Branching into Gamelit… what else is new in 2021?

Hello friends!

I want to be more active on my blog this year, so here I am, giving you an update. I’m excited to say that things are now in motion. I’m shifting genres a little bit this year, although I’m still staying true to my sci-fi / fantasy roots. I will be delving into Gamelit, writing stories about characters in simulated, game-like worlds.

What exactly is Gamelit?

Gamelit is a newish genre of books that adds game mechanics to the story itself. Think Ready Player One by Ernest Cline or The Land by Aleron Kong. They typically feature a main character that “levels up” and gains upgraded gear and abilities throughout the story. Most contain numbers and stats that track progress. LitRPG, a sub-genre of Gamelit, usually revolve around MMORPG (Massive Multi-player Role Playing Games) like World of Warcraft, Ultima Online, or the like. It’s a blend of science fiction and fantasy.

Here’s a handy chart that can help you visualize what the genre is:

I’ve officially inked a deal with Tantor audio to produce a new trilogy of Gamelit epic fantasy novels — the Frostworld books I’ve been talking about for so long. I’m super excited for this series to launch, and we’ve secured an excellent narrator to record the audiobooks.

In addition to Frostworld, my wife and I are also working on a series together. This will be the first time I’ve ever co-written a story with anyone, and I’m grateful that it’s going to be with my best friend. Kim really is a talented writer, and it’s fun being able to collaborate and concoct a story with another person. Expect for that series to drop in the second half of the year, after Frostworld. I can’t really get into too much detail about it now, but I can say that it’s going to be in a science fiction setting, and that it’s going to be LitRPG.

Book Recommendation:

One other thing I want to start doing with my blog is posting reviews of the books and video games that I’ve been playing (possibly even movies and shows that I’ve watched) since they play such an important role in my creative process.

I know this is kind of an oldie, but for some reason I’ve finally gotten around to reading the Elderlings series by acclaimed fantasy author Robin Hobb.

I finished reading Assassin’s Apprentice late last year and am just starting Royal Assassin (book 2 in the Farseer Trilogy). Guys… this is some real deal high-quality fantasy. Hobb truly is a master of her craft. There’s some top-notch writing and character development in this series and the prose is bloody magnificent. I can’t say enough good things about these books (particularly because they’re so different from the other high fantasy books I’ve read). If you’re a sucker for 90’s era epic fantasy — a la Wheel of Time, Song of Ice and Fire, etc — then I highly recommend you check these books out. They’re a bit of a slow burn, but I promise you that they’re worth it.

Wrap Up

Anyways, that’s all I got for you folks. I’ve been hard at work trying to wrap up the Frostworld books and outline other series for the next couple of years. My family is happy and healthy, and we’ve been truly blessed. Thanks so much for supporting my writing and for reading my stories — it’s so great being able to do what I love for a living.

Please reach out if you have any questions or just want to chat. My email is contact@blakearthurpeel.com.

Cheers!

-Blake Arthur Peel