Marc Aplin's Blog, page 210
September 6, 2014
Good Omens audio drama coming this Christmas
Exciting news for fans of fantasy, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s version of the Armageddon, Good Omens, will be dramatised for Christmas! For those unfamiliar with the novel: Events have been set in motion to bring about the End of Days. The armies of Good and Evil are gathering and making their way towards the sleepy […]
Forms Of Fantasy
I haven’t written an article for Fantasy-Faction in a while and so, I thought I’d better start by saying something interesting. “As a fantasy/science-fiction fan you are deeply nostalgic and/or interested in the progression of our world.” Is that interesting? Well, I’m not sure, but what about if I chuck the words fantasy literature, science-fiction […]
September 5, 2014
Believable Fantasy Character Design
Enter a man. He is tall, ruggedly handsome, a pinch over six foot, with eyes of swirling green and blue. His arms were toned and muscular, and there was a light shading of stubble about his cheeks. This man stumbles across an armed gang of men in an alleyway, harassing a young woman, all legs […]
September 4, 2014
Fantastical Biology Part 3: Prey
Some of the most popular fantasy creatures are predators, and the last fantastical biology article focused on them and the strategies they use to catch their prey. Today we’ll move from the hunter to the hunted, which in fantasy novels is often the human protagonist. Much of this article will focus on how real animals […]
No Brandon Stark or Hodor for Game of Thrones Season 5
Kristian Nairn, the actor who plays Hodor on HBO’s The Game of Thrones, has told fans that neither he nor Isaac Hempstead Wright (Brandon Stark) will be appearing in series five of the show. It’s news that we imagine will surprise many fans, because I imagine that when we next see Issac/Brandon he is going […]
September 3, 2014
The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley
The Mirror Empire is not an easy read. It’s not a fluffy piece of forgettable fiction you casually pick up in the airport before a long flight. It’s a challenging book—not only challenging to fantasy readers, but also a challenge to the genre. Nevertheless, it is a fun, bold, and exciting read. Ultimately, I think […]
September 2, 2014
Kameron Hurley Interview
I conducted this interview before the Hugo Awards ceremony. Back then, Kameron Hurley was “merely” a Hugo-nominated author. Now, she is a multiple-Hugo winning author! So congratulations are definitely in order as well as a big thank you for making time during the hectic publication period. In this interview, we talk about her upcoming book […]
September 1, 2014
So What’s The Fuss About Aeon Timeline?
Timelines – they are the bane of many a writer. Whether it be discovering that your character has to be half a world away in a day with only a slow sailing ship and a camel for transport, or keeping track of all the different reality streams in your time travel novel, knowing where your […]
August 31, 2014
The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks: Review
Intro & Recap I admit that when Brent Weeks announced he was going to take a break from the Night Angel world – leaving behind incredible characters such as Kylar, Durzo and Viridiana – I sighed. In fact, I thought he was crazy. I mean, I don’t have access to Brent’s bank account (despite a number […]
‘Lords of the Fallen’ gets an even better trailer!
We talk a lot about the ‘Grim’ and ‘Gritty’ trends in fantasy novels right now, but those who play video games have undoubtedly noticed that this trend has carried over to that medium too. For those who don’t know, Lords of the Fallen is a dark and mysterious fantasy RPG due for release this October. […]
