Less a how-to-write book than a here's-a-different-way-to-tell-stories; or at least, different from the style dominant in Western literature. Terrific examples, insightful analyses, all presented in a clear and friendly manner. I look forward to trying my hand at an Eastern-style narrative.
Discussions in the West around diversity in the arts often focus on the identities of characters and creators. Henry Lien makes the pathbreaking argument that diversity is about more than just plopping different faces into stories that are 100 percent Western in spirit; it can-and should-encompass diverse structures, themes and values.
Using examples ranging from Parasite to The Thousand and One Nights to the Mario video game franchise, Lien shows how storytelling staples in the West, such as the three-act structure and themes of empowerment and change, are far from universal. He introduces the East Asian four-act structure (kishotenketsu),…
Rayner possesses a wonderful ability to mix and match fairy tales, folklore, history, and fantasy, weaving them into a new and unique whole. "Curse of Bronze" is no different, blending elements of Beauty and the Beast, the tale of Medusa, Egyptian history, and vampire lore. And somehow it all fits together, and leaves the reader wanting more.
Who cursed the celebrated cursebreaker Charlotte Hathaway, right in the middle of the Eldritch Library? No one knows, despite the murder happening in a crowd of witnesses.
Charlotte's niece, Bella Hathaway, is on the case after inheriting her aunt's townhouse full of dangerous artefacts and talking teapots. Only problem? She's not a cursebreaker. Bella has always been the quiet member of the daredevil Hathaway family, translating magical languages, wearing sensible skirts and avoiding perilous adventure.
Now, with the help of the beast next door and his sprawling library, it's time for Bella to step up to her family legacy, translate…
I discovered Joanna Masters' collection of short stories through a Pride Month sale on itch.io. The description immediately caught my eye, and the stories within did not disappoint. Sometimes exciting, sometimes silly, and unabashedly political -- because when people question your very right to exist, you have to get political. With a knife. More please!
Ermentrude Wainwright is the Geek Witch, owner and proprietor of the best game and comic shop in town. When she's not running Quaesitum campaigns or refereeing Hammer of War tournaments, she's arranging comic conventions or digging through vintage game guides. When a cursed -- and very illegal -- game guide falls into her hands, Ermentrude finds herself the target of a federal investigation ... and a very determined thief. Can Ermentrude keep the cursed game guide safe and stop the thief before it's too late? Or will another city fall to its malefic magic?
Geek Witch and the Treacherous Tome of Deadly Danger is a 14,000 word novelette. It is a humorous urban fantasy starring a middle-aged protagonist, geeks who play with enchanted dice, and a jar of magical blackberry jam.
Bonus Content: the opening chapters of The Adventure of the Faerie Coffin, a magical gaslamp mystery starring Mary Morstan and Sherlock Holmes; and Blood, Honey, Snow, a fantasy murder mystery.
