Author Archives: Damien Walter

1000 Best Books @ The Guardian and beyond…

The Guardian have gone list crazy this week, attacking with gusto the 1000 best novels we all should read before we die, including a section dedicated to science fiction and fantasy. Its a great list, with some wonderful reads, and looks at genre fiction in the broadest sense including both staight-up genre works and moreContinue reading “1000 Best Books @ The Guardian and beyond…”

What the ?!

All blog owners are aware of the strange (and occaisionaly dirty) search terms people have used to find them. Well today I’ve had my all time favourite….(cue the drumroll)….and Damien’s favourite ever search term is… unlimited dessert trolley london Yes, I’ve checked on Google and for some bizarre reason this blog is the 20th resultContinue reading “What the ?!”

Are you prepared to change the world?

Dear friends, It is with perhaps a modicum of trepidation that I recommend to you the fittingly titled Errata, the latest work of penmanship from Mr. Jeff Vendermeer, published this day at the web journal of Tor.com. I should not have to tell regular readers that despite my interest in the fantastic, I am notContinue reading “Are you prepared to change the world?”

Why publish a story collection?

James Van Pelt closes his article on short story collections over at The Fix with a call for people to read them. Its a call I would have to second, even knowing that it won’t be heard. Like poetry collections, or photographic monographs, or independent cinema, the short story is a specialised realm that willContinue reading “Why publish a story collection?”

Lamentation by Ken Scholes

One of my favourite stories of last years was Summer in Paris, Light from the Sky by Ken Scholes in Clarkesworld magazine. I loved the stopry so much that I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of Schole’s first novel, which has recently been released in hardback in the States. We may have to wait sometimeContinue reading “Lamentation by Ken Scholes”

No More Wrath for Khan

Ricardo Montalban, who played Khan Noonian Singh in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan passed away today. The Wrath of Khan has for many years been my absolute favourite film of all time. From the opening sequence of the Kobayashi Maru, through the mind control ear wigs to William’s Shatners greatest moment screaming ‘KHAN!!!’Continue reading “No More Wrath for Khan”

The New Fantasy

Lou Anders of Pyr talks about the New Fantasy over at the Agony Column podcast. Anders cites Tom Lloyd, Joe Abercromie and Mark Chadbourn among others as. Is this post 9/11 fantasy? Are the values of sword and sorcery penetrating high fantasy? Is this a new debate, or is there always a new fantasy? CertainlyContinue reading “The New Fantasy”

Im Abendrot

UPDATE: A new translation sent to me by Richard Gardner UPDATE: A contemporary re-imagining of Im Abendrot by Neil Fulwood I’m collecting translations of the poem ‘Im Abendrot’ by Joseph von Eichendorff, which was the basis of the final work by Richard Strauss of the same title. I’m particularly interested in the second line ofContinue reading “Im Abendrot”

Join the Gene Wolfe book club

Need more intellectual roughage in your post Christamas cultural diet? Well John Klima may just have the answer. Not satisfied with reading an entre 53 books last year, Mr Klima has set himself the task of reading all 12 books of The Solar Cycle by Gene Wolfe. And you can join him in his endeavourContinue reading “Join the Gene Wolfe book club”

Hard Fantasy

Jane Lindskold talks about her penchant for Hard Fantasy over at Tor.com. Even with the slightly sleazy connotations, I like the term. I’m not sure I agree with Jane’s shot at defibing it however, which sounds a bot too much like obessesive world building for my liking. For me, the hard bit about about writingContinue reading “Hard Fantasy”