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Fantasy Fuel! What Inspires Fantasy?

Fantasy Fuel! What is it? It’s those books, articles, pictures, and videos that spark the creativity that leads to fantasy stories. Let’s start with this one:

There are a LOT of castles in Europe–and there are more in Asia and Africa. Castles lend themselves to fantasy settings. I’ve dreamed of living in one and defending one from attack.

Which of the castles in this article is your favorite? Tell me and I’ll send you a free book. Just click here.

Fantasy Fuel – How about fantastic creatures?

Squashmingos! They remind me of the flamingos used by Alice in Alice in Wonderland. In case you’re not familiar with the reference, here is one of the original illustrations by Tenniel:

Fantasy Fuel
Alice playing croquet with a flamingo.
Alice in Wonderland Illustration by Sir John Tenniel (28 February 1820 aa 25 February 1914)
19th Century Illustration

Here’s a snippet of the Disney movie:

I haven’t written a fantasy yet, but I have made up an imaginary, alien animal: the foxcat.

The alien foxcat. Click to get the book.

It’s called a ‘foxcat’ because it’s a combination of a fennec fox and a caterpillar. A foxcat is a marsupial amphibian. It’s a stowaway on a gigantic flying saucer in my book:

SciFi Fuel Paranormal Privateers
Fantasy Fuel
The cover of my third novel Paranormal Privateers. Click to get yours.

My science fiction sounds like fantasy. I wonder what my fantasy will sound like? I’ll have to write my first fantasy to find out. My working title is ‘Sentience’.

More Fantasy Fuel Coming Up for You

You can’t beat reading great fantasy books to inspire your fantasy writing. Here’s one I just finished.

Fantasy Fuel
The Fellowship of the Ring
My recent review

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)
by J.R.R. Tolkien

it was amazing

bookshelves: fantasyfavorites

Read 2 times. Last read September 13, 2022

The greatest novel of the 20th century, a true 5 star book, one that’ll be read in another hundred years.

My latest re-read was in the single volume edition with Christopher Lee’s artwork. His art is detailed and complex, with hidden elements that tell the story.

In this re-read, I saw the close connection between the start of the book, which is often called dull, and the end of the Hobbit. One dovetails into the other. The hobbit background is necessary for those who didn’t read the Hobbit, and provides additional detail on them, including their three races: the Stoors, the Harfoots, and the Fallowhides.

I also noticed in my re-read the masterful way Tolkien built tension and prolongs conflict and threats. He also increases the risks and dangers throughout the book. These details jump out at me more since I became an author.

Andy Zach‘s review

Yet More Fuel for Your Fantasy Writing

Why not use cartoons?

So, if you have a writer’s block, just get it off your desk!

How about some more fantastic architecture? Coming in from Kansas City we have the following:

Or how about we use some beautiful pictures of nature to inspire our writing?

Now, let’s try another cartoon.

Obviously, cartoons are my chief inspiration. I love talking animals.

I have a talking hamster in my Secret Supers books. Dancer taught himself how to read and type.

What Do Readers Think
Fantasy Fuel
Chapter 1 icon of Villain’s Vacation

Here’s a fantasy come true: free books. Enjoy these freebies from me. I give them to all my subscribers. Click here to get your books.

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Your Best Science and July Science Fiction

Your Best Science and July Science Fiction as curated by me, Andy Zach. I’ve been cruising the internet for the biggest and best science news. This is what will fuel my next SciFi and fantasy books, Plus, I’ll tell you how you can get free books.

TLDR version: Click here to get free books from me. What books you ask? These three, for example:

Christmas Zombie Turkey Style
July Science Fiction
Life After Life Chronicles is available as a series! Click to get on Amazon.

If you want signed copies at a lower price than Amazon, with free shipping and no taxes, click here.

July Science Fiction – Your first book

July Science Fiction
Book Cover

Midshipman Henry Gallant in Space (The Henry Gallant Saga, #1)
Rating4 of 5 stars
Shelvesmilitary-scifireadscience-fiction edit
FormatKindle Edition edit
StatusAugust 1, 2022 – Finished Reading4 Show more
ReviewAuthor Peter Alesso does a good job in his opening novel of this series. He portrays the troubles of being a normal human being in a time of genetic advancement. Then he details the technical training of a midshipman in the United Planets federation.

