“Guilt can be a good thing. It’s the soul’s call to action. The indication that something is wrong. The only way to rid your heart of it is to correct your mistakes and keep going until amends are made. I don’t know what you didn’t do or what you should have done, but the guilt… the guilt means your work is not yet finished.” Father Paul Lantom, “Daredevil,” Season 2×4 – “Penny and Dime” The second season of Daredevil opens not with a guilt-stricken Matt Murdock wrestling with what he’s about to do wrong but reveling in the very thing …
Between the Lines: Let the Devil Out, Part I
“I’m not seeking penance for what I’ve done, Father. I’m asking forgiveness… for what I’m about to do.”—Matt Murdock, “Daredevil,” Season 1×1 – “Into the Ring” With that line, coming at the end of a heartfelt confession, Marvel launched Daredevil in 2015. It was the first of the true superhero shows made for Netflix television by the powerhouse studio, not counting Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which has always been about the heroes behind the supers. This was a bold move in many ways, in part because the last outing for the character was a disastrous Ben Affleck version that hit screens …
But Who Would Be Dumb Enough To Try It? (Episode 16)
And now, at long last, the conclusion to “But Who Would Be Dumb Enough to Try it?” It’s been a great ride, and we thank our readers for joining us on this quest to save Celis from the powers of darkness. * * * * * The Crystal of Darkness shattered in a rain of glittering fragments. The aura of red blinked out, a torch doused in the rain. Landgrave Cristoph cried out in pure rage. A flood of dark streaks streamed from the crystal’s fragments, whistling as they soared over head. They found every crack and crevice in the wall, …
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Lost in the Crowd — A short serial (Part 1)
Steve Rzasa here–in the run-up to the release of Crosswind on Nov. 1, I’ve embarked on a short serial that will fill in some of the background for the story. The events take place the day before the prologue of Crosswind and follow one Troy Keysor as he uncovers a dangerous truth about the plans Trestleway–southern neighbor to the city-state of Perch–has for expanding its reach. I’ll post a new part each Friday, up until and including the last couple weeks of October. Enjoy! * * * * Lost in the Crowd by Steve Rzasa Part 1 … The morning …
But Who Would Be Dumb Enough To Try It? (Episode 15)
Greetings, fair reader! MLP author Steve Rzasa here. We’re at the great finale of our collaborative work, and to tie up all these loose ends, I’m going to do this in two parts. So don’t despair—there’s one last segment coming next Saturday. Enjoy! * * * * * The fight had been going well. I was sure of it. I am Barzillai Broadhead, famed archer, after all and I am usually sure of a great many things. But I digress. We had the fell beasts pinned down in the fetid chamber of the Tower of Gloom. Abelard, the Most High …
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Gear and guns: The Technology of ‘Crosswind’
Steve Rzasa here. Got another look at the behind-the-scenes of my upcoming book, Crosswind, due out from Marcher Lord Press in November. * * * * * Prior to writing Crosswind, most everything I’d written was science fiction. World-building there is fun, but requires a ton of work. Don’t get me wrong, I like work. Mostly. But I also like it when there’s pre-established technology I can borrow to use in my story world. And I also thoroughly enjoy history. So when it came to creating a technological base for the world of Perch, I knew what had to be …
Creating a Branter — Saddle Up
When I started gathering notes for Crosswind in early 2011, it was at that point just a concept called “Perch” based on several ideas cobbled together. What I decided early on was that the animals in this world needed to be quite different from those in our own, to help this semi alternate history stand out. So, what animal is prevalent in stories set in the real time period of the late 1800s and early 1900s? The horse, of course. (Insert Mister Ed jokes here.) I didn’t want a horse. I wanted some sort of prehistoric creature that would make …
The Origin of Perch — The World of ‘Crosswind’
MLP author Steve Rzasa here. You know, inspiration is a funny thing. I don’t recall precisely when I had the first inkling of wanting to write Crosswind, which is due out in November from Marcher Lord Press, but I do remember where – walking past the chapter books for grade-school age readers at the library where I work. I’d been mulling the idea of a fantasy/steampunk story involving 19th century and early 20th century technology, especially trains and biplanes. The city had to be up high, somewhere. The image flashed into my head—a city on a mountain’s edge, on a …
Flash Fiction from The World of ‘Crosswind’
Steve Rzasa here. With my new novel Crosswind coming out in November, I thought I’d give our dear faithful readers a taste of the world the Sark brothers inhabit (Winchell and Copernicus Sark are the main characters — check out my prior post.) It’s a world similar to ours but with a few key differences, I worked up this bit of flash fiction. Enjoy! * * * * * * “In the Bag,” by Steve Rzasa I ain’t done a blamed thing wrong. Not by my accounting, anyway. That’s what I keep telling myself as I urge my branter on through …