Stargate SG-1 (2006) – Company of Thieves, and The Quest: Part 1

The Odyssey has been hijacked by the Lucian Alliance and one of its leaders Anateo (Rudolf Martin). To get it back, Mitchell (Ben Browder) and the team are going to have to go undercover and join a Company of Thieves. First airing on 15 September, 2006, this episode was written by Alan McCullough. Carter (Amanda…

Over Sea, Under Stone (1965) – Susan Cooper

I found this book on a list of fantasy series. I had never heard of it, and while it claims to be a young adult series, the main characters are all children, it’s a damned entertaining ride, and sets up the adventure that will sprawl over five novels. Simon, his sister Jane, and younger brother,…

Fire and Ice (1983) – Ralph Bakshi

Ralph Bakshi paired up with his good friend, famed fantasy artist Frank Frazetta and delivered 1983’s Fire & Ice. An animated rotoscoped sword and sorcery adventure, this film feels more in line with the 70s style of animation and storytelling, despite the rise of Dungeons & Dragons at the time. An evil ruler, Nekron (Sean…

The Eyes of the Dragon (1984) – Stephen King

1984 was the year I discovered Stephen King through ‘Salem’s Lot, my first King novel. But I remember my mother was a big King fan (still is) and we had arranged to get her The Eyes of the Dragon as her birthday or Xmas present. It wasn’t your usual King story, and I think that…

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy (2022) – Megan Bannen

I’ll be honest, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, available now from Orbit Books hit me like a sucker punch. I didn’t know what I expected from this whimsical, playful tale, but what I did not expect was a genre mash-up that at its heart (or Hart) riffed on the classic tale told in Shop…

Age of Ash (2022) – Daniel Abraham

Orbit Books invited me to take a look at the first novel in The Kithamar Trilogy, a new fantasy series from author Daniel Abraham. Fantasy novels have always been a tough in for me, I enjoy Tolkien, have delved into some Terry Pratchett, and have been known to enjoy some fantasy entries in the ‘Young…

A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) – Ursula K. Le Guin

I had never read the Earthsea books as a youth. I think as previously mentioned, the only fantasy book I read when I was younger was The Lord of the Rings, and I never tackled anything after that, because how do you top that? I’ve found over the past few years, however, that I’ve been…

Willow (1988) – Ron Howard

I remember the first time I saw Willow. I know where I was, and I remember how it swept me up in its narrative. I knew I had to see it the moment it told me it was from the imagination of George Lucas. I knew who Ron Howard was, but I was a teenager…

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) – Mike Newell

The fourth entry in the Harry Potter franchise is the first to get itself a PG-13 rating, reflecting the fact tht the stories themselves are getting darker, and dealing with heavier subjects. It also sees a new director behind the camera, Mike Newell, who continues the world-building of the series, embracing the visual aesthetic that…