Writers of the Dawn (Fantasy authors David V. Stewart and Mattew J. Wellman) break down Peter Jackson’s adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s second volume in The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers. What sacrifices were made during production to make the movie adaptation function? What was done well? We also discuss the pushing of the original ending into the final movie.
Writers of the Dawn is:
Today, we talk about how the first Lord of the Rings book by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, made the transition from printed book to fully fleshed-out high budget movie. We talk pacing, cringe moments, and what was changed to make it work better as a movie.
Today we decided to give an overview and rough review analysis of Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen, an epic fantasy series set in a universe devised with Ian C. Esslemeont. In it, atypical fantasy races engage in a divine struggle to determine the fate of an old and complex world, and happens to be a favorite series for both of us.
Writers of the dawn is:
David V. Stewart – Fantasy and Historical Fiction Author, musician
Matt and I talk shop about one of our favorite books, The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson, and we also talk about the follow-up Words of Radiance, and some of the technical problems it has compared to the first book in Stormlight Archive. We both agree that The Way of Kings is an excellently well-constructed fantasy novel where Sanderson uses his flashback narrative techniques to create plot points that wouldn’t be possible in a more straightforward style.
Writers of the dawn is:
David V. Stewart – Fantasy and Historical Fiction Author, musician
Matthew J. Wellman – Urban Fantasy author, musician
On this video Matt and Myself talk about the Urban Fantasy behemoth known as the “Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher. We talk about what makes the series so appealing to readers, what works, and what its weaknesses are and were.
Writers of the Dawn is:
David V. Stewart – Fantasy and Historical Fiction Author, musician
Matthew J. Wellman – Fantasy and Urban Fantasy Author, musician.
So, are you looking to get into fantasy, or at least do a little exploration of this massive genre? In the video below, I go over some books that I think are a great place to start. I tried to curate the list to include titles that are diverse in terms of setting and style, so if one doesn’t appeal to you another might, and I did my best to talk about titles that are accessible for a wide audience and don’t require you to already have a large amount of experience in the genre to understand. This list, for…
Most people in the west have heard stories of the incredible cutting power and durability of the Katana, a symbol of Japan through two of its feudal periods. Some people can even tell about how their grandfather in World War II had the barrel of his rifle cut in half by a Japanese soldier with a Katana. Movies, anime, and video games put the sword front and center as something more than a melee weapon – it is simultaneously a warrior totem and the apex of swords. In many ways it is the image of the samurai, before all else.…
Should I vote 3rd party in 2016? The following is not for those of you who are already deeply entrenched in standard party politics. I know there are groups of people who would vote for Hillary Clinton’s dead corpse swinging from the gallows for treason before they would vote for ANY republican, and I would be willing to bet there are plenty of Republicans who do the same for a Bush. This is for those of you, like me, that feel or felt disenfranchised by the American political system with its hegemonic parties whose positions seem to be…
Every wonder what goes into a modern book cover? In the video below you can watch me go through every step, from blank document to finished product, to create a modern book cover using only stock photography, Inkscape (a free vector and object program), and a little know-how. I demonstrate this by copying the design of the cover for Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, a best-selling fantasy epic that uses a standard photographic book cover. In essence, most modern book covers are composed of several photographs that are blended together to create the image of a scene or location, and…
