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You can pretty much summarise the whole story in like one paragraph. Most of it is just drivel, it's the language which holds the power to excite the imagination.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah the Clute/Grant Encyclopedia is the one we have at the local library. It's extremely detailed and potentially useful, but still a bit bulky, and not that readable (no pictures.etc). I'm considering buying the one by Stroud/Allen/Hook/Howe - the 'Fantasy Encyclopedia' -...

Only read the Earthsea Quartet - which was brilliant - and the 1972 pulp fiction, but certainly not 'pulp' in quality - 'The World For World is Forest' - which I think is somewhat overlooked, considering it won the Nebula aware for sci-fi. I've also read other short stories by LeGuin, whom is...

I find the prose of the original translation very old-fashioned and hard to read...which is a pity cos I think alot of its power and significance is lost with the 'kiddie translations.'

I'm a bit confused, do you mean it's set 10,000 in the past? Maybe not actually, but do the people live like in 8,000 B.C.? Cos I was thinking it would be set 10,000 years in the future, which would make it really interesting, but more probably make it sound more sci-fish. Interesting idea if...

I was looking on Amazon for a good fantasy encyclopedia (as the don't sell them in the bookshops, and the one at the local library's not to my liking), and came across a list...

The 'Wizard of Earthsea' by Ursula Le Guin so of tells the early life story of the wizard Sparrowhawk/Ged...it shouldn't be much of a problem, just only go into detail in the important parts, and briefly describe the un-important parts.

No they're not usually common except in graphic novels, books with many illustrations (particularly childrens' books) because publishing costs are (obviously) higher.

I got it a few days ago...and...it's ok, the models, physics and movement.etc is a bit clunky. On my system (P4 2.4GHz, 256MB Radeon 8500, 512MB) I have to really put down the settings for it to play at a decent frame rate - as a result, the graphics are circa 2001 instead of circa 2006 like...

I'm totally new to fantasy, and am creating a fantasy world which is truly epic in scope. Perhaps too epic for my efforts. I've read LOTR, as well as the history.etc, but to avoid deriving too much from Middle Earth, am wondering what other similar worlds exist. The closest thing I can think of...

I think (for better or worse) greatness in fantasy writing comes down to how good you re-tell a story rather than creating new stories. We're all hungry for myth, and it doesn't matter if it's been recycled. That's why people will buy re-tellings of the Trojan War, or the Arthurian legend, or...

Of course, I'm try and make the name fit the context. Like I'll planning to name two of my generals Belisarius (Byzantine general)...but changing it would sound a bit odd. For instance, Belarius, Bilsarius...I spose those aren't too bad. Anyway, I've got a pretty detailed world: I mean at the...

Many of the creatures Tolkien supposedly 'invented' were pre-existing mythological characters he just re-named. Hobbits are just small people, 'Gollum' is from Golem, the Ring-wraiths are dragons.etc

Ok, I base this mainly from Lord of the Rings (the only works I've really properly read), but I find Tolkien was a pretty average fantasy writer. Especially at the beginning of the 'Fellowship.' He often starts sentences with, 'he did that', 'he did that' i.e. excessively, the descriptions are...

I too have read the first book in the Elennium, the Diamond Throne. In fact I bought it from a second hand bookshop not really knowing who David Eddings was (when I was just getting into fantasy). The dialogue was a bit cliched and the characters a bit inconsistent. For example, Sephrania, the...

The thing is with my languages, however, they aren't built up on any set of rules.etc like a proper language. They're basically a list of names which sound similar! Basically a system of naming.

An angeless kingdom confronts its own mortality as it stares into the first defeat it has encountered in its fifteen thousand year old history. Great bastions of tradition and a military-unity borne only borne out of antiquity crumble into the dusts of time, buffetted along by lonely winds that...

Many famous fantasy/sci-fi writers often wholesale nick the names of places, people.etc from ancient history (mythological creatures are the exception)...for instance, Gandalf in LOTR from Norse mythology, in Star Wars the moon of 'Endor' is a biblical place.etc. I'm at the stage where I'm...

I personally like to pick and mix from mythological creatures from all cultures, not just the Western/Celtic-Norse bestiary. Most of my races are totally origin al, but I model them on existing creatures. For instance, I have a race called the 'Mithrim' or Light or Silver Elves (After the...

I find drawing an essential part of the creation process. I'm not the world's best drawer (though people say I am) but am a capable artist (meaning I get the job done). I enjoy drawing extensive maps as well.