Foxes, Cultural Appropriation, and Japonisme
Here’s how to do cultural appropriation right. Look at the man and his fox bride; you can tell he loves her.
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CROSSROADS: Make ’em Laugh – Humor and Speculative Fiction
Hello, folks! Now that I’m back on my feet, I find that April’s here. A few days ago was April 1st, also known as April Fool’s Day. And while I may not be clever enough […]
The Invisible World
When I walked out to my back patio, I unexpectedly met resistance. My throbbing forehead had crashed against an unseen force. I stepped back to look more closely and noticed a barrier standing between me […]
The Dumbest Part of The Lord of the Rings
I first read Tolkien when I was 13 and (like many others before and after) totally fell in love with the Middle Earth thing. I’ve read the trilogy (and the Hobbit) probably a dozen times, […]
Buying a Book for its Cover
So you know you’ve done it. I’m sure we all have at one point or another. You know what I’m talking about, right? You walk into a bookstore and there it is… the cover that […]
The Pros and Cons of Comicon
It is the day before the first day of spring. As I sit in my office chair, working at my computer, the giant snow thrower passes by and deposits a massive blast of snow onto […]
Moonlight and Manners: A Review of Goblin Moon by Teresa Edgerton
There was already awareness that a new strain of fantasy had developed when Donald G. Keller first labeled it “fantasy of manners” in his article “The Manner of Fantasy,” published in the April 1991 issue […]
A Sneak Peek at The Flames of Shadam Khoreh
The Flames of Shadam Khoreh Bradley P. Beaulieu In last week’s post, I discussed crowdfunding as a publishing strategy, ending with a list of crowdfunded books I intended to review. The first of those is […]
Finding Women in Science Fiction
Where are all of the women writers in Science Fiction? Some are among us and we don’t even know it.
ASM Blog Horde Interview with Michael J. Sullivan
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
An Interview With Sword and Laser’s Tom Merritt
Thanks to the exciting reach the internet brings us authors and fans of literature are connecting in ways never seen before. What once was relegated to a letter sent across the ocean in the vain […]
Brother, Can You Spare Ten Copper Jots?
Ridiculously well-thought-out currencies not visible in this cover art. Fantasy money has got more realistic in recent years. But how realistic can a currency get before it starts killing people?
Crossroads: World-building in Westerns and Speculative Fiction
Speculative fiction gives my imagination space to play. Whether it’s a strange, fascinating city, an entire alien world, or a different time/reality, the genre’s ability to transport offers both escapist entertainment and the insight into […]
Crowdfunding as a Publishing Strategy
I’m reading a really cool book right now, but in spite of my best efforts, life has gotten in the way and I won’t have it finished in time to meet my deadline for the […]
ASM Blog Horde Interview with Diane Severson
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
Defending Quality Over Popularity
It is to my ever increasing frustration that I continually see true literary talent dismissed as ‘too complex’ or ‘deep’ in favour of the mildly-talented easy-way-out authors who have become ‘popular’ in a day and […]
Crossroads: The Western Hero in Speculative Fiction
Someone once said that every story starts with someone either coming to town, or leaving town. And there is no genre for which this adage holds more true than the western. It probably takes us […]
Synthetic Voices #15 – February 2013 Top Picks
Woweewow, I love February’s crop of Top Picks! There is so much goodness I can hardly contain myself! I think all tastes will be sated this month. [powerpress] Discuss on: Jimmy RogersRead My Profile www.scienceismagic.com
Forgotten Books
The quest for that forgotten title or author’s name begins here, where the only clue is a quote, a character, or plot…or less.
A Blog Horde Interview with C.E. Martin
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
Oz Don’t Look Like That!
With the release of the new movie OZ: The Great and Powerful this weekend, the world created by L. Frank Baum back in 1900 is getting a fresh look. Revisiting a classic is always a good […]
Fantasy as History
Author’s Note – it has been said that we should ‘write what we know’ and, in that spirit, for my first outing here at Amazing Stories I have decided to crib a little from my […]
American Gothic: Bellefleur by Joyce Carol Oates
As I mentioned in my post Stephen King: A Beginner’s Guide I became interested in the work of Joyce Carol Oates because of her association with King. As early as Danse Macabre (1981) King was […]
Crossroads: Riding into Space – Westerns and Speculative Fiction
March is here, and that means it is time to move into a new Crossroads series. For some reason, March always brings to mind melting snow, spring’s inexorable creep across the plains, cold mountains withstanding […]
Sequential Wednesdays #3 – Death: The Most Important Story Ever Told
Let’s talk about death. As we meander our way through one subplot to the next, it’s something we typically don’t discuss much. Death is the ignored truth waiting for all of us at some point, […]
Old Friends, and Why We Love Them
Dragon Battle Book Sculpture by wetcanvas. First sentences are important. Introductions are important. Not gonna lie, I’ve been writing in my head for weeks trying to figure out the perfect start to this blog, and […]
Mars Babylon: A Review of John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood by Michael D. Sellers
Reading Michael D. Sellers’ fascinating book, John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood, we learn all the reasons why John Carter, Disney’s film version of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars, failed at the box office. […]
Why Sorcerers Have Long Grizzled Beards
Ever notice that fictional sorcerers always seem to have long, grizzled beards? Ever wondered why? Well, probably you haven’t, but you’re about to find out. The sorcerer “look” originally comes from a real-life sorcerer named […]
The Impossibility of Escaping the Palm of Buddha’s Hand
“Mortal, you have angered Shaka-sama and now Pigsy will eat your face.” This is one of the improbable lines that is never spoken in the foundational saga of Buddhist fiction. Many other improbable lines are. Further out on the improbability spectrum: Shingo Katori costumes up as a monkey.
Crossroads: Is this a Kissing Book? SFF’s Relationship with Romance
Whenever I think of speculative fiction’s relationship to romance, I am always reminded of that scene in The Princess Bride where Fred Savage’s character interrupts his grandpa and – voice dripping with scorn – asks: […]
About Author
Chris Gerwel is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer. Raised in New Jersey, he spent ten years in Central & Eastern Europe in the market research industry, and today when he isn’t reading or writing speculative fiction, he works in the software industry. He lives in northern NJ, with a beautiful wife and a rambunctious puppy, and also writes the weekly blog The King of Elfland’s 2nd Cousin.
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