If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! In a marvellously envisioned alternate Elizabethan England, Queen Elizabeth mourns the death of her husband Robert Dudley, having retreated into seclusion in her old age. Elsewhere in the world, the explorers of America and Canada (as we know them [...]
The following is based on discussions on these forums and materials I have prepared for clients, but I am, I think, bringing all of it together for the first time. Though it is principally addressed to fantasy writers, it applies to science fiction, too. ON WORLDBUILDING Back in the days of my youth, I used [...]
Over the years, I’ve been in a position to read a considerable number of unpublished manuscripts, and to hear (or read) a considerable number of new writers discussing their ideas. And one thing I’ve noticed is how very, very often the writer who is straining every nerve to write something that will redefine the fantasy [...]
A trade paperback edition of this classic swashbuckling fantasy adventure is now available through the Lulu store and is expected to start appearing at amazon.com and other online outlets in late November. Kindle and other ebook editions are expected to appear in October. WHEN THE GOBLIN MOON RISES, STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN … Coffins float down [...]
(This article first appeared in my forum several years ago. I post it now — slightly revised — because I believe the subject is more relevant than ever. It is not intended to single out any one author, but to address a general trend.) Is Fantasy Becoming More Realistic or Simply More Cynical? After using [...]
The following was written essentially to let off steam after various discussions, and is not to be taken as an attempt to bring others around to share my opinions — excellent and worthy as those opinions may be. THE RULES — Love them? Or leave them? When it comes to the rules of good writing, [...]
REVISIONS — HOW TO HANDLE THEM AND STILL RETAIN YOUR SANITY Some writers love doing revisions. Now that they have taken care of the basics they can have fun filling in the details. Others regard the process as sheer drudgery after a purely creative phase where their ideas flowed freely. Most are intimidated by the [...]
The master of horror Stephen King is to release a stand-alone novel in the popular Dark Tower series in the spring of next year. King has a host of adoring fans around the world, but not all of them are familiar with the Dark Tower series and this book, The Wind through the Keyhole, serves [...]
The Black library have announced a new title from Gav Thorpe, Path of the Seer, is due to be released on the 1st September. The ancient eldar are a mysterious race and each devotes their life to a chosen path that will guide their actions and decide their fate. Thirianna abandons her simple existence to [...]
Going to press this week in time for its release in November is the new novel from Graham McNeill, The Outcast Dead. The galaxy is burning. The Emperor’s loyal primarchs prepare to do battle with Warmaster Horus and his turncoat Legions on the black sand of Isstvan. Such dark times herald new and yet more [...]
Out next month from Gollancz Books is a new offering from award winning popular author Christopher Pike, whose novels have built him an inimitable dual reputation as a contemporary novelist and a leading figure in modern SF and fantasy. The Islanders is a tale of murder, artistic rivalry and literary trickery; a chinese puzzle of [...]
Solaris have announced the release of an exciting new fantasy novel by award winning author Nicholas Royle. This powerful story, set in a nightmarish otherworld or fathers and sons, hopes and dreams and love and death is out on the 14th of next month. Carl meets Annie Risk and falls for her. Hurt by a [...]
Gollancz will launch the first in a new fantasy series for young adults late next month from US author Rae Carson. Fire and Thorns is the compelling tale of Princess Elisa, a character who has been described as a perfect blend of the ordinary and extraordinary. Princess Elisa is a disappointment to her people. Although [...]
Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 has to be one of the more cumbersomely named games we’ve ever come across. But fans of the Magic will be pleased to hear that Wizards of the Coast has announced that the virtual version of the fantasy card game will be out on June 15th [...]
Paradox Interactive and developer Arrowhead have just launched the website for the up and coming fantasy romp Magicka. Magicka is an action-adventure based on Norse mythology which challenges four players to band together and conquer thirteen levels packed with the minions of darkness, servants of an evil wizard who needs a good bottom kicking. A [...]
Atlus and FrozenByte have announced the sequel to Trine, the hit co-operative platformer which took many by surprise last year. Trine 2 will be out in the spring of 2011, and much like the first, it will be a fantasy themed platform game littered with physics based puzzles and monsters to crush. And also like [...]
The Nebula Awards, voted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SWFA), will be awarded at a banquet during meetings to be held 14 – 16 May 2010 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Nebulas have been awarded every year since the SWFA was founded in 1965 and are voted by the writers themselves, [...]
It must be awards season. Within a few minutes of when I finished writing about the final ballot for the Hugo Awards, I learned that the finalists have been announced for this years Locus Awards, a poll of the readers of Locus magazine. Despite being announced a couple of weeks after the finalists for the [...]
There may be some people that complain about the amount of vampire films and TV series around at the moment, but one sector of the media industry is reaping the rewards from this renewed interest in science fiction and fantasy. According to research carried out by Mintel, around a third of teenagers are reading science [...]
Just who is the actress who has taken on a role in a science fiction or fantasy role and turned into something spectacular? This is just one of those questions that people will argue about forever. The simple fact is that there are so many to choose from, but according to totalscifionline.com the list of [...]
Man of Steel teaser trailer released
If you’re sick of comic-book adaptations and film remakes, the last thing you might expect to get excited about is a new Superman film. That’s right: there’s a new Superman film scheduled for release in 2013. However, before you run off groaning at the idea of yet another mediocre cash-in, this one comes with caveats. [...]
Penguin owner buys ASI self-publishing company
According to the BBC, Pearson, which owns Penguin books among other things, has bought Author Solutions Inc in a £74 million deal. The deal means that Pearson now has control of a self-publishing interest. The news has raised concerns among some writers that intellectual property (IP) rights for new writers may be at risk, especially [...]
The Winner of our April 300 Word Writing Challenge is writer John J Brady, (known on these forums as alchemist). He wins a £10 voucher to spend at Amazon or The Book Depository, our quarterly prize. As usual, the challenge our members faced was to write a story of no more than 300 words, inspired [...]
Forum member Teresa Edgerton is the winner of our January 300 Word Writing Challenge. She wins a £10 voucher to spend at The Book Depository, our quarterly prize. As usual, the challenge our members faced was to write a story of no more than 300 words, inspired by an image selected by our moderators. For [...]
All Zombies Must Die hits the Xbox
At the weekend, All Zombies Must Die was unleashed on Xbox Live. As you can probably guess from the title, this is a rather tongue in cheek game developed by Doublesix with a focus on multiplayer zombie slaying. Set in the town of Deadhill, All Zombies Must Die offers a huge variety of weapons (such [...]
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