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Humans are interesting animals. Creativity seeps through our veins. I’m not entirely sure who came up with the following creatures, but it must have taken some incredibly unique (and perhaps problematic) imagination to bring these things into being.

A horse with a horn. A woman’s body with a fish tail. A bird that turns to ash, but never dies.

Mythical creatures are fascinating, so its no wonder they inhabit the many fantasy stories we all love and cherish. Here are five of our favorites.

Labor Day is approaching. And, while many are planning their end-of-summer BBQ, millions of people are preparing for their fantasy football seasons. And, the first dilemma they face will be the creative challenge of naming their team. Tons of web sites exist just to help owners come up with witty names like The Mallers, Trophy Wife, Somewhere over Dwayne Bowe, and Forgetting Brandon Marshall.

I typically rely on some pop culture references from my favorite movies and TV shows (Code Red, Flux Capacitor, and The Peach Pit). This year, I thought it might be fun to draw inspiration from books. So, here I share some of my ideas for bookish FFL team names:

Labor Day is approaching. And, while many are planning their end-of-summer BBQ, millions of people are preparing for their fantasy football seasons. And, the first dilemma they face will be the creative challenge of naming their team. Tons of web sites exist just to help owners come up with witty names like The Mallers, Trophy Wife, Somewhere over Dwayne Bowe, and Forgetting Brandon Marshall.

I typically rely on some pop culture references from my favorite movies and TV shows (Code Red, Flux Capacitor, and The Peach Pit). This year, I thought it might be fun to draw inspiration from books. So, here I share some of my ideas for bookish FFL team names:

(Image via flickr)

If Newton had written the rules of grammar, things would be a lot simpler: For every adjective, there exists an equal and opposite antonym. Alas, our gem of a language was not carved by any kind of linguistic intelligent design, but rather kind of rock-tumbled into a reasonably workable lexicon by years and years of regular dopes talking and writing.

Sadly, in the dance of English parlance, some words don’t have a partner (the technical term for this is unpaired words). But don’t despair: the power is in your hands (and mouth) to bring back (or invent) a mirror-perfect companion for every sad lexical singleton. Here are six excellent opposites to start throwing around.

You walk down the street, or into the mall, or near a library, and you see someone dressed up as a stormtrooper. Not a cheap Halloween costume—they look like the real thing. And you think to yourself, “Who ARE these people?”

It turns out these people are probably members of the 501st Legion, a worldwide organization in which groups of people gather locally to dress up in Star Wars costumes and attend special events. The 501st has shown up at four of my six book signings so far. And before you judge, you should also know that these are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. My local group—the Cloud City Garrison of the 501st Legion, in case you were curious—recently stopped by a children’s hospital to bring joy and awe to the patients.

Imagine my surprise when, last night, I dropped by Powell’s bookstore to sign some back-ordered copies of William Shakespeare’s Star Wars. Waiting for me were members of the 501st, in costume on a hot summer’s evening, there to present me with honorary membership into the 501st Legion as well as the Rebel Legion (they wanted to make sure I had the good with the bad). Blushes, smiles, maybe even a little lump in my throat—I feel like I’ve just made the geek Hall of Fame, and that’s a very good thing.

Thanks to the members of my local Garrison, and thanks to members of the 501st Legion around the world who bring Star Wars to fans everywhere.