I’ve been blogging about science fantasy for a time now but have never sat down with you and defined what science fantasy is. Hold onto your hat, here we go: Science fantasy is a work of fiction that has elements of science fiction mixed with fantasy. O, now that helpful, wasn’t it? I think not. […]
This blog is from my son-in-law Matt Wright, a bona fide linguist. He’s also a fantasy/science fiction fan. But who isn’t? Languages are rich treasures for us fantasy and science fiction geeks. This is where alien cultures get good; this is where another world pulls you in! Let’s get Matt’s professional view. Language is a […]
Face it: As genres go, fantasy and science fiction do not lend themselves well to romance. Now before you protest by citing examples of book covers, let me say that romance is more than a buxom vixen next to a muscle man riding a dragon. That’s not romance; that’s just sex. Sex is not romance. […]
Invincibility is a story killer. The magic in fantasy or the technology in science fiction can be so awesome that nothing is able to stand against it. For storytelling, this is bad. Story needs conflict, a way to endure or overcome, a real chance of failure. If the hero is so endowed with greatness that […]
You’ve seen We Bought a Zoo? Remember when Matt Damon gets the lasagna? He goes home, crams it in his refrigerator, and shows the horror of the beast. Too much lasagna. Too much miscellany. Out of control. The refrigerator was overstocked and under-utilized. And the women were after him with the lasagna. This never happened […]
I’d like to give you a short thinker blog. Have you ever wondered if the epic tale of Frodo and the Ring of Power is actually the frame for a much more intimate tale of the value of friendship and loyalty? What if when stripped down, the real crux of the three books is perfectly […]
In order to connect with us meager humans in the real world, a fantasy novel needs to have at least a few things in common with life as we know it. Your populace could well have tentacles about their mouths or three arms at the top of their heads or hair on the bottoms […]
Is magic necessary in fantasy? My first inclination is to say, “I hope not,” because my book Curious Origins of a Restless World has no magic. Before you think, “Well, who would want to read that?”, at least stick with me through the end of the blog. Why? Because whether having magic or […]
We fantasy readers want a champion we can root for, suffer with, struggle alongside, and ultimately cheer on. If our fantasy heroes too wondrous, too cold, or too inhuman, we are apt to quickly lose interest. And when you don’t care what happens to a story’s characters, the story’s sunk. Here are five traits with examples […]
This is my list of essential fantasy novels. Don’t like it – make your own list or leave a comment. I like to hear from you and discuss the wonderful world of fantasy. Here we go: 1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe This book is the classic definition of fantasy. It takes the […]
