Izanami's Choice, by Adam Heine

Well, it's been almost a year since I blogged, but this great book by my friend Adam Heine is now available for pre-order, and I wanted to tell some people about it, in case anyone still reads this thing. Here's the jacket copy from Goodreads:

Samurai Vs. Robots.

Progress. Murder. Choice.

In 1901, the Meiji Restoration has abolished the old ways and ushered in a cybernetic revolution. Androids integrate into society at all levels, following their programming for the betterment of every citizen, as servants, bodyguards, and bureaucrats. Jinzou are the future. Japan is at the threshold of a new tomorrow!

As a ronin steeped in the old ways, Itaru wants nothing more to do with the artificial creations posing as human. But when a jinzou is suspected of murder, he's pulled into a mystery that could tear the nation apart.

Malfunction or free will? When is a machine more than just a machine?

I always enjoy Adam's writing, but this story in particular captured my attention with its lush retro-future Japan setting, and its ability to ask compelling questions about androids, artificial intelligence, and morality without gumming up the story works of pacing, action, and intrigue.

It's full of combat, and adventure, and escapes, and murderous robots, and just enough mystery to keep you guessing what everyone (and every droid and AI) is up to right up until the end.

I had the good fortune to read an early version of this Novella, and it doesn't come out officially until September 1st, but you can pre-order it now, and there may be some advance e-galleys available for those willing to write an honest review.

You should definitely get your hands on it one way or the other if it sounds like your kind of thing.

Find it on: Amazon | Broken Eye Books | Goodreads

A to Z Challenge 2015: F - Firefly

Happy Tuesday! Are you getting into the swing of things yet? I've visited over 500 blogs so far!

What's the best new blog you've discovered so far? I hope you have found at least one that you will continue reading after the challenge is over.

Today we have the sixth letter, the letter F. And for my theme, we have another TV Show.

I was very late to the Firefly party! I did not see it until years after it had been aired, and the film was already out. I'm told this makes me very lucky.

Today's 2015 April A to Z Blogging Challenge story for the letter F:

Firefly

A cult classic, a fan favorite, cancelled before it's time, Firefly is one of the best shows with the greatest casts to ever make it to TV. Now having achieved legendary status, many browncoats still wonder what might have been.

Here is the summary from IMDB:

Five hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.

Creator: Joss Whedon
Stars: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk

That's it! Please come back tomorrow.

CassaStorm, by Alex J. Cavanaugh Releases Tomorrow!

Alex said we could ask him a question as thanks for hosting him on his Taking the World by Storm tour. I probably should have asked him what he looks like, but instead I asked him: How many robots did you have to program to visit 500 blogs every day?

Take it away, Alex ...

I only had to program the clone machine. Once it produced enough clones, I assigned each one a task of visiting twenty a day. It’s worked well so far ...

And if you buy the cloning thing, then I have this really cool bridge to sell you. It’s currently in Arizona ...

CassaStorm

By Alex J Cavanaugh

From the Amazon Best Selling Series!

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

“CassaStorM is a touching and mesmerizing space opera full of action and emotion with strong characters and a cosmic mystery.” – Edi’s Book Lighhouse 

“With a talent for worldbuilding and a compelling cast of characters, Alex J. Cavanaugh combines high powered space battles and the challenges of family dynamics to provide readers a space opera with heart.” 
- Elizabeth S. Craig, author of the Southern Quilting and Myrtle Clover mysteries

“I thought the revelation was going to be one thing and I was completely wrong … CassaStorm pushes the limits…”
- Tyson Mauermann, Speculative Reviews

$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 268 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space opera

Print ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019

$4.99 EBook available in all formats

Find CassaStorm:

Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1116848619?ean=9781939844002

Amazon -

http://www.amazon.com/CassaStorm-Alex-J-Cavanaugh/dp/1939844002/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378484337&sr=1-1&keywords=cassastorm

Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/CassaStorm-ebook/dp/B00F2O9QMC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378811366&sr=1-1&keywords=cassastorm

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17670532-cassastorm

Here's the trailer:



Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

Website – http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/
Twitter – http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4287922.Alex_J_Cavanaugh

Delerium by Susan Kaye Quinn: Launch Announcement

Technically, the debut of Susan Kaye Quinn's new Science Fiction/Future Noir series doesn't launch until tomorrow, but the links are live, and as one of Susan's critique partners, I've had the pleasure of reading the first three episodes in this serialized tale. I could go on for a while about it, but I'll just let the book speak for itself.

The Debt Collector by Susan Kaye Quinn

From the author of the bestselling Mindjack series comes a new future-noir serial, The Debt Collector. The first episode, Delirium, launches tomorrow (3/20).

What’s your life worth on the open market?

A debt collector can tell you precisely.

