Rachel A. Greco's Blog: Fantasy and Sci-Fi Fanatics

10 Dark Academia Fantasy Books with Magic and Mystery

Dark academia fantasy books are wildly popular right now, especially with cold weather tiptoeing close. But what is dark academia? This genre encompasses any book that takes place in a school–usually an elite school–with a gothic vibe. So think of an eerie, brooding atmosphere, lamps on the wall, sweaters, hot drinks, and drizzly rain. No wonder people want to read these books once the weather starts taking on a chill!

These books are just as much about the atmosphere as the characters. Th...

Fantasy Worldbuilding: How to Create a Believable Fantasy World

This post was originally published on E.S. Foster’s blog.

Middle Earth. Roshar. Narnia. These are just some of the iconic worlds that come to mind when I think of places I’ve read in fantasy books. These places become real to us, almost a second home that we don’t want to leave or that we want to return to time and time again. But as fantasy writers, how do we do fantasy worldbuilding well so readers will see the setting as realistic and won’t want to leave?

This post just scratches the ti...

Fantasy Quiz: Which Magic School Would YOU Attend?

If you had the choice, which magic school would you attend? Hogwarts? The Scholomance? Or something completely different like Camp Half Blood in the Percy Jackson books? Find your perfect match in this fantasy quiz!

P.S. By doing this quiz, you’re giving me permission to email you twice a month with bookish content. You may unsubscribe at any time, and I will never share your data.

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7 Tips For Adding Tension to Your Story to Keep Readers Reading

This article was originally published on Dan’s Sci-Fi and Fantasy blog. Check out his website if you love dragon fantasy books!

The mountain groans above you. Cracks break through the ice. One piece, sharp as a dagger, slides off and hits the snow by your boots. More groans resound above as if the mountain is alive. As if it wants you dead. A larger chunk falls off and splinters into a thousand shards just behind you. You run, but how can you outrun an avalanche? Ice pelts your face, nips at ...

20 Dystopian Books That Will Keep You Up All Night

My love for dystopian books began with Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series. A procedure that would make you beautiful and fit into society? Count me in! After that, I read any dystopian book I could get my hands on, and now, years later, they’re making a comeback with the new Hunger Games books.

What are Dystopian Books?

Dystopia is the opposite of Utopia, where everything is perfect. In dystopian books, life and culture is horrible, usually run by a tyrant, even if the world looks shiny and ...

20 Pirate Fantasy Books of the Seas and Skies

Argh. Avast ye matees! There’s something so adventurous and reckless about pirate books. And when you add fantasy elements to them, well, you’re in for a rollicking ride. Pirate fantasy books can take us to deeper seas, more magical lands, and possibly even up to the sky. Leave your normal expectations at the cover page when it comes to these pirate books, and be ready for the adventure of a lifetime!

If you’re participating in our 2025 Fantasy/Sci-Fi Reading Challenge, July’s challenge is to...

A Manuscript Review Vs. Developmental Edit

Looking at options for editing your book can be confusing and overwhelming. One of the more blurry lines is that of a manuscript review vs. developmental edit because they both deal with the big-picture view of a story. I definitely was confused about them before I became an editor! I hope this article helps you decide which is best for your story.

Please note: Every editor has their own definition of each edit and what they include, so be sure to check their website before committing to anyt...

20 Sci-Fi Books Set on Other Planets

Let your imagination fly far and wide this summer with these sci-fi books set on other planets! Forget traveling to the beach or the mountains. What about riding across Mars on the back of a dragon? Or doing an odd dance to stay away from giant sand worms? Anything and everything might happen on these planets far from our own, yet often, so similar.

(As an aside: Some of these books I’d consider more fantasy than sci-fi, but most of them would be considered science fiction, so that’s why I we...

How Much Editing Does Your Speculative Story Need?

You’ve finished your manuscript. Congrats! Now you keep hearing about getting your story edited. But how much editing does your story need? And what kind? As an author, no one ever explained to me the various kinds of edits or even why I should edit my story. I had to figure it out all on my own, and I don’t want you to have to do that. The editing process can be overwhelming and confusing, and I’d love to simplify some of it for you.

Why Edit Your Speculative Story?

Publishing books t...

Which Type of Edit is Best for Your Story?

You have a completed story, novella, or novel. Congrats! Now what? It’s time for editing! But where do you start? There are several kinds of edits, and you may not need each one, or may not need to start at the beginning with developmental edits. So which type of edit is best for your story? Find out by taking this quiz!

P.S. By doing this quiz, you’re giving me permission to email you editing trips and tricks and other resources. You may unsubscribe at any time, and I will never share your data...