Dogfood: Simon Brooke's blog

Story Telling

What I'd really like to be is a story teller. I've written stories all my adult life, and never had the self confidence to submit one for publication. You'll find older stories of mine in my bookshelf section; here you'll find reviews of other people's story telling, thoughts about story telling, and perhaps new stories of mine.


The Witcher: Story telling of a high order --
I've been engaged in discussion recently about whether fantasy fiction can ever be literature - needless to say, I argue that it can. Can a video game be literature, or at least art of high quality? Experience the Witcher, and find out
Just Like a Woman --
Most of my stories arise out of single very strong visual images, usually from dreams. This is one of them; it's a short story I've written very quickly over the past week. The themes are as usual sex and violence, and this is borderline erotica; if that offends you, don't read it.
Pornstar: Apologia --
Hi, I'm Simon, and I write porn.
George Lucas meets Anne McTorturedAdolescentCaffrey --
Eragon, Christopher Paolini, Corgi Books 2005
Spectacle and Courage --
The Extended Edition DVD set of Peter Jackson's movie of the Return of the King is just out, and I've spent altogether too much of this week immersed in it. Here's my thoughts.
Tigana --
Guy Gavriel Kay is the fantasy writer's fantasy writer. This is currently my favourite novel.
Dragon Blood --
Tolkien's King is inherently good; the Return of the King is an icon of the return of good governance. But Patricia Briggs is more subtle and is exploring the genre in new ways ISBN 0-441-01008-3
Dragon Bones --
This ought to be an awful book. Any literary agent worth their salt would have taken one glance at the synopsis and urged - begged - the author to write something different.

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