Lirium plays the part of the grim reaper well, with his dark trenchcoat, jackboots, and the black marks on his soul that every debt collector carries. He’s just in it for his cut, the ten percent of the life energy he collects before he transfers it on to the high potentials, the people who will make the world a better place with their brains, their work, and their lives. That hit of life energy, a bottle of vodka, and a visit from one of Madam Anastazja’s sex workers keep him alive, stable, and mostly sane… until he collects again. But when his recovery ritual is disrupted by a sex worker who isn’t what she seems, he has to choose between doing an illegal hit for a girl whose story has more holes than his soul or facing the bottle alone—a dark pit he’s not sure he’ll be able to climb out of again.

Contains mature content and themes. For YA-appropriate thrills, see Susan’s Mindjack series.

Delirium is approximately 12,000 words or 48 pages, and is one of nine episodes in the first season of The Debt Collector serial. This dark and gritty future-noir is about a world where your life-worth is tabulated on the open market and going into debt risks a lot more than your credit rating. You can find out more about the series at the Debt Collector website and facebook page. The Debt Collector newsletter is a special list just for episode releases. 

Early Praise for Delirium

 “The street-smart science of LOOPER meets the cold, just-the-facts voice of DOUBLE INDEMNITY in this edgy, future-noir thriller that will have you holding your breath, looking over your shoulder, and begging for more.” —Leigh Talbert Moore, author of The Truth About Faking, The Truth About Letting Go, and Rouge

“Do you owe more than your life is worth? No worries. A more deserving person than you can benefit from that excess life—and someone else will get paid with it. Enter the Debt Collector.” —Dianne Salerni, author of We Hear the Dead, The Caged Graves, and The Eighth Day (HarperCollins 2014)

The first three episodes of Debt Collector will be released a week apart, starting Wednesday 3/20. The remaining episodes will release every two weeks. Delirium can be found on: Amazon, Barnes&Noble, iTunes, Kobo. Or add it to your TBR on Goodreads.

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling YA SF Mindjack series. Debt Collector is her more grown-up SF. Her steampunk fantasy romance is temporarily on hold while she madly writes episodes to keep Lirium happy. Plus she needs to leave time to play on Facebook. Susan has a lot of degrees in engineering, which come in handy when dreaming up dangerous mind powers, future dystopias, and slightly plausible steampunk inventions. Mostly she sits around in her pajamas in awe that she gets make stuff up full-time.

Seed, by Rob Ziegler

Seed, by Rob Ziegler, is a whirlwind of a tale. A grim, disturbing look at our potential future, it is filled with characters who confound the sensibilities when one attempts to determine who is good and who is evil.

Before I get into my review, let me go into how I discovered this book, which lies somewhat outside my normal reading habits.

At the end of October, 2011, I attended the World Fantasy Convention, in San Diego, California. It was my first (and so far only) ever writing and publishing conference, and I had the time of my life. I met Rob Ziegler, due to us having several friends in common, like Carolina Valdez Miller, and Simon Larter, among others, on Thursday of the convention, and didn't think much more of him than, "hey, here's a nice guy, who is clearly a writer, a publishing professional, or at least a fan."

Then, on Friday night, I attended the Night Shade Books party. Containing a bathtub full of beer brewed specifically for the night, which were based on books published by Night Shade, as well as a balcony mixologist, it was a blast of a shindig, and certainly left more room for breathing and plie-ing with Mercedes than the shoulder to shoulder Tor party downstairs. At the beginning of the Night Shade party, before it got too full, I discovered the dust jacket for the newest Night Shade release. It was Seed, by Rob Ziegler, and not only was the cover gorgeous, but it was blurbed by Paolo Bacigalupi, whose Ship Breaker I had enjoyed immensely earlier that year.

I didn't put the name to the face until someone re-introduced me to Rob, and I realized he was the guy I'd been hanging out with the day before.

So long story short, even though I don't often read adult Science Fiction (being a YA writer, I tend to read mostly books that are similar to the stories I write) I bought the book in the seller's pavilion the following day, but sadly never got around to getting it signed. I'll have to take care of that at some point.

So, now to my review.

This book is gritty, disturbing, and often even disgusting, in the most delicious kind of way. It takes place a couple hundred years in the future, after climate change and the collapse of society have left us at the mercy of the remnants of the bio-tech industry, known only as Satori. Part corporation, part bio-gargantuan monstrosity, Satori is a living city, a grotesque ala Tetsuo from the end of Akira, that produces the bio-engineered eponymous seed; the only crops that are hardy enough to survive in this twisted world. This entity, this character, this thing ... is the single key factor that sets this book apart from anything I have ever read. I don't want to go into too much detail, and give it all away, but this creature is so incredible, so disturbing, so raw, and so amazingly inventive, I was at once appalled, repulsed, and thrilled the moment I first discovered it on the page.

