Posts - Page 8 of 34 - Robin Catling

Review: Thieves’ World

Thieves’ World is an early example of a shared-world anthology series, where authors collaborated on stories set in a common […]

Unrelentingly bleak, George Orwell’s novel 1984 defined the dystopian genre. It’s depiction of a totalitarian state echoes down the decades.

Dune is the epic space opera that gave us giant sand worms, mind-expanding Spice, prophecy and warring houses. But its

The Lord of the Rings is a foundation stone of modern fantasy. It’s such a landmark in fantasy books, it’s

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five: pioneering science-fantasy, or a memoir of trauma and PTSD? A psychological study of mental health and

Crossing eras, styles and genres, here are ten inspirations of fantasy fiction from my book shelves that directly influence my

There’s a well-established trope I call campfire character building. This is a scene where characters sit around a campfire and

What if the protagonist of your fantasy story is not the Chosen One? A well-worn trope of fantasy fiction is

Thanks and goodnight SPS-Live 2025: this year’s Self Publishing Show wrapped in style after two days of talks and workshops.

Too much of the magic in fantasy just instantly works, on demand; what I want is unreliable magic. The kind