Fisking Kotaku’s Anti-Conan Hit Piece

Fisking Kotaku’s Anti-Conan Hit Piece

Monolith has a Conan board game coming out, and it looks totally sweet. Their customers agree, because the Kickstarter to fund the game has raised over three million dollars. Robert E. Howard fans will soon be mowing down miniature plastic Picts like wheat. Or they would if it weren't Current…
November 23, 201626 Comments

Superversive SF Thanksgiving Live Stream

It's been a while since I last joined the Superversive SF crew for one of their lively roundtables. On Saturday I had the pleasure of appearing on their Thanksgiving live stream with John and Jagi Wright, Declan Finn, Daddy Warpig, and other superversive luminaries. Check it out here. But the…
November 21, 2016
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Soul Cycle Casting Call Part 2: Souldancer

Considering how well my first exercise in fantasy casting went over, I thought I'd have another go at choosing a cast for a hypothetical film version of my second novel Souldancer. To make things more interesting, I'm raising the challenge level by dispensing with the wayback machine. Only contemporary actors…
November 16, 20162 Comments
The Secret Kings Cover Test Results

The Secret Kings Cover Test Results

A - B testing on the proposed covers for The Secret Kings, Soul Cycle Book III has concluded. I'd like to express my deep appreciation for everyone who took the time to vote. Marcelo gave us a difficult choice with his three fantastic cover sketches, but in the end only…
November 15, 20166 Comments
Star Wars: Rogue One – The Facade Cracks

Star Wars: Rogue One – The Facade Cracks

Image courtesy of Douglas Cootey [Insert standard disclaimer about it being poor form to say "I told you so", but...] Regular readers may remember how I warned Hollywood that moviegoers can only stomach so much cynical propaganda disguised as entertainment before a backlash sets in. The main impetus for that…
November 15, 2016
The Secret Kings A- B Cover Test Final Round

The Secret Kings A- B Cover Test Final Round

We've had excellent turnout for the first two rounds of cover testing. Thanks again to everyone who voted. For the third and final round of A - B testing to pick the cover of The Secret Kings, Soul Cycle Book III, I'm bringing back cover sketch 2 and pitting it…
November 14, 20164 Comments
The Secret Kings A – B Cover Test Round 2

The Secret Kings A – B Cover Test Round 2

Round one concluded with the victory of sketch A. Thanks to everyone who voted! We now move on to round 2, where the winner of the first round goes head-to-head against the third and final cover sketch. Once again, you have 24 hours to decide your preference and cast your…
November 12, 20165 Comments
The Secret Kings A – B Cover Test Round 1

The Secret Kings A – B Cover Test Round 1

The time has come to vote on which concept sketch will be finalized into the official cover for my third Soul Cycle book, The Secret Kings. My superlative cover artist Marcelo Orsi Blanco has provided three cover sketches for our delight and contemplation. The first two are presented below, and…
November 10, 20167 Comments
Series Ruined by Breakout Characters

Series Ruined by Breakout Characters

Even a writer's strongest, purest vision can be undone if his own characters have other ideas. Sometimes a secondary character can emerge from the background and steal the spotlight from the rest of the cast. These breakout characters are often benign, but greedy network and studio involvement can create a…
November 8, 20169 Comments