Long before Superman and Batman became household names, there was Tarzan. Originally published in 1914, Tarzan predates Superman by a good twenty-four years. In many ways, he is the first superhero. Children growing up in the '20s and '30s were as familiar with the ape-man as the most beloved DC/Marvel characters of today. He appeared... Continue Reading →
I knew the genre I would be writing in by age six, in 1981, after I'd just unboxed my first He-Man action figure. Masters of the Universe was my introduction to all things fantasy and Sci-Fi. With his furry loincloth and rippling muscles and interchangeable sword, ax, and shield, He-Man set my imagination ablaze. Even... Continue Reading →
Since Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, world building has become a mainstay of fantasy fiction, gaining a resurgence among budding novelists after the release of the film adaptations. Much of the love lavished on George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire has a great deal to do with world building. But this phenomenon is unique to the... Continue Reading →
I try not to do this. Honestly, as a fellow writer, I don't want to. But there's simply no way around it. The book I am reviewing today just isn't very good, not for me, at least. For many people, this is a classic. I know this because the cover states, "50th Anniversary Edition" and... Continue Reading →
My Norwegian friend, who is studying to become a philosophy professor, is currently taking a Science Fiction and Philosophy course, and I am intensely jealous. Where was that class when I attended USF? Despite the anti-philosophy taboo trending or perceived to be trending in fiction these days (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone had to be re-dubbed the Sorcerer's... Continue Reading →
The greatness of literature cannot be determined solely by literary standards--- T.S. Eliot Was it crazy to believe in this? Many said it was.In her post, Top 10 Ways to get rejected by your dream agent, Barbara Rogan talks about fellow agent Pam van Hylckama Vlieg, who was attacked on her way to her car by... Continue Reading →
Dear Editor, Age of Aenya is a trio of interconnected fantasy novellas at c. 170,000 words. City by the Sea: To save her family from starvation, Thelana leaves her homeland in search of civilization. But in Hedonia, she is forced to live as a vagabond, until she is caught stealing the pearl eyes from the idol of... Continue Reading →
I had this post dated since last year to coincide with Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. My intent was to explore people's love for Tolkien and his work, which includes The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, because my job as a writer is to figure out why people enjoy certain stories. Tolkien stands... Continue Reading →
“The world is full of black hearts, but mine is the blackest heart of all. I like the sound of that, don’t you? The alliteration, the poetry. But I will not bore you with names of poets.”Eros sat across the table from a man long rumored to be a monster, not merely a savage, but... Continue Reading →
When there is only the darkness, silence, I am comforted. There is peace in not remembering. But sometimes I go deep into the maelstrom, down into the abyss between realms. That is my dread, whenever exhaustion forces my eyes. It is not a dream. There is an awful clarity to every little thing. I could describe,... Continue Reading →
The Art of Storytelling 
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