Episode 5, titled “Zhuangzi,” brought some clarity to what’s really happening on Westworld. Let’s just say we’ve entered the Matrix. Big *spoilers* to follow. Michael Crichton’s Westworld was always a story about the dangers of artificial intelligence. We’ve seen the same story play out in The Terminator series and later in The Matrix. In HBO’s…
Just when it looked like some theories were beginning to solidify after three episodes, as soon as we hit the season’s midpoint, everything has changed on Westworld. Most of the theories I had so carefully crafted have gone kablooey after episode 4, titled “Generation Loss.” Big-time *Spoilers* to follow. We Had The Timelines All Wrong…
Episode 3, titled “Années Folles,” returned to Barnard’s story and left me rethinking Westworld Season 4 –or at least several of my existing theories. As you’d guess, *spoilers* to follow. Bernard’s Mission The episode begins with Bernard in the Sublime, where we finally see the mysterious Tower. But, of course, the Sublime is a virtual…
Futureworld was the 1976 sequel to Michael Crichton’s Westworld. In the sequel, Delos Corp. uses hosts to replace world leaders, and has re-opened a new park after the mess that was Westworld gets cleaned up. If you’ve watched Episode 2 of Season 4 of HBO’s Westworld, does any of this sound familiar? Big *spoilers* to…
After a two-year wait, we finally have Season 4 of Westworld. The opening of this one was a bit more subdued than the opening of other seasons, but it’s clear the writers are setting up another puzzle-like plot. Note, *Spoilers* abound from this point on. Season 4 appears to begin seven years after the events…
The Master’s Apprentice: A Retelling of the Faust Legend was the best historical fantasy novel I’d read this year. However, that distinction did not last long because its sequel, The Devil’s Pawn, is even better. The Devil’s Pawn completes the fascinating story of Doctor Johann Georg Faustus. By the time the novel begins in 1518,…
While perusing Amazon’s bestseller list for Historical Fantasy some time ago, I came across The Master’s Apprentice: A Retelling of the Faust Legend by German author Oliver Pötzsch. What I discovered upon reading it was an astounding tale supposedly based on the real, historical Doctor Faustus who inspired both Christopher Marlow and Goethe. The book…
It’s been a while since I’ve delved into High Fantasy. This type of fiction is the legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien – fantasy tales with an epic scope set in a world of elves, dwarves, and men. It’s the fantasy I grew up with crafted by Tolkien’s successors: Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, and, more…
Saint Patrick’s Day is one of my all-time favorite holidays, so today, I’m re-posting an article about Stephen R. Lawhead’s Patrick: Son of Ireland. I had little appreciation for Saint Patrick’s story until I began my research for Enoch’s Device. The novel tells the story of two Irish monks who try to prevent the apocalypse at the end…
Robert Masello has become one of my favorite authors of true historical fantasy. The Haunting of H.G. Wells is his fourth novel featuring famous historical figures such as Albert Einstein, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Bram Stoker encountering the supernatural in what always proves to be a page-turner. I’m happy to report that Masello’s new novel…
Guy Gavriel Kay is perhaps the most famous writer of what I call “historical” fantasy – that is, fantasy fiction set in a world nearly indistinguishable from our historical own with characters and storylines modeled after actual history. In Sailing to Sarantium, he brings a fictional version of 6th-century Byzantium to life in the first…