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 […]
The Duality of Magic Systems in Fantasy: Hard vs. Soft Magic Read More »
I’ve only recently become aware of a trope in fiction that I have long enjoyed without knowing it was a thing. I absolutely love Competence Porn. And I like it in more than just the novels I read. I often find myself on YouTube, watching diverse people complete projects like cleaning up overgrown yards, building
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I waited until the whole season of The Rings of Power had dropped on Amazon Prime before watching it, as I do with all TV series I follow. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t eager to see it. On the contrary. I’m one of those people who watches the extended version of Lord of the
THE RINGS OF POWER and Realism Read More »
Tolkien was brilliant at backstory. Scratch the surface of any of his characters in The Lord of the Rings, and you can’t help but unearth an interesting, unique life story. Sometimes those stories actually played out in the books themselves. Sometimes they were only hinted at, but you could glimpse them and couldn’t help but be
What’s Your Story? Read More »