Dragon Populations Holding Steady

Comparing 2008 to 2009, we’ve seen catastrophic declines in castles, glowy magic and swords. Unicorns have seemingly disappeared, and even formerly sizable populations of elves, wolves and horses are in sharp decline.

Dragons, obviously made from sterner stuff, remain unscathed.

Context? Fantasy novel covers. This news courtesy of Orbit Books (via Making Light). Their handy comparison chart is reproduced to the right, but really: go read the original article. Sample quote: “The number of dragons on covers held steady this year. The dragon population seems to be in perfect balance – but we can’t tell if that’s because new dragons are being born to replace old ones, or if last year’s dragons are just really healthy.”

A Dignity of Dragons

local copy; follow link in article text for original
local copy; follow link in article text for original

Dave Malki at Wondermark presents the Stoakes-Whibley Natural Index of Supernatural Collective Nouns, and in so doing performs a valuable service for a worried public. So many confusing and embarassing errors might have been prevented through the timely use of Mr. Malki’s comprehensive and accurate reference.

(Via Making Light.)

ETA: Other dragon-related collective noun suggestions include flight, wing, weyr (from multiple sources), doom, blaze and horde. None of them appeal to the same degree as the definitive Stoakes-Whibley answer.