Tor.com

Science fiction. Fantasy. The universe. And related subjects.

Tor.com content by

Stubby the Rocket

view profile | RSS feed

Kate Elliott Talks About Adapting History to Fiction in Her AMA!

Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:54am 2 comments 1 Favorite [+]
Author Photo: April Quintanilla

Kate Elliott has been a finalist for both the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards, a nominee for the Andre Norton Award, and a seven-time Locus Award nominee. She is the author of multiple series, including The Spiritwalker Trilogy, the Crossroads series, the Crown of Stars series, the Court of Fives series, and the fantasy series beginning with Black Wolves, which won the RT Reviewers Choice Award. (Not sure where to start? Check out her very handy blog-post on this very topic.)

Her most recent book is Unconquerable Sun (available now from Tor Books), which she describes as “gender-swapped Alexander the Great in spaaaace. Space opera? Space epic? Space adventure? Space campaign? You tell me.” This week, she dropped by r/Fantasy for an AMA, where she talked Alexander the Great research, writing sci-fi vs. fantasy, tips on genre-blending, tips on plot and conflict, favorite tropes, Slow TV, and much, much more. Here are the highlights!

[Read more]

Aliette de Bodard Talks Endings, Mythology, and Fountain Pens in Reddit AMA

Thu Jul 9, 2020 11:41am 1 comment 2 Favorites [+]
Author Photo: Lou Abercrombie

Aliette de Bodard is the author of the Hugo-nominated Xuya Universe series—”space opera set in a galactic empire of Vietnamese inspiration where sentient ships are part of families“—and the Dominion of the Fallen series—”dark Gothic books set in a Paris devastated by a magical war.” A triple-Nebula-award winner, quadruple BSFA-award winner, and a winner of the Locus award, she also works as an engineer in railway signalling and currently lives in Paris.

Her newest book is Of Dragons, Feasts, and Murders, which she describes as “a fantasy of murders and manners that merges Asian court dramas with high Gothic—perfect for fans of KJ Charles, The Untamed and Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves.” This week, she dropped by r/Fantasy for an AMA, where she talked book recommendations, tea recommendations, fountain pen recommendations, writing from the POV of sentient non-humans, writing as an exophone writer, exposition, endings, novellas, mythology, Full Metal Alchemist, and much, much more. Here are the highlights!

[Read more]

Philip Pullman’s New Novella Serpentine Follows a Teenage Lyra Belacqua

Thu Jul 9, 2020 10:15am 2 comments 2 Favorites [+]
Photo: "Frost on the windshield" by Muffet is licensed under CC BY 2.0 | Penguin Random House

A new Philip Pullman novella, previously available only in the form of a hand-written manuscript and printed typescript that was auctioned off for charity in 2004, is coming out this fall. Entitled Serpentine, the book follows a teenage Lyra Belacqua between the events of His Dark Materials and The Books of Dust, and will be released simultaneously with an audiobook edition narrated by Olivia Colman.

[Read more]

Oh No, They’re Making Captain Hook Sexy Again

Wed Jul 8, 2020 11:45am 7 comments 1 Favorite [+]
Photo of Jude Law by Gage Skidmore licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Screenshot: Disney

Captain Hook may once again be played by an individual who’s broken the top 25 on a magazine’s “sexiest” list. Variety reports that Jude Law is currently “in talks” to play the krokodeilophobic villain, infamously sexified by Jason Isaacs in 2003, in Disney’s forthcoming live-action remake of Peter Pan. 

[Read more]

The Last of Terry Pratchett’s Early Stories Will Come Out in September

Wed Jul 8, 2020 10:45am 3 comments 1 Favorite [+]
Photo of Terry Pratchett by Silverlutra, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 / Doubleday Childrens

A new short story collection by Terry Pratchett is coming out in September! Entitled The Time-travelling Caveman, the book is the last volume of the late author’s early stories, The Guardian reports, compiling tales written in the 60s and 70s when he was working as a young journalist.

[Read more]

Wizards of the Coast Freelancer Quits Due to Hostile Work Environment

Mon Jul 6, 2020 3:54pm 21 Favorites [+]

Game designer Orion D. Black has left their job at Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons department, calling out the company for paying lip service towards diversity and change while exploiting BIPOC, especially Black freelancers, and silencing and ignoring criticism of systemic problems. This comes within a month of members of the RPG community asking for more accountability at the company, highlighting interactions with WotC online, and in gaming and professional environments.

[Read more]

Someone Put the Blade Runner Soundtrack Over Fireworks Footage in LA

Mon Jul 6, 2020 11:07am Post a comment 3 Favorites [+]
Screenshot: Mike Dent / KTLA

We’re still a long ways away from the cyberpunk dystopia of Blade Runner, but a long pan over the Los Angeles skyline this July 4th might have you thinking otherwise. As many outlets have pointed out, fireworks (or least people’s complaints about them) have gone way up this year, culminating in a spectacular conflagration on Saturday. When KTLA happened to capture it all via aerial footage, all it took was a title-card, an iconic score by Vangelis, and some editing magic to transform our Los Angeles into a neon-drenched playground for the Tyrell Corporation.

[Read more]

Ned Ryerson Himself Says a Groundhog Day TV Series Is in the Works

Mon Jul 6, 2020 10:00am 4 comments 1 Favorite [+]
Screenshot: Columbia Pictures

There’s about to be a lot more Groundhog Day to watch over…and over…and over again. Appearing on The Production Meeting Podcast, Stephen Tobolowsky—who played Ned! Ryerson! aka Needlenose Ned aka Ned the Head—revealed that he’s said yes to reprising his role in a TV adaptation of Harold Ramis’ iconic 1993 film.

[Read more]

Latest Posts

Recent Comments

more comments

Our Privacy Notice has been updated to explain how we use cookies, which you accept by continuing to use this website. To withdraw your consent, see Your Choices.