INTRODUCTIONS

[foxfinial]

As I'd rather this comm doesn't become full of intro posts, please feel free to introduce yourself in the comments here.

What kind of fantasy do you like to write? Do you write long or short things? What are you working on at the moment? etc

Off-topic comments are totally fine. =)

I'm your mod, foxfinial (aka Alex), a reader and writer of weird fantasy. My favourite authors are China Miéville, KJ Bishop, Catherynne M Valente, Milorad Pavic, Jeff VanderMeer, Steph Swainston, M John Harrison, Christopher Barzak and probably some others. I'm currently writing a novel about a war between humans and water-people in a secondary world heavily influenced by Thailand. It's being told in the form of a fake history book comprising various texts, such as translations (with footnotes, om nom), letters, chronicles, journal entries, messages on clothing. I've had some short fiction and poetry published, and am submitting a completed novel to agents.

I hope you like this comm!

Comments

[caro]

Hi, I'm Caro. I'm trying to get back into writing after a long hiatus. Fantasy is usually my favorite thing to read or write, and I'm currently picking at three different projects, all of which are supposed to be novel-length (eventually). I haven't been very successful with writing long things, but it's always my intention. My favorite thing to do is world-building, and I'm currently trying to start a novel that will take place in the fantasy setting I've been working on for about a decade. I figure it's past time to actually write something about it!

As a reader, some of my favorite fantasy authors are Susanna Clarke, Neil Gaiman, George RR Martin, Megan Whalen Turner, and China Miéville. I'm actually trying to start reading a lot more these days, so I'm very open to any recommendations.

[foxfinial]

Reading is very helpful in learning more writing tricks, imo.

Have you read one of Christopher Barzak's books? I read The Love We Share Without Knowing recently; it's a series of connected stories of locals and expats in Japan whose lives intersect with each other and, occasionally, with fantasy-tinged events. I love Barzak's writing style. It's simple but beautiful.

If you like China Miéville's work, you may enjoy KJ Bishop's The Etched City. Surreal happenings in a tropical city.

You might like Holly Phillip's The Engine's Child: it's a bit of a slow story, imperfect, but it's quite interesting.

Ekaterina Sedia's The Secret History of Moscow is about three people travelling through the mythical undercity of Moscow: similar in some ways to Gaiman's Neverwhere, but definitely its own book.

As I usually do, I'll pimp Catherynne M Valente. You could start with her recent novel Palimpsest, about a sexually transmitted city that transforms -- in beautiful and terrible ways -- the people who discover it.

Good luck with your writing projects!

[caro]

Thanks for the recs! I am adding all of these to my Bookmooch wishlist, but I think I'll actually go out and buy The Etched City and Palimpsest. Those sound really interesting.

[foxfinial]

I hope you enjoy them!