Dave Higgins's Blog, page 135
February 7, 2014
The Bench by Susan Koenig
This review is based on an uncorrected proof, so does not refer to page numbers, extents, or the illustrations contained in the retail copy. Koenig has included a wide selection of her short work, on a range of topics, permitting … Continue reading →
February 5, 2014
Is Equality a Fantasy?
It is a commonly repeated statement that fantasy fiction is written predominantly by Western white men for Western white men. Many e-trees have been cut down to fuel discussion of whether readers owe a duty to proactively read more non-white-male … Continue reading →
February 3, 2014
Million Word Challenge: January
When I decided to enter the million word challenge I had no idea whether I would succeed, or even whether victory would be a useful thing in the long-term. After one month, I still do not know whether I will … Continue reading →
January 31, 2014
Witch-hunting Gatsby’s Abandoned Children by Jeremiah Walton
In this collection Walton expands further on his thesis that Western society is “marketed individuality”. Expanding on the themes of his earlier collection, Gatsby’s Abandoned Children, he gives new perspectives on the hollowness of conspicuous consumption while savaging the idea … Continue reading →
January 29, 2014
Watching The Adjectives
Human beings are very visual beings; almost all of us devote the majority of our attention to what we see. Sound usually comes second, with touch and taste being things we seek or not. But although sound is in second … Continue reading →
January 27, 2014
In the Right Region
One of the most common pieces of advice given to people to strengthen their arguments, is to avoid including too many caveats: avoid adding statements about limited applicability, do not include qualifications based on less common variations. However, this advice … Continue reading →
January 24, 2014
Marshland: Dreams and Nightmares on the Edge of London by Gareth E. Rees
This book blends almost detached journalism, personal memoir, political commentary, post-apocalyptic horror, graphic novels, and other sources to produce a perspective on the marshes of East London that is both fantastical and believable. Rees takes as his starting point a … Continue reading →
January 22, 2014
Not That Type of Perky
Most rational discussions of stereotypes in either role-playing games or fiction writing quickly include the idea of a character as wish-fulfilment; as either the creator’s idea or how they would like to be, or how they would like their ideal … Continue reading →
January 20, 2014
On My Signal Unleash… Melodrama!
Last week, I was challenged to a Legendary Author Battle; and not just any Legendary Author Battle, the inaugural conflict. Pausing only to consume a potion of melodramatic oration (made from the shredded remains of Varney the Vampire steeped in … Continue reading →
January 17, 2014
Forty-Five Seconds: A Chapbook by Joschua Beres
While most poetry collections include a contents page, not all include a contents page that reads like a poem. It is testament to the power of Beres’ voice that the titles form a poem of their own. This collection of … Continue reading →
