Have you ever seen an entertainment franchise, and thought to yourself, “I’d love to write a story in that world”?

Have you ever seen an entertainment franchise—be it Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, or Game of Thrones—and thought to yourself, “I’d love to write a story in that world”?

Well, some people do, post it online, and it’s called fan fiction (and there’s some awesome fanfic out there, don’t you doubt). At the same time, other people do, get paid for it, and it’s called tie-in writing. I fell into the latter category when I was contracted to write stories for Paizo’s Pathfinder Tales, a tie-in fiction line to the Pathfinder roleplaying game. So far, my work has included short stories such as “The Weeping Blade”, “Hunter’s Folly”, “The Price Paid”, and my novel, Forge of Ashes. Read More »

updraft-by-fran-wilde

When I met Fran Wilde at LonCon 3 last summer, I was instantly taken by her passion for the fan community and the books that bring us all together. She seemed to know everyone who crossed our path, and interesting discussion bloomed around her. I didn’t know at the time that she’d sold a fantasy series to Tor, but when SF Signal revealed Stephan Martiniere’s cover for her debut, Updraft, my interest grew immediately.

So, I reached out to Wilde to chat about the novel — why an airborne city? How about that awesome cover? What’s coming next?

She was kind enough to answer my questions, and my anticipation for the novel is higher than ever. Read More »

Murad, Shurin, and Oliver

Murad, Shurin, and Oliver

Via The Book Smugglers, Solaris Books, alongside Jared Shurin and Mavesh Murad, announced Djinnthology, “an eclectic and fantastical anthology collection, prefaced with a comprehensive and insightful introduction to the importance of Djinn and their extensive history that will provide new readers with an accessible window into the unseen world of the Djinn, whilst also setting the tone for this exciting and original new collection.”

The anthology will include stories from both established and upcoming SFF writers, and will hit bookshelves in 2017. With Murad and Shurin holding the reigns, you can be sure it will be full to the brim with stories from today’s most exciting authors.

About the Book

Jinn – or djinn! – have been a fascinating part of many cultures for centuries. Every country touched by Islam has their own version of these interesting mythological figures embedded in their cultural heritage: including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, and even parts of Africa.

Nor has the West gone without. The Djinn have been a beloved (if overlooked) part of English and American fiction as well – more than simply Aladdin and I Dream of Jeannie! Djinn have appeared in classics of modern fantasy by Neil Gaiman and Tim Powers, as well as the acclaimed recent books by Helene Wecker and G. Willow Wilson.

Across the world, the Djinn have been presented as mischievous, powerful, devious, mysterious, good and evil, majestic, devilish and more… but despite their fascinating history and incredible cultural impact, the stories of these ‘hidden people’ have never before inspired a contemporary anthology.

From the Editors

“We’re really excited to create new stories inspired by some of the world’s oldest myths,” said Murad and Shurin. “Especially as it gives us a unique opportunity to work with talented writers from all backgrounds, from all over the world.”

“Jared Shurin and Mahvesh Murad are not only editors of exceptional taste, but they are also amongst genre’s newest champions – showing how valid a form of literature and expression speculative fiction is, and taking genre fiction forward in leaps and bounds with what promises to be a diverse, fresh and exciting anthology,” said Solaris EIC, John Oliver.

As a writer with a secondary world fantasy full of djinn-powered mechanics, to say I’m excited for this anthology is an absolute understatement.

sharps-by-kj-parker

After nearly two decades, K.J. Parker’s identity has been revealed.

“For 17 years,” wrote Jared Shurin of Pornokitsch, who secured the opportunity to reveal Parker’s true name, “the identity of K.J. Parker has been one of fantasy literature’s most tightly-kept secrets.

Now, after a dozen novels, a collection of short stories, a handful of essays and two World Fantasy Award wins, K.J. Parker has stepped forward – as author Tom Holt.”

Fans have been trying to discover Parker’s identity for years, and the most earnest detectives will not be surprised by the reveal. Holt (or, more intriguingly, his wife) has long been considered the front runner, with Neth Space calling it way back in 2012. Some readers will be disappointed that Parker was not a woman after all, which was a another widely supported theory, even leading some to believe that Parker was Kim Holt, Tom Holt’s wife. Still, it was fun while it lasted.

In addition to the official reveal, Parker/Holt was also on the Coode Street podcast, chatting about his new serialized novel, The Two of Swords. And, if you’re looking for something really recursive, here’s an Tom Holt interviewing K.J. Parker for Subterranean Magazine in 2010.

Rayguns, spaceships,
and selfie-sticks

Ever noticed how the computers in Star Wars are so unbelievably dumb? C3PO, a being of pure logic and electrons, needs therapy more than anyone else in the galaxy. R2-D2 doesn’t have a method of communication that is, you know, intelligible to its owners without a peripheral. The Millennium Falcon doesn’t even have autopilot. It’s no mystery why, of course. Star Wars is a product of its time: a time when a computer behaving like a human being was as far advanced as we could imagine.

We loves our technology in science fiction. Time machines, cloning machines, robots. Space elevators and spaceships, ansibles and universal translators. A lot of the science in science fiction is machinery, and a lot of the fiction is tracing through the implications of those technologies.

You know what you don’t see a whole lot of, though? Text messages. Video games. Selfies. Dating sites. You know, the everyday stuff we have right now. Read More »