Brandon Cornett's Blog, page 7

Spartan Kings: Eight Important Leaders of the Ancient Warrior State

I spent a lot of time researching ancient Sparta and its kings for my next book, Spartan Blood. In this blog post, I’ll share some of what I learned about the most important (and most famous) kings of Sparta. We remember Leonidas I more than any other Spartan king, because of pop culture and movies like 300. But he was just one of many warrior-leaders who shaped the geopolitics of ancient Greece.

The Warrior-Leaders of Ancient Sparta

The Ancient Greek city-state of Sparta was ruled by not ...

15 Fantasy Novel Series With Complex World-Building

Welcome, ye lords and ladies, to my list of fantasy novel series with complex world-building. If you enjoy epic, immersive fantasy stories that transport you to richly-detailed worlds, these books are worth a look.

The 15 book series listed below feature sprawling kingdoms, intricate magic systems, and fully-realized cultures and histories. Their world-building will satisfy even the most dedicated fantasy reader.

What Is ‘World-Building’ in Fiction?

World-building in fantasy fiction...

Underworld Geography: The Different Regions of Hades in Greek Mythology

I spent a lot of time researching the Greek underworld for my next book, Spartan Blood. The geography alone is fascinating. The ancient Greeks (including the Spartans I’m writing about) had a detailed vision of what Hades, the Greek underworld, looked like.

In this blog post, I’ll share some of what I learned about the geography of Hades, including the different parts and regions of the Greek underworld.

Note: The term Hades can refer to both a god and a place. According to the World Histo...

Survival Checklist: The First 5 Things to Do in a Zombie Apocalypse

The following is an important message from the Minister of Emergency Preparedness:

We have reason to believe that a zombie apocalypse is likely to occur in the near future, possibly within the next few weeks. As a result, we are urging citizens to prepare and have created a helpful checklist to aid in those efforts. Below, you will find our official survival checklist, which outlines the first five things you should do if and when a zombie apocalypse occurs.

Survival Checklist: First Thing...

Spartan Hoplite Helmets: 7 Frequently Asked Questions

What type of helmet did the Spartan hoplites wear? What were they made from? Did all of their helmets have plumes on top, or only the ones worn by high-ranking officers?

These are the questions I had while researching for my next book, Spartan Blood (the first in a series of historical dark fantasy). And in this post, I’ll share some of what I learned about the helmets used by these ancient Greek warriors.

Spartan Hoplite Helmets: an Introduction

The soldiers of ancient Sparta were hopl...

Spartan Timeline and Major Events: When Did Sparta Rise and Fall?

When did the Spartans exist, and when did they die out? What caused the once-mighty Greek city-state to fall? What was the timeline of major events in ancient Sparta?

These are some of the questions I had while researching for my next book, Spartan Blood (historical dark fantasy, the first in a series). In this post, I’ll share some of the things I learned about the ancient Spartan timeline, when they existed, and why their society eventually faded away.

When Did the Spartans Exist?

The...

Spartan Military Training and the Agoge: Creating Greek Warriors

What did Spartan military training involve? How was their army organized? And what was the “agoge” all about?

Those were some of the questions I had when researching for my next book, Spartan Blood (the first in a series of historical dark fantasy). In this post, I’ll share some of the things I learned about Spartan military training, the agoge, and other steps they took to develop the ultimate Greek warrior.

Who Were the Spartans, Exactly?

The Spartans were an ancient Greek society of ...

Spartan Hoplite Facts: Weapons, Armor, Phalanx Tactics and More

An overview of Spartan hoplite weapons, armor, fighting tactics and more, from a guy who’s writing a book about them.

History has elevated Spartan hoplite soldiers to a near-legendary status, and popular culture played a big role in that. Yes, I’m looking at you, 300. But to truly understand what these ancient Greek warriors were all about, we have to dig deeper.

I spent countless hours researching the soldiers of Sparta for my next book (Spartan Blood, the first in a series). And let me ...

Why Did the Ancient Spartans Emphasize Military Training and Fitness?

Why did the Spartans of ancient times emphasize military training and fitness? Why did Sparta become a military society?

I pondered these questions when researching for my next book, Spartan Blood. As is turns out, much of it had to do with a lawmaker named Lycurgus. He reformed Spartan society to place a stronger emphasis on military capabilities and readiness.

Other factors contributed as well. For instance, the Spartans lived in constant fear of Helot (slave and servant) uprisings. So t...

Is the Post-Apocalyptic Genre Considered Science Fiction?

As both a reader and writer of post-apocalyptic fiction, I’m fascinated by how it often merges with other genres. Take science fiction, for example. Some post-apocalyptic books feature a sci-fi component, while others do not. They play well together.

“Doomsday” fiction can blend with other genres as well — horror, fantasy, thrillers, you name it. But today, we’ll focus on one genre-related question in particular:

Are post-apocalyptic books considered science fiction?

The short answers i...