Marc Aplin's Blog, page 231

J.J. Abrams’s Note To The ‘Star Wars’ Crew

A note written by J.J. Abrams to the cast and crew of “Star Wars: Episode VII” has been leaked online… It doesn’t contain anything too revealing or any specifics to get excited about, but instead gives us an insight into the passion and anticipation the director has for the movie. Here’s the leaked photo and […]

Sword & Laser Anthology edited by Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt

If you listen to the Sword & Laser podcast, you should support the empire of Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt by reading their anthology. You’ll enjoy the swirling vortex of fantasy and science-fiction stories they’ve chosen. And if you’ve not yet availed yourself of the podcast or YouTube series, consider joining one book club of […]

The Nebula Award Winners

The winners of the 2013 Nebula Awards were presented this month in a ceremony at  SFWA’s 49th Annual Nebula Awards Weekend, held in San Jose CA. Samuel R. Delany was honored with the 2013 Damon Knight Grand Master Award for his lifetime contributions and achievements in the field. In addition to Delany’s award, the titles highlighted […]

John W. Campbell Memorial Award Finalists Announced

The 2013 John W. Campbell Memorial Award finalists have been named. For those unfamiliar with the award, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, or Campbell Memorial Award, is an annual award presented by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best […]

Details on Kameron Hurley’s next book…

If you keep up-to-date with the various awards and discussion that revolve around the forefront of fantasy and science-fiction literature, it would be hard for you not to have at very least heard of ‘Kameron Hurley’. In a genre where ‘strong women’ have – in the past at least – been rarely more than the genre […]

SAILOR MOON Anime Franchise coming to North America

Reports have surfaced this week that VIZ Media has acquired the North American rights for the legendary Sailor Moon anime franchise. The rights cover digital streaming, EST (Electronic Sell Through) and all home media products in the U.S. and Canada. “SAILOR MOON is one of the extremely rare breed of anime series truly deserving of […]

Paul Cornell Interview

If you read books and comics or watch television, the chances are that you’ve come across something Paul Cornell has composed. Paul has worked with the BBC on Doctor Who, Robin Hood, Primeval, Casualty and Holby City; Marvel on X-Men, Wolverine, Young Avengers and Fantastic Four; DC on Batman & Robin and Demon Knights; and […]

Fantasy Medicine – Part One: Healthcare, Magical and Mundane

Fantasy, whether epic, high, or sword-and-sorcery, would not be very exciting if the characters were as susceptible to death and disability as we are in the real world. The truth is, it takes much less than a broken leg or severed hamstring to render a human useless for battle and adventuring. How about a back […]

Different Worlds

One of the many draws of the fantasy genre is the variety of strange and wonderful worlds that the stories take place in. A reader can enter an amazing new setting in every book, but the way they are introduced to this world can alter the nature of the story. It will affect how the […]

Clariel Officially Due for Release – Cover Revealed

Garth Nix was one of the first fantasy authors I was lucky enough to stumble upon (way back in about 1999). The series, and one I ended up reading about 10 times over the years, was known in the UK as ‘The Old Kingdom’. It was made up of three books (Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen). The […]