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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
I think I'm due an undirected rant, and so let's have a look at this news article. The entomological pedant (2) within me would like to make known the following: 1. Most critically, final paragraph, the camel spider, or solifugid, is not an insect, for the love of all that's chitinous. This utter failure of knowledge, […]
Because that's the point, after all. Stormtroopers with faces would be creepy. You might have to think a bit before you mowed them down in swathes. Because you've got to have orcs, right? Or insert your alternative — urgles(1) or cultists or zombies, demons, in short — minions. Dread legions of mindless (and most often useless) […]
OK, this one will be short, damnit. In honour of Lynne Truss, punctuationally impeccable author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves I am happy to note that Frontline anti-flea drops (1) now has the tagline "Kills Fleas and Ticks" which, if you read it a little hastily, sounds like the modus operandi of a fugitive hitman with a death-list. (1) […]
Also not the huge post I've been threatening, but… Superhero films. A variegated genre, and one that, whilst it turns up a few gems, is always walking a tightrope over the truly awful. It's a very difficult concept to get right without descending into campery, tongue-in-cheek in-jokes or simple cliché. Now, I've surely mentioned at some point how much […]
My nefarious influence is slowly spreading throughout the net! (1) Patrick from Fantasy Hotlist has an interview here (2) which I encourage all right thinking party members to go see. Meanwhile, James at Speculative Horizons has picked up on some peculiarities with the cover of book 2 here — and he's right. The cover that he posts is the […]
Just a brief post. I promise a full scale rant in the near future, probably as a much-threatened sequel to this post (1) However, whilst out trawling the net (2) I came across this very informative little piece by James Long of Speculative Horizons. Fantasy authors who don't read fantasy. What is one to think? Now, as I hope that I've made […]
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