The Bearded Scribe Press—Discovering Tomorrow's Top Speculative Fiction Authors Today!: reading

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The Quiddity of Speculation: Great Steampunk Reads

Hello Again, Writers!

Welcome to Part Two of The Quiddity of Speculation: Steampunk 101! Saturday, we talked about the makings of a Steampunk story. In this post, we’ll discuss a few fantastic Steampunk reads. It’s such a rapidly-growing subgenre that I’ve chosen to break this post into sections to give you a little taste of everything. As you read this post, please be aware that there are loads of Steampunk books out there—and more being published all the time—and please don’t let your reading be limited by my choices. If you don’t see your favorite on the list, tell me about it in the comments (below)!

Series:
One of my favorite aspects of the Steampunk subgenre is that it often features girls behaving badly, or rather, bucking the conventions set forth for them by society. Gail Carriger is one author who truly shines in this area. Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate Series (Orbit, 2009-2012) consists of five novels about Alexia Tarabotti, a half-Italian spinster born without a soul—all of which complicates her standing in London society. The first book, Soulless (2009), received an Alex Award from the Young Adult Library Services Association and was nominated for a Locus Award for best first novel. In a society where vampires and werewolves and are accepted as members of society, Alexia’s soulless state leaves supernatural beings unable to target her. But when a vampire attacks her and she kills him, she becomes suspected in a rash of vampire disappearances and embroiled in a fun, fast-paced mystery. The Parasol Protectorate is a fabulous, funny blend of supernatural, steampunk, and mystery.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Reading is a Writer's Strongest Tool

You hear it all the time...

In order to become a great writer, you must first read.

Well, Beardies, it's true. A carpenter cannot build a house if they do not possess a hammer; a seamstress isn't much of a seamstress without a needle and thread; and a writer is not a writer without knowledge of the written word.

To write well, you must first know how one does so. The strongest tool a writer can put in their library (or bag of tricks if you're Hermione Granger) is a heaping stack of well-written masterpieces by the world's best authors. And the more you read, the more gems you can gather for your own writing.

Although I prefer a hardbound book over a tablet, a tablet is the only equivalent of having a magical bag to hold all your books. Now, your chance to win one is here!

Joe Warnimont is hosting a giveaway on his blog... you can win a Kindle Fire HD of your very own by simply visiting his page and entering the giveaway (FREE of charge!).