“Building Fantastic Worlds” Followup, 2: More Fabulous NZ Fantasy Literature
Yesterday, I posted on seven of the (many) NZ Fantasy books I featured as part of my masterclass on Building Fantastic Worlds at the National Writers Forum last weekend. These were books I knew for certain were published overseas as well as in New Zealand.
A participant asked if I could share the information on those books, which was the main reason for the post. However, in the final overhead I had a lot of fun making a border comprised of a whole heap of NZ Fantasy books:
Here’s the great thing, though, it’s not even all of them! But it is a reasonable selection and includes all those I mentioned in the class, as well as m’own books. đ
Seven of the books were mentioned yesterday, so I won’t feature them again. I will also simply list the books — but where I’ve done an interview with the author or a reading report of any kind, I’ll provide the link for you. I’ll start from top left and move clockwise around the page.
1. Bloom by Kelly Ana Morey
Magic Realism. I’ve mentioned this book several times on my blog but never indepth, so no link.
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2. Tymon’s Flight by Mary Victoria
Epic Fantasy.
I’ve done two interviews with Mary Victoria, for the second and third books in her trilogy. To read, click on:
3. The Assassin Of Gleam by James Norcliffe
YA Fantasy
The Assassin Of Gleam won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Novel in 2006
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4. Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox
YA Fantasy.
Mortal Fire won the New Zealand Children’s Book Award for Best Young Adult Fiction in 2014.
In 2015, I included its heroine, Canny Mochrie, in my Fantasy Heroines That Rock My World series on international ‘zine, SF Signal.
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Dystopian Fantasy
The Chimes was longlisted for the 2015 Man Booker prize and shortlisted for the 2016 Nebula Award. The link to our interview is below:
An Interview with Anna Smaill, Author of The Chimes
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6. Red Rocks by Rachael King
Children’s Fantasy (Junior)
Red Rocks won the LIANZA Junior Fiction Award, the Esther Glen Medal, in 2013.
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7. Angel’s Blood by Nalini Singh
Paranormal Urban Fantasy/Romance
Angel’s Blood is the first in Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series. Her books have won many awards and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list multiple times.
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8. Sacrifice by Joanna Orwin
YA Post-Apocalyptic SciFi
Sacrifice was a finalist in the 2012 NZ Children’s Book Awards. I checked it out early that year:
What I’m Reading: Sacrifice by Joanna Orwin
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9. Tales For Canterbury, ed. Anna Caro and Cassie Hart
Anthology: predominantly Speculative Fiction
Tales For Canterbury was published by Random Static as a fund raiser following the Canterbury Earthquakes. It won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for best Collected Work in 2012.
I featured a number of short stories from the collection. To check them out, see:
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10. The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
YA Fantasy
Possibly one of NZ’s most famous fantasy novels, The Changeover has been widely published internationally and won the Carnegie Medal in 1984, shortly after it was first published. In the USA, it was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and the School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. It is currently being made into a film starring Timothy Spall, Melanie Lynskey, and Erana James.
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11. Once Upon A Time in Aotearoa by Tina Makereti
Anthology: predominantly Speculative Fiction
Once Upon A Time in Aotearoa won the inaugural fiction award at Nga Kupu Ora 2011 – the third Maori Book Awards.
I featured Pania, the protagonist in the short story Shapeshifter, in the SF Signal series, Fantasy Heroines That Rock My World: Pania
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12. The Prince Of Soul and the Lighthouse by Fredrik Brounéous
YA Fantasy
Fredrik BrounĂ©ous is a Swedish writer resident in New Zealand and The Prince Of Soul and the Lighthouse was his first novel written in English. It won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Youth Novel in 2013. I posted a “What I’m Reading” report here:
âThe Prince of Soul And The Lighthouseâ by Fredrik BrounĂ©ous
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13. The Bone Tiki by David Hair
YA Fantasy
Critically acclaimed, The Bone Tiki by David Hair won Best First Book in the 2009 NZ Post Childrenâs Book Awards and was a Storylines Notable Book in 2010.
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14. A Necklace of Souls by RL Stedman
YA Fantasy
A Necklace of Souls won the Storylines Tessa Duder Award in 2012 and was published by HarperCollins in 2013. It was a Storylines Notable Book in 2014 and won Best First Book in the NZ Childrenâs Book Awards the same year.
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So waddya reckon? You’re so right, I agree: what an awesome lineup of NZ Fantasy!
Your border image reminds me of a Monopoly board !
I’ve read about 1/3 of the titles featured on the border, and thought they were good reads.
I’ve a few “yet to read” like Rachael Craw’s “Spark” but I’ve read the majority featured.