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Weetzie Bat
by Francesca Lia Block
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I can't quite put into words just how exciting the experience of reading Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat was for me. If I could, I'd have to be the author herself, for nothing can express her stories quite as well as simply going out and reading them.
Some might argue that the Weetzie Bat books aren't really fantasy, but I would argue right back that though they very much concern the here and now, they have an inescapable magic to them.
This pair was the first to pop into my head, fully formed, when I first imagined what I might do with this mural. They were also the first bit I drew, and I am especially pleased with how they turned out. I love their shoes, and the slinkiest Slinkster Dog I could conjure. |
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Weetzie Bat
by Francesca Lia Block
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The Dark is Rising Series
by Susan Cooper
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The Dark is Rising Series was one of the first fantasy series to transport me from our world into one edged with magic. Susan Cooper wove the distant legends of Arthur and Merlin into the present day in England with grace and intrigue, creating a classic series of books which I still read over and over.
This scene is from The Dark is Rising, when Will, the last of the Old Ones, discovers the true use of the signs he has collected. |
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The Dark Materials Trilogy
by Philip Pullman
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Philip Pullman's masterful Dark Materials Trilogy has become quite the phenomenom recently, and with good reason. I was delighted to discover such a complex and intricately imagined series. Our hero and heroine, Will and Lyra, are brave and compassionate but not without flaws, and our villains are devious and frightening while remaining human. I applaud Philip Pullman for adding such a multi-facted and complete world to our mythologies.
I've imagined a scene from somewhere in the second volume, The Subtle Knife, featuring Will, Lyra, Pantalaimon, and Iorek Byrnison, King of the Armored Bears. This image is unfortunately a little washed out and uneven -- the shadows cast when this photo was taken were difficult to get around. |
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The Folk Keeper
by Franny Billingsley
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The Folk Keeper was a recent find of mine, and I was happy to find such a brilliant take on a Selkie story. The clear prose and quick plotting make the story both spooky and satisfying.
Here I've imagined the invisible Folk and the distant tall ships and sea which dominated the flavor of the tale.
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The Harper Hall Trilogy
by Anne McCaffrey
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Another selection I could never leave out, Anne McCaffrey's Harper Hall trilogy hit me about the same time as Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising Series, and both were strong early influences in my fantasy reading and imagining. The dragons and firelizards of McCaffrey's imagination were my favorite imaginary pets and companions, and Menolly's great wit and ambition an inspiration.
Here I've imagined Menolly and her fire lizards during a relaxed moment, and beyond, arcing through the sky, one of the elegant and powerful dragons. |
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The Sorceress and the Cygnet
by Anne McCaffrey
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Patricia McKillip's lush prose is enough to make her an accomplished fairy tale spinner. Wonderfully, her tales contain so much more than beautiful language -- a keen sense of family relationships, both good and bad, as well as the subtler side of seeking magic, and a simplicity at the heart the stories make them all memorable.
The Sorceress and the Cygnet, together with its sequel The Cygnet and the Firebird, was one of the first books I read by McKillip, and I was utterly blown away. Not only was it full of strong characters, but it also had a mysterious plot which, although complicated, never felt difficult to follow. She is one of very few authors who tells true fairy tales, full of archtypes and familiar surroundings, and yet consistently remakes them into something new and haunting.
Here I've taken my favorite characters from this duo and brought them to life: Meguet, the warrior; her sister Nyx, the sorceress; the Gatekeeper, steady and enigmatic; and the firebird. |
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The Song of the Lioness Quartet
by Tamora Pierce
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I read the Alanna series when I was around 12, and I adored all four tales. As with many great fantasy series in the Young Adult collection, Alanna is a strong and clever heroine who's cunning and honor get her through many troubles, from magical enemies to the confusions of her own heart.
I always imagined Alanna in triumph, which is how I've drawn her here. That horse gave me a bit of trouble, but I managed to tame her and make a proper warhorse out of her. |
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The Crystal Cave
by Mary Stewart
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Merlin, that mythological wizard and wiseman, always fascinated me. I was particularly intrigued when I discovered, through Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave, Merlin had quite a life story of his own, too often overshadowed by his shining King Arthur.
