Did Shakespeare invent Gollum?
Overlord
Was Gollum inspired by one of Shakespeare’s villains? Martin Freeman, star of The Hobbit, thinks it’s a distinct possibility. In an Interview with The Telegraph, where he is explaining how…
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Crossing the Borders – Guest Post by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Adrian Tchaikovsky
When I write a fantasy setting, it stays written. Ten books now, in the Shadows of the Apt series, and I’m still trading on the world-building that took place before…
Raven’s Banquet – Free First Chapter…
A few years ago, Clifford Beal delighted readers with his historical fantasy novel Gideon’s Angel. This first book was set at the end of the English Civil war (mid 1650’s)…
Mining the Data: Genre and Gender
Nicole Singer
A few weeks ago, publishing savant and all-around Wonder Woman Jane Friedman shared incredibly interesting data she’d collected about debut authors, by genre and gender. Her intent was to examine…
The Philosophy of Writing and Reading
Shanothaine
phi·los·o·phy, n: The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. The word philosophy derives from the Greek philo (“loving”) and…
Atlantis, We Meet Again!
Raymond K. Rugg
The mythical lost continent of Atlantis is a staple of the fantasy genre, from the science romances of Jules Verne and Arthur Conan Doyle to the swords and sorcery of…
Spoiler: Will ‘Lady Stoneheart’ be in Game of Thrones?
Those who have read A Feast For Crows / A Dance With Dragons, probably have fond memories of Cold Hands and Lady Stoneheart. If so, as the last episode of…
Fantasy-Faction’s “Grim Gathering” in London, August 13th 2014 @ 6:30pm
A few years ago Fantasy-Faction held an event in London. Peter V. Brett and Myke Cole were coming over from America and Joe Abercrombie was in town too, so we…
Fantastical Biology – Part Two: Predators
Shambralyn Baker
There are lots of friendly fantasy creatures to write about, but sometimes you want something dangerous, with sharp claws and sharper teeth. Real animals can provide inspiration for writing believable…
Open Letter to Former Strange Chemistry Authors
Dear Former Authors of Strange Chemistry, Many of you would not have heard of me, but my name is Marc Aplin and I run a website named Fantasy-Faction. Fantasy-Faction is…
Forgotten Male Fantasy Authors Of The 80s
Geoff Matthews
Editor’s Note: Due to the lack of women writers on this post, Fantasy-Faction has posted a similar version focusing on women writers who readers of today may not have heard…
Fantasy Medicine – Part Two: Pretty as a Bairnwort
B. Pine
Disclaimer: If you stumbled upon this post while looking for medical advice or information, please note that this article was NOT written for this purpose. Please do not take any…