Reading Fantasy – What books should you start with?

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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…

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Why You Should Read Fantasy

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In the video below I go over the main reasons that you should read fantasy if you are not doing so already. Fantasy delivers unique settings that are of interest on their own, something not usually present in “realist” fiction. This setting also creates unique characters with perspectives on the human experience that can be profoundly different from what you experience outside of the genre, and this in turn creates plots and stories that are highly original. Don’t be afraid of the big fantasy tomes, because worlds await… If you want to see where I take fantasy you can read…

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Katana: The Ultimate Sword?

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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.…

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Break and new content for March 2017

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In case you noticed, there was no Walk at Dusk update for today. That work will be going ahead for a release this year, although later than I originally anticipated due to a host of setbacks in my work schedule that have prevented me from having the time to do the editing and re-writes necessary to finish the project. I will resume posting samples and updates in the near future, but don’t expect a full release here on DVS Press like I have done in the past. I also wanted to take a week or two off from those posts…

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Writers of the Dawn podcast, episode 2: Settings

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Today Matt and I talk about story settings and world building. What exactly is a story setting? It’s much more than place and time, as we discuss.

Find Matt at matthewjwellman.com

Writers of the Dawn, episode 1: The Writing Process

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So, Matthew J. Wellman and I decided to start a podcast, focused on writing topics, including techniques and criticism. It will also probably end up including philosophy and meta-politics, because it’s us! We’re running it through soundcloud for now.

Review: Eternal Champion (retro fantasy metal)

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Why Modern Movies Suck

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2016: The Year of Peak Butthurt (video)

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How I designed the cover of Muramasa: Blood Drinker

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