I don’t like short story compilations. Even if each story is a perfect, precious jewel–well, that’s actually the problem. A good story is complete. It says what it must, and it’s done. And yes, sometimes that takes 3 pages, or 30, rather than 300. The nature of a single short story is lovely and doesn’t bother …
No, there aren’t atomic Trichechidae in this story. It’s not that they would be out of place–this is a series about people with superhuman but often deeply strange abilities–but they exist only in the mind of the metaphor-destroyer and Steelslayer, David Charleston. Yes, David is back for this final installment of the Reckoners, and it’s …
This begins–no, it doesn’t even begin, it’s epigraphed–with a hymn to the divine twins, Artemis and Apollo. There are three ways to my heart. One is pizza. One is being my husband. The third is mythology. Especially well-researched mythology, so I may have done a little happy dance before I even got to page one. …
I had my qualms about a new Continental novel from the perspective—and foul mouth—of General Turyin Mulaghesh. Not many, and not severe, since Mulaghesh was awesome. But she was not the stars of the previous show, the fantastic City of Stairs. Who can compete with Shara and Sigrud, a brilliant spy and a Viking bodyguard …
I had the privilege of sitting down with Robert Jackson Bennett to ask him about his immanent book, City of Blades. We also discussed his previous books—and writing—and Batman. Christina Ladd: First and most obvious question: where does City of Blades come from? How did you begin to follow up City of Stairs, which turns …
It’s not easy being an wealthy, gifted, powerful scion of a noble house whose heroics have earned him the attention of God Itself. For one thing, if that God has played you false and used you, it’s exceptionally difficult to get away to mourn and heal. For another, you have certain responsibilities that don’t go …
As we all recover from our multiple viewings of The Force Awakens this holiday season, let me take an entirely uncontroversial position and say that popcorn is delicious. Well, it is. Don’t lie, you all had at least a handful or two, and probably more like a bucket or two. This was probably before or after …
Thank the YA gods for terrible parents. Terrible fictional parents, that is. Because much as I wish there was not a single terrible real-life parent, there are far too many. But there haven’t been many in fiction until more recently, and not only is that unrealistic, it’s a damn shame. There is so much depth …
All right, I’ve just decided this is going to be Old West season for me. Between Girl and Wake and Snow White, and now Silver on the Road by Laura Anne Gilman, I’m just going to become a temporary expert on Old West Fantasy, or Weird West fiction, or whatever you want to call it. (Next …
On tumbles our ever-growing tangle of Weird Old Westerns, because what do you want more than shoot-outs and cattle raids at the holidays? Right, nothing. This time it’s Six-Gun Snow White, a not-really-fairy-tale taken loosely from Grimms and applied firmly to the mining towns and new money of Montana and beyond. There aren’t any cowpokes, …