![]() ![]() Since my major was history/social sciences, I was heavily into research. I started writing for dollars when in college in the late 1950s. ![]() Tell us a little about your earliest writing, what first drew you to science fiction and writing for the digest magazines? ![]() When I was first reading the Dracula novels, I discovered a copy of If with one of your stories among my cousin’s books. Lory's work at a very exciting time in science fiction, fantasy and horror publishing. It was a lot of fun to learn details about not just the Dracula series but more of Mr. I've decided to do occasional interviews here on the blog, and he was the first person to whom I wanted to pose a few questions since those tales stimulated my imagination when I read them in junior high. Those titles were penned by Robert Lory, and I was thrilled to connect with him online a few years ago. With Harmon's bald, martial-arts-expert assistant Cameron Sanchez and Dracula's shape shifting friend Ktara, they were off to face super villains, lost worlds and much more. Harmon's wishes, the stake could be activated, sending him back into oblivion. Controlled by the professor's thoughts, the device allowed him to harness Dracula's power for the forces of goodness. In the tales, Damien Harmon, a paralyzed criminologist with telekinetic ability implanted a device with a tiny sliver of a stake near Dracula's heart. The Dracula Horror Series fit perfectly into that period, a blend of horror, science fiction and action adventure. ![]()
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![]() ![]() He took it as a personal mission to stop me playing football whenever possible and I think I partly thought if I became a famous writer I could get him back. It was my early dream was to be a famous footballer, but our school played rugby, and Mr Williams didn’t like me at all. Indirectly my sports master at school also had a big influence. ![]() I realised very young that I was mixture of the two and it turns out most people are – and that interested me much more. So many stories had a narrow view of the world and the characters were either bad, bad, bad or good, good, good. I think one of the reason I started writing my own imaginary adventures because I so admired how Richmal did it and her character William Brown – who is an anarchist, a lawbreaker, a danger and menace to society, and at the very same time he’s one of the most loveable characters I’d come across. Many people inspired me, all the authors I loved as a child, particular Richmal Crompton and her Just William stories. Is there any particular person who inspired you to start writing? That’s when I realised writing books was really what I wanted to do. A publisher asked me to turn the screenplay into a book so I thought I’d give it ago. I was a screenwriter for about 10 years before I wrote that book and it was first TV film that I wrote by an Australian TV company. It was a story called the Other Facts of Life. So, that was when you starting writing – but what was your first book? ![]() ![]() ![]() Omnistellar has put a bounty on Kenzie’s head-and the question is whether the aliens or Omnistellar get to her first. ![]() What Kenzie doesn’t know is that the aliens aren’t the only ones on the hunt. ![]() Because if the monstrous creatures who attacked Sanctuary reach Earth, then it’s game over for humanity. When Kenzie intercepts a radio communication suggesting that more aliens are on their way, she knows there’s only one choice: They must turn themselves in to Omnistellar and destroy the ship before the aliens follow the signal straight to them. With that said, I’ll dive into a detailed critique, but I want to emphasize the comment above. Worse still, she’s haunted by memories of the aliens who nearly tore her to shreds-and forced her to accidentally kill one of the Sanctuary prisoners, Matt. Caryn Lix is a debut author, and like anyone new to the craft, she will continue to improve and refine her style, but as a first effort this book is fun, engaging, and solid. Everyone has their own dark secrets: Omnistellar, her parents, even Cage. Kenzie is desperate for a plan, but she doesn’t know who to trust anymore. ![]() Now they’re stuck in a stolen alien ship with nowhere to go and no one to help them. They may have escaped Sanctuary, but Kenzie and her friends are far from safe.Įx-Omnistellar prison guard Kenzie and her superpowered friends barely made it off Sanctuary alive. ![]() ![]() You could say that Pratchett was a master of quirk-each central character possesses an attribute or attitude to help them stand out from a crowd. ![]() Pratchett had a knack for imbuing all of his characters with unique bits of pathos, even the most minor players who appeared in the background from time to time. One of the leading factors that makes the 40-some Discworld books so wonderful is the recurring characters. Those novels, coupled with his 1990 co-authorship of Good Omens with Neil Gaiman, earned Pratchett a permanent place in my heart. ![]() ![]() I read his Discworld books voraciously, amazed by the way he was able to keep the series going while still generating compelling stories that never bogged down into mediocrity. It’s now been a few years since the last time I picked up a book in his seminal Discworld series, but for perhaps a five-year stretch, I wouldn’t have hesitated in calling the British fantasist my favorite author. Thursday afternoon’s news of fantasy author Terry Pratchett’s passing hit me hard-very hard, as few author obituaries have in some time. Note: This piece was originally published in 2015, following the passing of prolific fantasy author Terry Pratchett. ![]() ![]() Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany where she finds herself woefully under prepared not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts and a violent destiny. ![]() ![]() Told in alternating perspectives, when Sybella discovers there is another trained assassin from St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. First in a duology, this darkly thrilling page-turner set in the world of the best-selling His Fair Assassin series is perfect for fans of THRONE OF GLASS, RED QUEEN, and GAME OF THRONES. When tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to take matters into