Of course, Satori, and her children, are not the only denizens of this novel. The rest of the characters may not be quite so daunting, but they are fascinating nonetheless. Brood, a migrant Latino refugee, his brother Pollo, and their adoptive father Hondo open the novel with plenty of excitement, but it's Agent Doss, and her so-called troops that carry the story through it's incredible climax.

The best thing, at least for me, about this book, is the moral ambiguity, and the disparate sense of tone. The sections that follow the protagonist, if you can call him that, are full of violence, evil, and the fatalistic finality of doing whatever it takes to survive. So the "good guy," like all of history's greatest characters, is so fully flawed and realistic that he feels nothing short of alive. By contrast, the sections that follow what can only be called the antagonist are filled with a tone of reverent grace, so much so that as a reader I could not help but feel a kind of kindred-ship for the plans of the being who ends up running Satori, for a time. He is only trying to protect the livelihood of his children, after all.

I know I'm being vague, and I don't want to say a whole lot more, but I would like to make one last point - possibly my favorite thing about this book is the ending. I was fully expecting to be left either furious or relieved by the two possible endings I foresaw, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a conclusion emerge that I never could have predicted.

This is Rob Ziegler's debut novel, so I'm looking forward to seeing more from him.

Seed is on sale at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Powell's

Indiebound

Origami Yoda, Chris Flemish, Star Wars, and Letting Go

First and foremost, I want to thank the universe that all my loved ones (and internet literary friend types) on the eastern seaboard are safe. Not everyone made it, and even for those who did survive, there is still plenty of struggle ahead. You are in our thoughts and meditations.

Now, to today's blog post, can you tell what that it up there? It's an Origami Yoda! I don't know whether it relates to the book, but I don't really care, I think it's awesome.

It was a gift from my friend Chris Flemish. Chris just recently released his debut work of fiction. The Devil's Whorehouse lies short of novella but long of short story, and is a work of horror. I had the honor to critique this tale before it went to Chris' editor, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

However, it was an interesting experience, as these things often are, because I really didn't know Chris, and moreover, because English is not his native language. Chris and I met on Facebook, because we are both friends and fans of Andrew Smith, and after a while we got to talking, and he asked if I would read his story. It sounded intriguing, so I agreed.

It needed some work, but the underlying plot was awesome. Chris hadn't really asked for a critique, so I was nervous about giving him one (we all know how these things can go), but when I did, he took it very well, and thanked me.

In fact, I think this Yoda he sent me is is thanks for the feedback I gave him. Or maybe it's just for the friendship, either way, congrats on your release, Chris!

Disney buys Lucasfilm

In goofier news, Disney has purchased Lucasfilm for some 4 plus Billion (with a B) dollars. Does that photo not make your inner child as sad as it does mine? It seems to make George sad too (look at his face).

There's been plenty of discussion on the internet about this, most opinions leaning toward thinking it's a good thing, and I'm not here to disagree with them, but I do want to talk about Star Wars, sadness, and leaving well enough alone.

I was born in 1977. I was 5 years old when The Empire Strikes back was released, and I have been a dyed-in-the-wool Star Wars fan and geek ever since. My eldest daughter was three years old when I took her to the premiere of Episode I in 1999. I was disappointed, of course, but she loved it, and we slogged our way through the poorly written, terribly performed remainder of the trilogy without shedding too many tears.

Looking back today, and being a bit of a creative person myself, I have to wonder: when should we just leave well enough alone? J.K. Rowling seems to know how to do it. Yes there were 8 movies, and there are toys and video games, and there are heaps of money, but none of it has tainted Harry Potter for my children (or me). But Lucas never seemed to be able to let go of Star Wars.

I'm not saying I blame him, I don't. Had I been in his position, I probably wouldn't have been able to let it go either. And I'm not even sure I would have completely wanted him to. After all, where would die-hard Star Wars fans be without properties like Knights of the Old Republic, The Force Unleashed, and Fanboys?

Would I trade those games and films for an alternate history where the prequel trilogy was never made? I don't know. Maybe. What about one where the prequel trilogy was done right? I'm not sure, but probably.

Anyway, the bottom line here is that I'm not sure how I feel about Disney buying Lucasfilm and making Star Wars VII. I'm still pretty mad at George for selling out my childhood, but like John Scalzi, I'm willing to accept that it's probably a good thing.

Elemental, by Emily White: Trailer Reveal

Do you all know Emily? She's been a friend and blogger buddy of mine for years now. It was so long ago I helped her with her query, and interviewed her, I can barely remember. She also has the distinction of having had her cover designed by another one of my best friends and blogger buds, Vic Caswell.

Anyway, Emily's debut Sci-Fi novel, Elemental, comes out May 1st, from Spencer Hill Press, but the trailer was released this morning, just after midnight, and is now here, for your viewing pleasure:

The QQQE Creature Compendium Volume V: Dragonkind

I'm not actually here. I mean I am somewhere, but I'm not here, at my desk at work, desperately refreshing my inbox hoping for your comments to pop up.

