C. Robert Cargill

Come out and meet over 18 different writers and artists (including me) at INDIE CREATOR NIGHT!

admin — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:57:12 +0000

Fans of local art, stay tuned for the first Dragon’s Lair Comics and Fantasy INDIE CREATOR NIGHT! We’ll be showcasing over a dozen local, independent artists, writers, and cartoonists for your enjoyment. Check out original prose, handmade jewelry, and local comics, all right here at Dragon’s Lair!

Here’s just a small sampling of the guests we’ll be hosting:

EK Weaver of The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal

Hugo Winner Elizabeth Bear

Amanda Downum of the Necromancer Chronicles

Acclaimed fantasy novelist Ari Marmell

Steve Niles of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT

…and TONS more!

The fun starts at 7:00 pm! Don’t miss it!

I’ll be sharing a table with close friend, late night coffee buddy and incredible fantasy novelist Ari Marmell. The lineup is amazing and the whole thing promises to be a crazy fun night.

Fairy Room: C. Robert Cargill Journeys from Screen to Page

admin — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:43:19 +0000

You’re familiar with C. Robert Cargill, though you might not have known it. He worked as a film critic for years under a pseudonym — massawyrm — for Ain’t It Cool News, and he penned the screenplay for the 2012 horror film Sinister.

Last week Cargill’s journey from commentary to creative writing was made official with the release of his debut novel, Dreams and Shadows, and massawyrm stepped into a new career as a novelist. Dreams and Shadows is a dark modern fairytale filled with fairies and magic woven into a classic coming of age story. FairyRoom is proud to present this exclusive interview with Cargill on his writing process and the inspiration he drew from folklore.

Ars Technica: The man who traveled through Ain’t It Cool and into Dreams And Shadows

admin — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:40:36 +0000

There’s nothing cooler than pitting a monster against another monster. Wolf versus vampire, troll versus imp, fairy versus djinn. Role playing games and fantasy movies have always been quick to try to pit magical creatures against each other, but the logic of these scenarios can be flimsy. How, exactly, does that werewolf share a world with a djinni? Some fantasy stories, like the one in C. Robert Cargill’s new novel Dreams and Shadows, aim for plausibility, crafting a story where a creature’s reason for being in the story makes sense.

Austin Chronicle: Chasing C. Robert Cargill’s ‘Dreams and Shadows’

admin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 22:57:37 +0000

AICN veteran on goblins, research, and if he’s done with criticism.

It’s an old insult: If critics know so much about films and books, why don’t they write them? That’s exactly what C. Robert Cargill has done, and he argues that being a critic made him a better writer. He said, “I went into every movie trying to learn from it as much as I was trying to dissect it.”

RT BOOK REVIEWS Guest Post: C. Robert Cargill On His Not-So-Nice Fairies

admin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:50:57 +0000

Faeries are often considered fragile, beautiful creatures full of whimsy and magic, but as the hero in C. Robert Cargill’s Dreams and Shadows discovers, faeries can often have a nasty side. When young Colby is taken from his less-than-perfect home by faeries, he’s brought to a place inhabited by all sorts of paranormal creatures. But this new world has problems of its own, and Colby learns that the Limestone Kingdom is something that will stick with him forever. Today, the author shares why he gave his faeries a tough edge, but why he still prefers them to the typical pixie.

Read the essay here!

SF SIGNAL Guest Post: C. Robert Cargill on Folklore, Mythology and Religion in Fantasy

admin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:46:58 +0000

Folklore and Mythology are the polite, though backhanded, words we use to describe religion we don’t believe in; Mythology being the word we ascribe to officially recognized beliefs, Folklore to those that didn’t borrow from the establishment, but people believed anyway. When you think about it, it’s strange that so much of what we put in our fantasy books, movies and video games actually, once upon a time, was believed somewhere, by someone, as (their) God’s honest truth. After all, Tolkien didn’t invent elves and dwarves – he borrowed them from the religions of northern Europe – and The Arabian Nights weren’t all just bedtime stories, they were lessons of Islam and tales about the things people once thought really might lurk in the desert sands.

Read the rest here!

Early praise for DREAMS AND SHADOWS

admin — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:49:13 +0000

Breitbart says Movie Blogger Impresses in Fantasy Novel Debut.

Kirkus calls it A mesmerizing and highly original debut.

Publishers Weekly names it one of their ten most anticipated SF/F books of the season and calls it a roller-coaster ride into the depths of strangeness and despair.

Starburst Magazine says I have penned a thoroughly enchanting debut novel.

Badass Book Reviews lives up to to its name and says Though this tale is very dark, violent, and heartbreaking it is also touching and emotional.

Clique Clack calls it a dark, exciting debut of urban fantasy.

Thanks to all the early reviewers for their kind words! I couldn’t be happier with the response.

C. Robert Cargill at Film4 Frightfest – August 2012

admin — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:19:58 +0000

Discussing SINISTER, going from being a critic to the criticized, being in a real life horror movie, and why Hollywood seems to be out of ideas, but isn’t.