The Priory of the Orange Tree Review by Chris Joynson

Some books you just know you’re going to love the moment you hear about them. For me The Priory of the Orange Tree is one of those books. First off, dragons, lots of dragons, that’s already a pretty big tick in the ‘Yes’ column for me. Plus that magnificent cover, just look at it, it’s utterly gorgeous. Most importantly though it’s written by Samantha Shannon, author of The Bone Season and one of my favourite authors since her books were recommended to me a few years back. So, if you’re after a rich, deep fantasy world full of dragons, myths, legends, some courtly intrigue and characters that will make you scream with both frustration and joy, then do I have a book to recommend to you.

5 Sci-fi/Fantasy Books by Black Authors – A post by Chris Joynson

I wish the world was different. I wish we all lived in a time and place where every single human being is treated fairly and equally, I mean that just makes sense doesn’t it? People are people, why should anyone be treated any differently for something like their skin colour? Yet I look at the news each day and I wonder if we’ve even made any progress at all. I know I’m speaking from a position of privilege, I’m a twenty-something cisgender white dude, I sit squarely in the middle of the privilege venn diagram, I have no idea what it’s truly like to be discriminated against. I also have no idea how I can truly help or change the system. Sitting by and doing nothing certainly isn’t going to accomplish anything though and I can do so much better than that, so, the decision I’ve come to is to fight hate with love. As such, completely off the top of my head, here are 5 sci-fi/fantasy books by black authors. There are many, many more out there in bookshops and across the Internet, so if you’ve got a favourite drop it in the comments, let’s celebrate a little!

Tips for Writing a Fight Scene by Chris Joynson

Fight scenes are hard. I think that's a statement most writers will agree with, fights are an incredibly visual and visceral thing and translating that into the written word can be difficult. It doesn't help that there's so many films and TV shows packed with HUGE blockbuster action sequences (I'm writing this the day after watching the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and my heart hasn't stopped pounding from the siege of Mandalore arc). Action set pieces are not a strength of the written word, but that doesn't mean they can't be good, you just have to know what you're doing. 

Escape from Reality! The Power of Fantasy and Science-Fiction by Chris Joynson

Okay, I know we're all worried and stressed to the nth degree at the moment (I pretty much had my own private meltdown a couple of days ago), but I just want to say that we're all going to get through this. You want to know how I know that? Because it's what we always do, to paraphrase one of my favourite Doctors, "we're indomitable."

An Announcement About Meetings and Events

Due to the recent spread of the Coronavirus, the closure of other public events/meetings and the increase in cases in South Yorkshire, we have decided to temporarily suspend meetings in person. We will be moving our meetings online, with a link being posted on our Facebook page for those who would like to take part. We hope everyone stays well in the meantime and look forward to meeting again in person when the peak of the illness passes. Thank you to everyone with their cooperation and good luck with your writing.