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Blog postIn a world where might makes right, you’d expect the protagonist to survive if he’s brawny, muscular, and can outfight and out-Machiavelli his opponents. But … what if the protagonist isn’t a brawny beefcake that can cleave anyone in twain with a battle axe or a claymore? What if they’re not in the position to be a hero? What if, because patriarchy, they’re expected to stay home and raise the kids at best, or be sacrificial pawns and slaughter fodder at worst?
The strong female protag -
Blog postMerry Paternal Unit’s Day weekend! Get your dad a pen and a tie or bake him that cake he demands every year, or else…
Anyhoo, today’s a great time to talk about fathers in the grimdark. There’s a plethora of examples. Some are great, and these guys are usually axed too soon. However, let’s be honest, most fathers in the grimdark deserve to get shot on the shitter by their disgruntled kids.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Fathers everywhere come in all shapes and sizes, i -
Blog postIf you like to escape by jumping headfirst into a dark fantasy read, you’ll know that your trip to faraway lands is always too short. Far sooner than you’d like, you’re back to the prosaic reality of dishes in the sink, yardwork you’ve been postponing, and the knowledge that tomorrow will be exactly the same as today.
But what if there was a way to bring the fantastical into your everyday life?
What if, instead of dealing with dismal real-life problems, you could don a b -
Blog postThere’s a reason the Irish curse the “fucking Fairies” under their breath. Forget everything Disney told you about these creatures. Human treasures are not what fae value. They don’t grant wishes (at least, not for cheap) and they don’t serenade you on your way to the ball.
But that doesn’t mean the fair folk are essentially evil. No. Their morality is incomprehensible to humans, based on largely incomprehensible laws and edicts from another, alien realm. Baffling, perhaps, but t -
Blog post“Ernest Hemmingway once said: ‘The world is a good place, and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.”
William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) in Se7en The last line of this horror movie, in my humble opinion, can sum up the philosophy of grimdark, if there’s any to be had down here at the bottom. Yes, the world is nihilistic and shitty, and the heroes don’t always win. But since change is only made and lives are only saved by individual people’s actions, you need to fight to miti -
Blog postThere are neither traditional heroes nor villains in the grimdark. One-dimensional bad guys are boring in any genre. Forget one-dimensional good guys. No one buys pure heroes anymore, and the grimdark tends to chew honorable actors up and spit them out for their naivety.
Grimdark characters, like in real life, are shades of grey and often act for their own interests rather than serving a greater good. Also, if they serve an organization, ideal, or some higher authority, expect it to b -
Blog postWell, goddess would be a stretch. But close. She’s a patron saint, and she kicks ass. If there were any patron saints right now that I’d ascend from canonization to godhood, it would be her. And my spiritual little heart has to believe she’s watching over Ukraine.
It’s timely. Since needless bullshit is being waged in Ukraine by a country with nukes that can therefore annihilate us with a push of a button, we need some comfort in the darkness. The hope that St. Olga of Kyiv gives us i -
Blog post“Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here today to get through this thing called life.” In the words of Prince, I think that’s why we read.
Or write or do anything that sparks joy because at the heart of it, life sucks ass. The world can be a cruel, dark place. Grimdark offers us a catharsis for that; yes, the world’s unfair and you’re not the only one suffering the injustices of a cruel world. But there’s something else.
The Afterworld Unlike Prince’s opening monologue of “Let’s G -
Blog postIt’s delicious as hell to root for a wicked character. That’s why the lovable rogue archetype lives on in literature and pop culture, from Han Solo to Aladdin.
It’s fun to break the rules once and a while. Add a tyrannical force making the rules to the mix, and you can find yourself cheering for a character, who lies, steals, and kills their way through the pages.
But since we’re in the realm of grimdark fantasy, we have to ask: how far can the rogue go before they become unli -
Blog postEvery fucking book, grimdark or not, has some love plot. Of course, people fall in love often enough that we have a day to celebrate it! 90% of pop songs? Talkin’ bout love. 99% of stories you read? Same. There’s something sickly-sweet and enticing about whether a couple will or won’t. What obstacles will our lovebirds face? Which sparkly loser is our protagonist going to choose?
Love is such an interesting and universal plot point, theme, whatever, that it’s even in the grimdark. Lik
Titles By David Reed
Love Fiesta Style: 17 Texas Short Stories
Jan 20, 2019
by
San Antonio Romance Authors,
Sophia Isaac,
Maida Malby,
Diane S. Morris,
Ericka Carpenter,
Bliss Bell,
L. M. Gonzalez,
Nellie Krauss,
Desiree Johnson,
Erin L. Jungdahl
Out of Print--Limited Availability.
$99.99
Temporarily out of stock.
Modernity (Fate Edition) B&W: Fight the Darkness
Oct 31, 2014
$19.99
Temporarily out of stock.
More Buying Choices
$15.00
(3 Used & New offers)
No Tomorrow: Postcards from the End
Jan 12, 2013
$9.99
Temporarily out of stock.
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$9.98
(3 Used & New offers)
