George RR Martin and Hilary Mantel’s stories come from different genres to address the same questions. The cosmetic similarities between Game of Thrones and Wolf Hall are not hard to list. Both occupy a similar period in history, soon after the fall of the Plantagenet kings (recast as the Targaryens in GoT) and the earlyContinue reading “Game of Thrones and Wolf Hall: fantasy and history converge”
Author Archives: Damien Walter
But who will read Holly Lisle’s books?
Sci-fi author Holly Lisle resigns from the Science Fiction Writers of America over the *shocking* idea that the organisation might start winning funds to pay grants to writers. Because of course an additional funding stream for sci-fi writers is the Worst Imaginable Crime Ever. “Giving” grants taken from tax dollars is nothing less than theftContinue reading “But who will read Holly Lisle’s books?”
What style do you write?
Style is a little easier to observe in music than in literature. Great musicians occupy a very clear musical style. Blues. Country. Pop. Rock. Classical. Reggae. Ska. That doesn’t mean that Bob Marley never cranked out a heavy metal riff or that Slash can’t do a Reggae rhythm. But there’s something a little forced andContinue reading “What style do you write?”
How to help Damo conquer the world
Or, at the very least, an Amazon bestseller list. Follow the link bellow, click Buy Now, and get a free copy of my collection of weirder tales. It won’t cost you a bean. Get My Lovesick Zombie Boy Band on Amazon Kindle FREE. Here, this is my inner spirit seal smiling.
Grimdark, what is it? Joe Abercrombie in discussion with Ahimsa Kerp.
Joe Abercrombie needs little introduction. He’s one of the most successful fantasy authors working today and the face of “grimdark” both for the sub-genres fans and its detractors. In this forthright interview Abercrombie attacks the concept of grimdark head on, questions fantasy fictions habit of re-writing Tolkien, and shares his thoughts on writing for youngContinue reading “Grimdark, what is it? Joe Abercrombie in discussion with Ahimsa Kerp.”
Does user generated fiction spell the end of the professional writer?
In popular genres such as sci-fi and fantasy, fan fiction based on the Wattpad model could easily disrupt the publishing industry. * For a few years in the mid 2000s, I was the young librarian who got sent to schools to convince kids they really did want to read books. The truth of my experienceContinue reading “Does user generated fiction spell the end of the professional writer?”
Frank Herbert’s Dune at 50 has life in it yet
Confusing sequels, terrible prequels and poor adaptations aside, Frank Herbert’s masterpiece still stands up as the one of the truly great sci-fi novels. I first discovered Dune through David Lynch’s 1984 film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s SF masterpiece. The “Lynchian” style, that novelist David Foster Wallace would later define as “a particular kind of ironyContinue reading “Frank Herbert’s Dune at 50 has life in it yet”
How Hollywood deleted the political message of Godzilla
An excellent guest post today from Jared Hill, a blogger living in Chicago who reads science fiction avidly, and who is also keen on sports and film. Godzilla is among the most iconic film characters of the last century. But the big lizard’s meaning was radically altered by his move from Tokyo to Hollywood. InContinue reading “How Hollywood deleted the political message of Godzilla”
Write. For. Money.
Whatever your practice is, that thing that is the engine of your growth as a human being, the time will come when you’ll need to get paid for it. A strong practice doesn’t want to stay in the 45 minutes a day you give it around your job in IT. It grows as you grow.Continue reading “Write. For. Money.”
If you can’t stand the thought of ending up nowhere, don’t write.
A quote from fellow writer John Barnes. “If you can’t stand the thought of ending up nowhere, don’t write.” ~John Barnes Remember it. Write it down somewhere. On the wall, above where you write. Stencil it around your whole house. Scribble it in magic marker down your arms if you have to. Because it’s true.Continue reading “If you can’t stand the thought of ending up nowhere, don’t write.”
Avoid cliques at all costs, they are a shortcut to creative death
Creative life is hard. The goal, of becoming a mature creator who can write a great novel, compose a magnificent symphony, paint a powerful image, or any other of the myriad rewards of creative endeavour, is always far away. (Until the moment it isn’t, which comes often without warning and when you are least expectingContinue reading “Avoid cliques at all costs, they are a shortcut to creative death”
Is science fiction a 21st century religion?
SF provides a place to focus our awe at the wonders of the universe, just one of many functions it shares with religious beliefs. Ever since mankind began to count, the uncountable stars have been filling us with awe. But the splendour revealed by a cloudless night reveals only a fraction of the universe’s trulyContinue reading “Is science fiction a 21st century religion?”
Damien Walter 