There’s a Literary March Madness for Science Fiction and Fantasy Fans
Should throwing darts at the names of colleges not be your speed, but SFF is, there is something for you to do this March as well.
Does anyone else here struggle with filling out a March Madness bracket? Does telling Gonzaga from Northern Kentucky from Duke baffle you? Did you just break out in hives reading those names alone? Fortunately, you can participate in something a bit more fantastic should you feel the need.
Unbound Worlds has resurrected the Cage Match, which pits science fiction and fantasy characters against each other in a tournament decided by fan votes. As of this writing, things have progressed into the second round of votes. You can probably tell that Daenerys Targaryen of A Song of Ice and Fire has progressed to the second round just based on the above photo, but yes, she did make it through. Right now, she’s facing off against Mr. Wednesday of American Gods fame. Putting that into perspective, it’s a match against a god — we won’t tell you which one, though a passing familiarity with the names of the days will tip you off.
But a quick peek shows that characters like Kell Maresh of the Shades of Magic series has also made it to the second round. Considering the fact that the latest book featuring him, A Conjuring of Light, just came out last month, and that he also has the ability to pass between worlds, we don’t see how John Perry can make it through. But that’s the beauty of the votes.
As noted in an emailed press release, Cage Match has also recruited authors to write fiction showing these matches, with Seanan McGuire, for example, writing the match for Georgia Mason of Feed and Kitty Katt of Touched by an Alien. (Unsurprisingly, she picked Georgia to win — since McGuire writes the series under the name Mira Grant.)
Of course, should you want to add in a second alternative to March Madness, look no further than Culturess’ own Chris Craziness.
Next: The New Books Roundup, March 14
Which character do you want to see win?