Category: Articles
-
Book Review – A Case of Conscience, by James Blish
What is real? How do you know? Hi everyone, time for another book review! “A Case if Conscience” is a short novel I picked up in a second-hand book store years ago, but instead of being a pulp-fiction space adventure, was actually a strangely thought-provoking story that stayed with me for years. The novel opens…
-
Book Review – Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
This week, I thought I’d dust off one of my all-time top reads; my friends were all discussing which Pratchett book was their favorite, and while most people go with the Witches or the Guards series, this one is still by best pick. For that small percentage of fantasy fans who haven’t read Terry Pratchett’s…
-
Antihero vs “Edgy” Hero
I’ve speaking to friends and family lately about what makes a hero fun to read. While we all agree that heroes displaying grace and nobility are great role models, the over-powered “Mary Sue” character just doesn’t hold an audience’s interest these days. Enter the anti-hero. Protagonists who are flawed, weak or otherwise not entirely up…
-
Book Review – Myst, by Rand and Robyn Miller
Hi everyone, it’s time for another book review! Who here remembers the Myst games? Back in 1991 the Miller brothers created a point and click computer game that took the world by storm, due to its stunning visuals, beautiful music and engaging story line. The player of the game stumbles across a “Linking Book” that…
-
Setting as an Active Force
Hi everyone, time for another free article about writing! While the keystone of all good writing is creating characters with real depth, and one of the ways that you can bring out the best (or worst) in a character is writing how they interact with their setting. A setting for a story can be anything…