The Folly of the World by Jesse Bullington

In a flooded 15th century Holland there are very few opportunities available. Jan may have an amazing opportunity at a life full of riches, but it's hidden somewhere at the bottom of a flooded town. To reach his greedy goal in the dark moldy depths, Jan enlists the help of a wild young girl with a knack for swimming. Add Jan's slightly psychotic but ever-faithful partner Sander to the mix and you have yourself a watery adventure with a cast to remember.

In both of his previous books, The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart and The Enterprise of Death, Jesse Bullington went to great lengths to defy our expectations in every way. His characters were immoral, his language was foul, his violence was graphic, and his subject matter was often nauseating.

His fans will be pleased to know that The Folly of the World Read More

I'm briefly coming out of retirement today to introduce Jesse Bullington, one of my favorite "new" authors. I like  classic Fantasy, a lot. However, I like it more when a writer takes Fantasy to places where it doesn’t belong. Jesse takes Fantasy into those Dark places. He writes stories  filled with macabre humor, twisted characters, and uninhibited violence. Jesse’s writing is disturbing, comedic, and most certainly brilliant. The mixed feelings that The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart brought out amongst our staff is a testament to his qualifications for writing questionable characters. I cannot think of anyone better suited to lead our discussion of today’s topic: problematic protagonists. If you join the conversation, you'll have a chance to win a copy of his newest... Read More

One of the things we're always getting excited about here at FanLit is the emergence of new talent in speculative fiction. Every time a publicist writes to tell us about a debut author, we huddle together to read the press release, look around at each other, and start to mumble: "Is this the Dragon Reborn one we've been waiting for?  The next King or Queen of Fantasy Literature? Someone who will reach down and lift us out of the wretchedness of our miserable mundane lives?

Alas. Usually no. But over the past couple of years we have read some authors that we're getting pretty excited about, though we don't all agree on who they are.

Personally, one of my favorite new-ish authors is Jesse Bullington. He's rude, foul, disgusting, and warped. I love him for that.

How about you? Which SFF aut... Read More

Today’s covers all come from books we reviewed in August 2012. Once you identify a book cover, in the comment section list:
1. The number of the cover (1-12)
2. The author
3. The book title

Please identify just one cover that has not yet been identified correctly so that others will have a chance to play.
If you get it correct, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a book of your choice from our stacks.

Time to report!

What is the best book you read in August 2012 and why did you love it? It doesn't have to be a newly published book, or even SFF. We just want to share some great reading material. Feel free to post a full review of the book here, or a link to the review on your blog, or just write a few sentences about why you thought it was awesome.

(And don't forget that we always have plenty more reading recommendations on our Fanlit Faves page and our 5-Star SFF page.)

As always, one commenter will choose a book from our stacks. Read More

Tomorrow is National Buy a Book Day, started by author Philip Athans who reminds us that the authors we love and our favorite local bookstores require our financial support. So please stop by your favorite store and purchase at least one book. Of course, we're here to help you with your choices! Here are our suggestions for your purchase(s) on National Buy a Book Day.

We'll be stopping by our favorite stores, too, so please give us your book suggestions in the comments. We'll pick one of you to win a book from our stacks.



Kelly: Buy Icefall by Matthew Kirby... Read More

Today we welcome debut author Alex Hughes, who has a question for you. Her novel Clean will be released next week. One commenter will win a copy of Clean.

I’m Alex Hughes, debut author of the book Clean. I’m also a huge foodie. There’s nothing that makes me happier than sitting down with a gourmet meal — in a restaurant, of course, but especially in my own kitchen. There’s something therapeutic about cooking, about playing with a new recipe and making something delicious.

I’ve always thought that writing, actually, is a lot like cooking for a big crowd. You start with interesting ingredients, add garlic and spices to layer in flavor, and then go rummaging through the pantry to find that last perfect something that will make the dish sing. You set a great table, bring out the food with enthusiasm, and hope they enjoy. That’s what I’m doing now, this September. M... Read More

Justin goes to Gencon!

