Shadows of the Apt

So said Jean-Henri Fabre when describing the praying mantis, and Tisamon is no exception. So it's Mantis month this month, and you can find David's artwork here and the Mantis story, The Prince, here. The flagship Mantis-kinden in Empire in Black and Gold is Tisamon, of course, but he's not exactly a typical Mantis for a number of […]

 You'll find the latest piece of art by David here A relic of the dark ages before the revolution, Mantis-kinden were once the great fighting power in the world. Even though their time has passed and they field no armies and seldom take an interest in the world, they remain unequalled killers, swift and deadly […]

  The latest Shadows of the Apt short story is to be found here. A lot of this batch of stories are, as you may have noticed, taking place specifically up in the Commonweal during the Twelve-years War with the Empire, a conflict over before Empire in Black and Gold starts, and taking place in lands […]

In which an author explodes in all directions at once.   I've been lamentably neglectful of this site since the last story went up, and so here is a brief update and philosphiae to keep the wheels turning (1).   Multimedia is big business these days (2). It's a word thrown about like the wizards of Unseen University […]

It's the turn of the Fly-kinden this month, with a new short story, Fallen Heroes, here and another piece of David Mumford's excellent art here. Enjoy! I've been criminally lax in linking to David's other art (1), so I've added him to the blogroll (ridiculously ungracious name!) and you can see more of his work here. (1) […]

Another of David's pieces, this time his take on the ubiquitous Fly-kinden. Diminutive Fly-kinden live everywhere in the Lowlands and beyond. Clannish and pragmatic, and unrivalled in the air, they form a thriving underclass wherever they go: cheap labour for the Beetles, servants for the Spiders, military scouts for the Wasps. Fly-kinden are the world’s great […]

Most of the short Shadows of the Apt fiction on this site will touch on the main series, even if sometimes only peripherally. It is entirely possible that Varmen or Averis may at some point cross the pages of a future volume. However, with a nod to the fact that Balkus the Ant was the lead in […]

About time for a ltitle run around of reviews and the like. This is, I stress with the greatest sincerity, not because I can't get enough of myself, but mere good manners. Still… Speculative Horizons have a very pleasant review of Empire in Black and Gold up, after their previous interview. Balanced, too. See, I take criticism (1). While you're at […]

A number of people have been on at me with eminently sensible questions about everyday details of the lives of the kinden, and mostly of the “where does everything come from, if it’s insects all the way?” kind. Hence, whilst this entry won’t be the most fiercely enthralling for lovers of swordplay and the clashes […]

September is Ant month? Why? Why not! A new picture by David Mumford, and a new short story showcasing an old friend from Empire in Black and Gold. Enjoy.