Archive for fantasy stories
Fantasy Magazine Interviews Joe Lansdale
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If you love fantasy writing, and you do because you are here looking for some great stories, then you may be missing out on some wonderful fantasy stories if you haven’t considered Fantasy Magazine. This is a publication that has been around for a long time. I just got a new Kindle and one of the great things about it is subscribing to a magazine like Fantasy to get my bit of short story that I miss with the bigger novels.
The other thing that Fantasy Magazine does so well is author interviews. In the latest issue, December 2011 if you are looking for it, they did a great little sit-down with Joe, who does not only really wonderful fantasy, but also writes in a wide variety of genre fiction. They discussed his story for Fantasy Magazine, “Torn Away” and where he gets his inspiration for it, as well as a discussion of that great fantasy magazine and television show “Twilight Zone”.
Finally, they talk about writing in general. He gives some great advice to anyone who dreams of someday being a writer by telling them that the only way to do it is to do it for you. I love his quote “write like everyone you know is dead.” He is so bang-on with that one. Don’t worry if your style is like this author or that writer, write for yourself as if none of them are around and you will find your voice. And write with passion, which is another of his points and one I very much agree with him on.
So be sure to check him out, in fact, you might want to pick up the latest issue of Fantasy Magazine for your Kindle and read his story and interview for yourself, along with some pretty amazing work from folks like new author Nike Sulway along with some old hands at fantasy like Naomi Novik and Seanan McGuire. Some pretty amazing art too, starting with a remarkable cover from J.P. Targete.
Because fantasy stories come in all sizes and shapes, and just like people they are best when you make sure you are exposed to as many kinds as possible.
New Young Adult Fantasy Book – Delirium by Lauren Oliver
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Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Pages: 448
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Best Book Quote: “Pain. They wanted to make my mother submit to a fourth procedure. They were coming for her on the night she died, coming to bring her to the labs. But instead she had fled into the dark, winged her way into the air. Instead she had woken me with those words—I love you. Remember. They cannot take it.”
What if being in love was a crime punishable by imprisonment, or even death? That’s the dark premise of Delirium, a Young Adult fantasy by author Lauren Oliver. In this follow-up to her bestselling debut novel, Before I Fall, Oliver creates a post-apocalyptic, dystopian vision of the United States. In the locked-down, carefully controlled world of Delirium, every type of love – romantic, familial, even affection for family pets – is regarded as a dangerous, infectious disease. At age 18 citizens are forced by the government to become inoculated against the love disease—called the deliria—by undergoing a painful treatment called “The Cure”.
Writing in the present tense (an unusual but effective choice), Oliver quickly draws the reader into the life of Lena Haloway, a 17-year old girl who is about to undergo The Cure. According to plan, once she’s cured of the potential for love, Lena will be assigned an appropriate mate, get married, and then live out a well-planned, well-ordered (if emotionally empty) life. Just before she takes The Cure however, Lena falls in love with a renegade boy named Alan. Alan is a member of a resistance group called the Invalids, an underground movement that challenges the loveless values of the society they live in.
Lena’s own mother committed suicide when Lena was six years old. Despite undergoing three rounds of The Cure, her mother never stopped loving her daughters; she took her own life before the government could punish her. Years later, as Lena discovers her own awakening emotions for Alan, she arouses the suspicions of her caretaker family; they’ve been monitoring Lena for years, just in case she exhibits any signs of the deliria. Like mother, like daughter, they figure.
This story kept me turning the pages quickly. Oliver does an excellent job of getting us inside the head of Lena. She vividly conveys the topsy-turvy, out-of-control feeling that adolescents experience when they first develop feelings of love and attraction. There’s a strong element of fear throughout the novel, too—because at any moment, any expression of love or emotion could subject Lena to terrible reprisals. This is a strong, well-written Young Adult fantasy. I really enjoyed it!
The Cape S1E4 – Scales on a Train
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In this episode of The Cape, Dominic Raoul also known as Scales makes a come back. In one of the earlier episodes we see scales losing a fight to Rollo (the little person). Scales obviously cant handle being beat by someone so much smaller than him and returns to save his face. Talking of faces, Scales is a typical superhero villain – a huge guy with lizard like skin!
