Helen Lowe's Blog, page 222

Book Review: “Towers Of Midnight” by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson—Reviewed by Chris Whelan

Introduction:

A while back now, I did a giveaway for A Memory of Light the fourteenth and final novel in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series recently. Sparked by commenters’ enthusiasm, and given the significance of this series within the epic fantasy canon, I asked long time SFF reader, Chris Whelan, if he would review the final three books in the series—all written by Brandon Sanderson in accordance with notes left by Robert Jordan.

Today, I have Chris’s review of Towers Of Midnight for you....

“Here’s SpecFicNZ–Christchurch”: Featuring AJ Fitzwater

Introduction:

Recently I began a new “mini-series” of posts titled “Here’s SpecFicNZ-Christchurch.” As explained, effectively my fellow authors will be introducing themselves using a series of common headings:

Here’s Who: a short, first person introduction to the writer

Here’s Why: the writer writes speculative fiction

Here’s What: an example of the writer’s work

Here’s Where: you can find out more about the writer and their work—and I really hope you will!

And now I am very pleased to introduce th...

Tuesday Poem: “Giacometti”

Giacometti

please do not dance

with the statues –

leaves swirl

into the atrium drift

between steel

glass stone

a man

cast in bronze stalks

through a flurry

of programmes

the woman elongated

towers overhead

stares back forward

along the century

watches men walk

on the moon.

© Helen Lowe

Published in JAAM 28: Dance dance dance, 2010

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As I noted in March 26th’s Tuesday Poem post, I am currently running a series of poems in response to works of art (ie “ekphrastic” poems), which will include a note from the poet. T...

What’s Happening On The Blog This Week, 6-12 May

How can it be May—and winter!—already? (Although Paul Weimer tells me that he feels winter hasn’t left his part of the US yet, even though it’s officially now summer.)

And btw, just in case you missed it, I posted on seasonal festivals such as May Day and their counterparts in my Wall of Night series world of Haarth on the Supernatural Underground on 1 May, here.

Anyway, May it is and this is what’s coming up on the blog this week:

- Tuesday is always the Tuesday Poem day, and this week I’m cont...

A Book Quote for Sunday, from John Steinbeck

“Maybe the hardest thing in writing is simply to tell the truth about things as we see them.”

~ John Steinbeck, 1902 – 1968

More on May Day, Summer’s Eve… & A Dash of Tongue-In-Cheek (or Plain Cheek!) On Author Names (‘Mongst Other Things)

Well, I’ve been cracking on with the book writing this week, knocking Daughter of Blood, The Wall of Night Book Three into better shape—merging sections, adding new chapters, you know, all the book-write-y stuff that you do!—but I have also been meeting my guest post-y obligations.

Bringing in the may...

Which on the first of the month always means the Supernatural Underground. And 1 May being–y’know!–May Day and all that, I did a 1 May, first of summer post (Northern Hemisphere bias, I know—bu...

A Geography of Haarth: Brackwater

The Wall of Night Series map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick

The A Geography of Haarth series features locales and places from The Wall of Night world of Haarth.

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Brackwater: an islet on the seaward side of the River city of Ij.

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‘“That is arranged,” the assassin replied. “If you leave here at dusk and go to the lower harbor where the fishing boats and ferries dock, a boatman will meet you. His name is Nevi and his boat is the Seamew—she has eyes painted on her prow. He will take you out to Brackwa...

On The Supernatural Underground Today: Celebrating May Day & Summer’s Eve In “The Gathering Of The Lost”

Bringing in the may...

The 1st of the month (US time) is my regular guest post day on the Supernatural Underground—and last month you’ll recall I celebrated Great Fantasy Courtships (a popular post, judging by the hits )

Since 1 May is is also May Day I’m celebrating by discussing the overlaps between that and “Summer’s Eve” in The Gathering Of The Lost, as follows:

“In The Gathering Of The Lost, the second novel in my The Wall of Night series, the equivalent festival is called “Summer’s Eve” a...

“Here’s SpecFicNZ–Christchurch”: Featuring Kevin Berry

Introduction:

Last week I began a new “mini-post” series titled “Here’s SpecFicNZ-Christchurch.” The series will run every Wednesday for the next six weeks, and as explained, effectively my fellow authors will be introducing themselves using a series of common headings:

Here’s Who: a short, first person introduction to the writer

Here’s Why: the writer writes speculative fiction

Here’s What: an example of the writer’s work

Here’s Where: you can find out more about the writer and their work—and I r...

Tuesday Poem: “Female nude” by Joanna Preston

Female nude

The things we prize. Innocence,

that sleeping fire that speaks

through the long white flower

of her spine, the curve

of her hips the rim of a slow

turning wheel

on which to break a man.

.

© Joanna Preston

Featured here with permission.

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As I noted in March 26th’s Tuesday Poem post, I am currently running a series of poems in response to works of art (ie “ekphrastic” poems), which will include a note from the poet. This week’s poem and note is from Joanna Preston.

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Poet’s Note from Joanna Pres...