Join host Greta Kelly as she delves into a writing masterclass on Do Superpowers Make You a Superhero? with bestselling author V.E. Schwab. During the episode, Victoria unmasks superpower myths, discussing why humans are captivated by superpowers, differences between superpowers and magic, cost and consequence, believable superpower origins, showing the before and after of acquiring superpowers, the psychological weight of newfound power, what superpowers can reveal about a world, how your character is perceived, avoiding plot armor and OP superpowers, what truly makes someone a superhero, powerless superheroes, empathy, ambiguity and more.
Tor Books
Review: Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi
Synopsis: Monsters of Ohio is a heartfelt exploration of a tentacular solution to the struggles of the modern world from the New York Times bestselling author of Starter Villain In many ways Richland, Ohio is the same tiny, sleepy rural village it has been for the last 150 The same families, the same farms, the […]
SFF Addicts Ep. 223: V.E. Schwab talks Victorious, Prophecies, Flawed Characters, The Power of Words & More
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they chat with bestselling author V.E. Schwab about her new novel Victorious, the Villains trilogy, writing flawed characters, friends-turned-enemies, interweaving multiple POVs and timelines, personal prophecies, the power of words, building trust in readers, the repeating cycles of publishing, failed careers and publishing traumas, writing for yourself, time paucity and author discoverability, experimenting with genres/age categories, letting ideas percolate and more.
Review: Engines of Reason (Elder Race #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Synopsis: Visit a world where sorcery intertwines with science by multiple Hugo nominee Adrian Tchaikovsky in this highly-anticipated sequel to his hugely popular Elder Race. On a planet where stories govern identity, where science and magic are a merely point of view, a fallen princess, a reluctant wizard, and a precocious child must unravel the […]
Review: The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
Synopsis In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the terrible Beast of Gévaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake. Sebastian knows the Beast. A monster-slayer with centuries of experience, he joined the hunt for the creature twenty years ago and watched it slaughter its way through […]
Review: The Infinite State (The Decurian Saga #1) by Richard Swan
Synopsis: In this blistering science fiction epic, international bestselling author Richard Swan presents a thrilling tale of survival and an eviscerating examination of totalitarianism. THE INFINITE STATE begins at a flashpoint in the lives of a widowed party member, a disgraced investigator, and a hypersled pilot—entangled in a plot to escape the suffocating authority of […]
SFF Addicts Ep. 209: Portal Fantasies with Seanan McGuire & Micaiah Johnson (Masterclass Panel)
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and Greta Kelly for a masterclass panel on Portal Fantasies, featuring guest authors Seanan McGuire and Micaiah Johnson. During the panel, they open the door to portal fantasies, discussing what a portal fantasy is, the appeal of this subgenre, fundamental elements of portal fantasies, age markets and genre fatigue, portal sci-fi and secondary worlds, who has access to portals, establishing the rules of your portal, differentiating the “real” world and the “other” world(s), revealing the “new” of the portal world to readers, reflecting our own world through alternate worlds and more.
Review: Moss’d in Space by Rebecca Thorne
Synopsis: USA Today Bestselling author Rebecca Thorne delights in a brand new cozy science-fiction series…for fans of Martha Wells and Olivia Waite! Features original inside art! Torian Razner finally bought a starship, and contrary to Amelia’s assessment, it was not “a meteoric sign of stupidity.” Sure, the alien starship may have been abandoned for a […]
SFF Addicts Ep. 206: The Art of the Short Story with Isabel J. Kim (Writing Masterclass)
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on The Art of the Short Story with award-winning author Isabel J. Kim. During the episode, Isabel gets to the short of it, discussing what a short story is, examples of masterful short stories, short fiction as a testing ground, comparing short-form vs. long-form fiction, approaching theme, plot and structure in short stories, characterization/worldbuilding in a condensed word count, conciseness and pacing, editing and trimming stories down, selling your short stories on the professional market, the role of short story collections and anthologies and more.
Review: The Traveler by Joseph Eckert
Synopsis: Meet an extraordinary father and son in this captivating, heart-wrenching speculative debut. It’s a day like any other when Scott Treder first jumps forward through time. One moment, he’s on his way to work, fingers drumming the steering wheel. The next, he’s tumbling head-long down the road, his car gone, a dozen panicked voicemails […]
SFF Addicts Ep. 205: Isabel J. Kim talks Sublimation, Immigrant Experiences, Technothrillers & More
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they chat with award-winning author Isabel J. Kim about her debut novel Sublimation, fleshing out a short story into a novel, the immigrant experience, writing multiple versions of the same characters, tech corporations and technothrillers, writing 2nd-person perspective, book deals and bidding wars, TV adaptations, weird internet culture, studying copyright law and more.
Review: Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim
Synopsis: Doppelgängers, corporate intrigue, heartbreak, betrayal, and the harsh permanence of the border: Sublimation is a thrilling and provocative debut for fans of Severance that asks what you’d sacrifice for a different life from award-winning author Isabel J. Kim. The border cuts you in two. When you immigrate, you leave a copy of yourself behind, […]