Marc Aplin's Blog, page 137
June 24, 2016
Company Town by Madeline Ashby
There is a lot to like about this ambitious, quick and explosive sci-fi story. Company Town is told through the eyes of the protagonist Hwa and takes place in a city called New Arcadia. She lives in a world where almost everyone has some sort of physical or biological augmentation. People are stronger, faster, more […]
June 23, 2016
Graphic Fantasy: Catching up on Comics
Step into any forum, whether on Fantasy-Faction or another site, and conversation often turns to recommendations. “I liked X, but not Y. What should I pick up next?” Unless X and Y are really off the wall, the same handful of names pop up pretty much every time. And while I do try to suggest […]
June 22, 2016
The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough
There is a language to dying. It creeps like a shadow alongside the passing years and the taste of it hides in the corners of our mouths. It finds us whether we are sick or healthy. It is a secret hushed thing that lives in the whisper of the nurses’ skirts as they rustle up […]
June 21, 2016
Mash Up edited by Gardner Dozois
Mash Up is a short story anthology edited by Gardner Dozois, in which authors take famous first lines from literature and weave completely new stories from them, all with a sci-fi or fantasy theme, often going in very unexpected directions. The anthology was originally a partnership between Audible and the SFWA, with each story recorded […]
June 19, 2016
The Bound Folio by Rob J. Hayes
In the Five Kingdoms, previously the setting of Rob J. Hayes’ Ties That Bind trilogy and now the setting of his new collection of short stories, The Bound Folio, injustice is a daily occurrence and the entire world can quickly become your enemy. Throughout The Bound Folio’s eight-story connection, readers are introduced to lone protagonists […]
June 17, 2016
Character Group Dynamics
One of the most important tasks of a writer is to get the reader to engage with their characters, but almost as important is how your characters engage with each other. Their interactions are what make up the narrative and drama of the book, bringing the story to life. How can your hero show off […]
June 16, 2016
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
When I asked Twitter whether I should buy the first Witcher game, I got a unanimous YES. One gentleman informed me that the games were based on a series of novels by Polish author Sapkowski, which I’m sure most Fantasy-Faction readers already know. I didn’t and was therefore mighty curious. Standing in Waterstones, I had […]
June 15, 2016
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
My first impression after reading the title was, “Will I turn invisible once I enter? Can no one find me?” A place where I can read, undisturbed and uninterrupted? Sign me up ASAP! But alas, it was not to be, for me at least. If you’re a Librarian, however, worlds are at your fingertips. You […]
Where did Stranger of Tempest come from?
I’m sure you’ve all heard of Stranger of Tempest by now… It has perhaps the most stand-out cover of the year and is being hailed as relentless, fun and unputdownable by readers lucky enough to land an ARC. We wanted to know from Tom Lloyd how the idea of the book came about, why he took […]
June 13, 2016
What I Learned as a Tabletop Gamer
In news that will shock precisely no one that has spoken to me for any amount of time, I am a massive nerd. Like, huge. I am the kind of nerd who is genuinely surprised when people don’t enjoy hour long one-sided conversations (re: rants) about political systems of Middle Earth or subtleties hidden within […]
