Marc Aplin's Blog, page 250
January 26, 2014
Dungeons & Dragons Turns 40
In January 1974 Dungeons & Dragons hit shelves for the first time. It was a game that would change the history of boardgames and war-games forever… “Those war gamers who lack imagination,” the game’s co-founder, Gary Gygax, wrote in the game’s first introduction, “will not be likely to find Dungeons and Dragons to their taste. […]
The Grim Company – 59p on Amazon!
Many people had The Grim Company by Luke Scull on their top books of 2013 lists. It’s no surprise, the book having earned reviews such as: ‘If you like your glizzards glistening and your mages mean, this rollicking debut will suit. Hugely enjoyable.’ Daily Mail. ‘The best fantasy you will read this year’ SF Book. […]
January 25, 2014
Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson
Get ready to enjoy your next bite of Steven Erikson’s bountiful feast, The Malazan Book of the Fallen, when you tuck into book two of the series, Deadhouse Gates. Deadhouse Gates is a wonderful return on investment for those who pick it up, for while the preceding installment, Gardens of the Moon, is a good […]
Richard A. Knaak Interview
Richard A. Knaak is an author who has achieved just about everything you could hope for as a writer of Fantasy. Over the course of his career – that extends over a quarter of a century, by the way – he has had a written within the renowned and much loved worlds of Conan and […]
January 23, 2014
Breach Zone by Myke Cole
After reading Control Point, book one in the Shadow Ops series, I insisted you “bunker down as the fireballs fly with the bullets and enjoy one of 2012’s most exciting debuts” with the introduction of Oscar Britton and a world where magic not only exists, but is also utilized by the military. In book two, […]
The Fantasy Language Problem – Part One
(Click or mouseover links for humorous footnotes.) From the very beginning of the genre, one of the biggest problems fantasy authors have had to solve has been languages. It’s an odd sort of problem, actually, because for the most part readers don’t actually seem to pay much attention to it. Some writers seem to be […]
Scientists find secret to writing a bestseller
Imagine if publishers had the ability to tell whether a manuscript had the potential to become a bestseller within minutes of receiving it… without even reading it. It sounds ridiculous, unfathomable, but, incredibly, computer scientists have already taken a big step towards making it a reality. Researchers at an American University have published a paper explaining the […]
January 22, 2014
Why I love The Kitschies
I have to say that The Kitschies, presented by Kraken Rum, have become the awards list that I most look forward to. When it comes to the Gemmell Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo awards, etc – I can pretty much guess what is going to show up on it. What I love about The Kitschies is […]
Clarke Awards release list of 33 female authors submitted for prize
For those unfamiliar, The Clarke Award is given to the best science fiction novel of the year, pulled from a shortlist of novels whose UK first editions came out in the previous calendar year. It was originally established by a generous grant from Sir Arthur C. Clarke in 1987, and is now overseen by the […]
January 21, 2014
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
This is one of the tenderly beautiful children’s books that is written with wit and an elegant simplicity for all ages. A close comparison that I’m sure many of you know is The Last Unicorn. If you enjoyed The Last Unicorn, you will enjoy Haroun and the Sea of Stories. That is as much of […]
