It’s Only Words
Sandra Norval
After being held back by the deliciously curvaceous Wendy I was finally back on the trail up Mount Publication, trudging up the gravelly path, fighting hard against the gale that…
The Evolution of Sexuality, Homosexuality and Gender in SFF – Part One
Leo Elijah Cristea
One of the most exciting and vast elements of modern SFF is the presentation of alternative sexualities and genders. There is as vast a wealth to mine regarding sex, gender…
When Nice Girls Write Dark Fantasy
Ashley Barnard
I’m a nice girl. A very nice girl. I’ve been told many times that I am the nicest person so-and-so has ever met. And happy too! I sing Broadway show…
San Diego Comic-Con 2012 Report – Part Three
Liz Fellshot Ambrose
When I say say I went to “a lot” of panels this year, I meant that it climbed into the double digits. Usually things like the need to eat something…
Sinbad: Worth the Price of Admission?
Faith M. Boughan
…which, if you’re watching on cable, is probably anywhere between $60-$200 per month. But who’s counting? If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard of the new show,…
Cursed by Benedict Jacka
Paul Wiseall
This review contains some spoilers for Fated and Cursed. Please read with caution. Fated, the first novel in the Alex Verus series from Benedict Jacka is, in my opinion, one…
God’s War by Kameron Hurley
Mike Shackle
“Nyx sold her womb somewhere between Punjai and Faleen, on the edge of the desert.” As opening lines go, they don’t come much better. It sets the book’s grim tone,…
Raising Heroes: Fantasy Role Models for Our Kids
Matt Maenpaa
Six months ago, my daughter Freya was born during a snowstorm. It was one of the strangest and most surreally amazing moments in my life, holding her in my arms…
Snuff by Terry Pratchett
Alister Davison
Snuff is Terry Pratchett’s 39th Discworld novel, almost thirty years after writing his first. The series has been a huge success, with worldwide translations, audiobooks, conventions and ceramic figurines worthy…
Something Is Wrong In Fantasy
Lady Rosalie Skinner
Something is blurring the focus in Fantasy. Did that get your attention? Fantasy is great. There is nothing wrong with the genre, but as aspiring authors, we need to realize…
The Fantasy Feminist – Part 4
Amy Rose Davis
A comment from AE Marling on one of my recent blog posts about feminism in fantasy triggered some thoughts about another approach to bringing a feminist touch to our works—namely,…
The City’s Son by Tom Pollock – Extract
Overlord
Earlier this year I heard, with moderate surprise, that someone I knew was writing a book. That someone was Tom Pollock and the reason for my surprise was that I’d…