Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell – Episodes 1 – 3
Wei Ming Kam
It feels like fantasy for adults has almost become respectable of late. Game of Thrones keeps raking the viewers in, while the adulation for the BBC’s lush adaptation of Susanna…
alternate history
The Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan
Steff Humm
When writing memoirs, or indeed anything, it seems essential to cluster events thematically, throwing away all the boring bits in the process (such as laundry and visits to the bathroom)…
The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan
Society doesn’t look kindly on women who want to expand the world’s knowledge of dragons through scientific study, scandalous affiliations and hazardous adventures across the globe but, as we well…
Fantasy Makes History Cool
Nicole Singer
I’m a history major at heart, so one of the things I love seeing in fantasy is how authors draw on real-world history to fuel their worlds. Whether it be…
The Vorrh by Brian Catling
Nick Clark
“My name is Muybridge and here’s the answer to the letter you sent my wife.” The trigger pulls, the muzzle flashes, the bullet cracks, and Major Harry Larkyns is dead…
Alternative History’s Distorted Mirror
Aidan Harte
If the discussion panel on Alternative History (AH) at this year’s Octocon was an exercise in navel gazing, I can only say that the view proved illuminating. Like every other…
Low Fantasy Subgenres
Marsha A. Moore
In my last article, I compared and contrasted two very popular low fantasy subgenres, urban fantasy and paranormal romance. In this article, I’ll continue with an overview of other major…
A Thousand Perfect Things by Kay Kenyon
A. E. Marling
If the idea of a scientific adventure to find a golden lotus delights you, try A Thousand Perfect Things by Kay Kenyon. This historical fantasy of an alternate 19th century…
The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher
Phil Norris
The Empire State is dying. The Fissure connecting the pocket universe to New York has vanished, plunging the city into a deep freeze and the populace are demanding a return…
The Daedalus Incident by Michael J. Martinez
Dan Hanks
The Daedalus Incident is one of those books that for many will be hard to pin down. A not-so-simple tale of adventure on the high seas of…well, nothing…it initially pops…
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
Nicholas Schmiedicker
A Natural History of Dragons is exactly what it sounds like. A memoir written by a Victorian naturalist who has an obsession with dragons and embarks on an adventure to…
Ack-Ack Macaque by Gareth L. Powell
Alister Davison
Let’s start with the blurb. In 1944, Britain’s best hopes for victory lie with a Spitfire pilot codenamed ‘Ack-Ack Macaque’. The trouble is, Ack-Ack is a cynical, one-eyed, cigar-chomping monkey,…