Bibliography

Books

Cover for Fight, Magic, Items by Aidan Moher

Fight, Magic, Items: The History of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Rise of Japanese RPGs in the West

Running Press / 2022

Take a journey through the history of Japanese role-playing games—from the creators who built it, the games that defined it, and the stories that transformed pop culture and continue to capture the imaginations of millions of fans to this day.

Reviews & Accolades

Featured in Gizmodo's "15 Excellent Nerdy Nonfiction Books"

"Fight, Magic, Items is the intricate deep dive that the JRPG genre deserves, following its throughlines and exploring its evolution with care and insight. A particular highlight is Moher's examination of the Dragon Quest series, which becomes the beating heart of Fight, Magic, Items - The author's connection to it is vibrantly evident and it strengthens the rest of the book." - Daniel Dockery, author of Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All

"Discovering JRPGs in the 16-bit days was like discovering a portal into the worlds of the games themselves: Who knew there were all these vibrant fantasy stories full of amazing tales and epic challenges right under my nose, just waiting for me to come along and complete them? Reading Fight, Magic, Items makes it clear that old-school JRPGs weren't just my hole, they were meant for author Aidan Moher (and millions of others) as well—and his insightful, relatable, well-researched telling of how these games were made feels like falling even deeper into the worlds of the stories so many grew up loving. But even if you don't know an Esper from an Esuna, Fight, Magic, Items is a compelling tale of pioneering creatives betting their careers on their imagination." - Ty Schalter, editor of Gimme Schalter

"Fight, Magic, Items traces the rise of JRPGs in the west and details the genre’s lifetime battle between tradition and experimentation. It sharpened my knowledge of games (I thought) I knew well and taught me all about others I missed along the way. The author’s voice and experiences provide a relatable perspective to a genre entrenched in fantasy, and reminds the reader that every single game is the product of human labor and imagination. Fight, Magic, Items is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to align their curiosity with a history of the genre’s ascent and its place inside of the medium of gaming." - Eric Layman, co-host of Retrograde Amnesia

Dungeons & Dragons: Beholder Figurine: With glowing eye!

Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix III’s Guide For Training Your New Beholder

Running Press / 2022

Congratulations on your purchase of a slightly-used Beholder from Dame Astrid Jewel Delacroix III’s Menagerie of Unusual Kind. This guide will walk you through the first days of Beholder ownership, and by its final pages you’ll be as knowledgeable as any Beholder owner this side of the Far Realm.

Tide of Shadows and Other Stories

A Dribble of Ink / 2015

From Aidan Moher—Hugo Award-winning editor of A Dribble of Ink—comes Tide of Shadows and Other Stories, a collection of five science fiction and fantasy stories spanning adventure, comic whimsy, and powerful drama—from a star-faring military science fiction tale of love and sacrifice, to a romp through the dragon-infested Kingdom of Copperkettle Vale.

Reviews & Accolades

One of the "May Science Fiction And Fantasy Books Everyone Will Be Talking About." - io9

"Each of the stories is like a little clock: beautifully crafted, intricate, distinctively handmade, with a dozen tiny complications in its inner workings. The range is unreal: space stations, angel wings, fairytale dragons, ancient shadow monsters...all unconnected, and yet it feels like it's all part of a bigger whole. It's exquisite." - Rob Boffard, author of Tracer

"The greatest strengths of this delightful collection lie in its variety and scope. There are only five stories, but Moher makes the most of them, moving easily between rhetorical modes, narrative structures, and invented voices." - Brian Staveley, author of The Emperor's Blades

"Offering a little something for everyone, Tide of Shadows and Other Stories is a collection of tales that know precisely how to engage the reader, and exactly how to find a climax without overstaying their welcome." - Beauty in Ruins

"Highly recommended." - Nerds on Earth

Other Fiction

“Grandmother Kills Massive River Drake After It Ate Her Goat”

A Dribble of Ink / 2019 / 630 words

When a river drake eats her goat, this grandma grabs her spear, and rediscovers the thrill of magic in her quest for vengeance.

“The Dinosaur Graveyard”

Robot Dinosaurs! / 2018 / 1,400 words

A robotics engineer spends a long night fixing her heartbroken child's favourite dinosaur.

“Youngblood”

A Dribble of Ink / 2018 / 5,400 words

The dinosaurs are the least of her problems. When Youngblood's island is invaded by a militarized force, she must gather her friends, courage, and wit to survive.

