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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fantasy fiction
Do Fantasy Readers Actually Want Simpler Worlds Again?
Fantasy readers often say they want “simpler” worlds, but is that really what they’re asking for? Maybe the problem isn’t complexity at all—it’s the steep learning curve many modern fantasy novels demand before the story can truly begin. A look at why great fantasy invites readers into its world instead of handing them an owner’s manual on page one.
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When a Story Arrives All at Once
Most stories don’t arrive fully formed. They begin as a name, a setting, or the faintest glimmer of an idea, then grow one decision at a time. But every so often, a story appears almost complete. Rainmaker was one of those rare exceptions. Here’s how it came to life—and why, years later, I finally gave it the cover I’d always imagined.
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When Reality Outdoes Fantasy
Some of the most fantastical settings aren’t found in fantasy novels—they’re right here on Earth. A single photograph of Seljalandsfoss in Iceland is a reminder that nature often creates landscapes so extraordinary we’d hesitate to put them in fiction for fear readers wouldn’t believe them. It’s a lesson that Peter Jackson understood when bringing Middle-earth to life on film.
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AFTER THE QUIETING Is Out Today
The Veilwardens have spent generations maintaining the portals between Terra and Aethryn, certain that the balance between the worlds must be preserved at all costs.
But what if the balance isn’t what they think it is?
In Quieting, old assumptions begin to crack, strange events grow harder to explain, and Riva Thorn finds herself questioning truths she has always accepted.
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Why Do Characters in Fantasy Fiction Keep Trusting the Fae?
Why do fantasy characters keep trusting the fae when centuries of stories warn them not to? The answer isn’t stupidity—it’s hope. The fae offer solutions when no one else can, promise the impossible, and often appear as beautiful, fascinating beings who seem to understand exactly what a person needs. In this post, we’ll explore the surprisingly human reasons characters continue to trust the fae, despite all the risks.
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Must Every Fantasy Hero Be Miserable and Damp?
Does fantasy really need to be grimdark to feel “serious”? I’m not convinced. There is a difference between a story that is painful and one that is hopeless—and somewhere along the way, fantasy seems to have forgotten it.
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Why I Don’t Do Dark Fantasy (And What I Think It’s Actually About)
Dark fantasy might be having a moment, but it’s not one I’m celebrating. I don’t write sweetness and light — but I do believe in redemption, earned endings, and characters who grow. Here’s why stories full of “losers losing” just don’t do it for me.
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Stories That Linger: Award-Eligible Titles for 2026
Two original stories from Taylen Carver—Roots of the Storm and Sylvalight—are eligible for the 2026 Hugo, Nebula, Aurora, and Dragon Awards. If you’re nominating this year, here are the details.
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