fantasy
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On Finding Shade in the Spotlight
How much do we know an author after reading his or her work? What right does a reader have to criticize or judge an author’s writing? Sarah Gerard, whose novel Binary Star was just reviewed on The Rumpus, and Ben Fama,…
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Hugos, Hijacked
What has happened is simple: an angry mob has exploited a loophole in how nominations occur in order to crash a party that they seemingly detest anyway. The gaming of the Hugo Awards Ballot wasn’t executed for frivolous reasons: it…
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Here There (May or May Not) Be Dragons
Kazuo Ishiguro’s new novel The Buried Giant has reignited debates about genre fiction following Ishiguro’s implication that the work isn’t fantasy. The author has since clarified which side he’s really on. Meanwhile, Flavorwire‘s Jonathon Sturgeon defends Ishiguro’s right to call…
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If It Quacks like a Dragon
Kazuo Ishiguro insists his new novel, The Buried Giant, is not a fantasy novel. Laura Miller at Salon agrees. Ursula K. Le Guin does not (and is a little insulted). David Barnett at The Guardian doesn’t care either way and…
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Well-Rounded
At The Millions, Kelly Link talks about her new story collection Get in Trouble, writing fantastical fiction, and being a teenage mall rat. Perhaps best of all, she gives this excellent piece of writing advice: Of course the strengths of…
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The Saturday Rumpus Review of Under The Skin
Part misandry-based revenge fantasy, part science fiction mash-up, Under the Skin weasels its way into your reptilian brain from its first baffling frames.
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His Audio-Only Materials
Citizens of the multiverse rejoice: Philip Pullman has released another tale from the world of His Dark Materials, the fantasy trilogy for which fans have long awaited a fourth installment. Narrated by Bill Nighy and available only in audio format,…
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The Last Book I Loved: The Ocean at the End of the Lane
I couldn’t wait to read it, but I was also infinitely patient. It’s that delayed gratification thing. I’m a sucker for it, and there are books that are worth the wait.
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The Rumpus Interview with Jane Rosenberg LaForge
Jane Rosenberg LaForge discusses her new book An Unsuitable Princess, being a New York writer from L.A., and how women get short shrift in fairy tales.
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What a Fabulous Lie
At the New York Times, writer Terry Pratchett discusses what he’s reading, who inspires him, and what makes a good fantasy novel. He also reveals one of his favorite childhood books and what made it so great: I found a book called…
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Readers Report: Fantasy Land
A collection of short pieces written by Rumpus readers pertaining to the subject of “Fantasy Land.”
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Disappearing Act
Invisibility has a long literary history, from science fiction, like in H.G. Wells’s Invisible Man, to fantasy, like in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Often, the difference is between methodology and motive. Wells focused on scientific accuracy to illustrate “the…