Fantasy is the harshest mistress Although I read fantasy voraciously, I have never even dreamed of writing it - much too hard! Getting the language alone right is a fearsome challenge. And Kristin Cashore, author of Graceling and Fire, proves my point in her excellent article Hot Dog, Katsa!, published in the January/February Horn Book Magazine. As she points out, "It's limitless, right, the freedom of the fantasy writer? Except ... Submitted: on 24th Jan 2010 Tags: · Dog · The · Author · Fantasy · Fantasy Writer · Hot · Magazine · Mistress · Published · WritingFinding Epic Fantasy Comics I love fantasy, and I like comics, so when Harry Markov asked me to contribute to his comic book appreciation month, I thought I would talk about some of the comics I have found that are strictly of the epic fantasy variety. Click here for all my recommendations, including Mouse Guard, Red Sonja, and George R. ... Submitted: on 16th Jan 2010 Tags: · The · When · Click · Comic · Comics · Fantasy · Red Sonja · WhenReview: Spiral Hunt by Margaret Ronald I call it the new urban fantasy – not to be confused with old school urban fantasy or paranormal romance. But what is it? To me this new urban fantasy is basically chicks kicking paranormal ass (sorry to use what is a derogative term, but for whatever reason it seems to fit in this case). The setting is generally urban, and there are usually vampires, werewolves, demons, or some other sort o... Submitted: on 8th Feb 2010 Tags: · The · What · Fantasy · Margaret Ronald · Paranormal Romance · Review · Setting · VampiresBest American Fantasy 4 Now Reading: Guest Editor, Award-Winner Minister Faust Returning today from vacations, with excellent news from Jeff VanderMeer: Feel free to spread these guidelines far and wide... BEST AMERICAN FANTASY #4 NOW READING The Best American Fantasy series (Underland Press) founded by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer is now reading fantasy short stories up to 10,000 words published or to be published from May 1, 2009 through May 31, 2010 for volume 4. Stories mus... Submitted: on 5th Jan 2010 Tags: · The · Up · American · Editor · Fantasy · Fantasy Series · Fantasy Short Stories · Faust · Free · Jeff VanderMeer · Minister Faust · Press · Published · Reading · Stories · UpCatching up on YA As a fantasy fan, I naturally devour huge amounts of YA fantasy, and I'll read anything by quite a few non-fantasy YA writers, including John Green, E. Lockhart, and Sarah Dessen. Last year, I had actually read the Printz winner and 3 out of 4 of the honor books before the award was announced. And I was a devoted follower of last year's SLJ Battle of the Books in part because I had read so many of... Submitted: on 14th Jan 2010 Tags: · The · Up · Fantasy · Honor · John Green · Up · WritersBest American Fantasy 4 readings plus assorted Book Porn Today I received a large box full of lit journals, genre magazines, and all sorts of fictions in-between that straddle those invisible borders between the Fantastic and the Speculative. Best American Fantasy co-creators Ann and Jeff VanderMeer sent to me over two dozen magazines and journals that are eligible for consideration for Best American Fantasy 4. As new series editor, I get th... Submitted: on 9th Feb 2010 Tags: · The · American · Borders · Editor · Fantasy · Jeff VanderMeer · Journals · Lit · Magazines · Sent‘Death & Dishonour’ – Edited by Alex Davis, Nick Kyme and Lindsey Priestley (Black Library) I’ll freely admit to throwing myself headlong into the universe of ‘Warhammer 40,000’ at the expense of its fantasy counterpart. I’m a fan of both the setting and the story arcs that I can see slowly coming out of it; the ‘Warhammer’ (fantasy) world just hasn’t caught my eye in the same way... yet (although I have read a few of the books). Fantasy fiction has always been my first lov... Submitted: on 3rd Feb 2010 Tags: · The · Always · Caught · Death · Fantasy · Fantasy Fiction · I Can · Nick Kyme · Setting · StoryReading List Survey: Dark Fantasy I’ve just started answering some questions sent by Harry for his Reviewer Time Feature and I’ve been thinking back to my reading in the mid to late 90s. One series that still stand out was Storm Constanine’s Grigori Trilogy a wonderful Dark Fantasy tale. Now I haven’t read something that is labelled as Dark Fantasy Submitted: on 2nd Feb 2010 Tags: · The · Dark · Fantasy · Reading · SentView From Another Shore: An Interview with Franz Rottensteiner Jordi Paris, 1970, from the collection of Franz Rottensteiner Franz Rottensteiner has written and edited many books in the fields of science fiction and fantasy, including two excellent illustrated histories, The Fantasy Book and The Science Fiction Book. (On this blog I've repeatedly used his description of Der Orchideengarten from The Fantasy Book -- the book will point you in many interest... Submitted: on 12th Mar 2010 Tags: · blog · Science · The · Fantasy · Fantasy Book · Fiction · Fiction Book · Interview · Science Fiction · Science Fiction Book · The Science Fiction Book · WrittenThis Sunday's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction Here are the reviews and miscellaneous items of interest pertaining to middle grade (9-12 year olds) science fiction and fantasy, gathered from around the blogosphere. Please let me know if I missed your posts! Dragon Slippers, by Jessica Day George, at Fantasy Book Review Odd and the Frost Giants, at Book Nut Spellbinder, by Helen Stringer, at Book Addiction. The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance ... Submitted: on 17th Jan 2010 Tags: · Science · The · Up · Addiction · Book Review · Fantasy · Fantasy And Science Fiction · Fantasy Book · Fantasy Book Review · Helen Stringer · Jessica · Odd and the Frost Giants · Science · Science Fiction And Fantasy · Spellbinder · Up