Chess in his civilian appearance (as Fleming the billionaire) throws a costume party on a luxury train. Scales decides to help Faraday when he explains that Fleming has been extorting him. Scales shows up at the costume party assuming the identity of a construction magnet. One thing leads to another and Scales ends up openly accusing Fleming of being the real Chess. Of course, no one believes him! This certainly ties in with why Faraday can’t just go to the press with his story – well thought out!
Orwell is at this party too and is seen talking with Fleming briefly. Now, the previous episode (and this one too) vehemently implied that Orwell is Flemings (lost) daughter. If that turns out to be true then explaining how they spoke to each other without Fleming realizing that she is his daughter is next to impossible. It’ll be surprising if Orwell suddenly sprouts superpowers such as shape shifting!
The bank robbers finally remembered to do some crime in this episode and it was interesting to watch how foes became friends for just a moment. Max and the gang attack take on the train in one of their crimes and subsequently it derails taking off dangerously into the night. Faraday and Fleming had to put aside their differences for just a while and think about stopping the runaway train!
The Cape S1E3 – Kozmo
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Apparently, the comic books fans aren’t taking too kindly to the show The Cape – a superhero drama series – anybody care to explain? So far the show has been pretty good or maybe its too early to tell! It is good to see mysteries being solved, stories (of episodes) coming to an end with each adding to the bigger picture of The Cape (unlike most TV shows today that leave too many puzzles hanging.)
Well, here’s episode three update. A man breaks out of an impossible Russian prison and is making his way to Palm City leaving numerous dead bodies on the way.
Our main man, The Cape Vince Faraday, in the mean is watching the train yard where it all started for him. He manages to grab hold of a dirty cop and tries to get him to reveal the frame up by hanging him over a bridge. The dirty cop however, would rather die than mess things up with Chess (Fleming) – figuring he’s dead either way! Orwell calls him with the news that the chase team is on his trail. Faraday is then forced to dump the cop and make a run for it.
Faraday’s nemesis Chess / Fleming is seen fervently looking for his (apparently lost) daughter. They are also get a sniff of Orwell when she contacts Faraday on the bridge and immediately try to get her. Thus Orwell is forced to run, after burning all evidence – her home. Orwell has nowhere else to go but to Faraday’s den.
In the other subplot, the Russian escapee – Gregor Molotov – surprisingly turns up at Max’s trailer. It turns out the two of them share some history. Back in the day when Max (the circus leader) called himself Kozmo the unkillable, Molotov trained under him. We see that The Cape is traditionally passed on from master to student; but when Max realizes that Molotov cannot be trusted with the cape, he kills Kozmo and Molotov is left to rot in prison. Now he’s back for The Cape which was rightfully his.
After a lot of drama, intrigue and fight sequences, our hero obviously wins the fight for the cape; but the thrill I guess lies in watching how all the events flow together for one big climax. The pieces of information which will make startling connections for us in later episodes and watching the characters being developed is definitely the fun part. The best of course are all the amusing one-liners that you can pick up, for instance: “You either wear the cape or the cape wears you!”
The Cape S1E1 – Pilot (Part II)
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With everyone believing that Chess was the one who killed the chief of police, and that Faraday is Chess, Faraday has no choice but to run. The chase ends in a deadly explosion that leaves the supposed Chess dead. The world celebrates its triumph over the murderer.
Faraday however manages to survive the explosion. He is given shelter by a group of traveling circus acts. It turns out these seemingly benign saviors are actually bank robbers. The main man and leader of the circus, Max Malini, teaches Faraday to defend himself (against his predators) using a black cape.
Faraday is now ready to go out and set the record straight, have his vengeance for the injustice done and get back to his wife and son – Dana Thompson-Faraday and Trip Faraday.
Dana who believes that her husband is dead continues to fight for his innocence – she never once doubted Faraday. She takes up a job at the public defender’s office with the hope of being able to provide for others what her husband never got – a chance to tell the world their side of the story, in a court of law. Trip, on the other hand, gets deeper into the comic book world of The Cape (a superhero) by way of dealing with the loss of his father.
