Marc Aplin's Blog, page 163
November 3, 2015
The Story of Kullervo by J.R.R. Tolkien
The last few years have seen the publication of several of Tolkien’s versions of the literary works that sparked his imagination and influenced Middle Earth. From the poems of Sigurd and Gudrun and The Fall of Arthur to his translation of Beowulf, these renditions are a fascinating look at Tolkien’s creative engagement with the European […]
His Dark Materials – TV Series
The Golden Compass was an utter failure because a movie company bought the rights to a book that explored and commented upon (primarily) the Catholic religion, and then decided it didn’t want the movie to explore or comment upon the Catholic religion. This is all the more ridiculous when you consider Pullman says that the His Dark Materials […]
November 2, 2015
The Hybrid Writer – Guest Blog by Gail Z. Martin
Once upon a time, you wrote a book, sent it to a publisher, and lived happily ever after. Now, it’s complicated. There are traditional, big publishers like the Big 5 in New York, ‘small press’ publishers which range from medium-bigger publishers to micro presses, and self-publishing. In today’s marketplace, if you’re serious about making a […]
November 1, 2015
10 Things They Never Told You About NaNoWriMo
November, the month of charity moustaches and writing productivity, is upon us and no doubt, many of you are partaking in the annual NaNoWriMo event to write 50,000 words in a month. It’s a fun challenge where you can meet a lot of awesome people, but if you’ve never done it before it can feel […]
October 31, 2015
Sins of a Sovereignty by Plague Jack
The story begins in a prologue where we meet the Spider-Witch, her husband and an elf named Adan. We don’t get to see them again until the epilogue. They serve to bracket the story and hint at deeper the goings on. The main character seems to be the Dragon Knight, Sir Clark Pendragon, a man […]
October 29, 2015
So You’re Doing NaNoWriMo!
And right about now, you might be wondering what exactly you’ve signed yourself up for. I won’t lie – November is going to be hard. Especially if this is your first time. Even if it isn’t your first time, it’s still going to be hard, but you do at least have an idea of what […]
October 28, 2015
The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
“Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall; Death is the fifth, and master of all.” N. K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season is a strikingly original fantasy novel. It is set in The Stillness, a continent ruled by the Sanzed Empire on a world plagued by constant tectonic plate movement, causing frequent devastating earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. There are […]
October 27, 2015
Gender and Stereotyping in Fantasy – Part Three: Balance
Last time we focused entirely on characters drawn from the YA SFF spectrum, visiting authors from Cassandra Clare to Maggie Steifvater and Meagan Spooner/Amie Kaufman. Whilst we’re still not done examining gender and stereotypes in YA, we’re going to swing the spotlight onto more regular fantasy in this instalment. Note that I veer away from […]
October 26, 2015
New York Comic Com 2015 Report – Part One
Once upon a time, the Supreme Overlords of Fantasy-Faction asked if anyone on staff lived in the general area of New York City and would be willing to take one for the team and go to New York Comic Con with a press badge. “It’s a tough job,” I said to myself, “but somebody’s gotta […]
October 25, 2015
Under A Colder Sun by Greg James
A city in peril, a king with a daring plan, a mysterious bandit and a guard driven by idealistic honour. It all makes for a good set-up and promises a great deal. The actual story begins in an inn, as many good fantasy novels do, and the tone it strikes is dark and brutal. Leste […]