I'm kidding. I don't do that. Well, at least not all the time.

I'm in San Diego, at the World Fantasy Convention, with my CP Simon C. Larter, and awesome blogger friends like Carolina Miller, Sara McClung, and Stephanie Loree.

We're probably wasted right now. Or at least I am. Anyway, enough about me and the convention, this is the final Creature Compendium post I have for you guys, so I figured I'd make it a good one.

Dragons are the all time most awesome monster ever dreamed up, and even if you don't like to think of them as monsters (I get it, I do) it's still fun to discuss the different types, and even some other creatures that are similar to Dragons.

Red Dragon: The largest, most fearsome, and angriest of all Dragons, the Red Dragon is a terrible beast to behold. It is also probably the most famous of any type of Dragon, epitomized by Wyrms the likes of Smaug, Ember, and Thorn. Red Dragons have massive heads, gaping maws, and the most enormous wingspan of any creature that ever graced the skies. Their breath weapon is pure flame, and their lairs reek of smoke and sulfur.

Blue Dragon: Blue Dragons are the second most powerful chromatic Dragons. They are more agile in flight than any other Dragon, and they combine this skill with their lightning breath attack to dominate in aerial battles. They tend to dig their lairs into cliff-sides bordering on deserts or badlands, and their caves smell of sand, or ozone. They prefer to feed on beasts of burden like camels, oxen, or horses, but they will eat humans, and even desert plants if the need arises. They are infamous for using their powers of hallucination to trick travelers into drinking sand or losing themselves in the endless wastes of their homelands.

Green Dragon: The Green Dragon is the most cunning, and unpredictable kind of Dragon. They live in forested hills and cliffs, and are especially fond of hording magical weapons, armor, and jeweled crowns. They are long and slim, and can fly like all Dragons, but prefer to trick their prey into entering their lair for combat. Their breath is a cloud of poisonous Chlorine gas, a most dangerous weapon because it can seep around corners, and in through cracks in armor.

Black Dragon: Black Dragons are generally smaller than their more colorful counterparts, and make their homes in bogs and swamps, preferably among the broken stones of ancient ruins. They are the cruelest of all Dragons and enjoy taunting and torturing their prey. They like to attack from underwater, taking any travelers unfortunate enough to be nearby unawares. Their breath weapon is a cone of acid that can eat through even the sturdiest plate mail. The most famous Black Wyrm of all time was most likely Ancalagon The Black, from the First Age of Middle Earth.

White Dragon: The smallest and weakest of the colored Dragons, White Dragons make their homes in arctic mountain ranges, in caves with walls of ice. They are less intelligent, and more feral than their cousins. Their breath attack is a line of frost or shards of ice, and they will not eat any prey unless it is already frozen.

Metallic Dragon: In Dungeons & Dragons, and in worlds like Krynn, from Dragonlance, colorful Dragons are considered evil. Monsters who will almost always attack on sight. Their counterparts, good Dragons, who will aid good men in their quests for peace and justice, are said to be Dragons with metallic colored scales. They can be silver, gold, bronze, brass, copper, or even platinum. They are highly intelligent, adept in magic, and can speak in many tongues. Their breath weapons vary by their color, but they are known for being able to spit more than one type of magical exhalation from their mouths.

NOTE: Dungeons & Dragons and many related fictional worlds have always considered colored Dragons evil, and metallic Dragons good. That doesn't mean we must do the same in our own fiction. I see no reason why a blue or red Dragon could not be just as wise and benevolent as any other, it simply depends on the rules of the world you build around your story.

Asian Dragon: Asian Dragons are long, serpentine wingless creatures, and yet they can fly nonetheless. Unlike European legends, Asian folklore considers the Dragon to be an auspicious symbol, and a creature of great wisdom. Asian Dragons can be green, or red, or even yellow, and are often pictured with majestic beards, mustaches, and whiskers. Whether or not they breathe fire varies from culture to culture, but the Dragon is celebrated throughout Asia as a beast of great good, fortune and luck.

Wyvern: A Wyvern is a vaguely Dragon-esque, reptilian winged creature that unlike a Dragon has only two hind legs. They can fly, but are much smaller than Dragons, and do not have the ability to breathe fire, or any other breath attack. They have jointed, barbed, and poisonous tails, very similar to what is found on a scorpion. They are notorious for being vicious, as well as unintelligent.

Basilisk: Not really technically a Dragon, the Basilisk is a gargantuan reptilian creature of legend that is worthy of mention in any discussion breaking down Dragons. Basilisks do not have wings, but can vary from being giant legless snake-like wyrms to enormous, eight-legged lizard like creatures. The one feature that has never been disputed is their ability to kill with but a glance of their deadly gaze. In folklore the nature of this death is not always specified, but in D&D a Basilisk's stare will turn you to stone. Basilisks were feared and famous long before Harry Potter, but the Chamber of Secrets is certainly a great portrayal of their deadly power.

