Monthly Archives: January 2015

Be Careful When You Play Dangerous Games

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Dangerous-Games-Jonathan-Oliver-smallDangerous Games
Johnathan Oliver, ed.
Solaris Books
Paper $9.99
electronic $7.99 Kindle Nook Kobo

Solaris has become one of the premiere publishers of original anthologies, and I would like to thank Lydia Gittins at Solaris for the review copy. Dangerous Games is a concept anthology that overall I found quite satisfying.

The premise (obviously) is that some sort of game must play a significant role in the story, and that there’s an element of risk involved.  With a theme like that, possibilities are wide open.  And while there are examples of science fiction and fantasy, the overall trend is towards horror, often with elements of other genres thrown in.

Here are some of the ones I like the most: Continue reading →

Back to the Salt Mines

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Classes start a week from today.  I returned to campus yesterday and starting getting everything in order.  For reasons too long and dull to get into here, I’ll be teaching an additional class this semester.  It’s one I’ve taught before multiple times, so it’s not like having to develop material for a new class.  I’m not sure how much of an impact this will have on writing and blogging.  Time will tell.

I’m reading a couple of things for review, but I’m not sure what order they’ll be finished.  Anyway, things may be a little hit and miss around here for the next few weeks until I get my routine established.

Today is Tolkien’s Birthday…

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tolkien tree…and I can’t think of many better ways to begin 2015 than by acknowledging it.  John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born this day in 1892.  It’s been over four decades since he left us (September 2,1973), and he is arguably still the most influential fantasy writer in the world.

James Maliszewski speculated earlier this week what the world would be like if Tolkien hadn’t written The Lord of the Rings.  I’ll not repeat his points; you should read his post for yourself if you haven’t yet.  I’ll simply say that it’s a world in which I’m not sure I would want to live.

That Tolkien is still influential can be seen by the latest movie based on his work (loosely I’m told; I haven’t been able to gather the family all together to see it yet) being one of the top box office draws of the Christmas season.

Tolkien-quoteOne of the reasons, and this is only one of multiple reasons, his work has proven to be so enduring is that he doesn’t shy away from taking a moral stance.  I think this is what resonates with so many of his fans, particularly those who don’t read fantasy on a regular basis.  Tolkien openly acknowledged the existence of evil.  His villains weren’t misunderstood; they weren’t victims of The System; they weren’t good people forced to choose between a selection of bad options.

They were flat out evil.

In addition, Tolkien recognized the capacity for both good and evil that resides in all people, every man, every woman, every human being.  And furthermore, he knew just how thin and fragile the line dividing good and evil could be.  His characters are real people who make real mistakes (Boromir, anyone?) and real sacrifices.  (Don’t try to tell me Frodo didn’t suffer for the rest of his life after destroying the One Ring.  Read the end of the book.)

tolkien bookshelf background

I would love to browse those books.

Tolkien took a moral stand that you don’t see in a lot of his imitators.  You could write a doctoral thesis on that subject alone, and I’m sure more than one graduate student has.  There are other reasons why he still sells today, but I believe this is one of the main ones.  Frankly, if the World Fantasy Award is a bust of a person, I think Tolkien would be better choice that Lovecraft simply because his influence is greater among the general population than Lovecraft’s.  (Tolkien was a straight, white, Christian male, so I can’t see that happening in today’s climate.)

Anyway, raise a glass to Tolkien’s memory today.  And if you get a chance, read some of his work.

What You Can’t See Can Kill You if You’re Snowblind

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SnowblindSnowblind
Christopher Golden
Paperback, St. Martin’s, $9.99
ebook $9.99 Kindle Nook

There’s something about a ghost story in the winter, when the weather keeps you indoors, that’s just satisfying.  This is especially true if, like me, you live in a warm climate and some years don’t see winter weather.  This is not one of those years.  While I’m not completely stuck in my house, we’ve had enough ice and snow to make driving one of those things you do only if you have to, and there’s more falling frozen stuff on the way.

So I found the timing for reading Snowblind to be perfectly synched with the weather.  And make no mistake, Snowblind is a great winter read and a chilling ghost story. Continue reading →

Planning for 2015

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First, Happy New Year, everyone.  I hope it’s a good year for all of you, prosperous in many ways.  I’d like to thank everyone who stops by and reads any of my posts, whether it’s at one of my blogs, a review at Amazing Stories, or a Ballantine Adult Fantasy post at Black Gate.  I’ll add an additional thank you to those of you who leave comments, as the discussions are always rewarding.  Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who sent me material for review, whether an author or a publisher.

Calvin and Hobbes ResolutionsI’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions.  My philosophy is if you need to make some changes in your life, do it when you see the need, not at some arbitrary date on the calendar.  That being said, the disruption to routine that the holiday season brings with it provides a good incentive to reboot some aspects of your life as you try to reestablish a regular schedule..

So insert the standard things about losing weight/exercising more/getting more sleep/etc. here.

Now, as far as blogging, writing, and reading go, here’s what I hope to accomplish this year.  Continue reading →