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Jennifer Estep | Let's Play...Name Your Favorite Fantasy!
September 23, 2010
Greetings and salutations! First of all, I want to say thanks to the folks here
at Fresh Fiction for having me on the blog today. Thanks, everyone! Some of you might know me as the author of the Elemental Assassin urban
fantasy series. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider
who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing
people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit
in the fictional southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to
giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone. The first two books in the series are SPIDER’S BITE and WEB OF LIES. VENOM, the third book, will
hit shelves on Sept. 28. TANGLED THREADS, the fourth book, will
be published in May 2011, while the fifth book (untitled) will be released in
October 2011. I’ve also sold a young adult urban fantasy series called
Mythos Academy.
The first book is called TOUCH OF FROST and will be out in August 2011.
The books focus on Gwen Frost, a Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or
the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious
freak-out with her magic, Gwen finds herself shipped off to Mythos Academy, a
school for the descendents of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, and
more. I thought that I’d talk today about a few of my favorite fantasy-related books,
movies, and TV shows. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m always on the lookout
for new books to try and new movies and TV shows to watch. Here goes: 1) THE PRINCESS BRIDE:
Is there a more fun, swashbuckling, quotable movie than THE
PRINCESS BRIDE ? Inconceivable! I hope that I can write something half as clever
as this movie someday. 2) Beauty
and the Beast : To me, this is the best Disney movie ever made and one of my
all-time favorites. Great animation, great music, great love story. And yes, I
even like the singing and dancing teapots. 3) BEAUTY by Robin
McKinley: This retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale is just
beautifully, beautifully written and one of the best versions of the story that
I’ve ever read. If you’re a fan of the fairy tale like I am, then you have to
read this version. 4) THE HUNGER GAMES by
Suzanne Collins: If you haven’t read this book, where kids are forced into a
televised fight to the death, go out and get it right now. Seriously, it is that
good. I’m digging into the two sequels – CATCHING FIRE and MOCKINGJAY – just as soon
as I can. 5) The Elenium series by David Eddings: This epic fantasy series is one
of several that got me hooked on fantasy books back in high school. There’s a
knight and a queen, and they have a whole lot of adventures as they try to save
their kingdom from the bad guys. 6) THE SWORD OF SHANNARA
by Terry Brooks: This is another epic fantasy book that got me hooked on the
genre. It’s got all the classic elements, including a guy who finds out that he
has a great destiny that he has to fulfill in order to save the world. And of
course, there’s a magic sword too – isn’t there always? 7) Chuck:
/a> Yeah, technically, it’s a spy show, but there are some fantasy
elements involved too – like how Jeff and Lester keep their jobs at the Buy
More, given all the crazy stuff that they do. 8) Warehouse
13: I like this show a lot because it’s just fun, and the writers
find interesting ways to combine historical figures with the “artifacts” that
they might have left behind. 9) Human
Target: This is another fun, action-packed show, based on a comic book.
Christopher Chance is the world’s best (and most laid back) bodyguard, but
Jackie Earle Haley steals the spotlight as Guerrero. 10) The
old Wonder Woman show with Lynda Carter and the old Batman show with Adam
West: Lots of superheroes are all gloom and doom these days, but I
have fond memories of watching both of these shows as a kid. Sure, the shows are
cheesy, but there’s a magic to them that has endured over the years – at least
for me. So there you have it. Some of my favorite fantasy things from classic oldies to
some new stuff that I’m digging. What about you guys? What are some of your
favorite fantasy things?
Comments
16 comments posted.
Re: Jennifer Estep | Let's Play...Name Your Favorite Fantasy!
I'm liking the new series Lost Girl so far.
And I love the Chronicles of Narnia. The
movies have been pretty impressive as
well. Can't wait for "Voyage of the Dawn
Treader!"
(Zita Hildebrandt 9:38am September 23, 2010)
I keep meaning to watch the Narnia movies. I really loved the first few books in the series.
(Jennifer Estep 10:24am September 23, 2010)
I really like Kelly Meding's Eve Stone series.
I also liked the Beauty and the Beast late '80s TV show
and Zoe Archer's Blades of the Rose series which kind of like Werehouse 13.
