Books & Pieces: weekly roundup

World Weaver Press presents our weekly quick roundup of news and factoids, articles and more that struck our fancy, tickled our interest, and had us scratching our heads. For readers, writers, and genre fans of any form.

Weird things people say in bookstores. Beyond brilliant and, sadly, all true. Read the quick list or read the entire book Jen Campbell has put together during her time working at the English bookstore Ripping Yarns.

Great opening sentences from classic fantasy novels brought to us by io9. An intriguing and extensive list. Each item has a bit of discussion about why it’s a strong opening line, making it a bit of a master class on how to write the opening of your novel.

Gorgeous sci-fi art site Retropolis “Art of the Future that Never Was” gives you the option to bring home art by the talented Bradley W. Schenck. Featuring rockets, robots, mad scientists and death rays, Schenck’s style is part Art Deco, part Golden Age of Science Fiction, with a dash of steampunk thrown in on occasion. Want to see even more of his work? He also has an extensive and impressive DeviantArt gallery to peruse.

Another take on worldbuilidng in fiction: it’s actually world conjuring. 

Are you using history responsibly in your writing? Do you hold authors to a high standandard of responsible use or let them play fast and loose with the facts? What does “responsible use of history” even mean in fiction? Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing takes on these questions.

Agent Rachelle Gardner outlines how to write an author bio and what the differences should be between a bio in a query letter and the bio in the back of a book. We’ll let her make her own points, all we have to add: the majority of your query letter should be about the novel you’re querying; anything about you or your achievements is an afterthought.

We challenge you not to laugh out loud when you watch this video of a “Useless Box Kit” from ThinkGeek. Looking for an early Christmas present for your loved ones? You’re welcome
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For more links to interesting articles and genre related cartoons, check out World Weaver Press’s Facebook page, updated daily, or follow our Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest accounts.