Helen Lowe's Blog, page 100
October 18, 2016
Twelve Great Leaders Of SFF, Part 2
On Monday I observed that with real world events putting leadership in the spotlight right now, I couldn’t think of a better time to turn the spotlight onto some of characters in Science Fiction and Fantasy (SFF) who are great leaders — and what it is that makes them great. The characters featured are in alphabetical order by name (so no preference may be inferred from the order in which they appear. 
October 17, 2016
Tuesday Poetry: “The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner” (Excerpt) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
How a Ship having passed the Line was driven by storms to the cold Country towards the South Pole; and how from thence she made her course to the tropical Latitude of the Great Pacific Ocean; and of the strange things that befell; and in what manner the Ancient Mariner came back to his own Country.
Part 1: It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three. ‘By thy long grey beard and glittering eye, Now wherefore stopp’st thou me?. The Bridegroom’s doors...
October 16, 2016
Twelve Great Leaders of SFF: Part 1
Real world events are very much putting political leadership in the spotlight right now. Correspondingly, SFF is frequently about large scale and world-altering political and social events, so I can’t really think of a better time to turn the spotlight onto some of characters in the genre who are great leaders — and what it is that makes them great.
SFF also frequently includes encounters with non-human species, so I intend to include some non-human leaders in the mix. The characters featured...
October 13, 2016
Artifacts Of Power in “The Wall Of Night” Series
I thoughtthis one was going to be so-o easy and quick, but then I started counting…
OK, just to recap on context, on Monday I posted on what imho is the great Fantasy tradition of “elves with soul-sucking swords”, a topic that morphed into a more general reflection on artifacts of power in the genre.
So then I thought I’d better check out the extent to which I’ve honoured these traditions in The Wall Of Night series. Yesterday I looked at “elves” and “soul-sucking swords”; today I’m focusing...
October 12, 2016
“Elves” & Soul-Sucking Swords In “The Wall Of Night” Series
Yup, she’s a gal with a sword of power…
On Monday I posted on what imho is the great Fantasy tradition of “elves with soul-sucking swords”, a topic that morphed into a more general reflection on artifacts of power.
Having addressed the tradition, I thought I’d better check out the extent to which I’ve honoured it in The Wall Of Night series. So today I’m looking at “elves” and “soul-sucking swords”, while tomorrow I’ll round up with artifacts of power generally.
Firstly, I averred on Monday t...
October 11, 2016
New Books! New Books!
Sometimes, reader-Helen chugs along quietly for months, working her way through the TBR table — and then, suddenly, there’ll be an inrush of new books.
Last week was one of those weeks and here’s what the “new books, new books” fairy bought me:
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The Curious Story of Harris and His Near Death Experience by Christchurch poet and artist, Nick Williamson.
Described as “a children’s book for adults”, it certainly appears intriguing. I hope to enjoy a mini-Q&A about it with Nick sometime in the ne...
October 10, 2016
Tuesday Poetry: “We are more than half water” by Helen Rickerby
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We are almost aquatic
Would it be that big
a step to dive back in?
.
In time we will breathe again
underwater; not us, perhaps
or even our children, but somewhere
along our line our lungs will creep
to the surface as gills
.
The water is always calling, drawing us to oceans
How else could crashing waves be calming?
Why else have I’ve taken off my shoes and walked
over hot sand, ready to give up my burning feet?
Why else would I step-by-step out into the chill sea...
October 9, 2016
Having Fun with Epic Fantasy: From “Elves” with Soul-Sucking Swords to Artifacts of Power
Yup, she’s a gal with a sword of power…
Over the past few months I’ve been having some fun with epic fantasy, first “Making the Grand Tour” (aka the quest-journey) and secondly looking at the importance of the “Band of Brothers” when embarking on that quest. Today it’s the turn of that perennial Fantasy favourite, “elves” with soul-sucking swords, and I’ll also morph a little into artifacts of power more generally.
“But,” you may object, “elves with soul-sucking swords aren’t an epic fantasy...
October 6, 2016
Guest Post: Of Sirens — & A “Queens & Courtesans” Anthology
As promised on Monday, today I am delighted to host Kristen Blount with a guest post on her involvement with the Sirens convention in the USA and the production and publication of the newly released Queens & Courtesans anthology.
Please welcome the awesome, the amazing, the all-round speculative fiction afficionado, Kristen Blount! 
October 5, 2016
“Queens & Courtesans” Guest Post Deferred Until Tomorrow, But… (There Is More)
The official release date for the Queens & Courtesans anthology is 6 October, but because of time zone differences between here and its US home (17 + hours depending on where in the US one lives) I have decided to defer the feature post from Kristen Blount (anticipated here on Monday) until tomorrow.
So do check back in for that post, then—I’m “pretty sure” you won’t be disappointed.
