Recent Articles

Written in Maps

by Cécile Cristofari

23 August 2010

Ever since J. R. R. Tolkien put his imprint on the fantasy genre, maps have become a staple in helping speculative fiction authors share their imagined world with the audience. Yet even as they provide this crutch to the reader, the location of maps outside the narrative raises questions about their literary significance. How does the map contribute to the creation of the invented geography? Are thematic dimensions of the narrative present on the map? And what sort of perspective does a map's author represent?

An Interview with Jonathan Maberry

by John Ottinger III

16 August 2010

Zombies aren't charming, and they don't have personalities. They're walking corpses with no higher functions. They certainly aren't romantic. What they represent in zombie fiction is a constant and universal threat that is implacable and unbearable. That kind of threat puts all of the characters under pressure, and from a storytelling point of view, characters under pressure are the only interesting ones to write about.

The X-Files: Faith and Paranoia in America

by Cynthia C. Scott

9 August 2010

The show's real strengths weren't in the conspiracy itself, but in Mulder and Scully’s relationship and the way they bonded through the fog of obfuscation, lies, and cover ups. "The truth is out there" became the series’ hopeful message: that the truth found in faith and love can never be concealed as long as the faithful are genuine in their ideals.

Lost Weekend in Brighton: A Report on World Horror Convention 2010

by Anya Martin

28 June 2010

By convention's end, a consensus definitely had emerged that this WHC 2010 was one of the best World Horror Cons to date thanks to the abundance of authors, artists, and publishing professionals; a strong and varied programming slate geared to both professionals and readers; and a committed, hardworking staff led by Con Chair Amanda Foubister and Assistant Chair/Programming/Publications Stephen Jones, grand maestro of numerous award-winning horror anthologies and a fixture on the fantasy and horror convention scene since the 1980s.

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