Archive for November, 2009
Meta Monday 11: Stop Over Describing
Nov 30th
photo by jim frazier
I think the tendency to over-explain and over describe is one of the most common failings in fantasy. It’s an unfortunate piece of Tolkien’s legacy. Don’t get me wrong, Tolkien was a great worldbuilder, but he got a little caught up describing his world at times, at the expense of the overall story.
-Patrick Rothfuss in an interview with Pat’s Fantasy hotlist
Amen brother. Drill it into your skulls speculative story tellers of all kind. GMs, DMs, authors, screenwriters. Economy is key.
Fiction Friday 7: Leviathan
Nov 27th
Scott Westerfeld’s newest book, the Leviathan looks like a truly amazing experience. Littered with steampunk artwork like the above, with a tight, intelligent prose, it is definitely on my holiday lists. I’m getting it for my book-worm cousin, hopefully someone feels the same way about me. From Westerfeld’s website:
Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.
Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.
With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.
Anyway, the first chapter is available for free online. Why don’t you go check it out?
War of the Words Winner Announced
Nov 25th
SciFi now and Tor put on an awesome contest earlier this year to find a fresh new face in Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Hundreds of people from around the world submitted (hundreds? Around the world? For a contest run by Tor? I’m surprised it wasn’t thousands). The winner has been announced: The Nemesis List by RJ Frith.
First thing that came to mind upon hearing the news?
illustrations by Emma
Frith, the sun, the creator-god of the beloved book Watership Down. I bet El-ahrairah was behind this trickery too. But of course, I digress.
Anyways, it wasn’t all trickery. The pitch for RJ Frith’s book sounds really pretty interesting:
The Nemesis List follows a future where humanity has expanded into the stars, but at the price of its freedom under the confines of an autocratic and overbearing government. A result of human experimentation in a world where scientific achievement is strictly controlled, Jeven Jones finds himself caught up between soldiers, rebels, and more thanks to his ability for perfect recall, and the whims and desires of others to use it for their own agenda.
I’m looking forward to reading the work of Tor’s fresh new face. Hopefully the sales of his book will be large enough to bring another contest around!
If interested, you can read a short sample of my entry here.