Category Archives: fantasy

CROSSROADS: Magic Realism and Negotiating the Unreal


Welcome to Thursday, folks. Somehow, no matter what I do, this day just keeps coming around. Weird, huh? Well, Thursday’s mean that it’s time for another one of our weekly Crossroads posts over at Amazing Stories, and this week we … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on May 9, 2013 by | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Speculative Fiction 2012 Contributors Announced!

Posted on March 23, 2013 by

With this cold I’ve got, I’m a little late bringing you this exciting news (but better late than never…): Over at The Staffer’s Book Review, Justin Landon and Jared Shurin (from Pornokitsch) have announced the lineup of contributors to Speculative … Continue reading →

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CROSSROADS: The Western Hero in Speculative Fiction


With Thursday upon us, that means it is time for another Crossroads post over at Amazing Stories. This week, I look at the archetypal western hero, and the ways in which that hero shows up in science fiction and fantasy. … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on March 14, 2013 by | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CROSSROADS: Westerns and Speculative Fiction


So today is the first Thursday of March, which means it is time to kick off a new Crossroads series over at Amazing Stories. This month, I’m going to be focusing on the relationship between Westerns and Speculative Fiction. There … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on March 7, 2013 by | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Crushing Conservatism in Epic Fantasy?

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

So last week, Gollancz (an excellent British publisher of science fiction and fantasy) got some discussion going by tweeting a provocative question: Epic Fantasy is, by and large, crushingly conservative in its delivery, its politics and its morality. Discuss. And … Continue reading →

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Crossroads: Romance Elements in Speculative Fiction


Today marks the last day in the Crossroads: Romance series at Amazing Stories. To wrap up this month, I move solidly into science fiction and fantasy, and explore the (sometimes troubled) ways in which both genres incorporate elements of romance. … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on February 28, 2013 by | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Rant on Exclusion and Genre Pedantry

Posted on February 26, 2013 by

The other day, I read a fascinating (and wonderfully titled) essay by Simon Spanton, Deputy Publishing Director for Gollancz, wherein he discusses speculative fiction’s relationship to mainstream literary fiction. At first, the thought of yet another volley in the interminable … Continue reading →

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REVIEW: A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

Posted on February 12, 2013 by

Title: A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent Author: Marie Brennan Pub Date: February 5th, 2012 Chris’ Rating (5 possible): An Attempt at Categorization If You Like… / You Might Like… Shades of Milk and Honey Tooth … Continue reading →

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Today on Amazing Stories: Crossroads – Tripping the Noir Fantastic

Posted on January 31, 2013 by

Today on Amazing Stories, I explore how fantasy navigates its epic/local tensions with noir, and how both noir and fantasy use wainscot structures. Please stop by and take a look: Crossroads: Tripping the Noir Fantastic

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In Defense of Complexity

Posted on January 29, 2013 by

Hi, my name is Chris, and I like complex stories (this is the point where a chorus of “Hi, Chris!” wouldn’t go amiss ). For the last century, we’ve been trained by television and cinema – much more constrained narrative … Continue reading →

Posted in fantasy, Genre Observations, Science Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments