Star Trek's Heroes, Gaiman's Sandman, and Modern Myths

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( STORYTELLING [On Remaking Myths: Tolkien, D&D, Medusa, and Way Too Many Minotaurs]( What are creation myths but the ultimate prequels—the tales that precede all the tales we tell today? Every time we revisit one, we have the opportunity to ask new questions of it, or to reimagine it outright. Jeff LaSala dives into mythmaking and the joys of modern interpretations of ancient stories, touching on the work of Tolkien, the story of the Minotaur, the legend of the Golem, the fate of Medusa, and various other key examples. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( LET'S PLAY ENTERPRISE BINGO [How Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Reimagines the “Hero’s Journey” for the Better]( The pop culture consuming public has been inundated with stories about larger than life figures who commit feats of great heroism. Which is why Captain Pike’s arc in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is so enticing. Emmet Asher-Perrin dives into what happens when your character is aware of his fate, and what makes a hero. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( THE CRAFT OF WRITING [The Plotter vs. Pantser Divide Has Been Exaggerated]( Many writing conversations discuss a plotter vs. pantser binary, plotters being outliners, while the pantser, from the expression “fly by the seat of your pants,” plunges into writing the beginning without a plan. But in reality, the two methods are not as different as they seem. Ada Palmer discusses the craft of planning a story and driving a narrative. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( POETRY & PROSE [How to Paint With Words: Six Descriptive Works of SFF]( Can you visualize a story when you read? So much of that is down to how an author describes the world within their book, and what words they use to do so. Here, author Kerstin Hall looks at six great examples of descriptive writing and how each one evokes emotion and imagination in the reader. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( FEEDING PIGEONS [The Sandman Is Damn Near Perfect]( We’ve all been eagerly awaiting the Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comics, so let’s get the obvious out of the way: Yes, it’s very good. Yes, it’s faithful to the comics in all the right ways, but also isn’t afraid to use the comics as a jumping-off point that not only gives new life to the story, but makes us hopeful for the future seasons this show better get. Leah Schnelbach reviews the series here. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( PLAYING WITH TIMELINES [Characters Out of Time: The Steve Rogers Support Group]( Introducing an outsider into your fictional setting, especially one from an earlier point in history, provides a useful perspective on the ways in which this new world differs from the past. James Davis Nicoll shares five methods used by SFF authors to introduce a character into a different timeline, with memorable results… [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( READ ALONG [Jo Walton’s Reading List: July 2022]( Are you looking for something new to read? Lucky for you, Jo Walton is always happy to recommend books that you’re gonna love. Here are the 21 (!!) titles she read in July, covering a wide range of topics, genres, and authors. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( ORIGINAL FICTION [“Porgee’s Boar” by Jonathan Carroll]( An artist’s work attracts the eye of Andrey Porgee, a notorious gangster, who becomes her best customer. But when he commissions a painting based on a childhood photograph, the artist fears his reaction to the final product. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( Follow Tor.com to get updates on all of our original fiction. FOLLOW US: [Follow Us on Facebook]( [Follow Us on Twitter]( [Follow Us on Tumblr]( [Follow Us on Pinterest]( This email was sent by: Macmillan 120 Broadway New York, NY, 10271, US We respect your right to privacy - [view our policy]( Macmillan believes piracy hurts writers, readers and everyone who loves books. Learn more and report suspicious activity [here.]( To subscribe to this or other email communications from Macmillan, please click [here](. Visit our [profile center]( to update your email address and/or other information. If you no longer wish to receive this email communication, click [here]( to unsubscribe.