One question I get a lot from you readers is whether or not there is a collection of myths, monsters, and stories from Russian …
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Filling the Creative Well
Someone once said that there are only two stories in the world, really. The first is "everyman goes on an adventure and comes back …
Cute Monsters and the Problem of Evil
Recently I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Adrian Tchaikovsky, an eminent fantasy/ sci-fi writer, had written a sequel …
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An Experience of Transcendence through Music
Once a year, I have the privilege of taking part in a concert series in Pennsylvania that is fast becoming a high point in my …
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A Phrasebook for Travelers from Slavic Mythology
Secondary Belief Part of what makes good fantasy great is effective world-building. The ability to suggest a realistic world, …
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Arrival – the Movie is Better Than the Book (Gasp!)
Yes, I said it. I was surprised I said it. But there are some cases when the movie is actually better than the book. It's rare, …
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How a Group of Young Russians are Creating Culture with Folk Music
It's been a while since I've posted anything about Russian culture or history on my blog. There have been lots of good reasons for …
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My 5 Favorite Children’s Fantasy Series
You know we all love them--those fantasy books we read as kids. Those fairy tales that stuck with us all day and kept us up at …
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Amon Sûl Podcast: The Bridge of Kotar-dûm
So a few weeks ago, I did a wonderful podcast recording with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, who has just started a new Tolkien …
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The Wheel of Time and Identity in Fantasy Literature
Game of Thrones fever is getting bad again, just months before the last seasons airs. While I'm ambivalent about the series …
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Why Are the Ancient Myths Still So Popular?
Does it surprise you that one of the most popular and critically acclaimed books of the last few years is a straight-up retelling …
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Paganism vs. Christianity in Popular Culture
Recently, as I was listening to an audiobook of Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom, I was disturbed by a scene of martyrdom. …
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Circe by Madeline Miller
So. Circe. Have you heard of this huge bestseller that's winning all kinds of awards from people who normally don't read fantasy …
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
N.K. Jemisin, now an award-winning author of some very complex and wonderful fantasy books, did not have a rosy beginning in …
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Slavic Mythology Spotlight: Russian Impressionism
Those of you who have followed this blog or read my books know that I have a pretty visual style of writing fiction. Part of that …
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Your Favorite Posts and Articles of 2018
There are few things that excite me more about the end of the year than David Brooks' Sidney Awards. He gathers the best-written …
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A Look Back at 2018, Plans for 2019
As I was reading the translation of my first novel into Russian to my wife yesterday, she was holding our third baby. He was …
Nietzsche’s Superman: the Perfect Villain or Anti-Hero
There's one thing no one does enough of these days. Read philosophy. As I've been going through this first semester of my Masters …
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