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Archive for fantasy
How to Be a Genre Promotion Guerrilla at a Bookstore Near You
Quick: Can you spot the scifi and fantasy magazines?
Where the heck is my F&SF?
As usual, the spec fic magazines are almost impossible to spot. They are hidden in the shadows on the bottom shelf of the Literary section, which is completely out of view if you are actually standing close enough to the shelf to browse the top row.
Whenever I see this, I go ahead and arrange things as they should be:
Ahhh, that's better.
I noticed a similar problem with John Pitts’ latest novel, “Honeyed Words”. Can you spot it?
Where's Pitts?
Now, books present a slightly different problem since they are alphabetized, and to simply rearrange them might actually hurt sales for those searching by name. So I simply made it more visible by propping his book up using another book. Don’t worry, I didn’t use one of the Tim Powers books or any of his other neighboring authors’. I used a copy of Twilight.*
Much Better. No actual novels were harmed in the making of this point.
So, when you are in a bookstore (for however many more months they are still around), don’t be afraid to make sure folks can find the good stuff. You can’t rate products or give comments in a physical bookstore like you can a virtual one, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still express your support and appreciation. Just don’t be a jerk and completely hide or “lose” anyone else’s stuff.
* There were plenty of other copies of Twilight, so I don’t think struggling artist Ms. Meyer will be suffering terribly from my choice.
The Most Epicly Awesomest Story! Ever!!
My epic flash fiction tale about Framdar “The Slayer” Deathkiller, which I read as an example of writing so bad it is funny for the Norwescon panel “Bad Writing, No Cookie”, is now up at Every Day Fiction:
http://www.everydayfiction.com/the-most-epicly-awesomest-story-ever-by-randy-henderson/
Conan vs Kull (and not in a good way)
I know Robert E. Howard wrote both Kull and Conan, and the Kull movie took a lot from a Conan story, but does the new Conan movie really have to look like Kull the Conqueror II? The first Arnie Conan was awesome and launched a wave of fantasy films (including, admittedly, a cheesy Conan sequel). But I have a sinking feeling this time they are skipping the awesome and going right to the cheese faster than a mouse who just quit modeling. And worse, it also reminded me of Uwe Boll’s “In the Name of the King.”
Crom, hear me, please let me be wrong.
VS
VS
Genre-Related Theme Park Disasters
My piece on genre-related theme park
disasters is up at Fantasy Magazine. Also, apparently a reader HATES the word “sensawunda.” Please leave a comment with your thoughts on “sensawunda” (or my article) at:
http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/2010/09/disastrous-genre-theme-parks/
Is it Science Fiction or Science Fantasy?
My definitive answer to which the world shall henceforth adhere is now up at Fantasy Magazine:
http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/2010/06/is-it-science-fiction-or-science-fantasy/
Bizarro Fiction 101
My Bizarro Fiction 101 interview with Eraserhead Press publisher Rose O’Keefe is now up at Fantasy Magazine : http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/2010/04/bizarro-fiction-101-not-just-weird-for-weirds-sake/