Drizzt Do'Urden & Guenhwyvar at D&D booth

Games have been incorporating elements of traditional epic fantasy since at least the 1950's, but it wasn't until Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson introduced the world to Dungeons & Dragons that fantasy gaming really hit the mainstream. D&D merged fantasy storytelling with game mechanics and forever intertwined the two types of entertainment. Now there's an entire industry built around fantasy-based gaming.

Gygax started another tradition in 1968: Gencon, the largest gaming convention ... Read More

Today I will be handing over the Thoughtful Thursday reins to Nancy Holzner, author of the DEADTOWN series. Nancy is one of my favorite authors, and her razor sharp writing raises the bar in urban fantasy. It’s a an honor and a pleasure to have her guest post for today’s column.

One commenter will win a signed copy of Darklands, the fourth installment in the DEADTOWN series, which was released last month.



I write urban fantasy, a genre known for its... Read More

Today’s covers all come from books we reviewed in July 2012. Once you identify a book cover, in the comment section list the number of the cover (1-12), the author, and the book title. If you get it correct, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a book of your choice from our stacks.

It's been a while since we renamed a cover. The cover I chose today is not particularly awful -- it's quite the usual thing for a modern romantic fantasy. Queen's Hunt by Beth Bernobich received a lukewarm reception by our reviewers but seems to be generally well liked over at Amazon. What got my attention about the cover of Queen's Hunt is the look on the protagonist's face -- it just seems ripe for renaming. It doesn't portray any of the fierceness that I think they intended.

It's like her father is giving her a lecture about not holding a sword so close to your neck and she is impatiently rolling her eyes because he doesn't rea... Read More

It's the first Thursday of the month, so it's time to report:

What is the best book you read in July 2012 and why did you love it? It doesn't have to be a newly published book, or even SFF. We just want to share some great reading material. Feel free to post a full review of the book here, or a link to the review on your blog, or just write a few sentences about why you thought it was awesome.

(And don't forget that we always have plenty more reading recommendations on our Fanlit Faves page and our 5-Star SFF page.)

As always, one commenter will choose a book from our stacks. Read More

We are well into the digital age of publishing. Almost every book is available from an online source and nearly every author has an internet presence. Contacting your favorite author is as easy as posting a comment or firing off a quick e-mail. More often than not, your favorite author will send you a reply in a reasonable amount of time.

This was not always possible. Back in the olden days (15 years ago)  fans had to write letters and lick stamps, and if even if you got a form letter in response it was something to be treasured. Authors had this mysterious air about them. I always imagined my favorite writers holed up in a dusty office hunched over an antiquated typewriter. I now know that this was likely not the case, but the thought of Isaac Asimov tweeting about a burrito he ate on Tuesday for lunch seems kind of obscene to me.

What if J.R.R Tolkien ha... Read More

This week we have a little about The Hobbit movie, and a lot about amazing authors getting some much deserved recognition. In the coming weeks, if you find something interesting you think everyone should read, drop me a line via the contact form and let me know, or just post it below. Let's get started:

1) 2012 World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Awards: Alan Garner and George R.R. Martin win WFC Lifetime achievement awards.

2) Sci-Fi/Fantasy Gets a Few Emmy Nods: A Game of Thrones, Futu... Read More

Fantasy Literature reached its fifth year of existence this summer, and I thought it time to do a little celebrating. I love this site a great deal, and it excites me to no end to see it grow like it has. FanLit has played a huge part in my development as a writer, and as a reader. I really appreciate the hard work our team puts into making the site so great. Besides reading and writing reviews, each of us has our own site jobs -- editing, columns we're in charge of, interviews, and many behind-the-scenes tasks that keep us producing daily content. It's all managed by Kat, whose dedication and hard work has enabled this site to continue for as long as it has.

I would like to thank our readers, too. Without you guys coming to the site every day we would have faded into obscurity some time ago. I'm glad you've enjoyed the content over the last five years, and I hope ... Read More