Marc Aplin's Blog, page 237

Short Story Markets and Why They Are Important

There seems to be an opinion that, other than a few yearly anthologies, the SFF Short Story market died out in the 1960′s. However, although it is not as prevalent or as well-paid as it once was, there are still plenty of magazines/websites that  want your work and are willing to pay for it, publish it […]

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

So in my latest attempt to further break Goodread’s recommendation algorithm, I decided to read Annihilation, partially because it doesn’t fit particularly neatly into any category, but also because I love the narrative trope of nature reclaiming that which man thought they had dominated long ago. I like it especially when mixed with science fiction-ish […]

Zeno Agency Hires Former Headline Editor, John Wordsworth

In an exciting, and absolutely brilliant move for UK Fantasy & Science-Fiction, former commissioning editor John Wordsworth, is to join Zeno Agency Ltd as a literary agent. John previously headed up Headline’s SF, Fantasy and Horror list – signing up Fantasy-Faction favourites such as Richard Ford, Jennifer Williams and Myke Cole (all three got 5* […]

Harry Potter Movie Spin-Off is a Trilogy!

Last year we reported that J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was being made into a film. Although we had expectations that it would be more than one movie, it wasn’t confirmed, so we were delighted when Kevin Tsujihara, C.E.O. of Warner Bros, told The New York Times earlier this week that […]

Combat in Fantasy – Part Two: Top Ten Tips for Wearing Armour

Armour. Often the subject of heavily debated book covers. Rule of thumb? The heavier it is, the more protection it offers, but the more it slows you down. You need to pick kit that suits a character’s personality and physical strength – hey, even the movies get that much right. My top ten tips, below. […]

A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin – Review Part Two

This is part two of this review. If you missed it, you can read part one here. Earlier this month, I spoke of my rekindling love for G.R.R.M.’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. I know that many might or might not be like me, but A Dance With Dragons is what I would term […]

RealmShift by Alan Baxter

I’ve been following British/Australian author Alan Baxter online for a while now. He’s one of a group of very passionate and talented writers in the land down under doing great things. So when he put the word out for reviewers for his two earliest novels—his first being self-published back in 2006, then picked up by […]

Fans Celebrate Words of Radiance

Brandon Sanderson has, since taking over from Robert Jordan, developed somewhat of a cult-following in the world of fantasy fandom. Peter V. Brett, Patrick Rothfuss and Mark Lawrence are all authors whose fans seem to go that extra mile to impress them (fan art, cosplay, tattoos), but Sanderson’s fans seem to go just that little […]

Half A King gets a UK Cover & Abercrombie fans get 12,000 words

OK, so I’m in the fortunate position that I’ve been able to talk Joe Abercrombie’s publishers into sending me a review copy of Half A King. However, I know that the vast majority of you haven’t yet been able to get your hands on a copy and are dying to hear as much about it as […]

“House of Dreams” by Michael Swanwick

I would often sit with my friends and argue over which were the best or worst superpowers. The worst superpowers regarded were having the ability to see three seconds into the future, but your reflexes are three seconds slower or simply being able to control condensation but nothing else. But when it came to the […]