(Ruth Thompson 11:12am September 23, 2010)
Ruth -- I've heard a lot of good things about the Blades of the Rose series. I may have to add that one to my TBR pile.
(Jennifer Estep 11:17am September 23, 2010)
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is by far the
best thing Disney ever did, or for that
matter just about anyone else. I have
the Broadway soundtrack and play it
constantly. The richness of the voices
makes it much better than the one
from the movie.
My other favorite movies are LAST OF
THE MOHICANS, INDIANA JONES AND
THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, and
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST
CRUSADE. All three have driving non-
stop action and good, strong
characters with intense relationships.
The play between Indy and his Dad is
great.
On TV, I like BONES and the two NCIC
shows.
Zoe Archer's new series is intriguing.
It must be the Indiana Jones thing on
the cover of WARRIOR.
I really haven't read much in the
paranormal and urban fantasy fields.
Most TV shows in that vein haven't
appealed. I think I spook too easily.
Good luck with the release of VENOM.
(Patricia Barraclough 12:09pm September 23, 2010)
Patricia -- I agree. I think it's the best of all the Disney films. I love the Indiana Jones movies too, as well as NCIS. Lots of good stuff on TV these days!
(Jennifer Estep 1:25pm September 23, 2010)
I love Indiana Jones, The Princess Bride, Warehouse 13, Being Human, and of course, Chuck. Yeah, the other question I have about Chuck is, how has Morgan not gotten himself killed yet?
I'm looking forward to The Blades of the Rose series too. I've heard so much about it - high adventure romance, in exotic locales with great characters, magic and steampunk.
(Barbara Elness 1:39pm September 23, 2010)
Barbara -- No kidding about Morgan. I also wonder how Jeff and Lester have not gotten themselves killed either ... especially by Big Mike!
(Jennifer Estep 1:59pm September 23, 2010)
I agree with the others, Zoe Archer's series looks like it will be a wonderful and exciting series.
Loved Wonder Woman and Batman when I was a kid... :)
(Colleen Conklin 2:13pm September 23, 2010)
Colleen -- Me too. I always wanted to be Wonder Woman ... ;-)
(Jennifer Estep 2:28pm September 23, 2010)
I'll try to keep this as short as possible - Graphic Novels: Scott Pilgrim and Invincible Movies: The Fifth Element and The Princess Bride TV: Chuck and Human Target Books: Bigtime series and The Incarnations of Immortality series
(David Faulkner 4:15pm September 23, 2010)
"The Princess Bride" is the best. And I've liked the Disney movies ever since "The Little Mermaid" when they started putting Broadway show style songs in them.
Although I loved "The Hunger Games" and "Catching Fire", I've decided to put off reading "Mockingjay" for a while - read a few reviews which made me decide on that course of action. I won't spoil anything though.
(S Tieh 6:23pm September 23, 2010)
I agree about Beauty & the Beast and the 'classic' Batman series. Robin had some of the funniest one-liners EVER.
(Mary Preston 6:32pm September 23, 2010)
I enjoyed the Narnia series and the Secret of Nimh. As for books, I'm drawing a blank at the moment, because I'm currently reading out of that particular genre. I do like to read books that fit my mood at that particular moment, as well as my movies. Where I live, the tv reception is poor, so I don't get to watch much, if any tv. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to.
(Peggy Roberson 9:32am September 24, 2010)
David -- Thanks for the shoutout about the Bigtime series. I appreciate that.
S Tieh -- I haven't read Catching Fire yet, but I've heard the rumblings about Mickingjay too ...
Mary -- Indeed. I still chuckle every time I catch one of the reruns. The show was just cheesy fun.
Peggy -- Me too. Sometimes, I'm in the mood for fantasy, sometimes for YA, and sometimes, for a good, old-fashioned western romance.
(Jennifer Estep 10:24am September 24, 2010)
Tame ones seem like they're made for kids like most of Disney's movies. The various Madeleine L'Engle stories are favorites because my kids read them and also I had an entire Fifth grade giving me a summary of the books they read.
(Alyson Widen 3:52pm September 24, 2010)
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