Marc Aplin's Blog, page 240

After waiting with bated breath for a highly anticipated sequel, there is always a twinge of fear when I actually hold it in my hands. Will it live up to the hype and make the wait for the next installment just as excruciating, or will it disappoint with weakened characters or a long-drawn-out plot line […]

Since Game of Thrones for television was first announced, questions about whether the books would be able to keep up with the rate at which HBO produced episodes were asked. Despite Martin having a 4 book head start, it seems that the producers of the show, David Benioff and Dan Weiss, feel that seven series in […]

Ideas Are Easy There’s a joke about writers: never ask them where they get their ideas from. The question might be met with a roll of the eyes, and the answers you get are often tongue-in-cheek (a PO Box in Poughkeepsie is a classic). The reason for this is pretty straightforward – it’s exactly the […]

For many decades the vast majority of fantasy in the English speaking world has been set either in the Western world or in locations that are reminiscent of its medieval/Arthurian state. Well, over the last few years there has been a steady stream of authors showing themselves brave enough to cut away the safety net […]

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Jennifer Williams, author of the debut novel The Copper Promise. Jennifer originally self-published the first part of her story as a novella and then had the full length novel picked up by Headline. If you missed it, you can read Fantasy-Faction’s review of The Copper Promise here, […]

Humans are fragile creatures. Flesh breaks easily and even the most healthy, brawny and athletic of us fall prey to sickness from time to time. Depending on the severity of whatever ailment or injury befalls us, it can have a significant impact on the way we live the rest of our lives. Most fantasy stories […]

We’ve got some pretty exciting news for anyone who likes to stand at the forefront of the genre, reading the latest releases and discovering the newest talented authors: Gollancz are to release every single one of their 2014 debuts at the special price of £1.99. You’ll have to be quick and paying attention though, because […]

I’ve always found that the best examples of children’s literature are those that don’t try to be for children, they don’t pander to a younger reader, but rather just aim to be a piece of literature in their own right. Pullman drew his inspiration for His Dark Materials from Milton’s Paradise Lost, Blake’s Songs of […]

Writing takes time, and in the case of novels, a lot of time. I don’t think there’s a writer out there who doesn’t wish they could write quicker. If you’ve ever attempted to write a novel you’ll know just what a huge investment it is. Personally, as much as I love writing, there are times […]

Whilst we wait to see who replaces Jonathon Ross as the host of the Hugo awards, the SFWA – who have also struggled with their own bout of controversy lately – have announced theirs. Not wanting to keep you in suspense, we’re pleased to pass on the news that the Toastmaster for the 49th Annual […]