Flame Tree Fiction

On a quest to experience the mythical, mystical, magical and macho all at once? Look no further than to the works of fantasy artist Ken Kelly. A work by Kelly is an invitation into the wonderful world of imagination, of warriors and dragon art, as he offers viewers a direct route into faraway places and primal battlefields that burst at the seams with vivacity.

'I have been fascinated by dark, mysterious and magical fantasy worlds since I was a child.' (Anne Stokes)

Cris Ortega produces phenomenal and mesmerising gothic fantasy art and steampunk art on a variety of subjects, but in many cases depicting women, around whom an air of beauty, mystery, emotion and magic can be built. The Spanish-based digital artist has had her work featured widely in all sorts of publications, book covers and posters, as well as in video games.

As part of the National Theatre's 50th anniversary celebrations, various cinemas screened a recording of the NT's live production of Frankenstein last month, based on Mary Shelley's gothic horror story. As I had not been lucky enough to get hold of one of the theatre tickets back in 2011 – they were like gold dust – I jumped at the chance to go see it at the cinema. The whole idea of opening up the theatre this way is fantastic, and although I do miss the atmosphere of a live performance, I undoubtedly had an enviable 'front-row' view thanks to the position of the cameras.

Greek mythology is full of gods, monsters and supernatural events – much like any other fantasy fiction. Popular tale 'Theseus and the Minotaur' is getting a retelling in BBC's latest fantasy adventure, based in the city of Atlantis. This brilliant show is bringing to life all sorts of Greek myths with a dash of humour, interesting character dynamics and plenty of action.

Mary Shelley’s Creature

The original Creature is never described in great detail in the novel. The most we are told is that he is large and, in some way, hideous. Horror is at its best when the threat, when the feared thing, is enigmatic. What exists in our minds will always be something more than could ever be clearly described on the page. This is also true because the creature transforms throughout the book. Not physically, of course, but in how we view him. Perhaps we see him first as a sympathetic creature, shunned from society due to his ugliness. We might even sympathize further, as we see a character whose inner value is hidden under a rough exterior. As the creature turns towards evil, towards murdering those who Victor Frankenstein loves, our view of him turns to a dark avenger. Whether a terrifying figure who haunts, or a disgusting creature whose face is darkened by flashes of lightning, what it actually might look like is informed by how we view and comprehend it.

It is truly a great loss to the sci fi fandom that sf writer Frederik Pohl, author of such classics as Gateway and The Space Merchants, has died. He was prolifically involved in the genre during an impressive career that spanned over seven decades!

The film season Gothic: The Dark Heart of Film kicked off recently, including amongst its first screenings, Dracula (1958) – an absolute classic! You can't go wrong with a film based on one of the most famous gothic horror novels of all time, and actually Christopher Lee doesn't hurt either.