Marc Aplin's Blog, page 212
August 22, 2014
Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson
Dust of Dreams, book nine of Steven Erikson’s grand work of epic fantasy, the Malazan Book of the Fallen, is really a torturer’s handbook in disguise. This is true for two reasons. First, we all know how important an ending is: whether that be for a self-contained novel or for a longer series. I don’t […]
Interview with Patrick Rothfuss
The following is a 15 minute interview with Patrick Rothfuss focused on his upcoming novella, The Slow Regard of Silent things. I’ve uploaded the audio – *CRINGE* – and transcribed the entire thing (as best I can) for people who’d prefer to give it a read. As you will know, Patrick Rothfuss doesn’t make it […]
August 20, 2014
Worldbuilding A Religion – Part Two: How Religion Shapes Culture
In Worldbuilding A Religion – Part One, we went over the basic differences between religions and cults, and some of the ways they can enrich your worlds and stories. Cults do not affect culture and society in quite the same way because they often rely on the isolation of their followers, and obviously if you’re […]
Breaking News: Peter V. Brett announces ‘Skull Throne’ release date
Just a week after Fantasy-Faction’s Grim gathering, Peter V. Brett has shared some VERY exciting news: Seeing as Peat only just finished the novel (like, literally a few weeks ago) that date will be quite an impressive turn around; either Peter’s writing is REALLY, REALLY polished by the time he sends the book in or […]
Event Review: George R.R. Martin & Robin Hobb in conversation
Lets face it, in the UK, how many chances are we going to have the opportunity to see two of Fantasy’s greatest authors, George R.R. Martin and Robin, under one roof? The answer is ‘very few’. We, British Fantasy fans, have been spoilt over the last few years. We’ve had two ‘world’ fantasy / science-fiction […]
August 18, 2014
The Liveship Traders Series by Robin Hobb (no spoilers)
Credit goes to Robin Hobb for doing something new and challenging. Miles (literally) away from the medieval workings of the Six Duchies, Hobb undertakes sea serpents, pirates, talking ships and a host of new mysteries in her nautical themed second trilogy. Though it doesn’t have the same accessibility or emotional impact as Fitzchivalry’s story, it […]
Editor Abigail Nathan Interview – Part Two
Welcome back to part two of our interview with professional editor Abigail Nathan of Bothersome Words Writing and Editing Services. In this section we talk more about working with writers and publishers. If you missed Part One, you can read it here. You obviously deal with a lot of fiction in your line of work. […]
August 17, 2014
The Evolution of the Fantasy-Faction Anthology Cover Art
They’re here! The limited first editions of the Fantasy-Faction Anthology have landed in the UK and the US! Making this anthology was a labor of love for all involved and we would like to once again thank all the amazing authors that donated stories and congratulate and thank the contest winners for their participation. […]
Character Immersion And The Narrative Voice
The protagonists in a story are the reader’s window into the world, and getting the narrative voice of your character right is one of the hardest techniques to master. If you can really ground the narrative in the character’s POV (point of view) the reader will by fully immersed in the story and it will […]
2014 Hugo Award Winners
The winners of the 2014 Hugo Awards were presented today in a ceremony at the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention, Loncon 3, in London. Hosts Geoff Ryman and Justina Robson presented the Hugo trophies, with bases designed by Joy Alyssa Day, to this year’s winners. And the 2014 Hugo Award winners are: Best Novel Ancillary […]