Here I've drawn Merlin as a younger man, with gold eyes and raven hair, half-fay and half-human, as he is often reputed to be. Behind him looms both his past, the dragons which fought for dominance in Vortigen's England, and his future, the idealistic court of Arthur and Guinevere.
I read countless books inspired by Arthur mythology, from Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising Series to Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon to Nancy Springer's more recent I am Mordred.
That treasure trove of stories has yet to be exhausted in the minds of artists, writers, and musicians, and it only proves to be more and more intriguing for fantasy readers. Long may they reign. |
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A Swiftly Tilting Planet
by Madeleine L'Engle
The third in the Time quartet which includes:
The Sandman Series
by Neil Gaiman
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Out of the four tales which make up the Time Quartet, my favorite was always A Swiftly Tilting Planet. The hero was my favorite character from the series, the introspective and brilliant Charles Wallace, and I was exhilerated to finally get to see the inner workings of his mind and dreaming.
All of the Time Quartet are classics in any child's library, though A Swiftly Titling Planet took a slightly darker turn as the Murray clan grew older and faced more problems. Madeleine L'Engle's not considered one of the great ladies of youth-oriented science fiction for nothing.
The image of Charles Wallace riding the unicorn again comes from the image of my own battered paperback copy of the novel, though I have but a vague memory of that specific cover now.
Peeking out of the right side is my own little version of Neil Gaiman's Dream, the snide and often melancholy title character of his breathtaking Sandman graphic novels. I felt a nod needed to be made toward that brilliant art form, both its writers and artists, and Dream so naturally fitted in with my cast of tellers of tales. |
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Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card
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No mural representing Young Adult science fiction would be complete without Orson Scott Card's masterpiece. I read this novel in college, and have since read it again and again, always marvelling at the crisp storytelling and articulate awareness of the world the author has created. Chilling, beautiful, and complex, Ender's Game certainly sits on my shelf of favorites.
Despite being so memorable, however, Ender's Game is also rather difficult to pin down in a visual form. I finally chose to go with a view of the infamous Battle Room, though in my imagination it is far grander. |
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The Illustrated Man
by Ray Bradbury
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I would never have become quite the voracious science fiction reader that I am had I not been given free reign to paw through my father's bookshelves of science fiction classics and read to my heart's content. One of the first was The Illustrated Man, and I have never forgotten that unsettling and beautifully crafted series of short stories
This image is a direct memory of the cover of my own copy of the Illustrated Man, although it is by no means a copy. The images on my Illustrated Man's back come from the collection itself, as well as Bradbury's other works. If you look closely, you can see references to "The Veldt", "The Highway", "The Long Rain", "Kaleidescope", and from The Martian Chronicles, "There Will Come Soft Rains", and "Night Meeting". |
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Neuromancer
by William Gibson
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Although I had already been a fan of science fiction, Neuromancer was my introduction to the subgenre of cyberpunk fiction. What an introduction it was! William Gibson is now considered one of the masters of the genre, and is often credited with predicting the Internet. Neuromancer is a fierce and complicated sci-fi journey which echoes the hard boiled detective novels of the 30s and 40s. The prose alone elevates this novel to master status, and illustrates how intelligent and groundbreaking science fiction can be every generation.
However, much like Ender's Game, Neuromancer is difficult to visualize, primarily because so much of the novel takes place within a virtual reality inside computer systems. I settled on a kind of mosaic of ideas, combining visions of Neuromancer itself, Molly, my favorite threat, and Case jacking in. |
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The Doomsday Book
by Connie Willis
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The Doomsday Book is an insightful journey into history, illustrating both the fascination that our past holds as well as the perils of time travel. Connie Willis illuminates England during the time of the Black Plague with an eye for historical detail and emotion alike.
Perhaps the best recommendation for the book is that it remains one of the few that has made me cry.
This image is a general image of the idea behind the book, of Kivrin and her impact on 1348 as well as her own time. |
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Dune
by Frank Herbert
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Dune rightfully remains one of the classics of science fiction. I vividly recall being swept away by the rich detail and politics of Herbert's novel, and of course the landscape of Arakkis itself leaves nothing to be desired.
Here I've imagined Paul Muad'dib Leto and his mother, the Lady Jessica, now a member of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood. I will shamelessly admit to being inspired by the 1984 film based on the novel for the style of the Bene Gesserit robes and Paul's stillsuit. |
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