The Weight of Prophecy
Why do we believe a prophecy? The best ones don’t simply predict the future. They arrive carrying centuries of history, belief, argument—and consequences.
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Magic
Sigils in Snow Is Out in Street Magic IV!
My newest contemporary fantasy story, “Sigils in Snow,” is out now in Street Magic IV. This time, I brought the magic home—to the snowy streets and ordinary neighbourhoods of Edmonton.
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Surprise! “Sigils in Snow” Is Out Today!
Sometimes publishing throws you a delightful curveball.
A few weeks ago I mentioned that my new fantasy short story, “Sigils in Snow,” had been accepted for the Street Magic IV anthology. I expected to tell you about it later this summer.
Instead…it’s available today!
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Why Fantasy Keeps Hiding Magic in Libraries
There was a time when fantasy looked outward, toward lost kingdoms and blank spaces on the map. Today, with the world thoroughly mapped and disappointingly short on hidden plateaus full of dinosaurs, fantasy has shifted its secrets elsewhere. Now the lost world waits behind a locked door in the back of a library, or on a shelf in a bookshop that was not there yesterday.
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Something on a Stick (and Why Wizards Got There First)
March 28 may be “Something on a Stick Day,” but wizards claimed that territory long ago. From practical walking tool to magical focus, the humble staff turns out to be far more than it appears—especially in Magorian’s hands, where it defines the very space magic obeys.
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The Price of Power: Why Magic Should Hurt
Power without a price feels like cheating—and in fantasy, magic that costs nothing tends to mean nothing. Whether it’s burning memories, painful transformations, or the slow hollowing of a hero, the best magic systems leave a mark. Let’s talk about why magic should hurt—and what that says about the stories we can’t stop reading.
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When Magic Goes Too Far: Spells That Got Way Out of Hand
Magic is the ultimate tool for bending reality to your will—until it bends back. If there’s one thing fantasy has taught us, it’s that no one (not even the most brilliant sorcerer) fully understands what magic is capable of. And when magic misfires, it doesn’t just fizzle out politely. No, it explodes across the landscape, rewrites reality, or (if you’re really unlucky) accidentally invites an ancient god to crash on your couch.
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Mapping the Magic: A Guide to Fantasy’s Many Systems
Let’s talk magic. It’s the bread and butter of fantasy, isn’t it? The thing that turns a good story into something downright enchanting. If you’re anything like me, you’ve come across all sorts of magical systems while reading, and it’s impossible not to notice how different authors put their own spin on it. Some like to map out every single rule and consequence (Sanderson, I’m looking at you), while others leave magic as a mysterious force we just have to trust (Tolkien, we’re all still guessing).
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Fallout from World War I
Atlas Obscura recently reported that some of the WWI battlegrounds in France, particularly around Verdun, still have great swathes of land, some of it larger than Paris itself, that are hostile to humans. World War I was the first modern war. Over a century later, we sometimes have trouble thinking of the Great War as
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The Duality of Magic Systems in Fantasy: Hard vs. Soft Magic
Magic systems in fantasy often fall into two distinct categories: hard magic and soft magic. Each offers unique storytelling opportunities, although readers tend to gravitate towards one or the other. What is the allure of each? I know I lean heavily toward hard magic, myself. Magic as technology has a strong appeal for me. The
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