For The Book Obsessed
[ad_1] Of all the people who ever lived, only a tiny proportion have their names remembered by history. And even when someone’s name is remembered, celebrated, taught in the history books, the knowledge of who that person actually was—not just a name we recognize—is elusive. This is particularly true of women in history, and even … Read more
[ad_1] Fantasy is all about situating the reader in a compelling fictional world, but some worlds are more fictional than others. Some authors in the genre excel at putting fantasy first, creating new worlds so different from our own that they have their own geography, magic, culture, conventions, and language. Others sketch the outlines of … Read more
[ad_1] Jennifer Saint’s 2021 debut novel Ariadne, a Sunday Times bestseller and Waterstones Book of the Month released in the US by Flatiron, brought fascinating women from Greek myth to life. She now turns her attention to the famous House of Atreus and the women of the Trojan War in Elektra, sharing the intertwined stories … Read more
[ad_1] Writing a book for mainstream publication is always an act of time travel. Given the gap between when a book is “finished” and when it actually appears in bookstores and libraries, the world in which you write the book is never quite the same world the book will be released into. As you write, … Read more
[ad_1] 2021 was a great year for fantasy readers, especially those looking for fantasy novels written by women. One need only glance at the finalists for the Goodreads Choice Awards—with 8 of 10 novels written by women or non-binary people—to see that the idea of fantasy as a male-dominated genre is a thing of the … Read more
[ad_1] With a Megan Abbott book, you have a good idea what you’re going to get. Ever since 2012’s Dare Me, Abbott has carved out a niche writing about women and girls in high-pressure environments, pushing back against restrictions and limitations until tempers boil over. Dare Me and You Will Know Me rendered high school … Read more
[ad_1] Who do stories belong to? Some would say a story belongs to the author who wrote it, and copyright law would back up that interpretation, at least for the first 75 years after publication. In the case of a story based on a person from history or myth, the discussion broadens: is ownership even … Read more
[ad_1] Fantasy worlds with magical power systems often include the idea of inherited magical ability, with magic handed down from one generation to the next or manifesting in a particular “chosen one” invested with special importance. But is that a good way to hand down power? What if those inheriting the power don’t want it? … Read more
[ad_1] Releasing a debut novel is always a fraught endeavor, and in a pandemic, it’s even more so. But the luckiest debut novelists see buzz building for their books well in advance of publication. Right now, that buzz belongs to Sarah Penner and her inventive, compelling historical novel, The Lost Apothecary. It’s been named among … Read more
[ad_1] I’m tempted to say the modern idea of genre is a joke, except that it’s not funny. A sincerely curious, skilled, and committed writer can basically write whatever she wants, genre be damned. Yet certain genres are still elevated and others dismissed; the New York Times “By the Book” feature still regularly asks writers … Read more