You don’t have to travel far within either fantasy or science fiction before you trip over an empire. If anything, in fact, they’re even more prevalent in SF than in fantasy, from the empire of the Klingons and the one that strikes back to the enemies of the Foundation and of the Atreides. Most areContinue reading “Empires, Evil and Otherwise”
Author Archives: nykiblatchley
Hanging Out With the Kids — Recent YA Fantasy TV
In general, the best stories don’t have an upper age limit, and this fact has been traditionally recognised in fantasy more than most genres. The Hobbit, the Chronicles of Narnia, His Dark Materials — they were all published as children’s books, and the all-ages phenomenon of Harry Potter put kids’ books and films firmly onContinue reading “Hanging Out With the Kids — Recent YA Fantasy TV”
What’s in a Surname?
It used to be simple enough. Fantasy names were Conan the Barbarian, Elric of Melniboné, Aragorn son of Arathorn. That even applied to sophisticated SF races: Vulcans and Klingons made do with a single name each, for instance. No self-respecting fantasy character would have such a thing as a surname — unless, of course, theyContinue reading “What’s in a Surname?”
My Writing Goals for 2024
New Year is a terrible time for resolutions. We make them because we feel under pressure to do so, not because we really want to. We “ought” to go on that diet or join the gym, and the commitment quickly runs out because it comes from outside. Far better to make the resolution at whateverContinue reading “My Writing Goals for 2024”
Introducing Loshi vi Assarid — The Thief of Shimeth
Back in the late 1970s, I wrote a short story called The Gift of the Outcast. It was a deliberate attempt to write something that was closer to traditional sword & sorcery than the more elaborate fantasy I was writing. It concerned a young thief, Loshi, in a city called Shimeth who was hired toContinue reading “Introducing Loshi vi Assarid — The Thief of Shimeth”
Witch World by Andre Norton — A Retrospect
Back in the 1970s, after reading Lord of the Rings had changed my world, I naturally went looking for similar books. Lin Carter and the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series proved invaluable, not only for the old classics they reprinted, but also for the many other authors and series Carter name-checked in his various introductions. OneContinue reading “Witch World by Andre Norton — A Retrospect”
Flashbacks — Love Them or Hate Them?
Whether you’re reading a book, watching a film or following a TV series, one thing seems increasingly consistent — the story isn’t told in sequential order. Perhaps it’s just an occasional flashback, or perhaps the entire story is being told in multiple timelines, but the journey from A to B is rarely a straight line.Continue reading “Flashbacks — Love Them or Hate Them?”
A City as Old as Time
You come across it constantly in fantasy. An ancient city, dreaming in its senescence. A city so old that no records have survived of when it was founded. A city as old as time. But surely that’s nonsense. Cities don’t really last that long, do they? Don’t they come and go, lasting a few centuriesContinue reading “A City as Old as Time”
The Quels — Expanding the World
Lately, prequels seem to be everywhere on TV. There’s nothing new about prequels, but in the past few months we’ve had (with varied results) prequels for Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and The Witcher. “Quels” (sequels, prequels and paraquels) aren’t restricted to any one genre, but they seem particularly prevalent in SF andContinue reading “The Quels — Expanding the World”
End of a Draft — and About Time Too
A few days ago, I wrote the final words in the first draft of the novel I’ve been writing for — well, a long time. Far too long. But finishing a draft is still special, even when it should have happened years ago, so it’s worth taking a moment to celebrate. This is a sequelContinue reading “End of a Draft — and About Time Too”
The Fantasy Worlds of Nyki Blatchley 