Hydra: The original Hydra, the Lernaean Hydra from Greek Mythology, was a sea serpent like creature from the mortal plane, with reptilian traits, and many heads. In Dungeons & Dragons a Hydra is typically said to simply be a Dragon with many heads. They are most often depicted with five heads (sometimes of varying color, like Takhisis, a goddess in the world of Dragonlance) but the important thing is that however many heads they start with, if one is severed, two will quickly grow back in its place.

If you read the newest Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manuals you will find more types of dragons than you could ever keep track of. Every thing from Chromatic Dragons (the colors listed above), to metallic, gem, ferrous, Lung, Planar, and even Undead Dragons. Dragons are probably the coolest creature ever invented in the memory of human legend, and considering that DRAGONS ARE REAL, I suppose this exhaustive list is necessary, but we just don't have time for it here.

That's it for the Creature Compendium! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

NOTE: My bookshelf, along with photographic evidence of how awesome it is, is being featured at Amy's blog today. You can see it here.

The QQQE Creature Compendium Volume IV: Giantkind

Word up. Time for another monster post (as in: about monsters, not a long-ass diatribe).

The introduction to this series is: here.

If you're too lazy busy to check that post, I'll sum up. All week long I've been introducing you, dear readers, to monsters that you can incorporate into your fiction. I have discovered these creatures through painstakingly sleepless nights filled with research and ... okay. That's a lie. I already knew about 90% of these beasts.

Actually, today's post I knew 100% of the creatures. I only looked some up for some of the other posts.

Hill Giant: A Giant is a Giant is a Giant, I know, but Dungeons & Dragons always separated them, and I figure what not share some of those details? A Hill Giant, while certainly larger than a Troll or Ogre, it the smallest and weakest of all Giants. They are not particularly intelligent or organized, and except for somewhat rougher features, they almost exactly resemble barbaric men, albeit very large ones. Think Grawp.

Stone Giant: The Stone Giant is the Hill Giant's slightly larger and more shy cousin. Very similar to a Hill Giant, they tend to live higher up the mountain slopes, wield slightly more advanced tools, and organize their societies beyond the brutish eking out of survival that the Hill Giant partakes in.

Frost Giant: Probably obvious, Frost Giants live either on the peaks of the highest mountains, or in arctic regions. They are known for their organized societies, which rely heavily on devout religion. They wield large ice-axes, or hurl boulders at their foes.

Fire Giant: Much like Frost Giants, Fire Giants are known for being more intelligent than their Hill and Mountain dwelling cousins. They live around active volcanoes, or in caves so deep they delve into depths beneath the earth's crust.

Cloud Giant: Cloud Giant's are the most cultured of all the Giant clans. As their name suggests, they are said to live on clouds, and are next to godliness. Their skin ranges in color from milky white to sky blue. Their hair is silver, and their eyes are iridescent blue. They dress in fine clothing and wear jewelry. They also appreciate music, and most can play one or more instruments, which is all kind of silly, for a, you know ... monster, if you ask me.

Storm Giant: The Storm Giant is the largest and most powerful of all Giants. They are said to raise thrones only on the tops of peaks that are so high that men have never reached their summits. They are solitary, primal creatures, and except for the divine intervention that Cloud Giant Clerics can sometimes call upon, they are the only Giants able to wield a kind of primitive, wild magic. They can control the weather, and throw lighting bolts at will. Storm Giants are said to reach over seven meters of height, and weigh as much as five tons or more. I can't remember if the scene is Bilbo and the Dwarves crossing the Misty Mountains, or The Fellowship attempting the pass at Caradhras, but when you think of Storm Giants think of Tolkien mentioning fell voices on the wind.

Troll: Some people complained pointed out that both Trolls and Ogres could have been grouped in with the other Humanoid Monsters, and while this is true, I prefer them here, and it's my blog. Seriously though? The smallest Ogre will always be larger than the largest human, and while there are some fictional worlds in which Trolls are considered small hairy (or even leafy) creatures, my memory will always recall them as extremely large humanoids, who differ from Giants because they are never as tall, and have hard, grey hides. Etymologically the world Troll was a slur for a Jotun, a Giant of Norse mythology, but they evolved through the ages, into creatures that lived in caves and hollows (or under bridges), shunned daylight, and were more dim of wit than even Giants. Trolls are particularly difficult to kill, because they are deceptively agile, taller and stronger than they first appear, and have constitutions that rapidly regenerate health.

Ogre: If you look back in the history of the two creatures, you'll find that the origins of the Troll and the Ogre are closely related. Trolls come from Scandinavian Legends, while the etymology of the word Ogre is French, but barring that, much of their history, and the perception of the two giant humanoid beasts is similar.Ogres are sometimes portrayed with horns that curl backward and inward from their forehead, but other than that they are usually considered more closely physically related to humans than Trolls are. They are large, and strong, and thick of hide, but they are less inhuman than Trolls, according to most opinions.

