Author Archives: Rawle Nyanzi

Fantasy Doesn’t Embrace 21st-Century Modernity

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Rawle Nyanzi

My Twitter buddy Benjamin Cheah recently wrote a long Facebook post about the new Beauty and the Beast movie, criticizing it for allegedly portraying 18th-century rural France as more progressive than it actually was. In response, a commenter (who did … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative freedom | Tagged , | 2 Comments

When Playing RPGs, Go Homebrew or Go Home

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Rawle Nyanzi

Ever since Gary Gygax published the seminal tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons, many other creators penned their own gamebooks with their own systems — some in imitation of D&D, some much less complex, and the internet has caused their numbers … Continue reading →

Posted in Tabletop RPG | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Story Spotlight: The Witch of Elrica

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Rawle Nyanzi

The Witch of Elrica by Jennifer R. Povey Published in Cirsova Vol. 4 (pp. 45-55) DISCLOSURE: I paid into Cirsova’s Kickstarter, and I regularly communicate with the editor. Marek, bastard son of Ilvia’s king, has a longstanding rivalry with Petor, … Continue reading →

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The New Samurai Jack: A Non-Fan’s Perspective

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Rawle Nyanzi

I watched a lot of cartoons as a child. I still watch them now. But I hadn’t watched Samurai Jack when it was new since the flat art style repelled me. At most, I was only vaguely aware of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Western Animation | Tagged | 2 Comments

Castalia House Post: In Defense of Backstories

Posted on February 25, 2017 by Rawle Nyanzi

Over at the Castalia House blog, I defend the concept of the backstory after it is sharply criticized. No less a character than John Carter of Mars has a backstory, albeit a simple one.

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Sword & Flower Free for Five Days

Posted on February 12, 2017 by Rawle Nyanzi

Good news, everyone! My novelette Sword & Flower will be free for the next five days, from February 12 to February 17 inclusive. Come and read a story about a Japanese pop star and an English Puritan who team up … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 3 Comments

The Guidebook Rules

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Rawle Nyanzi

UPDATE: I’ve been informed that Monica Valentinelli, not Jim C. Hines, wrote the article; Hines merely hosted it on his blog. I was cruising the internet one day when I came across an article by author Monica Valetinelli about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Tabletop RPG | Tagged , | 18 Comments

Sword & Flower is Available Now!

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Rawle Nyanzi

Today is an auspicious day. The first of my entries into the ongoing Pulp Revival is now available to buy. I drafted this novelette in November and revised it earlier in this month. It’s finally complete and it’s ready to … Continue reading →

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A Request for Superversive Books

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Rawle Nyanzi

The folks at Superversive SF have put out a request for published work that reflects a spirit of hope even in dark times, free of nihilism. The aim is to create a list of stories that is easy to share, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged | 2 Comments

Fear of a Pulp Planet

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Rawle Nyanzi

Bloggers Jeffro Johnson — whose Appendix N book I spotlighted here — and Jon Mollison, both of whom I’m acquainted with online, have made much of the “Pulp Revolution,” a nascent literary movement intended to turn modern sci-fi and fantasy … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments