I have this crazy idea. I want to get Stephen King, Carl Sagan, and Lord Dunsany (Edward Plunkett) in a room together ... At first glance, these writers could NOT be further apart in terms of tone and subject matter. One of the books I am reviewing for this post isn't even fiction. But as... Continue Reading →
A Master of his Craft: King and Shawshank Redemption
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption proves why King is a master storyteller. This novella is a masterclass in storytelling technique, demonstrating flawless pacing, excellent use of dialogue, and natural character development. While King can be overly descriptive in his other works, he shows remarkable restraint here, stripping everything from the writing but the bare essentials.... Continue Reading →
The Magiq of Aenya Production Diary #4
I am hammering out the details on the last chapter of my latest book (42 of 42), which currently stands at 165k words. While it's a bit dense for a YA debut novel, stories are organic things with a life all their own, and often go places I don't intend. I hope, however, my future... Continue Reading →
The Buried Giant: Ishiguro’s Fantasy Masterpiece
This is my third review of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro, and I have to admit, he's done it again! The Buried Giant is a superb fantasy tale told in a way only Ishiguro can. Very reminiscent of the fairy tales of yore, the book reminded me of my favorite fantasy classics, including The Last... Continue Reading →
Why Jeff VanderMeer is Lovecraft’s True Successor
In glimmers, in shreds of thought, in the aftermath of my reading, I wondered if he kept a journal still, or if the dolphin's eye had been familiar for a reason other than that it was so human. But soon enough I banished this nonsense; some questions will ruin you if you are denied the... Continue Reading →
The Lies of Locke Lamora Review
Scott Lynch is a talented wordsmith. His writing is exceptionally vivid, which he uses to significant effect in his debut novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora. That being said, his characters lack depth, and the plot takes a while to get going, and when it does, it is relatively straightforward. The Lies of Lock Lamora... Continue Reading →
*NEW RELEASE* The Feral Girl Hardcover Edition!
It's finally here!!! When I received this proof from Amazon, I was quite literally blown away. This new cover truly pops! The colors are vivid, the interior images are solid, and the overall feel of the binding is just oh-so-professional. If you're a fan of Aenya or fine books in general, you'll want to add... Continue Reading →
Monsters and Butler Stories: A Look at King and Ishiguro
In today's double-whammy podcast, I discuss Stephen King's novella, The Mist—one of King's best and most gripping yarns, IMO—I then don my monocle to shift gears into high-brow territory as my special guest (my wife) and I delve into the equally terrifying (jk) tale that is Kazuo Ishiguro's Pulitzer Prize-winning, The Remains of the Day. My hormone-fueled... Continue Reading →
Doctor Sleep: A Worthy Sequel
A whopping thirty-six years after first releasing The Shining (from 1977 to 2013), Stephen King finally gets around to giving us a sequel, Doctor Sleep. That almost makes the wait for Winds of Winter reasonable! Of course, The Shining was in no need of a sequel. There were no loose plot threads to tie up nor... Continue Reading →
Planet of the Apes: Review
Unless you've been living underground awaiting the coming apocalypse, or maybe you just don't like movies, you've probably seen the famous scene with Charlton Heston and the Statue of Liberty. Or perhaps you're a lot younger than me, and you watched the newer series with James Franco and the CGI apes. There is even a... Continue Reading →

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