Conan casts a mighty shadow over the swords and sorcery genre. You might even say, Conan is the genre. At the very least, he is the gold standard and all sword and sorcery fare is measured against the Cimmerian, regardless of the fairness of it. The half-clad, sword-wielding barbarian is the trope de jour in... Continue Reading →
Tripping over Easter Eggs
It probably started with the Marvel movies. Not references themselves, but the relentless, in your face, Easter eggs that constitute a meaningless dog whistling. “Hey fellow nerds,” this little pop culture reference seems to say, “remember this cool thing? Only serious fans remember this obscure piece of ephemera!” With Disney’s permission via example, pop culture... Continue Reading →
Anvil #4 – Pre-orders are Live!
Read me in Anvil Issue #4 I've hammered out another short story for Anvil. Pre-orders for issue 4 are currently live on IronAgeMedia. The guys at IronAgeMedia are always great to work with and I can't wait for you guys to get your hands on this issue! More details to come. While you're checking out... Continue Reading →
Adventures in Storytelling 6
Entry 6, gathering brushwood. There was a time in my life when I didn’t write short stories. And by that, I mean that I had this youthful, naïve belief that I was a “novelist” and would never write a short story. It was really just an excuse for the simple fact that I didn’t know... Continue Reading →
Writer’s Review: Buffy and the Art of Story
When I purchased Buffy and the Art of Story I had a very different notion of what I was ordering verses what I got. It was an impulse buy, I admit. I love Buffy—okay, I love the first three season of Buffy with some select episodes from the other four. The book promises that I’ll... Continue Reading →