Stick Figures from Iron
As Christmas fast approaches, this article will take on a lighter tone than recent ones.In one of my first articles, I commented on how I’ve always wished I could draw. …
A Yearning for the Epic: Belarrin’s Path
**********WARNING! This article discusses core plot and theme ideas, including major spoilers of what occurs in the climax of the story. I strongly encourage that you only continue reading this if…
A Yearning for the Epic II: The Last Stand
Last article, I began the discussion of how we all yearn for the epic and, even if our lives are more mundane than our childhood dreams, the paths we choose…
A Yearning for the Epic
I think there is a part in all of us that yearns for the epic. It begins with the unfettered dreams of childhood with aspirations to be an astronaut, a…
Nefarious Villainy!
The latest string of articles continues to evolve. We began with elves and the Aestari which included a discussion of good and evil. This led to talking about the nature…
Here there be Monsters
With the previous article concluding on the nature of good and evil, it felt appropriate to follow that discussion with one on monsters. There is a growing trend in epic…
To Be Aestari
[The Aestari] are tall, taller even than the Humans or the Ie’dhae who came after, and slight of frame with long features, sharp noses, angular cheeks, and pointed ears. To…
They’re Just Elves, Right?
One of basic components of fantasy is the blending of the familiar with the fanciful. But sway too far one way or the other and the majority of readers will…
A Tale of Too Many Tales
How long should a book series be? Is there really even an answer to this question?I believe there is an ideal length for a series… somewhere between three to six…
Is Combat Boring? Jordan’s High Lord Turok and Dumai’s Wells
Today marks the conclusion of this four-part revisiting of the theories of combat in literature. I had begun by positing that combat is boring for a myriad of reasons. The…