Marc Aplin's Blog, page 91

Justice League – Movie Review

Hoo boy. I’ve not made any secret to anyone who knows me that, Wonder Woman aside, I have not been at all impressed with DC Extended Universe. In fact, I actively consider Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad to be among some of the worst superhero movies I’ve ever […]

Monthly Short Story Winner: Find the Story in the Picture

This month our entrants got three pictures to choose from. Every picture a frozen moment from an unknown story. They convey atmosphere and (part of) a setting. The rest is up to you. Rules: 1. The story/poem must be inspired by one of the pictures. 2. Prose must be 500-1500 words long. 3. Poetry must […]

Beren and Lúthien by J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Beren and Lúthien contains echoes of Romeo and Juliet, Rapunzel, and the Orpheus and Persephone myths. In it, Lúthien—a demigod elf princess whom Tolkien refers to both as a “mere maid” and “the greatest of the children of Iluvatar”—singlehandedly defeats Morgoth, the Big Bad of the First Age of Middle Earth. The story […]

Josh Vogt Interview

I am pleased to welcome Josh Vogt, a full-time freelance writer and editor, who has sold numerous stories to Paizo’s Pathfinder Tales, Grey Matter Press, the UFO2 and UFO3 anthologies, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and Shimmer, among others. His work comes in everything from flash fiction to short stories to novellas to door-stopper novels, and is […]

Miles Cameron Interview – The Fall of Dragons

Five years ago The Red Knight came into the world to high acclaim. This year The Traitor Son Cycle concluded with The Fall of Dragons. We at Fantasy-Faction have been following this series since the beginning and are lucky enough to have here today author, re-enactor, outdoors expert, and weapons specialist Miles Cameron to tell us […]

The Ten Strangest Races in Fantasy Literature

To me one of the most wonderful things about reading fantasy is the chance to encounter strange and magical beings that couldn’t possibly exist in the real world. Ferocious and exotic warriors, wise immortals, fey creatures as beautiful as they are mysterious, people made from wood or stone, animals that walk and talk like humans, […]

Don’t Show, Don’t Tell – Guest Blog by K. C. Alexander

We’ve heard it, right: “show, don’t tell.” A four-word reminder to make sure your work is rich with description, follow-through, actions rather than (in a non-literal sense) words. But what about “don’t show, don’t tell?” (Not to be mistaken for outdated military doctrine.) Stick with me, kid, it gets way more interesting. And it starts […]

Big Fish & Begonia – Movie Review

So apparently China is making big animated movies now? Good on them. No seriously, that wasn’t sarcasm. Good on them. The more different animations out there the better. Especially if they’re as gorgeous and engaging as this movie. Seriously though, as anyone who knows me might be aware, I’m a fairly big fan of animated […]

Monthly Short Story Winner: Regret and Redemption

Your main character (MC) did something, planned or by accident, and it went terribly wrong. Life is now constant regret. Do they want to correct it? Is it even possible? Everybody should have the chance to redeem themselves, but this is not a fairy tale – or is it? Rules: 1. The story’s theme must […]

Brett A. Brooks Interview

Brett A. Brooks has long been involved in both the comic and gaming world. He has written comics for both Dark Horse and Tekno Comics, as well as working on White Wolf’s World of Darkness RPG. For twenty years, he was a staff writer for Comic Shop News and the managing editor of Game Shop […]