Oni: If a an uneducated and uninformed Westerner (like me) was to oversimplify this monster for his readers, he might say that an Oni is simply a Japanese title for a Demonic-Ogre. That wouldn't be completely false, but it would be too simple to explain this complex creature. They are physically unique, being hideous, gigantic creatures with sharp claws, wild hair, and two long horns growing from their heads. In Japanese mythology they lie somewhere between beast and spirit, but that doesn't necessarily make them more demon than monster, because in Japan, land of Shinto and Kami, everything is a spirit. They are almost exclusively depicted wearing tiger-skin loincloths, and wielding an iron club. Hence the phrase: oni-ni-kanabō or: an Oni with an iron club, which is a Japanese idiom meaning invincible.

Cyclops: The Cyclops is Greek in origin, but his stature casts a deep and varied shadow across the tomes of history. I don't know if he invented it, but the term Cyclopean defines the mythos of a majority of H.P. Lovecraft's stories, and Lovecraft is probably the last century's greatest arcane master of the monstrous and macabre. Of course there are countless famous Cyclopses, Cyclopsae, Cyclopes(?) in Greek and Roman mythology, but in Dungeons & Dragons, and probably some fiction, they're just monsters. Basically Giants with one eye (and sometimes one horn).

Minotaur: Minotaurs are also Greek. Remember the legend of Theseus and the Cretan Labyrinth? They are said to be large, musclebound men with the head of a bull. I suppose that doesn't really make them Giants, but they didn't fit with the humanoids either. They also vary depending on the source and fantastic setting. In Dungeons & Dragons they were man-eaters. In Krynn (Dragonlance) they existed within a highly organized society, and were mostly sailors and sea-captains. In Dante's Inferno, Dante and Virgil encounter the beast among those damned for their violent natures, the "men of blood."

I'm sure there are countless other examples of large dudes in Fantasy that I have skipped, but these posts go on long enough already, don't you think? I'll be in San Diego tomorrow morning, partying like a rock star, but I promise to put the last, and I daresay best, post up anyway.

The QQQE Creature Compendium Volume III: Demonkind

All right. Let's keep this thing moving.

I assume that you're familiar with this series by now. If not, you should probably read my blog every day. Hello? Or you can find the first post in the series, here.

Anyway, today's post will be covering Demons. Another name for this category might be Jinn (as in Djinn). There are many different cultures that describe demons in many different ways, but the common theme with the creatures I'll include in this post is that they are said to be able to be summoned (and then commanded) by Wizards of varying prowess.

It can also be argued that certain more powerful spirits can elect to appear, and cause havoc, all on their own. All of this depends on the rules of magic and spirituality in the world you're creating in your stories. I'm just here to share generic examples I've already come across.

Ifrit/Efreet/Afrit: Originating in Arabic and Islamic culture, Ifrit are spirits of air or fire. They are considered a class of infernal Jinn, below the strength of Angels, but above that of more common Djinn. In role-playing games they are generally considered to manifest them selves as spirits of fire, as in the image above, and are considered too powerful to be summoned by all but the most learned Magi.

Djinn/Genie: Also originating from Arabic and Islamic culture, Djinn is a term sometimes considered interchangeable with Jinn, but for our purposes we will consider a Djinn a spirit of the air who manifests itself as a wisecracking blue man, with a vaporous tail and too much gaudy jewelry. Seriously though, Djinn are much like Ifrit, but are generally considered to be more related to the elemental plane of air, rather than fire, and are usually considered less powerful than Ifrit.

Imp: An Imp is generally considered to be the lowest form of Demonkind. Sometimes considered little more than evil fairies, they are actually simply lesser spirits, who can be summoned by almost any wizard, for menial tasks such as manual labor, food-service, guard duty and other insulting work. They generally appear as small, twisted things, possibly resembling the least scary gargoyles you may have ever seen.

Foliot: I'm including this one because of the seminal work on the topic of Demons: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, by Jonathan Stroud. A Foliot is apparently barely mentioned in Italian Folklore, but Stroud paints them (rather skillfully, I might add) as a Jinn of a caste above Imps, and yet painfully lacking the grace, intellect, and power of the higher ranking Djinn, Ifrit, and Marid.

Marid: The Marid are the highest level Jinn spirit in Arabic Folklore (and the Barty books). They are considered to have massive power, rivaling deities, and are associated with seas and the open ocean. They were first mentioned in pre-Islamic Arabian mythology, as well as in the One Thousand and One Nights collection of folktales. They are considered to be spirits of the elemental plane of water, and can manifest themselves as anything from a cloud, to a storm, to a sea creature like a Kraken.

