_BCS_ #8 in Blogs

[Scott H. Andrews]

At QuasarDragon (http://freesciencefantasy.blogspot.com/2009/01/beneath-ceaseless-skies-serials-and.html) and SF Signal (http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2009/01/sf-tidbits-for-11609/) (who gets it from QuasarDragon :) ). Thanks!

[M. Arkenberg]

Fabien Lyraud blogged about it here: http://propos-iconoclastes.blogspot.com/2009/01/beneath-ceaseless-skies-n8.html

(If anyone's French is considerably better than mine, I'd be interested in hearing what this post says. ;) )

[Scott H. Andrews]

I had five years of French in high school, but that was around the time of Charlemagne. Here's my crude but literal translation:

"Winterblood by Megan Arkenberg is a charicature of romantic fantasy. We have a young woman of the female members of the family who are chosen by the Lord of Winter. And one/it follows without a lot of pleasure a story rather archetypical that shows that when fantasy tries to stick too close to the rules, it does not function absolutely."

I may not have all the connotations exactly right, but it seems he may not have enjoyed all of the archetypical elements. But that's okay. I really liked the chilling and Gothic sort of vibe. And on a day like today when it's 18 degrees F outside, I can really feel that chill. :)

[M. Arkenberg]

Thanks for the translation!

It's not the archetype comment so much as the word "charicature" that bugs me. Hm.

"And on a day like today when it's 18 degrees F outside, I can really feel that chill." -I hear you--it's negative 10 here, with a windchill of negative 23!

[Scott H. Andrews]

It's not the archetype comment so much as the word "charicature" that bugs me. Hm.
That is actually the word that I most suspect might have a different connotation in this context. Our English connotation of course implies derivative or inferior, but here I wonder if it just means any story using archetype or a specific traditional format.

I hear you--it's negative 10 here, with a windchill of negative 23!Yow! Sounds like good weather to stay inside and write and/or read. :)

[Aliette de Bodard]

Having never heard of a word "caraicature", I suspect a typing mistake, pure and simple... :(
Scott's translation is pretty much on the mark, except for the last sentence, which reads something like this: "We follow with no enjoyment an over-achetypal story, which goes to show that fantasy that tries to stick too closely to fairytales (tropes) doesn't work at all."
Ouch. Sorry about the bad review. I really loved the story, if that's any comfort--loved the description and the atmosphere.

[Scott H. Andrews]

A nice plug of Issue #8 from BookSpot Central (http://www.bookspotcentral.com/2009/01/news-8th-issue-of-beneath-ceaseless-skies-out/)--thanks!

[Scott H. Andrews]

A good rating at Free SF Reader (http://freesf.blogspot.com/2009/01/beneath-ceaseless-skies-8-scott-h.html). Thanks!