Expletives, Divas, Dragons, and Heart-Crushing Books

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( STORM IT! [Damn, That’s Good: Pseudo-Profanity as SFF Worldbuilding]( SFF authors have proven time and again that profanity can be an art form. Encountering profanities that are specific to one particular world or group of characters can add to the immersive experience in ways that go beyond wordplay. Cole Rush dives into how a good fictional cuss can be a crucial tool when it comes to worldbuilding. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( UNICORNS, DRAGONS, AND ALIENS, OH MY! [The Ultimate Fantasy Beast: The Dragon]( When it comes to fantastic beasts, the one, the only, the genuine original, is the dragon. Dragons are fantasy. In a new SFF Bestiary column, Judith Tarr looks at the legacy of dragons in fantasy and highlights some of the most enduring examples. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( CREATIVE WRITING PEDAGOGY [The Ghost of Workshops Past: How Communism, Conservatism, and the Cold War Still Mold Our Paths Into SFF Writing]( For those with aspirations of becoming an SFF writer, workshops like Clarion, Odyssey, and Futurescapes can be a path to literary stardom. But the workshop model doesn’t work for everyone, and has a legacy of failing writers from historically marginalized cultures. In an essay commissioned by Guest Editor R.F. Kuang, S.L. Huang details the legacy of SFF writing workshops and their methodology. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( MARK AS READ [Sometimes, Only the Most Heart-Crushing Book Will Do]( Do you remember the first book that made you sob? The experience of reading any book that can reduce you to a puddle, no matter where you are, is a memorable one. And sometimes, it’s exactly the kind of reading experience we need. In a new Mark As Read column, Molly Templeton discusses the satisfaction of a book that breaks your heart. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( CLASSIC SFF [Five SFF Stories About Hermits, Recluses, and Loners]( Isolation can drive a character to do great and terrible things—from desperately trudging across countries to building impossible shelters to…well, doing anything to survive. James Davis Nicoll shares five classic SFF stories featuring characters living all alone. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( FEEDING PIGEONS [The Sandman’s Standout Episode Is a Great Work of Adaptation]( There was a lot of pressure on the (hopefully) first season of The Sandman. The show had to cover the first two major arcs of an iconic comics series, introduce dozens of new characters, plus multiple fantasy realms. But it’s “The Sound of Her Wings” that really stands out as a perfect encapsulation of everything The Sandman is about. Leah Schnelbach takes a deeper look at the episode. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( R-E-S-P-E-C-T [Darling! Bow Down Before These Great Divas of Fantasy]( “Diva” derives from the Latin word for “divine,” or a “goddess,” and it’s no small thing to label a person (or a character) as such. Diving into a book and discovering such a character lurking within brings an immediate rush, because they are super confident of their place in the universe. Randee Dawn takes a look at some great divas of fantasy, from Shakespeare to Game of Thrones. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( READING RECOMMENDATIONS [Five Dark YA Fantasies About the Fae]( One of the reasons fae stories are so enduring is because fae are often portrayed as looking human, speaking like humans, interacting with humans, but they’re more. Immortal, bearers of powers that inspire both awe and fear. We want to get closer. Cyla Panin spotlights five dark YA fantasies featuring the fae. [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.