Dave Higgins's Blog, page 99
June 15, 2016
A Creative Perspective on EU Membership
With about a week to go until the UK Referendum on EU Membership there have been plenty of recent articles frothing and lashing about the hair colour or the shoe size of the other side. The opportunity to add the preceding chthonic image to the debate aside, these have struck me as irrelevant to my […]
June 13, 2016
The Lightness of Gold
Do artists owe a duty to speak true things? A complex topic in itself, but more complex is whether that duty takes precedence over selling work. The rather spiffing Austin Hackney made several interesting comments in response to last week’s post on avoiding gendered language: among them that authors need to consider commercial realities, but […]
June 10, 2016
Mana Mutation Menace by Brian Wilkerson
Combining the issue of metaphysical imbalance within society and parody of parody, Wilkerson creates an epic-scale narrative about the cyclic conflict between cosmic forces without inspiring a sense of futility. Note: This review is based on a review copy received from the author so assumes any formatting issues have been fixed in the retail version. […]
June 8, 2016
A Heavy Tongue
Seeking diversity in fiction can be a burden. Not one equal to the issues it seeks to correct, but enough that I can understand why it doesn’t spread as easily as it might. When I started serialising Seven Stones, several subscribers commented that they found Anessa a very sympathetic character because she was a competent […]
June 6, 2016
Warning: Contains Language
Kiku Koibito invited me to share one of my older poems. Rather than merely cast it into the ephemera of social media, I thought I’d capture it here. Warning: might contain imagery, satire, and language. A Better Class Tarquin’s poem is going to be published They say it speaks to the nation’s soul. How is […]
June 3, 2016
Ultimate Duty by Marva Dasef
Combining an interesting set of social and scientific advances with engaging characters, Dasef creates a spy thriller set against an intriguing galactic empire. Note: this novel is an uncensored version of Final Duty. (Or Final Duty is a censored version of this novel.) Either way, this book has more violence and sex, but the same […]
June 1, 2016
My Favourite Word Is Often Nuance
I was going to post about absolutism, but Chuck Wendig got there first; and I agree with his points – if not some of his language – almost completely. At least for the most part. The world is almost always complex, and to find good answers we must reject nearly all absolutes. He’s right about […]
May 30, 2016
Second Seven Stones Collection Available for pre-order
Seven Stones, Vol 2:Opening the Way, collecting parts 10-33 of my weekly swords-and-sorcery serial, is now available to pre-order. And, it’s currently discounted to 99c/99p. So, find your favourite retailer today. With the means to quiet his nightmares and a better idea of their source, Reverend Kobb and his companions travel further north in search […]
May 27, 2016
The Mindmage’s Wrath by Garrett Robinson
Combining powerful magics and political intrigue with a tight focus on character, Robinson creates a tale that will appeal both to fantasy and mystery readers. Following the attack on the High King’s Seat, both Ebon and the Academy struggle to return to the ordered study of magic. A struggle made worse by the murder of […]
May 25, 2016
So Happy Together
Continuing this week’s theme of expressions of love, this mural of Donald Trump kissing Boris Johnson went up near me earlier this month. On the surface it seems like political satire, but it might be much more. It might be an effort not to mock, but to uplift. The intersection of street art and pro-European […]
