Category: The Poison Sky
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The Sursus
The sursus is a key feature of the world of A Philosophy of Air. Learn how this poison sea affects the world both practically and symbolically.
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Wordcraft and worldcraft
A Philosophy of Air delves into a rich sea of language, some invented, some sourced from history.
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The shocking biochemistry underpinning “show don’t tell”
When we “show” rather than “tell” we set off an unexpected chemical reaction in our audience. We can leverage that reaction in many walks of life.
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The Archipelago
My fantasy novel A Philosophy of Air boasts a deep, richly-built world and history. Today I introduce the setting.
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The importance of theme: what your story’s (really) about?
Your story isn’t about what it’s about. Plot simply relates what happens, but a story is really about theme: about an underlying argument and message.
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Naturalistic fantasy: a light touch for weighty tales
What is “naturalistic fantasy?” How does it differ from existing fantasy sub-genres? And how can it change what a fantasy story can deliver?
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Fog and whisky…and airships
The world of A Philosophy of Air For those new to my blog, my name’s Marc and I’m writing a fantasy novel called A Philosophy of Air. A Philosophy of Air is “naturalistic fantasy,” in which a fantastic premise crashes against an otherwise realistic world. Without magic, fantastical creatures, or mysteriously predestined heroes, this tale…
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How to crew an airship
A short scene describing the roles of all the men serving aboard a military airship in A Philosophy of Air.
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Naturalistic fantasy: a light touch for weighty tales
My work-in-progress novel, A Philosophy of Air, fits into the sub-genre naturalistic fantasy, which does not yet exist. I’ll define this sub-genre and why I think it’s an area ripe for new stories.
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Lonely Girl: a prototype of air
A prototype chapter for The Poison Sky, representing the mood and world of the story. Many details are inconsistent with the current state of the work.