If you’ve enjoyed Ashes of the Ancestors, and you’d like to read more about it, then this page is for you! It’s where I’m collecting links to related short fiction, my own commentary on the novella, and other people’s thoughts about it.
Short Stories
Picking the Bones of Hope: A flash fiction story about a village at the edge of Ashes‘ crumbling empire, and about an unusual visitor. Adds some detail to Olweth’s background.
What Miracles Remain: Following on from Picking the Bones of Hope, a fresh disaster and a touch of magic challenge the will of a struggling community.
Real Water: In the aftermath of What Miracles Remain, a military scout finds a surprising community in the wilds. Will she be their downfall?
Commentary
The book launch video, where I and five other Lun authors discuss our books and read scenes.
Editing the Past to Life: A guest post at the Fine-Toothed Comb, where I discuss the nature of history and how this connects to Ashes.
Grappling with History and Tradition: A post about the story’s central theme of tradition and history, and about what inspired me to write about it.
How I Almost Wrote Too Much Story: A post about the writing process for Ashes, including a major false start.
Some Unsubtle Symbolism: A post breaking down what approaches to the pst the different characters represent.
Starting a Story Right: Various different versions of the beginning of the novella, why I abandoned each one, and why I used the one I did.
Starting a Story Wrong: A whole 1600-word scene I cut because it didn’t work as a start to the story.
When the Antagonist Isn’t the Villain: Discussing the roles of different characters within stories, using Ashes of the Ancestors as an example.
Interviews
At the Scifi and Fantasy Network, an interview about my influences and the inspiration behind the book.
At Runalong the Shelves, an interview about what drew me to this story and how I fitted a big world into a small book.
Reviews
The Middle Shelf discusses the book’s topicality and getting caught by surprise.
Runalong the Shelves digs into the story’s themes and its central character.