that I probably should have read much sooner. As I cross a particular series (or…
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Idlewilder
“Dear Diary, he began. On Friday I had a job, a fiancée, a home, and a life that made sense. (Well, as much as any life makes sense). Then I…
World Fantasy Convention 2012
Faith M. Boughan
Last weekend, I had the honor of attending the 38th World Fantasy Convention, held in Toronto, Ontario (Canada) from November 1st-4th. It was a weekend of learning, laughs, and fangirl…
NY Comic Con 2012
Jennie Ivins
Well that certainly was an “interesting” October/beginning of November! October started off pretty normal, leaves changed colors, the nights started getting cooler, and my friends and I rushed around like…
Writing Rules and Fantasy: Show, Don’t Tell
Victoria Hooper
It’s NaNo month, so it seems like the perfect time for some thoughts on the writing craft, beginning with the most often used of all writing commandments: Show, Don’t Tell.…
Bringing The Theater to Your Writing
Evie Manieri
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but for a long time, I wanted to be an actor, too. I acted in plays in high school, college, and then for…