Trees in Fantasy – Part One: Trees as Symbols
Steff Humm
Magic in fantasy, myth and legend usually occurs as a natural phenomenon, with its own place in the world of the story outside of what is created by mankind and…
history
Worlds Within Worlds – Part Five: Qi and Fantasy
Christopher Mahon
Most people associate magic with strange symbols, chanting, and waving a wand around. Dusty books are usually in the picture, along with ritual circles or sacrifices. The mages themselves are…
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost – What Does It Mean?
Joshua Robertson
When Lord of the Rings enthusiasts are not burning wedding bands in fiery pits in their backyard—checking for Black Speech inscriptions—they are frequently found uttering the clever sayings of their…
Worlds Within Worlds – Part Four: Old Grey Beards
If you ask someone on the street to name the first three wizards that come to mind, you’ll probably hear the names Gandalf, Merlin, and Dumbledore (or Rincewind, if they’re…
The Pros and Cons of a Macro Timescale
Nicola Alter
Most fantasy and science fiction series tend to be, by their very nature, large in scope. We expect stories about the fate of worlds, the rise and fall of empires,…
Science Fiction: Asking The Questions Of The Day
Trent Cannon
There are few genres in all of entertainment that are more sculpted by the times they are written in than science fiction. From its earliest beginnings, sci-fi has been about…
Gender and Stereotyping in Fantasy – Part Six: Historical Accuracy
Leo Elijah Cristea
This final part of our extended series on gender and stereotypes in fantasy and science fiction will be both a conclusion and a sweeping reflection on what we’ve already examined,…
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson: Or…A Search For Heroes
Geoff Matthews
Everyone has a book in them. At least, that’s what they say. I’m not sure who they are, but it is a truism as much as anything else. What if…
Vampires: Origins, Evolution, and Role in Fantasy Fiction
The vampire: a figure whose folklore origins date back as far as the cradle of civilisation, is one of the major mythic figures bequeathed to us by the English Romantics.…
Potions, Alchemy, & Apothecaries: Inspirations from the Real World
A witch hunched over a bubbling cauldron; a reclusive alchemist searching for the secret to eternal life; a hooded figure procuring a poison from a shady apothecary… While these are…
Fantastical Creatures of Greco-Roman Mythology: The Colchian Dragon
Faith M. Boughan
This is the second instalment of a series in which we explore some of the lesser-known creatures and monsters found in Classical mythology, as many of these fantastical beings have…
Faeries and Folklore – Part One: An Introduction
We’re going to talk about faeries. For the purposes of both my sanity and authenticity, leave any and all notions of Disney’s Tinker Bell at the door. Tinker Bell is…