Fantasy

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Jason Cosmo: Better Than Ever!

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

My line edit of the Hero Wanted manuscript is grinding slowly forward. As I noted on Twitter earlier today, I am now about a fourth of the way through the approximately 400 page manuscript, carefully scrutinizing and editing every line.

I thought this was going to be an exercise in checking for typos and looking up obscure points of grammar. After all, I have written this book twice! Surely it is already as good as it will ever be.  But as Editor Dan I am finding that the work of Author Dan on this twice told tale can indeed be polished, revised and improved–yes, I believe I am making Hero Wanted a better book than Jason Cosmo ever was.

Let me explain. Continue reading →

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Blurb Jason Cosmo!

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

You know those blurbs you find on books that are intended to make you think that this book is super-awesome because Famous Author X says so?  Like —“This book scared me.” — Stephen King or “A real page turner.” — John Grisham.

I probably won’t have many of those on the new edition of Jason Cosmo: Hero Wanted.  Continue reading →

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Jason Cosmo Cover Quiz — UK Edition — Answers

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

Since no one apparently wants to play the Cover Quiz Game again, I may as well give you my answers. Again the challenge is to review the descriptive text from the back cover of the UK edition of Jason Cosmo and identify any errors, based on your knowledge of the book. Presuming you’ve read the book. Which you very well may have not! Continue reading →

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Jason Cosmo Cover Quiz — UK Edition

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

You might recall that we recently had a little fun at the expense of poor, overworked Cover Text Guy, who made a few errors — some forced,  some not — in describing Jason Cosmo on the back cover.  Now it is time to play the same game with CTG’s British counterpart, Cover Text Bloke!  Here is the descriptive copy from the back cover of the UK edition of Jason Cosmo.  How many mistakes can you find? Continue reading →

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Jason Cosmo Cover Story — UK Edition!

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

As promised some time ago, I finally scanned in the cover of the United Kingdom edition of Jason Cosmo, published by Pan Books, Ltd. and featuring an awesome cover by the late Josh Kirby.  This is the edition most likely to be familiar to Loyal Readers outside the U.S. and Canada. Continue reading →

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Magic in Jason Cosmo


Greetings, Loyal Reader!

Over at Tor.com, author Jane Lindskold posits that “In discussions of magic in Fantasy fiction, a frequently argued point is whether or not systemized magic somehow ruins the “magical” feeling of a work of fiction by making magic a poor copy of science.”

Continue reading →

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Jason Cosmo Cover Story, Part 3

A Note to Loyal Readers of the Future: From my blog stats I can tell that few people are reading the Jason Cosmo Update here in October of 2008. So chances are that if you’re reading this at all, you’re doing so in the distant future, perhaps in a time in which the Jason Cosmo books have become the basis for a new Golden Age of universal peace, prosperity, and astonishing artistic, scientific and technological wonders. I don’t know, because I haven’t written that particular book yet here in the present. What I do know if that this post provides answers to questions posed in the previous post Jason Cosmo Cover Story, Part 2. So you should read that one first. — Dan McGirt

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

Pencils down!

Last time I invited you to find the errors in the back cover copy on the original edition of Jason Cosmo, of which there are at least seven. (Special thanks to the precisely one of you who shared your answers with the rest of us.) This time, as promised, I will reveal my answers. Some errors are straightforward and some are a question of interpretation, as you’ll see. Continue reading →

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Jason Cosmo Cover Story, Part 2

Greetings, Loyal Reader! Time to take another look at the original edition of Jason Cosmo. Run grab your copy from its treasured place in your safety deposit box, personal vault, or climate-controlled glass display case. I’ll wait.

Got it? Great! Previously, we considered the cover art by Richard Hescox. This time we’re going to focus on the words. Continue reading →

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Fantasy Women of Fantasy

Sapphrina and Rubis Corundum

Greetings, Loyal Reader. So one occasional complaint from some of my female friends who also happen to be Loyal Readers themselves is that there aren’t any strong female characters for them to identify with in Jason Cosmo. Continue reading →