Monthly Archives: August 2018

Tolkien 101: The History of the Hobbit by John Rateliff

Posted on August 16, 2018 by

Writing a post on John Rateliff’s encyclopedic The History of the Hobbit isn’t the problem.  The problem is writing one that doesn’t turn into a 3,000 word behemoth itself.  I will try very hard to keep this post to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Throwback SF Thursday | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Rat Queens vol. 5 is a disjointed, hot mess

Posted on August 15, 2018 by

*Sigh*  This graphic novel is a hot mess. The first issue focuses on Orc Dave.  It is interesting and good worldbuilding, but it is also repetitive and tangential.  Why include a flashback at what will be the beginning of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Fantasy | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Oathbringer Continues to Build on a Structurally Remarkable Series

Posted on August 14, 2018 by

This is it.  The review that I’ve been scheduling and cancelling in turn for three months.  I will keep this short, because if you have been looking for Oathbringer review, surely you have found one or…1,998 reviews to read first. … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Fantasy | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Tolkien 101: LOTR Appendices

Posted on August 9, 2018 by

Even as a kid, I was thrown off when I got to the climax of The Return of the King and there was still half a book left.  There is that overlong denouement (a problem Tolkien was able to avoid … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Sundry | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

July 2018 Month-in-Review

Posted on August 7, 2018 by

July was a good blog month and a bad reading month.  After reading fourteen books (not include two DNFs) last July, this July I only managed to read four books.  But despite a very busy work schedule and still being … Continue reading →

Posted in Sundry | Tagged | 3 Comments

New Fiction from Cirsova and Sky Hernstrom

Posted on August 6, 2018 by

Cirsova Magazine has four days left on its Kickstarter for issues 9 and 10.  Cirsova doesn’t mess around–issues 9 and 10 are paid for, but successful funding will allow the next issues to happen.  Cirsova is one of the best things … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Sundry | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Tolkien 101: The Most Metal Deaths in Middle Earth

Posted on August 2, 2018 by

In the comment section to last week’s post on A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War, Jason from Off the TBR asked when I would do a post on Tolkien’s influence on rock. Obviously, my first thought was that … Continue reading →

Posted in Sundry, Throwback SF Thursday | Tagged | 6 Comments