Answering the Question: What’s Wrong with Epic Fantasy?

That is tricky question to answer, because the very nature of the work is what makes epic fantasy…well, epic. Maybe there really isn’t anything broken or wrong with epic fantasy as a subgenre, maybe the thing that gets broken, or perhaps a better word might be “tired,” of epic fantasy is the reader.

— Teresa Frohock, author of  Miserere: an Autumn Tale

One of many ‘epic’ answers to the question ‘What’s Wrong with Epic Fantasy?’ found at the recent MIND MELD: What’s “Wrong” with Epic Fantasy? – SF Signal post.

eBook Review: Three Princes by Wheeler (2.5 Stars)

Three Princes by Ramona Wheeler

2.5 to 3 stars out of 5

Read in January/February 2014

In the beginning, there were only Two Princes – Oken and Mabruke, apprentice/journeyman and master spies of the Egyptian Empire, an empire that never fell and where Cleopatra didn’t kiss an asp. The offspring of Caesar and Cleopatra multiplied and prospered across the centuries, bringing us to the golden age of culture and civilization we normally associate with the Victorian era. Never fear, Victoria and Albert have their parts to play in the political theater bubbling across Europe and between the two Empires of the Old and New Worlds.

And that’s where our Third Prince, Viracocha, makes his dramatic entrance, as a member of the royal family of the Inca/Aztec Empire of the New World. Logically, to the author at least, if Spain never rose to prominence, then the South American continent wouldn’t have been invaded and devastated by the Conquistadors. Instead, they flourished and prospered just as their Egyptian peers did in the Old World.

Continue reading “eBook Review: Three Princes by Wheeler (2.5 Stars)”

We might be destroying the universe just by looking at it

http://io9.com/we-might-be-destroying-the-universe-just-by-looking-at-1514652112?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Weird on more than one level.

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

Tour the typography of the future, starting with ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ | The Verge

http://mobile.theverge.com/2014/2/3/5373666/tour-the-typography-of-the-future-starting-with-2001-a-space-odyssey

I used to waste so much time on fonts,  back when I printed things on paper. These days, not so much. But still an interesting observation.

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

Surprise! I Have No Idea Your Book is Coming Out | Kameron Hurley

http://www.kameronhurley.com/surprise-i-have-no-idea-your-book-is-coming-out/

Remember that ground breaking shocking documentary from the 70s (or was it the 80s) where they took teenagers to prison and introduced them to the convicts? This blog post reminds me of that film. If you can ignore the language, the message is worth hearing.

I might be stretching the comparison a bit but just wanted you to know I don’t normally condone that much profanity by reblogging it.

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

The Best “Entry Level” Science Fiction Books to Convert Your Friends

http://io9.com/the-best-entry-level-science-fiction-books-to-convert-1510802842

Most of these suggestions I agree with. Give some of them a try and see how SF or fantasy suits you.

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon