August 20, 2019
Being a chronicle of the voyages through the realm of the fantastic, recording a summary of the journey through perilous islands to bohemian cities. As we take a brief tavern break, a welcome respite from the wilderness of words, let’s take a moment to reflect upon our journey through the year. This month marks the second year of our arduous,…
July 20, 2019
Hello once again, friends and readers! Welcome back to the Weekly Roundup, where I practice the art of summary (with a bit of awkward alliteration thrown in for good measure) in order to recap our recent genre delights. Buckle your safety belts, keep your hands inside the vehicle, and let’s ride the rollercoaster that was this week!
July 16, 2019
(This is part two of three on the genesis of Urban Fantasy and the colonization of the cities by the fantastic. Part 1 covered Emma Bull and her seminal novel, The War for the Oaks.) Urban fantasy is a melting pot of myths and mythology applied in a (mostly) modern, urban setting. The first main town to erupt on the…
June 22, 2019
Hello, denizens of geek! How are things in your corner of the world? In a previous roundup I rambled about the rainy season in Japan, and since posting, a strange phenomenon has taken place in my area: almost no rain. As much as I dislike the rainy season, this isn’t a good thing. I live in the Kikuchi Valley region of…
June 18, 2019
Until the 1980’s, magic generally occurred in invented worlds, fantasy based itself on pastoral settings, or extrapolations of various time points in (generally) Western history. In the 1980’s though, with Charles de Lint’s Moonheart and Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks, fantasy moved into town, magic invaded cities and suburbs, and fairy oaks sprouted in urban sidewalk cracks. From its…