Category Archives: essays

“There are More Important Things than Living.”

Posted on May 3, 2020 by E. C. Ambrose

In this time of pandemic, it seems curiously appropriate to re-open a blog that began with books set during the Black Death.  When the Lt. Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, in pushing to relax guidelines about social distancing and reopen … Continue reading →

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Celebrating Lithuanian Independence Day, with an Introduction to Lithuania during the Middle Ages

Posted on February 17, 2017 by E. C. Ambrose

On February 16, Lithuania, a small Baltic sea republic, celebrated its independence day.  While I do have Lithuanian heritage on my mother’s side, I was primarily reminded of the holiday by a link I received to a video by a … Continue reading →

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E. C. Ambrose Takes the Fun out of Movies: “Fantastic Beasts” and the Ethics of Magic

Posted on November 22, 2016 by E. C. Ambrose

This weekend, I went to see the new Potterverse film, “Fantastic Creatures and Where to Find Them.”  Let me preface these remarks by saying that I love a good fantasy creature, but I have some issues with Rowling’s work overall … Continue reading →

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What’s Your Sign? Ophiuchus!

Posted on October 5, 2016 by E. C. Ambrose

It’s not the first time I’ve written about the conjunction between astronomy and astrology–for a long time, they were considered to be essentially the same thing. The only reason to study the stars was to understand how they governed those … Continue reading →

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Finding a new Vernacular: the Language(s) of Fantasy

Posted on September 2, 2016 by E. C. Ambrose

I have spoken to a fair number of people who say they don’t read fantasy because of all the funny names–including agents and editors who are thrown off by too many made-up words.  This is one reason I recommend authors … Continue reading →

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Fundamentals for Life

Posted on August 14, 2016 by E. C. Ambrose

I was recently cleaning up my hard-drive and reorganizing a bunch of files, deleting old things and, not coincidentally, searching for some of my idea notes for a new project when I came across a file entitled simply “Fundamentals.”  I … Continue reading →

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The Problem of Plagues. . .and other Medieval Usage Issues

Posted on August 5, 2016 by E. C. Ambrose

I am working my way through my editor’s notes on Elisha Mancer, book four in The Dark Apostle series, and encountering the difficulty of words.  Words are, in a novel, the primary tool for delivering the story.  In a historical … Continue reading →

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Anti-technology Fantasy and the Author’s War Experience

Posted on July 15, 2016 by E. C. Ambrose

This past weekend, I was delighted to spend at Readercon in their new location in Quincy, Massachusetts. Here is the description of one of the panels that got me thinking: If Thor Can Hang Out with Iron Man, Why Can’t … Continue reading →

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Maps and Direction: Exploring a Metaphor

Posted on June 3, 2016 by E. C. Ambrose

I recently stopped in at a local gas station/convenience store to look for a local area map that will help me think about where to buy my next house.  The woman next to me in line immediately asked where I … Continue reading →

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How do you Keep an Author in Suspense?

Posted on May 27, 2016 by E. C. Ambrose

I am an avid follower of the Bulwer-Lytton contest for a truly terrible opening sentence for a book–entries are now open for 2016, if you are so inclined.  At the very least, you should click through to the 2015 winners … Continue reading →

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