Russian history and literature Archives - Page 3 of 3

The Tsar’s Menu: A Feast for the Whole World

The Tsar's Menu: A Feast for the Whole World Have you ever noticed how ambivalent people are about wealth? On the one …

Many people have an allergic reaction to the word "conventional." Or, worse yet, "traditional." They immediately sense the bonds …

In the novel I'm working on now, the generation of characters that was young in the first novel now has children. And …

Sometimes, when I get stuck in my writing, it helps to take some time to study the visual arts. The amazing flourishing of serious …

These days, Tolkien isn’t particularly popular among certain readers and publishers of fantasy. To be called “Tolkien-esque” can …

Recently, I've been having trouble with a main character's journey in my second novel. He literally wasn't going anywhere fast. It …

Recently, my wife and I finished reading aloud the amazing new Russian novel Laurus by Evgenii Vodolazkin. I loved it. First of …

In the 18th century, Russia entered the grand stage of European history. It threw aside its "primitive Easternness", and did …

It is easy to become jaded, seeing all the horrors of war on our Facebook wall. It is easy to lose empathy with the suffering …

Too often in modern fantasy fiction, the invented societies and characters are reflections of the failings of our world. There are …

Did you know that Columbus was looking for a mysterious Christian king of India when he stumbled upon the New World? Most people …

As I was doing research for my first series of novels, I came across a Russian article about the Cossacks and how much they …

About two years ago, my dear wife—then my fiancée—and I were preparing for the worst of all fates—a four-month-long separation …

“Sit down, make yourself comfortable. Let me tell you a story.” This is what the paintings of Evgenii Mukovnin seem to say to …