Hold a book in your hand. Where did it come from? The publisher, of course. The publisher probably got it from a literary agent. The agent represented an author. The author had a story to tell. But where did the story come from? Stories start as a spark of an idea. And a story idea […]
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 […]
A fantasy or science fiction author chucks out one or more real physical laws in order to construct an imaginative world where magic and dragons coexist, where starships can exceed the speed of light, where heroes still look good even with blue skin. But there’s danger in straying too far from this real universe where […]
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 […]
Let’s talk about fantasy worlds from various sources. I’m going to start, of course, with C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, a world simple enough for children and complex enough for adults. Magic Magic infuses Narnia from the beginning when Aslan sang it into being. But for the reader magic starts from the time Lucy hides in an […]
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 […]
In any fantasy or science fiction story, whether literature or film, there’s always at least one premise… One pill to swallow, if you will. Too many pills forced down the reader’s throat and they’ll choke. A person can take one, maybe three, premises, but too much more than that and the story simply gets silly. […]
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 […]
Do fantasy characters need to floss? The short answer is yes, they need to floss. That is, if they want to keep their teeth. Real world necessities. Fantasy world necessities. Whichever. Necessities are… well, necessities. Watching Lord of the Rings I believe it’s no wonder the orcs are so cruel and cranky. I mean, have […]
