P.H. Solomon's Blog, page 78
March 8, 2021
Dramatic Irony and the Trickster – Part 1 #amwriting
Creating depth in our writing is an involved process, one we get better at as time goes on. “Depth” consists of a multitude of layers we add to a scene, usually as part of the revision process. Good writers take a one-dimensional idea and create a real, three-dimensional world. They do this magic layer by […]
March 7, 2021
Gaslamp Fantasy Excerpt: The Order of the Dark Rose Part 1
Read the opening excerpt from the new gaslamp fantasy from P. H. Solomon’s The Order of the Dark Rose, Volume 1 of The Cursed Mage Case Files, highlighting the opening with Wishton Ackford’s reaction to oddities out of nowhere. Last Monday’s post, ODR Character Spotlight: A Wish and a Prayer, highlighted Wishton Ackford (Wish), the […]
Viking Ulfberht Swords
When we think of Vikings, our minds don’t normally conjure a picture of a miner. So where did the Vikings (and others) get the iron ore to forge their tools and weapons? As Mats Andersson says on Quora, they literally fished it out of bogs. Bog Iron As Wikipedia explains, Europeans developed iron smelting from […]
Court Intrigue Fantasy Books
Court intrigue fantasy books are very popular. They are stories that involve some sort of royal or other political court and are full of backstabbing and political maneuvering. There are many layers to these novels. The characters are often clever, witty and will go to any lengths to get what they want. The lines between […]
Are Dragons Evil, Part 5 – Chinese
Chinese dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs. Dragon is yang, and complements a yin fenghuang (phoenix). Dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers – usually, control over water, rainfall, hurricane and floods. Dragon is also a symbol of power, strength and good luck, of wealth, wisdom and nobility, heroism, […]
Building a Fantasy Army, Part 1: Introduction and Environment
Introduction Military is often an important part of fantasy, even if it is not military fantasy specifically. Epic fantasy such as Lord of the Rings, and political fantasy such as A Song of Ice and Fire, also has a lot of warfare – to the point that combat, at times, overshadows everything else. History of […]
March 6, 2021
Space Navy and the Ultimate Challenge – The Alpha Protocols by Duncan M. Hamilton
Kate says… Everything a military scifi fan could want: Navy discipline, space technology, battles, and this universe’s physics. Would your priority for First Contact be politics and career advancement? Well, we’re only human. Naval Officer Jack Samson is sent in disgrace to a remote patrol ship on the frontier of known space. When a routine […]
Are Dragons Evil, Part 4 – Germanic and West European
Germanic and Norse Mythology In German and Norse mythology dragons typically appear as monstrouous serpents, sometimes with wings and legs but more often as just giant snakes. These dragons (lindworms) are seen as evil, a bad omen, and preying on livestock. They are also greedy, guarding hoards of treasure and most often living in underground […]
March 5, 2021
Top 10 Dark Tourism Places To Visit In India
Dark Tourism is an area of travel and tourism less explored and that adds to the charm of it. This world has some unseen and some eerie adventures lined right up for you. Here are the top places for exploring dark tourism in India. Top 10 Dark Tourism Places To Visit In India This re-blog […]
Saturn Award nominees revealed
The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films has released its list of nominees for the Saturn Awards, which will be presented later in the year. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker gained most nominations (12) with Tenet receiving 9 and Doctor Sleep 8. Outlander and The Walking Dead each received five nominations – […]