her own handseven if it means ignoring the long awaited orders from the convent. ![]() Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? Seventeen year old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Her only solace is a hidden prisoner who appears all but forgotten by his guards. ![]() ![]() ![]() Now, I can’t blame Vincent for Kaylee, as a banshee, being a screaming woman. I can get behind that being a bad subtext. Many reviewers dislike Vincent’s banshees because they are hysterical women who can only be calmed by a man. I just didn’t expect all of the comments about the gender politics to be completely opposite of my own observations. I expected comments about the gender politics. I expected remarks about the social satire and thinly veiled barbs aimed at Disney, which are particularly well-timed given the public meltdown of Lindsay Lohan. I expected more comments about the dark ending. For My Soul to Save, it was the latter situation. Sometimes it sharpens my focus, other times it confuses me. What has been less documented is the fact that sometimes I read other people’s reviews before I write my own. My changing feelings about Rachel Vincent’s novels have been well documented on the internet. Young adult urban fantasy released by Harlequin Teen 29 Dec 09 ![]() Liviania’s review of My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers, Book 2) by Rachel Vincent ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Let’s call it, near enough, the forty-fifth anniversary of his franchise. And his new novel continues exploring that conceptual space. His very first sale from 1974, “Picnic on Nearside,” introduced his Eight Worlds future history. Our subject today, John Varley, is another case of creative longevity applied to the same narrative realms. The first Xanth book was issued in 1977, and a new contribution appeared in 2017 for the fortieth anniversary. Nor is this practice limited to Golden Agers. Begun in 1942, Asimov’s Foundation tales ran for an additional fifty years. Poul Anderson launched his Technic series in 1951 and continued it for the next thirty-plus years. Jack Williamson gave us The Legion of Space in 1947–and in 1983 offered The Queen of the Legion. Sometimes enthusiastically, sometimes reluctantly, these writers keep the franchises ticking along. Any number of writers who have managed to contrive extensive careers have found fandoms who relish receiving continuing installments of their favorite sagas. The science fiction and fantasy genres are conducive to long-lived series. Irontown Blues, John Varley ( Ace 978-7-1, $16, 304pp, trade paperback August 2018 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() When, as a young woman, she reconnects with Paulo, her childhood love, she believes she has finally found happiness.Īs the novel opens, Annie is marrying Paulo. Bullied by her peers and haunted by something she cannot recall, Annie struggles to find acceptance as she grows. Injured, scarred, and unable to remember why, Annie’s life is forever changed by a guilt-ravaged mother who whisks her away from the world she knew. It took her left hand, which needed to be surgically reattached. The accident that killed Eddie left an indelible mark on Annie. Now, in this magical sequel, Mitch Albom reveals Annie’s story. Eddie’s journey to heaven taught him that every life matters. In this enchanting sequel to the number one bestseller The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom tells the story of Eddie’s heavenly reunion with Annie-the little girl he saved on earth-in an unforgettable novel of how our lives and losses intersect.įifteen years ago, the world fell in love with Eddie, a grizzled war veteran- turned-amusement park mechanic who died saving the life of a young girl named Annie. ![]() ![]() And it highlights the predicaments that both the environment and its inhabitants are facing. It shows how the celebrated metamorphosis of the region into a prosperous agricultural landscape was entangled with irreparable damage to the environment, as well as the disruption of human communities. investigates how colonialism, urbanization, and mechanized agriculture radically reshaped the environment and altered human-animal relationships. ![]() This book, published in conjunction with the Israeli Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, examines the reciprocal relations between humans, animals, and the environment within the context of modern Palestine-Israel, and demonstrates how this promise has become an action-plan over the course of the twentieth century. The biblical metaphor of a “Land of Milk and Honey” has denoted for millennia a prophecy and promise for plenitude. ![]() ![]() ![]() But the book’s best insights are subtle, like the thought, on a beach vacation, that heaven must be like snorkeling: “dreamy, soft, bright, quiet.” Agent: Sarah Chalfant, Wylie Agency. He’d never have been elected anything” in an essay about teaching prisoners how to tell their stories. ![]() Sometimes she drifts toward clichés, as when she learns, on a hike with a sick friend, that “getting found almost always means being lost for a while.” At her best, Lamott is refreshingly frank, admitting that she doesn’t want a passionate relationship as much as she wants “someone to text all day and watch TV with.” She also has the rare ability to weave bracing humor seamlessly with earnest, Christian faith, observing, “Jesus was soft on crime. Every essay offers a revelation, often tied to her Christian faith. But even when considering these hardships, Lamott remains optimistic. Most of the essays involve people Lamott knows who are either dead or suffering from a terminal disease: her best friend who had cancer her friends’ two-year-old daughter with cystic fibrosis her mother with Alzheimer’s, to name a few. ![]() Her subject matter is often dark, deriving from the travails of aging and mortality that Lamott, who is now 60, has observed in recent years. ![]() Lamott ( Help, Thanks, Wow) returns with an essay collection that tackles tough subjects with sensitive and unblinking honesty. Following the success of her charming book about writing, Bird by Bird (1994), and her memoir of motherhood, Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year (1993), Anne Lamott has. ![]() |