Jared Shurin's Blog, page 32
June 28, 2016
Radio Drama: "Revenge" (1948)
"Revenge" first aired June 4, 1948, onThe Haunting Hour.
Thoughts Before Listening
So this time I thought I would choose a radio drama with a really boring title. And I cant think of a more boring title than Revenge. Except possibly Vengeance. Or The Revenge of Vengeance. Anyway.
Thoughts While Listening
Some dude is telling me no. Like, right off the bat, no.
Why do I feel like Ive pressurized him into something?
Now hes saying no, stay where you are, dont break the stillness of this momen...
June 27, 2016
Weirdness Rodeo: Panels, Magazines, Diversity, Creativity
Catwoman's Apartment from Batman Returns This week's collection of weirdness features conventions, magazines, creativity and Miles Davis.
Can't we do better than panels?The Guardian asks: "How did awful panel discussions become the default format?" The article is specifically about academic conferences, but applies just as well to SF/F cons. The authorsuggests the ultimate solution is that, if you're running a convention, "Resource it properly. Organising good conferences requires expertis...
June 24, 2016
Phil Tucker's The Path of Flames (2016)
The Path of Flames knows how to start with a bang. Or in this case, a cavalry charge.
Thousands of knights, the finest in the land, arepelting madlyup a hill. For added excitement, they're preceded by a wave of half-tame ogrish monsters, their shock troops.The defenders, dark wizards amongst them, rain black fire down on their attackers. The attacking line breaks, and the battle dissolves into chaos and slaughter.
Caught in the middle? Asho, a humble squire, who, over the course of a few (ve...
June 23, 2016
Josiah Bancroft's Senlin Ascends (2013)
Senlin is the headmaster of a one-room schoolhouse in a small town. He's spent his life teaching children all the basics of the world, without ever really experiencing it himself. When, almost despite himself, he marries the capricious Marya, they agree to expand their horizons with one great big adventure. Senlin calculates his budget, buys the tickets, studies the guidebook and the two head off to the greatest wonder of the world: The Tower of Babel.
Once at the Tower, however, Senlin finds...
B.T. Narro's Kin of Kings (2015)
Basen is the nephew of the dead king of Tenred, who was (whilst alive) the most hated man in the world. Despite their shared surname, however, Basen is firmly on team Good. He and his father were exiled before the last war, and have spent their last few years scrounging out a living in the (enemy) kingdom of Kyrro. No home to go to; no future ahead of them.
Basen, however, has some tricks up his sleeve.
Trained as both a swordsman and a mage (the perks of a royal upbringing), when the famed A...
June 22, 2016
Richard Crawford's Traitor Blade (2011)
The kingdom of Valderon is suffering through a dangerous time. The king's son and heir, Prince Arnaud, is sickly. Although married, it seems that a child is unlikely.
The next in line is the King's nephew - Charles, the eldest son of his estranged brother, Rupert. Although the King and his brother are not open enemies, they're far from friends. Rupert, and his province of Chamfort, are loyal to Valderon, so he treads carefully. He doesn't want to incite a civil war; Valderon already has...
June 21, 2016
One Comic: Out and Proud!
Let's face it - it's been a grim week in the LGBT world (and indeed, everywhere), so it feels more important than ever to acknowledge and celebrate our sexual and gender diversity. So...
Happy Pride Month! To mark the occasion, and to reflect its queer sensibilities, Oni Press has published its first Pride Spectacular; three extracts from its LGBTQ-focused titles, including previews of two new series. So how do Merry Men, Wet Moon and Princess Princess Ever After hold up as queer stories, as...
K.M. Carroll's Malevolent (2015)
"I met Mal the day he tried to kill my boyfriend."
And with that,Malevolent begins.
The 'I' is Libby. She's a high school senior, but not a very active one. Stricken with 'Valley Fever', she's virtually bedridden: even on the good days, she's worried about ranging too far - her mysterious ailment could strike at any time.
Malevolent opens on one of those good days. She's feeling fairly strong, plus, the beekeepers are in town. Libby's family has an almond farm. The annual visit of the beekeep...
June 20, 2016
Alessandra Clarke's Rider's Revenge (2015)
And we're off! I'm participating in this year's SPFBO - a competition that pits 300(!) self-published fantasy novels against one another in search of ULTIMATE GLORY. This site is one of the 10 sites reviewing and judging the books.
My task is to sift through 30 of the entries. I've already cut 24 of the 30 (details on those books here). This week, I'll be reviewing my final six, using a version of our DGLA criteria. Only one will go on the final round!
---
K'lrsa is a Rider of the White Hors...
June 17, 2016
Nerd is the New Black: Spider-Gwen
If you're even sort of comics-adjacent these days you've probably heard of Spider-Gwen. At the very least you've seen something Spider-Gwen and gone, I don't know what that is, but it'sawesome. Spider-Gwen has reinvigorated the comics market in an amazing way. Like Deadpool before her, anytime she's on a cover the comic sells out.
But Spider-Gwen doesn't just look cool, she iscool. In an alternate timeline, Gwen Stacey (you know, the way more awesome girlfriend than...