“On the Phone with Goblins”

A Dribble of Ink / 2017 / 9,400 words

When Octavia runs afoul of a thieving goblin, she enlists the help of Prunella Thackeray's Home for Experienced Wizards' newest resident, Alfred Wolfe-a retired private investigator.

“Through Cold Winter”

A Dribble of Ink / 2017 / 1,100 words

Stolen from their home by gremlins, a child fights back against red-suited taskmasters in this dark Christmas tale.

“The Penelope Qingdom”

Mothership Zeta / 2016 / 5,800 words

For fans of Stranger Things, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Ken Liu’s “The Paper Menagerie,” “The Penelope Qingdom” is a love letter to growing up, ’80s Saturday morning cartoons, Dungeons & Dragons, and falling in love for the first time.

Reviews & Accolades

"[The Penelope Qingdom] captures a nice feel of youth and young relationships and offers a story with a great and lingering magic that looks at how the stories people build together, the fantasies they share, can be foundational to their relationship." - Charles Payseur, Quick Sip Reviews

"Deeply touching ... The writing quality is excellent: the narration is transparent, the dialog is flawless." Rocket Stack Rank

Other publications: Cast of Wonders (Audio)

“The Red-rimmed Eyes of Tóu Ma”

Grim Oak Press / 2016 / 9,000 words

Accompanied by Tóu Ma, a mischievous fire djinn, and his growing doubts, Farid races to reach O’oa Tsetse before it’s too late; but first he must defeat the deadly warlock and her ghostly Yoo-in.

Other publications: A Dribble of Ink, Nowa Fantastyka

“The Colour of the Sky on the Day the World Ended”

A Dribble of Ink / 2015 / 700 words

A girl and her ghost dog embark on a quest to find a gift for their grandmother and light in an ash-covered world. Also available in Tide of Shadows and Other Stories.

“The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down”

A Dribble of Ink / 2015 / 4,700 words

The story of a broken family, a girl with iron wings, and an imperfect utopia. Also available in Tide of Shadows and Other Stories.

Reviews & Accolades

"The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down is a Twilight Zone sort of tale, full of sadness and loss, with new surprises to be found on every page. It's a story with more questions than answers, with an ending that's beautifully ambiguous." - Bob Milne, Beauty in Ruins

"A hauntingly beautiful tale of a parent’s love! The commingling of freedom imagery and captivity imagery is moving." - Chad Waller, Nerds on Earth

“Tide of Shadows”

A Dribble of Ink / 2015 / 4,300 words

The bittersweet story of a soldier and his lover, a mother, and a planet-wide genocide. Also available in Tide of Shadows and Other Stories.

Reviews & Accolades

"What occupies the thoughts and time of a soldier bound for war? Moher does a solid job of suggesting answers to that question by plunging the depths of two lusts: that of the opposite sex and that for revenge." - Chad Waller, We the Nerdy

"[A] strong military SF story with a tight and unexpected focus on one soldier's preparations for battle." - Nerds of a Feather

“A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes”

Sword & Laser / 2014 / 7,600 words
Find online: Kindle Goodreads

Lost among silent sentinels and falling snow, a young soldier is haunted by the ghosts of his fallen comrades. Also available in Tide of Shadows and Other Stories and The Sword & Laser Anthology.

Reviews & Accolades

"[A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes] jumps between characters and tenses often, seamlessly working in world building and character development in a very tight confinement." - Chad Waller, We the Nerdy

Other publications: Far Fetched Fables (Audio)

Non-fiction

Cover for Fight, Magic, Items by Aidan Moher

Fight, Magic, Items: The History of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Rise of Japanese RPGs in the West

Running Press / 2022

Take a journey through the history of Japanese role-playing games—from the creators who built it, the games that defined it, and the stories that transformed pop culture and continue to capture the imaginations of millions of fans to this day.