Dao: A Djinn from the elemental plane of earth, they often run mining operations on the material plane.

Janni: The weakest Djinn besides Imps and Foliots, Janni are formed of all four elements, and therefore trapped on the material plane.

Demon: Easily interchangeable with any of the examples, as they are all considered Demonkind, the Demon itself can also take on many other roles. Nearly endless in the variations of its manifestations, creatures ranging from The Balrog of Morgoth, to Abbadon from City of Bones, to Betelgeuse, to even Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are all considered Demons. Often appearing as horned, muscle bound red-skinned men, demons of significant power can actually assume any form they choose.

There are countless other examples of specific demons, both in fiction and in religion and mythology. The topic is actually a deep and fascinating one, if you're interested in researching it.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow!

The QQQE Creature Compendium Volume II: Humanoids

Hopefully you saw the introduction to this series of posts yesterday. If not you can read it here (or just scroll down, duh).

Anyway, the idea is to summarize some of the most common types of monsters that I've come across in my love of literature, film, video games, and the pillar of every nerdfighter's merit badge vest: role-playing games (specifically Dungeons & Dragons).

Today's category of monstrous creatures is Humanoids.

I'm not going to cover fantastic races likes Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, halflings, Kender, Gnomes, Fae, or Pixies (except for one exception you'll see below) because they are generally considered "good guys," player-characters, or fill the roles of protagonists, friends, and sidekicks.

This series is about the bad guys. These guys:

Orc: One of J.R.R. Tolkien's greatest inventions, the Orc may be the singular greatest manifestation of evil in all of fantasy. They may not be the most intelligent, powerful, or legendary creatures, but considering the origin of their creation (Tolkien describes the birth of the Orcs as Elves twisted to evil by Morgoth, the deity of all that is evil in Middle Earth). Orcs have obviously evolved since Tolkien's earliest dreams, but remain very similar in their basics. Appearing like men or elves twisted by dark arts, and possibly crossed with swine, they are grey or green of skin, with fangs or tusks protruding from their mouths, brutally strong, and sour of disposition. Some people play Orcs or Half-Orcs as characters in RPGs, but we all know that's just wrong. Right?

Goblin: Contrary to J.K. Rowling's opinion (esteemed and wonderful as it is) Goblin's are not bankers. They are twisted, evil little creatures, sometimes considered to be weaker and lesser Orcs (as in Middle Earth), or somehow related to gnomes or brownies, and their physical characteristics are highly varied, depending on who you listen to. My own opinion is that if an Orc is an Elf twisted by evil magic, then a Goblin might be a Hobbit, twisted by the same malevolent forces.

Hobgoblin: I didn't know this until I just looked it up, but apparently the first Hobgoblin was Puck, from a Midsummer Night's Dream. I've always considered Puck to simply be some kind of mischievous little Fae, so that's news to me. My understanding of a Hobgoblin has always been that they resided somewhere on the spectrum between Orc and Goblin. Larger than their smaller cousins, but not as powerful as their larger ones. To continue the analogy: if Orcs are evil Elves, and Goblins are evil Hobbits (or Dwarves), then perhaps Hobgoblins are evil Men.

Kobold: According to Wikipedia, a Kobold is a sprite of Germanic origin, but as far as I'm concerned, that's got nothing to do with anything. In fantasy and role-playing, a Kobold is a small humanoid monster, smaller even than a Goblin, that depending on what source you want to listen to, are either hairy and fanged like some kind of cross between rats, dogs, and little men, or scaled, fanged, and thick-tailed like a lizard-man. Feel free to get creative with your own interpretation.

Gnoll: In Middle English the word Noll meant a very stupid or drunk person. Like the Kobold, that has little to do with anything. According to Wikipedia, a Gnoll is a cross between a Troll and a Gnome, but we all know those two races would never breed (mission impossible anyone?), so I prefer to just consider the original D&D description, which considers Gnolls to be humanoid monsters who are taller than humans, covered with brown fur except on their hands and faces, and vaguely resemble upright hyenas.

Drow (Dark Elf): A Drow is an an Elf that lives underground, is dark or purple-skinned, and often considered to be evil, or at least chaotic, by comparison to their above ground counterparts. In fantasy and role-playing they have often played the part of evil monsters, which is why they're featured here, but they have also taken the role of hero (or anti-hero, like the Forgotten Realms character: Drizzt).

Several minor creatures such as Gremlins, Swanmay, Ratlings, Kuo-Toa and Sahuagin will not be listed here, in the interest of time. Hopefully some of the creatures covered will still be new to some readers.

Did I miss any monsters you would have included?

The QQQE Creature Compendium Volume I: The Undead

Being the first part in a new series, this post might require an introduction.

Assuming the truth of that statement, I'll explain what I intend to do. I know a lot of us write Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Paranormal books. Even if we don't, there are genres like Horror, and others, that still require a well full of monsters to be called upon.

