Marc Aplin's Blog, page 81
June 13, 2018
Anna Stephens Interview – Darksoul
Today we have the honor of interviewing the fantastic Anna Stephens! You might remember Anna’s debut novel Godblind, was our number ten pick for Best Fantasy Novel of 2017. For those who are unfamiliar, Anna is a UK-based writer of grimdark and whose second novel, Darksoul has been highly anticipated by many a Fantasy-Faction fan. […]
June 11, 2018
Candy by Lavie Tidhar
“A long buffet table on the other side was laden with sweet pastries, chocolate and cream, in flagrant violation of Prohibition. They must have been brought in from out of town. I was shocked to see them there, but only for a moment. I’d already known not all grown-ups played by the rules – even […]
June 10, 2018
Great Fantasy Films From Yesteryear
Before I begin, as I wrote this title I thought, “How did the 1970s become yesteryear?” I have to keep reminding myself that there are adults out there—many of them friends—who were born two decades after my childhood years. So yes, Amanda, your own lifetime includes yesteryears and bygone eras. But let’s get to it. […]
June 7, 2018
The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French
In my review of Phil Tucker’s The Siege of Abythos, I felt like that guy at a sports stadium, trying to start the wave, in my attempt to make the hashtag #TrollsArePeopleToo go viral. No such luck. Well, in honor of Jonathan French’s Big-5 release of The Grey Bastards, I’m going to try again with […]
June 4, 2018
Albion Online – First Impressions
I started playing MMOs back when Ultima Online (UO) was only one world, when a red name struck fear into my heart and my armour consisted of a death shroud, my weapon a Katana, and a couple of black pearls in my pack. Oh, and an escape recall rune – sometimes running was the best […]
June 1, 2018
Monthly Short Stories Winner: Rebirth/Renewal
This is a broad theme and it doesn’t have to deal with spring, people, or the New Year. After all, what can’t be renewed? What doesn’t have the right to rebirth themselves time and again? Rules: 1. This must be prose or poetry. 2. The overarching theme must be renewal or rebirth of something or […]
May 31, 2018
It’s That Time Again: Fantasy-Faction Is Looking For Contributors
Do you read fantasy, science fiction, horror, steampunk, or any other of the many subgenres of SFF? Are you writing the next great epic fantasy novel or are at least trying to? Do you have some free time to share your love of genre fiction with others? Then Fantasy-Faction wants you! We are a fan […]
May 30, 2018
A Fantasy Geek’s Guide to YouTube – RPG Let’s Plays Part One: Spotlight
YouTube is an app, a website, and a cultural phenomenon. It’s also a vast and barely-explored wilderness full of content that ranges from dynamic to dire. Whatever your interests are, there’s probably at least one channel out there for you. Still, managing to dig out the channels that cater to your own SFF needs can […]
May 28, 2018
An Introductory Guide to Reading Fantasy
If a reader wanted to dive into the romance genre, they might start with Pride and Prejudice. If they aspired to read historical fiction, they might give The Da Vinci Code a try. The fantasy genre is unlike any other. It has a long and glorious history as well as a healthy population of new, […]
May 27, 2018
The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi
Originally written in Japanese and published in 2006, this edition of The Beast Player is translated by Cathy Hirano. At the heart of this book is a coming of age story but there is so much more to it than that. Set in a fictional fantasy world, the story starts when a young Elin’s life […]
