As one of the most enduring and ethereal images of modern civilization, the Zeppelin, however outdated as transport now, has found a place in fiction. Whether in older works like [...]
Articles
Sharp, Pointy Sticks: The Evolution of the Spear in Warfare
Man’s best friend at the dawn of humanity was not the dog, nor the trusty wheel—it was a poke in the eye, early proof that the “it’s better than a [...]
Western Swordsmanship
In the history of mankind, the fine art of killing one another in a civilized and uniformed manner has been elusive. Our collective history is littered with heroes who engaged [...]
Beyond Chainsaws and Axe Murders: A Horror Primer
The genre of horror has developed a bad rap over the years, conjuring images of half-naked girls, masked men with axes, and a plot that leaves much to be desired. [...]
A Comma Can’t Keep A Good Writer Down
Although boring as cocktail conversation, the comma is a necessary tool and an important element in writing. However, as an editor of both fiction and non-fiction pieces, I often see [...]
Writing the Language of the Future
When you’re inventing a future, you need to create terms to describe the contents of that future – and so almost from the genre’s inception, writers were coining new words [...]
Why Review Books?: My Sort-of Manifesto
Upon joining RE as a staff reviewer, Mathilde Madden had one request: let her introduce herself to the readers. Being generally accomodating people (and delighted to read almost anything she writes), we said “sure—just say something nice about us, and don’t try to convince anyone to join a cult.” We’re not so sure she managed the second one; her passion for books is kind of infectious.
How to Sell a Story
Yes, we’ve told you what slush readers hate (Confessions of a Slush Monkey); we’ve even told you what we consider some of the finer points of writing (Letter from the [...]
Characters on the Couch: Depression
Wars, gunfights, predatory monsters, alien invasions, displaced populations, doomed kingdoms – genre fiction’s strong themes lend themselves to strong emotion. But how do you keep characters’ depression realistic, nuanced, and above all, readable? Staff Writer AJ Grant continues her series of psychology primers for writers.
Writing Visual Dialect in Fiction
Standardized spelling is the magic trick that lets readers and authors know they share a vocabulary. But let’s face it – different people pronounce words differently, and a fieldworker from Cornwall is unlikely to use American collegiate English. What can authors do to make words on the page sound the way they do in the air, without alienating readers? Tony Burton, author of “Bluetick,” opens up his writer’s toolbox.
Usage: The Nice and Exacting Practice of Using the Correct Words Correctly
Last summer I spoke on two panels about grammar – one to a group of writers, the other to a group of editors. At both panels, audience members aired some [...]
Characters on the Couch: Introduction
Are your characters depressed? Phobic? Hallucinating? As authors, we know we should understand our characters as well as possible, but the brain is a complicated organ, and psychology can be a forbiddingly complicated science. Staff writer AJ Grant tells you what you need to know in a new series about mental illnesses that commonly appear in genre fiction.
In addition, our Research section continues to expand, this time with a series of comparative religion links about Christianity. Need to pull up an ominous biblical quote for a horror story? Want to know how and why the Christian church—and its views toward sin and science—developed the way they did? Fantasy authors and historical fiction writers alike will find inspiration.
Is the Matrix Really Green and Black? A Writer’s Intro to Hacker Culture
There’s something to be said for being misunderstood—it gives you staying power. Two decades after hackers first began to gain prominence in the media, news writers are still talking about [...]
A Cliché by Any Other Name
Are clichés all wet, or do they leave you high and dry? Can they be short and sweet, but in it for the long haul? Science fiction author Bruce Golden gives us a tour through Clichéland in this April Fool’s special.
Superluminal: A Scientific Look at Science Fiction Stardrives
The main barrier to interstellar travel is the vast distance from one star to the next, and the universal limit known as lightspeed. This hasn’t stopped science fiction authors from imagining ways to speed up the process, and here Paul Lucas takes us through the main theories behind faster-than-light travel, their origins, and their scientific underpinnings.