Often in these sorts of collections repetition (unavoidable, it seems) of certain themes, references, examples, points, etc, tend to bog things down more than they should. This is especially true when it’s a repeated citation that I have no particular interest in. I found this in Neil Gaiman’s recent collection, The View from the Cheap … Continue reading Daemon Voices by Philip Pullman – Review
fantasy
La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman – Review
La Belle Sauvage was a lot bigger than expected, and I'm not sure how much it benefitted from being quite so long. The first section, which deals with the largely mundane, sedate life of young protagonist Malcolm amidst rising suspense and political aggravation, possibly drags on a bit too long, and at times I was … Continue reading La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman – Review
The Last Days of New Paris by China Mieville – Review
China Mieville's work often suffers from a jarring mash-up of highbrow worldbuilding and literary stylistics with unashamedly pulp-influenced plotting. To that end, New Paris is no different. The novella has a strong start, and the dual narrative adds welcome depth to the story whilst keeping a lively pace. The worldbuilding - always Mieville's forte - … Continue reading The Last Days of New Paris by China Mieville – Review
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson – Review
A lengthy novel deserves a lengthy review, does it not? Oathbringer picks up from the apocalyptic cliffhanger ending of Words of Radiance. I was all set for a race-against-time narrative as the newly-fledged Knights Radiant attempt to save as many of the cities of Roshar as possible in the face of the encroaching Everstorm, and … Continue reading Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson – Review
On worldbuilding: The Nihilistic Architect and the Negligent Gardener
George R R Martin’s now famous analogy of the architect and the gardener distilled the craft of novel-writing into two distinct creative approaches. I would suggest this is a particularly useful analogy when thinking specifically about worldbuilding – the manner in which writers go about creating a fictional universe for their story to live within. … Continue reading On worldbuilding: The Nihilistic Architect and the Negligent Gardener
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro – Review
British writer Kazuo Ishiguro is widely celebrated for his literary fiction, including the Man Booker Prize-winning Remains of the Day (1989), and more recently his sci-fi sampling Never Let Me Go (2005), which saw a film adaptation by Mark Romanek in 2010. Ten years after his last novel, The Buried Giant (2015) saw Ishiguro once … Continue reading The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro – Review
BFS FantasyCon by-the-sea 2016 – Report
This year’s annual British Fantasy Society FantasyCon took place over the last weekend of September, featuring three packed days of panel discussions, guests of honour, masterclasses, book launches, and awards ceremonies. Attendees of all stripes – from forty-year veterans to wide-eyed debutants – converged on Scarborough, North Yorkshire, for a long weekend dedicated to celebrating … Continue reading BFS FantasyCon by-the-sea 2016 – Report
Kelly Link’s Magic for Beginners – Review
Kelly Link’s award-winning short story collection, Magic for Beginners, whisks the reader along a meandering trail through several unique and inventive twists on the fantastical. Strands of myth, sci-fi and fable commingle with characters who yearn, mock, steal and bicker throughout these nine stories. That might not seem like many but, once read, they leave … Continue reading Kelly Link’s Magic for Beginners – Review
Enduring War: The Continuing Allure of Warhammer
Warhammer – you’ll probably know it for its long list of computer games, its plethora of licensed novels, or the venerable tabletop battle game itself. Almost certainly you’ll have seen some of the finely-detailed miniatures the company is renowned for. You may even have stepped into one of the iconic Games Workshop stores that cater … Continue reading Enduring War: The Continuing Allure of Warhammer
Diary of a NaNoWriMo Virgin
NaNoWriMo, ah yes. To some, it is just a baffling not-quite-word that clogs up the Twitter trends every November. To others, it is a golden chalice; to partake from its wine is to enter a nirvana of creative solitude. For a month, the belly of the whale is home to you, your laptop, and your … Continue reading Diary of a NaNoWriMo Virgin
Monsters in Eden 