Fantasy Book Club

A friend of mine gave me the book Dragonworld with high praise many years ago. I read it cover to cover within a few days, and it had a mythology and tone reminiscent of Tolkien. The book was written many years ago by Byron Preiss and Michael Reaves.

Alone, each of them is a writing powerhouse, but together they make a team that crafts an intriguing and engaging story that will keep fantasy lovers not wanting to put it down. It all starts with an innocent's death and the power of a people to overcome an ancient enemy.

The book takes place in three different areas: Fandora, Simbala and the Northlands. The only hope is to find the land of the dragons. I'm not usually a big fan of epic type fantasy novels because things are too big and the subtle nuances are lost between the many characters and disjointed plot lines. This dynamic duo were able to work together to close all the usual plot holes and forgotten subtexts. Read more about Dragonworld by Byron Preiss and Michael Reaves

I'm a big fan of Ray Harryhausen and consider the original “Clash of the Titans” to be a legendary cinematic achievement, and was more than a little miffed when they made a remake. Sure, it had some great stars and special effects, but it lacked the story, and quite honestly, the emotion of the original.

I recently discovered that they are making a sequel to the Sam Worthington version called “Wrath of the Titans.” At first, I was outraged at the idea that someone was making another Clash, but it turns out, there is a precedent.

There was a comic book version of “Wrath of the Titans” created a few years back. It was a direct sequel to the movie set several years after the death of the Kraken. The Titans want out and Hades strikes up a bargain.

I can't help but consider this a travesty of epic proportions. Harryhausen was a visionary whose techniques were cutting edge at the time. They may seem pretty bad now, but CGI monsters are getting so annoying. Everything is too computer generated these days. As someone who grew up in the heyday of latex prosthetics, I find this overabundance of CGI to actually take away from the viewing experience. Read more about Wrath of the Titans

  I have always been a sucker for stories about your average Joe suddenly called to a greater destiny. I think we all at some point want to believe that a wizard will come out of nowhere and tell us that the fate of the world is up to us.

That's kind of what happens to Richard Cypher, a normal average boy who discovers that he is The Seeker. A mystical boundary separates his land from that of Darken Rahl, an evil lord that rules his kingdom through fear.

When the boundary begins to fade and creatures of the dark begin invading his land, wizard Zeddicus Zu'l Zorandor tells Cypher that he is the Seeker, the only person who can wield the Sword of Truth and save the world from Rahl. Cypher, Zorander and Confessor Kahlen Amnell travel the lands seeking a way to defeat Rahl and teach Cypher about his powers and abilities. Read more about The Sword of Truth

It's not easy to write a good fantasy novel or even short story. People mistakenly think that as long as you have a good story, you're gold for good prose. The truth is there are many rules and nuances for fantasy writing that people never think about when they read the finished product.

Luckily, there are people that know what they are doing and are willing to help those that need a hand. While you can read book after book about reading fantasy, the real meat and potatoes learning experience is a writer's workshop.

A workshop is guided by an expert. This is often either a teacher or writer that has experience in the genre. There are many of these workshops throughout the United States, but for those that live in the more rural areas, you can find online workshops as well.