Thoughts on Fantasy is my way of sharing my fantasy obsession with other like-minded souls. It’s a monthly blog about fantasy fiction in all its forms: epic, romantic, dark, cosy, or otherwise. I also sometimes discuss science fiction.
My posts aren’t so much reviews as reflections on the genre itself, and its many curiosities, tropes, magic systems and invented worlds. Occasionally I also write about fantasy events I attend and the inspirations that shape my own books.
This site originally grew out of the research I did for my master’s in creative writing. I wanted a space where I could analyse the “magic ingredients” and storytelling craft of the books and films I love without the long source lists and dry academic language.
Several Thoughts on Fantasy posts have been translated into German for Tor Online, and I’ve also written articles for Fantasy Faction.
Newsletter
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Nicola Alter
I’m a writer and avid reader of fantasy and science fiction. I grew up in a small Australian country town, swapping books with friends and waiting for the next instalments of my favourite series to appear in the local bookshop. Now I live in Germany, where I’m enjoying all the castles and dark folk tales the Black Forest has to offer. I write epic fantasy romances and speculative thrillers, and my debut novel, The Songbird and the Crow, is currently on submission. If you’re curious about my writing, visit my author site to learn more.
Statement on AI
I do not use generative AI to write my posts, newsletters, or books. I started this blog in 2014, long before AI was available, and writing it helps me to distill my thoughts and share my feelings about the genre I love with others. Getting a bot to generate content would not only defeat this purpose, but also, I like to believe, make it less interesting to read. So, flawed as they might be, rest assured that these words came from my messy human brain.
Review Policy
I don’t actually write reviews on this blog, only articles and round-up posts, so please don’t contact me with review requests. However, if you’re an author or blogger with an idea for a guest post on a fantasy or sci-fi related topic, I’d be happy to consider it!
Contact
Want to get in touch? Feel free to email me at nicola [at] thoughtsonfantasy [dot] com. You can also follow or friend me on these sites:
For literary rights, please contact my agent Nicky Lovick at WGM Atlantic.