Reviews & Accolades

Featured in Gizmodo's "15 Excellent Nerdy Nonfiction Books"

"Fight, Magic, Items is the intricate deep dive that the JRPG genre deserves, following its throughlines and exploring its evolution with care and insight. A particular highlight is Moher's examination of the Dragon Quest series, which becomes the beating heart of Fight, Magic, Items - The author's connection to it is vibrantly evident and it strengthens the rest of the book." - Daniel Dockery, author of Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All

"Discovering JRPGs in the 16-bit days was like discovering a portal into the worlds of the games themselves: Who knew there were all these vibrant fantasy stories full of amazing tales and epic challenges right under my nose, just waiting for me to come along and complete them? Reading Fight, Magic, Items makes it clear that old-school JRPGs weren't just my hole, they were meant for author Aidan Moher (and millions of others) as well—and his insightful, relatable, well-researched telling of how these games were made feels like falling even deeper into the worlds of the stories so many grew up loving. But even if you don't know an Esper from an Esuna, Fight, Magic, Items is a compelling tale of pioneering creatives betting their careers on their imagination." - Ty Schalter, editor of Gimme Schalter

"Fight, Magic, Items traces the rise of JRPGs in the west and details the genre’s lifetime battle between tradition and experimentation. It sharpened my knowledge of games (I thought) I knew well and taught me all about others I missed along the way. The author’s voice and experiences provide a relatable perspective to a genre entrenched in fantasy, and reminds the reader that every single game is the product of human labor and imagination. Fight, Magic, Items is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to align their curiosity with a history of the genre’s ascent and its place inside of the medium of gaming." - Eric Layman, co-host of Retrograde Amnesia

“Hayao Miyazaki’s Lost Magic of Parenthood”

Uncanny Magazine / 2021
Find online: Kindle Weightless Books

Focusing on three of Hayao Miyazaki's most beloved films, this piece examines the relationships between their parents and children, the creator's magical worlds, and an understanding of his belief that kids "are the inheritors of historical memory from previous generations."

Cover for Uncanny Magazine #29

“Was Trials of Mana Worth Growing Up For?”

Uncanny Magazine / 2019
Find online: Kindle

What's it like when you finally catch your white whale after 25 years? An examination of nostalgia, expectations, and growing up through the lens of retro video games.

“Blood Matters: Growing Up in an SF/F House”

Uncanny Magazine / 2016
Find online: Kindle

What's it like to grow up in an SF&F household? Several authors join me to discuss childhood, parenting, and their lifelong love of SF&F.

Speculative Fiction 2015

Book Smugglers Publishing / 2017
Find online: Kindle

Edited by Foz Meadows and Mark Oshiro, Speculative Fiction 2015 collects over fifty pieces of online commentary on SFF from all corners of fandom. The articles included here have been specially and carefully curated by the editors to celebrate diversity and change, showcasing the best of SFF in its many forms. Includes my essay "Becoming Gandalf."

“Please, Judge This Book by Its Cover”

Uncanny Magazine / 2015
Find online: Kindle

An extended interview with several prominent science fiction and fantasy artists and art directors about genre book covers trends.

Speculative Fiction 2014: The Year’s Best Online Reviews, Essays and Commentary

Book Smugglers Publishing / 2015
Find online: Kindle

The Internet has the answers. Speculative Fiction 2014 collects over fifty of the best reviews, essays and media commentary from all facets of SFF. From insightful deconstruction of major blockbuster films, to considered arguments for diversity and inclusivity in science fiction and fantasy, this edition highlights many of the most complex, fraught, and important events in speculative fiction fandom from 2014.

Speculative Fiction 2013: The Year’s Best Online Reviews, Essays and Commentary

Jurassic London / 2014
Find online: Kindle

Speculative Fiction celebrates the best in online non-fiction - the top book reviews, essays and commentary of the year. The 2013 collection is edited by Ana Grilo and Thea James of The Book Smugglers. Speculative Fiction 2013 collects over fifty pieces from all corners of speculative fiction fandom – from book criticism to incisive commentary on important issues like sexual harassment at conventions; from feminist themes in summer blockbusters to life-changing video games; from the merits of grittiness to the downfalls of grimdark.

Reviews & Accolades

"This is a book that deserves a loud, hearty recommendation. [...] I found myself getting excited about books I had never read and even more excited about books I had." - Bookpunks

Speculative Fiction 2012: The Year’s Best Online Reviews, Essays and Commentary

Jurassic London / 2013
Find online: Kindle

Speculative Fiction celebrates the best in online non-fiction - the top book reviews, essays and commentary of the year. This first volume, edited by bloggers Justin Landon (Staffer's Musings - US) and Jared Shurin (Pornokitsch - UK), collects over fifty pieces from science fiction and fantasy's top authors, bloggers and critics.

Reviews & Accolades

  • Winner of the British Fantasy Award (Best Non-Fiction)
  • Finalist for the Hugo Awards (Best Related Work)