Author Archives: Merlin
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Humans?
I would say, all the monsters in the world should definitely be afraid of humans. Humans, after all, are the ones who become vampires, witches, and werewolves, become (possibly) fairies and goblins, become angels and demons, become ghosts… and become … Continue reading
Sunday’s Wisdom #310: What We Choose
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling It is election season in my country, and … Continue reading
Ghosts: The Quiet and Unquiet Dead
You cannot have a discussion of Halloween monsters and urban fantasy without talking about ghosts. 😉 Is there anything more timeless, more automatically understood, than ghost stories? The one thing that all humans have universally in common is death. It … Continue reading
Sunday’s Wisdom #309: Stand Apart from Darkness
“It isn’t enough to stand up and fight darkness. You’ve got to stand apart from it, too. You’ve got to be different from it.” – Harry Dresden, Fool Moon The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher Oh, the much-needed and timely … Continue reading
Angels and Demons of Urban Fantasy
Vampires, witches, and werewolves have long been the icons of scary stories, as surely as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman have become the iconic trio of superheroes. Meanwhile fairies and goblins, hailing from the pagan traditions of ancient Europe, are … Continue reading
Sunday’s Wisdom #308: Human Remorse
“To kill without remorse is to feel like a god.”– Angel, Buffy the Vampire SlayerSeason 3, Episode 15, “Consequences” It’s amazing how there can be several hundred hours in any given franchise, but it’s a handful of moments that stay … Continue reading
Fairy Queens and Goblin Kings… Usually
Where there is urban fantasy, there are the fae. That might not be a hard and fast rule, but it’s a trope that gets a fair amount of use. I mean, the entire idea is to bring all the fairy … Continue reading
Sunday’s Wisdom #307: Quiet Wolves
“Growls, whines, and barks are all bluffing tools – it is the quiet wolf that will kill you.” – Mercedes Thompson, from Moon Called Mercy Thompson series, by Patricia Briggs It’s always the quiet ones, as they say, and there’s a … Continue reading
Vampires and Witches and Werewolves, Oh My!
Happy October, everybody! We are in the home stretch of 2020 now, just a bit more to go! We have ghost stories, turkey, presents, and possibly the end of civilization to look forward to in these final few months. (wait, … Continue reading
Sunday’s Wisdom #306: Authority of the Sword
“A blade at the throat has an authority unlike any other.” – from Ravages of Honor, by Monalisa Foster This observation is made – skating around spoilers – when one man, with a not entirely inconsiderable position in the government, … Continue reading
