The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes is as spectacular a science fiction story as one is going to find. From a plot that is full of drama to amazing characters that are relatable and interesting, all over a backdrop of a futuristic space setting, The Last Watch is nearly flawless.
Blog
Review: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Review: She Dreams in Blood (Obsidian Path #2) by Michael R Fletcher
Review: The Last Watch (The Divide #1) by J.S. Dewes
Interview: About Writing Tie-ins with Tim Waggoner
Review: The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis
Review: Black Stone Heart (The Obsidian Path #1) by Michael R. Fletcher
Mini Review: Ravine of Blood and Shadow (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf #1) by Derek Prior
Review: Writing Monsters by Philip Athans
Philip starts by leveling the field and properly defining what a good monster is; what makes them scary, where they come from and how to define them as a monster or a villain (or both). Then he continues by encouraging us to describe their attributes, digging deep into creating three-dimensional creatures with skill descriptions that resemble a Dungeon & Dragons scoring system. I really enjoyed printing the monster creation form and going through each question to develop (or re-develop) the main villain of my story. He proceeds with an amazing section on how to write them properly on the page using the appropriate reveal, leveraging your five senses and some tricks to make them scarier and less cliché (ex.: don’t use vampires, werewolves or write them in a whole new perspective).