The Fantasy Writer Has No Identity
I've quoted the letters of John Keats here before, and probably will do so again. Keats's thoughts on literature and the art of creativity, often nestled as if in passing among more prosaic matters in his correspondence, transcend bone-dry literary criticism and illumine the ungraspable spirit of creativity. Furthermore, in my opinion, the Romantic poets provide, in many ways, an analogue to modern writers of speculative fiction, concerned as they are not with the real world per se but how elements of the supernatural reflect universal truths of the real world. The Romantics were the last bastion of this transcendent ...
On Shadow Artists
I love my gig as a reviewer. Sure, it doesn't pay much, but I score the occasional free book, I spend hours reading (mostly) great literature, and I get the satisfaction of sharing my thoughts with others, thereby hopefully directing them toward their own great reading experiences. But am I missing something? Am I merely following the path of least resistance? Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, would answer in the affirmative. One of the first concepts she introduces in her book is that of the "shadow artist." Too intimidated to become artists themselves, very often too low in self-worth to ...
Should magic in fantasy be logical, rule-governed?
As an aspiring fantasy writer, I've read and listened to lots of advice on writing in general, and on SF genre writing in particular. One of the axioms repeated by many fantasy writers is that, even though magic is one of the genre's defining characteristics, it should be presented in a logical, rule-governed manner. I'm not sure this is so. Recently I've been rereading Lord of the Rings, as I do once or twice a year like clockwork. Gandalf's magic, and the magic practiced by the book's other Powers, is never fully explained. It's just there. I thinks this works to ...
Writers who Fueled my Love of Fantasy
Today I found myself taking a stroll down memory lane, recalling the authors who, during my formative years, kindled my love for the fantastic in literature and in life. Some of these favorites make me grimace; having reread their work, I see their flaws and in some cases the pedestol I placed them on has been shattered. But all my intellectual criticism can't erase the magical impact they had on my personal and creative development. J. R. R. Tolkien: I'm sure Tolkien figures heavily in the favorites for fantasy enthusiasts and fantasy writers alike. Not without cause. In both The Hobbit ...
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The Fantasy Writer Has No Identity
I’ve quoted the letters of John Keats here before, and probably will do so again. Keats’s thoughts on literature and the art of creativity, often nestled as if in passing among more prosaic matters in his correspondence, transcend bone-dry literary criticism and illumine the ungraspable spirit of creativity. Furthermore, in my opinion, the... [Read more]
On Shadow Artists
I love my gig as a reviewer. Sure, it doesn’t pay much, but I score the occasional free book, I spend hours reading (mostly) great literature, and I get the satisfaction of sharing my thoughts with others, thereby hopefully directing them toward their own great reading experiences. But am I missing something? Am I merely following the path of... [Read more]
Review: The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Yes, it’s another book about vampires. But wait, don’t shrug it off just yet. Several things set The Strain apart from the glut of vampire novels flooding the market of late. First, it’s co-written by movie director Guillermo del Toro, whose past film successes include the vampire flick Blade II, the comic-book adaptation of Hellboy,... [Read more]
Babel Clash: Borders Launches SFF Blog
While stopping in for a cuppa over at Fantasy Café, I learned that Borders has recently launched Babel Clash, a blog dedicated to science fiction and fantasy, which claims to be home to “the greatest debates in the galaxy.” This appears to be no empty claim, as posts aim to spark discussion of speculative fiction’s core elements.... [Read more]
Twitter #sfbookclub 02 – Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
The polls have closed, and we now have a winner for the second Twitter #sfbookclub! We’ll be reading Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, winner of the 2006 Hugo Award for best novel. Here’s the blurb. One night when he was 10, Tyler stood in his backyard and watched the stars go out. They flared into brilliance, then disappeared, replaced by... [Read more]
Catching Up
Bad blogger! Bad! Over a week since my last update. Not entirely without reason though. First, my mature, responsible alterego has been hard at work on mundane matters which will support my fantasy consumption habit. Second, I’ve simply been reading too many things concurrently, and therefore have finished none of them. Several books are nearing... [Read more]
R. I. P. David Eddings
SF Crow’s Nest reported today that fantasy writer David Eddings died today at the age of 77. Eddings wrote over 20 books of fantasy and is best-known for the world of his Belgariad, which spanned two five-book series, two prequels, and even a “behind-the-scenes” companion in The Rivan Codex. Adam over at the Wertzone has a great summary... [Read more]
Arr, RSS feed be redirected
[Not sure why that has to be shared with a pirate accent, but there you have it.] This blog’s SS feed is now directing through the insanely useful FeedBurner. Clicking on the Subscribe to RSS link in the menubar above will now let you subscribe to the new feed, or you can just click here. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Arr, RSS feed be redirected",... [Read more]
Should magic in fantasy be logical, rule-governed?
As an aspiring fantasy writer, I’ve read and listened to lots of advice on writing in general, and on SF genre writing in particular. One of the axioms repeated by many fantasy writers is that, even though magic is one of the genre’s defining characteristics, it should be presented in a logical, rule-governed manner. I’m not sure this... [Read more]
Twitter #sfbookclub 02 – the polls are open!
I’m pleased to report that the first Twitter #sfbookclub was a resounding success, with several readers putting forth some very astute observations and commentary on Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War. So, let’s keep a good thing going. Based on the way things went last time, I’ve introduced a couple changes to this iteration. First,... [Read more]
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