What I'd like to do today, and all week, for that matter, is make a list of every monster I've ever come across in all my readings of fiction, history, legend, mythology, and role-playing-game manuals. Are you with me?

I'll start with the undead, because they're just so fascinating. They've also been featured a lot in literature, film, and TV lately, but I bet you haven't heard of some of these:

Lich: By most basic definition, a Lich is much like any any other corporeal animated corpse. What sets the Lich apart is that the person who supplied the body before it died was a king, great warrior, or wizard of unheard of power. Basically a Lich might have been but a Zombie, if he hadn't been so high-born in life. The key here is that the consciousness, wisdom, and awareness that were earned in life, are remembered after death, for whatever reason. So watch out, because undead as he may be, a Lich may have powerful spells, or a magic sword.

Skeleton: Skeletons are generally considered to be death personified. The Skeleton is the most wasted manifestation of the human form. They are obviously, by definition, little more than bone and connective tissue. But in Fantasy and role-playing games, the Skeleton can play a much larger role. Creatures of pure bone are rarely a threat in most stories of might and magic, but they can occasionally come into play if a powerful necromancer is in the vicinity, and has the ability to raise the dead, even from within the depths of the earth.

Vampire: The Vampire, or Vampyr, is probably the most famous undead creature in any legend. It might seem that Stephanie Meyer's Twilight, and even Anne Rice's Interview With a Vampire (and subsequent books) gave the Vampyl it's modern fame, but if you truly research this history of the legend, you will see that Vlad the Impaler and Bram Stoker were only the beginning. There are literally hundreds of variations on the Vampire, and they have been portrayed as everything from wild beasts to refined intellectuals, but the bottom line is that they have to at least prey on live victims for their blood, and they do not die of age or disease.

Zombie: If you thought the concept of a Vampire was widespread, wait until you read about Zombies. Originally, and in cultures that consider the Zombie a real entity, a Zombie was a corpse that was reanimated by witchcraft, or like in The Serpent and the Rainbow, by chemistry. More recently, Zombies have taken a role in literature where they are animated (or diseased) by some form of virus. The bottom line though, is that Zombies are generally mindless, ravenous hordes of shambling dead, on the hunt for brains. Some adaptations give them abilities like running and leaping, but we all know that Zombies are actually really slow, right?

Ghost: A Ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person that refuses to leave the world of the living for whatever reason. They can range from rather benign up to a annoying forms like poltergeists or even to dangerous spirits that can do physical harm to the living, like a Wraith.

Wight: A Wight is a living corpse somewhat similar to a Lich or Zombie, but it is said to still have lingering aspects of its living soul connected to it. Wights are often associated with extreme cold, such as Tolkien's Barrow-Wights, or Martin's Wights from Beyond-the-Wall. They would be considered more conscious and more dangerous than a Zombie, but not as powerful as a Lich.

Ghoul: In Dungeons and Dragons, a Ghoul is said to be the reanimated corpse of a person who in life was a cannibal. Much like a Zombie, a Ghoul is a creature who in undeath feasts on the flesh of the living, perhaps without a preference for brain over muscle or other tissue. In the Fallout universe, a Feral Ghoul is a human who is technically still alive, but whose mind is so damaged by radiation, that they no longer know themselves, and have been reduced to cannibalism.

Banshee: In Celtic legend, a Banshee is said to be the spirit of a female faerie who wails as someone of import is about to die. In Ireland she was known as the bean-sidhe, in Scotland as the bean-nighe. There are many legends and stories of these spirits, but in role-playing games they are often considered little more than a more powerful type of ghost.

Mummy: We all know the stories and histories of the mummification processes used in real life, but when it comes to the Mummy as a monster in fantasy it's not much different than any other animated corpse. Because of the history of the practice, it is usually assumed that a Mummy was made of a person because of their great stature, so a living corpse that was put through the mummification process is usually considered a monster of some power, assuming he was some kind of king when he still lived. Mummies are generally considered the second most powerful corporeal undead after the Lich.

Will-o'-the-Wisp: From the hinkypunk, to the faerie light, to the corpse road, there are hundreds of variations on the Will-o'-the-Wisp, but the one thing that is agreed upon is that it generally lives in swamps, bogs, and marshes, and will recede when approached, often assumed to be attempting to lead it's victim to a watery grave.

Jiang Shi: The Jiang Shi (Chinese), or Gangshi (Korean), or Kyonshi (Japanese) is known as a hopping Vampire (or sometimes Zombie). They are said to live in coffins or caves during the day, and move around at night by taking great leaps of impressive agility. They are known for feeding on a living person's Ch'i (or Qi or Ki) rather than their blood.

There are countless variations on these forms of undead from many different cultures and histories, but I hope I have covered the main ones, and maybe even introduced some of you to something new.

Please continue to return and read this week, as I will cover other categories of fantastic creatures all week long.