Marc Aplin's Blog, page 247
February 16, 2014
Fantastical Creatures of Greco-Roman Mythology: Hippoi Monokerata
Welcome to the final instalment of our series on lesser-known creatures and monsters in Classical mythology! Over the past year, we’ve looked at everything from ancient dragon-like creatures to ancient vampire-like creatures, and plenty of bizarre things in between. From the beginning of this series, it has been my hope that both writers and readers […]
Get Fit watching Game of Thrones
So, I was reading Men’s Fitness Magazine today when I came across a Game of Thrones fitness game. I guess you wouldn’t generally consider watching your favourite television series as capable of benefiting your exercise (you usually watch it whilst sprawled out on the sofa eating pizza and sipping coke/beer, right?), however, the magazine has […]
Aurealis Awards: Finalists Announced
The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers. And, although a fair amount of us Brits and Americans may not have heard of them, each of award of the 12 categories is highly sought after by Aussie authors. The finalists […]
February 15, 2014
Last to Rise by Francis Knight
I was sold on the Rojan Dizon series as soon as I heard the words “noir-fantasy.” Delving into the subgenres of fantasy has been a fun and rewarding experience as I come across books that aren’t the traditional “knight saving a princess.” These books are even, in many cases, leagues better than those types of […]
Way of Kings Readalong – Launch Post
We’re not far away from the release of one of the most anticipated novels of our generation, Words of Radiance : The Stormlight Archive Book Two. Fantasy-Faction is most excited about the launch of this one and we’re teaming up with Gollancz, the UK publishers, to do a readalong of the first book, Way of […]
February 14, 2014
Neil Gaiman on Dundee Literary Prize Panel
Well, this is good news. Neil Gaiman has been chosen to join the Dundee International Book Prize’s judging panel alongside some of the literary world’s most influential figures. Gaiman will be joined by broadcaster Kirsty Lang, publisher Scott Pack, literary agent Felicity Blunt and writer and critic Stuart Kelly. Each will cast their eyes over […]
50 Countries enter WOTF Competition!
One of the great things about fantasy literature is its diversity and its appeal across almost any age, gender or race. Well, this year, the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest for Speculative Fiction has announced that it has received entries from more than 50 Countries. From the United States to Sri Lanka, […]
Last Minute Emergency Valentine’s Day Card!
It’s Valentine’s Day… What? You forgot!? Well, don’t worry… as per usual, we have your back. Just for you, Fantasy-Faction has created a Game of Thrones themed Valentine’s Day Card template for you to print out and hand to your Valentine. All you need to do is download it, print it out and write the […]
THE KITSCHIES: Winners Announced!
Last month I spoke about why, and how much, I love The Kitschies Award. Essentially, it is because of their mission statement, ‘to reward the year’s most progressive, intelligent and entertaining works’, that results in them consistently present a list of books that I’ve either not heard of or have not thought of picking up until seeing […]
February 13, 2014
The Atlantis Gene by A. G. Riddle
The age-old question of “where did we come from?” is given another twist in A. G. Riddle’s debut novel, The Atlantis Gene. Mythology and science fiction combine to create a suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing who’s on what side, what secrets have been buried under miles of ice under Antarctica, and who are […]