Faraday is advised by his bank robber / circus act friends not to let his wife and son know he is still alive. Chances are, he will put their lives in danger by revealing his identity to the world. So Faraday decides to take the law into his own hands and fight the corruption of Palm City as The Cape – his son’s favorite comic book hero with the hope of convincing Trip that good people still exist in the world… and here begins the saga of The Cape!
Main Cast and Characters:
1. David Lyons as Vince Faraday / The Cape
2. Keith David as Max Malini
3. Summer Glau as Orwell
4. James Frain as Peter Fleming / Chess
5. Jennifer Ferrin as Dana Thompson-Faraday
6. Ryan Wynott as Trip Faraday
7. Dorian Missick as Marty Voyt
8. Martin Klebba as Rollo – a member of the bank robber / circus gand
The Cape S1E1 – Pilot (Part I)
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The Cape is an NBC drama series which made its first appearance on television on the 9th of January, 2011. The show first made it on air as a midseason replacement – usually happens when the original show booked for the slot was cancelled or put on a break for some reason. The Cape’s pilot, a two hour long episode, premiered on Sunday, January 9th with follow up episodes to continue on Monday nights.
The series of events take place in Palm City (a fictional metropolis). The story revolves around Vince Faraday, a police officer who leaves the city’s police department owing to its corruption after witnessing the new police chief being murdered by a mysterious character called ‘Chess’.
After leaving the police department, Faraday accepts a job offer at a private security firm owned by billionaire Peter Fleming. Fleming is seen as one petitioning for the privatization of the police department and public safety operations.
An unidentified blogger who goes by the name Orwell sends vital information through e-mail to Faraday and his new partner Marty Voyt. Following the trail Faraday and Voyt make their way to a cargo train smuggling explosives. It turns out the train is owned by Fleming, the CEO of the security firm! This discovery comes a little too late for Faraday though; by now he has already been set up by Voyt – who secretly works for Chess.
As Voyt delivers Faraday to Chess, it’s revealed that Chess is none other than Fleming himself – the billionaire founder of the private security firm and a murderer. Faraday finds himself not only betrayed but also framed for a murder he did not commit – he is now framed for the police chief’s murder. Fleming gets his security teams to chase after Faraday who has seemingly escaped custody. This news reaches all the news channels and now the whole world is following Faraday.
Intriguing Fantasy Book: Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti
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Title: Amazon Ink
Author: Lori Devoti
Release Date: May 26, 2009
Pages: 372
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Best Book Quote: “Tatooing is a sacred business for Amazons – one exclusively performed by women, for obvious reasons. Men just don’t have the same spiritual depth. I found it endlessly funny that in the modern world men had come to dominate the art. Of course, it also explained why most tattoos today no longer possess the power they should.”
Amazon Ink is an urban fantasy with a new twist. In Book One of the Amazons series, Lori Devoti introduces us to the world of the Amazon warrior in modern society. She details, with great skill, how the mythical tribe of female fighters lives in today’s world and how they exist without giving away any of their secrets. She introduces us to Melanippe Saka, a shamed Amazon warrior who left the tribe ten years earlier to give her daughter a normal upbringing. Even though Mel has left her tribe behind, she is always watched by her warrior mother and priestess grandmother – the tribe plans to keep an eye on her. Mel wants nothing more than to forget the pain that her tribe has caused her.
Mel has built herself a very successful tattoo business because of her unique magical skills in tattoo creation. She is doing just fine without the tribe and she wants it to stay that way but, unfortunately, that is not to be for Mel. Suddenly, dead bodies have started to show up on her doorstep. These bodies are Amazon tribe girls that in any normal circumstance could not be captured, let alone killed. Mel hides the bodies while she tries to solve the murders before somebody starts to blame her.
Add in a sexy tattoo artist named Peter who knows a whole lot more about the murders than he should and you’ve got the makings of an excellent urban fantasy. The character of Mel is engaging as she skillfully juggles the many problems that have arrived on her doorstep along with the dead bodies. Lori Devoti has given fantasy readers a true treat with this action filled mystery that has a twist of romance added in for fun. For the fantasy reader out there, this urban fantasy book is one that you will certainly enjoy.