But there is an alien force lurking in the solar system. So far they have been benign. Will that continue?

Read and find out.

Do you have comments? Do you have a review you want me to publish? Just let me know by clicking here.

July Science Fiction – Your Second Book Follows

Zombie Detective: The Extraordinary Adventures of Sam Melvin by Andy Zach (Goodreads Author)

Andy Zach Newsletter Zombie Detective Audiobook
July Science Fiction
Audiobook cover – click to listen.

Jul 27, 2022

It was amazing

When Lisa fires Sam he doesn’t know what he’s going to do, for about two seconds till she tells him he has until that night to find a new career. He works better under the deadline and she should know because she’s his wife. This book was one of the funniest books I have ever read.

I love Simon Carr’s books and because I have brought all of his books I wanted to find a new author who was just as funny and I found him. I had no idea zombie animals were that prevalent but they are in this guy investigates the situation and when he’s hired by the government crazy things ensue.

I love this book and highly recommend it if you love to laugh and trust me they have giggles on every page. You can really truly tell when comedy comes natural and when they are trying too hard in this author his comedic talent in spades I cannot say enough how funny this book is and can’t wait to read the second one in the theories or at least I hope they have a second one.

I was given this book by the author in story origin but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

Janalyn Prude‘s review

Now Here Is Where You Get Science

Maybe you thought my zombie novel as science fiction was far-fetched? Guess again! We’ve got zombie cyborg spiders coming at you!

How old are your ears, based upon the test below? Just play the video and note the age when you can no longer hear the signal. Mine were 64, which is pretty close to my real age of 66.

Tell me your results and I’ll send you a free book. Click here.

Cities of the future are always a good SciFi trope. Here’s one planned for Saudi Arabia. Would you like to live in this city?

Moving on to astronomy, check out this new supernova, recently discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope:

What color is the moving square in the following video? My answer is below.

The square color is midway between the blue and the orangish pink, a kind of gray.

Finally, the classic SciFi image is a pinwheel or cartwheel galaxy. I once read a book about the view of the Milky Way from the Lesser Magellanic Cloud. It filled the sky.

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Science Is Science Fiction Story Fuel

Science is Science Fiction Story Fuel, so I read all the latest scientific discoveries all the time. Let me tell you how I might fictionalize these discoveries. Then you can tell me how you’d do it. The best answers get free books from me.

Cheat code: Click here to get free books immediately.

Let’s begin.

Science Fiction Story Fuel – Getting Sucked into a Black Hole

Falling into black holes has been done before in books and movies, but it’s always been wrong. Now we have a better idea than ever, with a sun being recorded while falling into a black hole.

How would I write about this? I’d show a civilization on a planet around that star and show them trying to stop or escape the disaster. Some would escape and some would not. I’d describe both perspectives.

How about you? What would you like to write or what would you like to read in a scifi story about a black hole? Let me know by clicking here and I’ll give a book to the best answer.

Which book could you win? We can start with this old favorite:

I’ve got seven more books you can choose from. Read on for more chances to win.

New Telescope, New Pictures from Outer Space – more Fiction Story Fuel

How would I handle these new astronomical pictures in a science fiction story? I’d have them discover an alien civilization, perhaps a Dyson Sphere or a Dyson Ring. Then I’d cover humanity’s reaction to it and what happens next. Larry Niven did a great job with the latter in his books in the Ringworld series.

Fiction Story Fuel
Ringworld, Book 1

What would you do, my readers and friends? Tell me and win a book.

Speaking of advanced science, did you know I have sophisticated genetic engineering in this book?

This is another book you can win!

Here’s Your Third Chance to Win a Book

Coming up, you can learn more about the new James Webb telescope:

That’s right. The James Webb telescope will ‘see’ (via infrared) to within one hundred million year s of the Big Bang.

What kind of story would you like me to write from that factoid? Note you can email me at [email protected]

What would I write as a science fiction story? Perhaps a message sent from a very early advanced civilization to the present.