Non-Fiction

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On Writing Fantasy

Taking A Stab At Writing Sword And Sorcery

Writing Fantasy Heroes: Powerful Advice from the Pros (2013)

Fantasy heroes endure. They are embedded in our cultural fabric, dwarfing other literary figures and the mere men and women of history. They dominate our legends, and tower over popular culture. The stories we tell each other begin and end with fantasy heroes, and the 21st Century is as thoroughly captivated with them as ever. But what makes a fantasy hero? How do the best writers create them, and bring them to life on the page?

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Violence in Epics Ancient and Fantastic: A Primer

The New York Review of Science Fiction, February 2015

Ian Esslemont’s essay in this issue of the magazine examines the place and role of violence in the epic form, both ancient and contemporary.