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An Analysis of the Genre: Grimdark, Horror & Dark Fantasy

NOTE: This post is a rewrite of an assignment I wrote for a graduate school course. If you would like to read the original essay, then click here. Also, this is written in APA Format. Speculative fiction is the general term used when describing books which fall under the genres of fantasy, science fiction and horror,… Continue reading An Analysis of the Genre: Grimdark, Horror & Dark Fantasy

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Why You Need to Read: “The Burning God”

The Poppy War Trilogy, #3: The Burning God By: R.F. Kuang                                                                       Audiobook: 23 hours 47 minutes Published: November 17, 2020                                              Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller Genre: Historical Fantasy, Grimdark, Military Fantasy, Folklore             What was wrong with her? She’d started and ended wars. She’d buried a god. She’d incinerated a country. There wasn’t an entity on the planet that… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Burning God”

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Reading Check-In: September 17, 2021

What book have you finished reading recently? One series on my list is complete. And, I stick with what I said about this series in my ASoIaF Read-Alike Book Recommendations: this series is the most "identical" to George R.R. Martin's. Another fun read by this author. And yes, it's full of folklore and fantasy references!… Continue reading Reading Check-In: September 17, 2021

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Why You Need to Read: These Books While Waiting for “The Winds of Winter”: Part II

Here we go again. It’s been almost 3 years since I complied the 1st list of book recommendations; and, we’re still waiting for The Winds of Winter, the next book in A Song of Ice and Fire series. Many of us continue to wait, patiently, for this book by reading similar books by authors who write fantasy stories. There… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: These Books While Waiting for “The Winds of Winter”: Part II

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Speculative Fiction Books that Kept My Interest in the Genre

Please note the title of this post refers to books! I will write a separate list containing movies, TV shows and video games related to speculative fiction sometime in the future. And, expect that list to consist of “originals,” not just media adaptations of books. Also, these are NOT my favorite speculative fiction books of… Continue reading Speculative Fiction Books that Kept My Interest in the Genre

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The Disclosure Behind the 2020 Hugo Awards

A lot can happen in a week. Politics and COVID-19 aside, it seems like “everyone” wants to return to a time when “things were the way they used to be.” Out of all of the prejudices that’s been going around, it seems that ageism continues to be accepted widely due to the notion that “the… Continue reading The Disclosure Behind the 2020 Hugo Awards

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The Bittersweet Conclusions that are Coming in April 2019

Note: There are some spoilers and theories surrounding Game of Thronesand the MCU. I don’t have any knowledge of what’s going to happen in either Game of Thronesor Endgame. Just like everyone else, I’m excited for both Season 8 of Game of Thrones and Avengers: Endgame. Both the television show and the movie are continuations of popular media adaptations of… Continue reading The Bittersweet Conclusions that are Coming in April 2019

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My Theory on George R.R. Martin’s Writing “Plan” for A Song of Ice and Fire

What do you believe is going on with George R.R. Martin's writing process? Like many other fans and readers of A Song of Ice and Fire series, we have been waiting for a very long time for Winds of Winter. A Dance with Dragons was published in 2011, a few weeks after the first season… Continue reading My Theory on George R.R. Martin’s Writing “Plan” for A Song of Ice and Fire

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Why You Need to Read: “The Wolf in the Whale”

By: Jordanna Max Brodsky                                                    Published: January 29, 2019 Genre: Historical Fiction, Folklore, Fantasy   Garbed once more as a man, I entered the blood-soaked iglu. I sawed at my hair so it brushed the tops of my ears as a man’s should. I wore a man’s knife in a sheath looped across my chest. I… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Wolf in the Whale”

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My Plans for 2019

            2018 has been a reflective year for me because I was able to prove my resilience through my writings and my other creative projects. However, I realized that when it came to the literary market, I had a lot of reading to catch up on. Blogging about the books I enjoyed reading and sharing pictures… Continue reading My Plans for 2019