Joshua Reynolds's Blog, page 82

‘A Weird Ride…’

If you head over to the ALL PULP news site, you’ll see a press release concerning Mechanoid Press’ forthcoming follow-up to their popular Monster Earth anthology, Strange Trails. In the interests of blatant and shameless self-promotion, I thought I’d share it with you.

From the site:

STRANGE TRAILS will be the second anthology from the fledgling imprint, and this announcement follows close on the boot heels of publication of their popular collection of giant monster tales MONSTER EARTH, co-edited by Palmer and comics veteran Jim Beard.

“I’ve always been intrigued by the Weird Western,” says Palmer. “The subgenre encompasses everything from fantasy to science fiction, steampunk, and horror. It’s a fun mishmash of different styles and ideas.”

STRANGE TRAILS will include stories by familiar names in New Pulp and Weird Westerns, an all-star lineup sure to please new fans and aficionados alike. Writers for this book will be:

Tommy Hancock

Barry Reese

Joshua Reynolds

Joel M. Jenkins

Edward M. Erdelac

“I sought out people who were not only fantastic writers, but who have written Weird Westerns before,” says Palmer. “And I couldn’t be happier that they all said yes.”

Palmer is hoping for  a mid to late summer release. So saddle up, oil your raygun, and mind the zombies. It’s going to be a weird ride down some Strange Trails.

You’ll notice my name there, I trust. And I’m in good company, I have to say. So if you were wondering what I was going to be working on, over the next few weeks, well, there’s your answer. It might not be a Dwarf Slayer or a Royal Occultist, but it’ll be fun all the same, I think.

USE ENOUGH GUN Cover Sneak-Peek

Editor Miles Boothe has revealed a sneak-peek at the cover for Use Enough Gun: Legends of the Monster Hunter III, coming soon from Emby Press. 

Use Enough Gun is the third in the series, following on from Leather, Denim & Silver and The Trigger Reflex.

The anthology includes, among many other fine monster-hunting exploits, my story, ”In the Dark and the Quiet”, which sees the Royal Occultist, Charles St. Cyprian and his assistant Ebe Gallowglass confront a monstrous not-a-ghost beneath the Bank of England in 1923.

There’s an excerpt from “In the Dark and the Quiet” HERE, if you’re interested.

Rattlesnake Reviews

The first issue of Black Treacle, which includes my story, “Rattlesnake Eyes”, was released last month, and has apparently made quite the impression, garnering several reviews, and all of them, I’m pleased to say, are good.

From ‘Blog from the Darkside’:

Rattlesnake Eyes is my favorite story. I enjoyed the dialogue and was hooked into the story right from the start:

“How dead is he?” John Bass said around a mouthful of sunflower seeds. “Is he sort of dead or real dead?”

“He ain’t dancing, if that’s what you’re asking,” Cestus Clay said.

Love it!

And from ‘The Lottery Party’:

Rattlesnake Eyes by Reynolds is a gruff spin on the Satanism of the American south, as an unlikable character refuses to stay dead. The lead is almost a hillbilly version of John Constantine, and the coolness with which the arcane is acknowledged and dealt with in the tale made for a fun read.

Why not go check out both of those reviews? And if you like what you read, why not check out the first issue of Black Treacle, which is available to read on the BT site or to download for free via Smashwords.

New GOTREK & FELIX: ROAD OF SKULLS Review

Gotrek & Felix: Road of Skulls has been reviewed at the Founding Fields site. Two reviews, hosted at the same site–what are the odds they’ll both be good ones? Well, apparently pretty good, actually. 

From the review:

A novel that surpasses expectations by a hundred miles and keeps on going. Easily the best adventure that Gotrek and Felix have ever undertaken!

Easily the best. Pretty sweet, right? To read the full review, head over to the Founding Fields site. To read an excerpt from the book, click here. And if you like what you see, why not give Road of Skulls a try for yourself?

'Placid Islands of Ignorance and Black Seas of Infinity...'

Reblogged from HUNTING MONSTERS:

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born on this day one hundred and twenty two years ago. Seems like a long time for a guy who has a new book out every few months. Then, dead folks can cast the longest shadows. 

Read more… 697 more words

I wrote this last year on the occasion of HP Lovecraft's birth. I figure, since it's the anniversary of his death, it's due a second go. Plus, I'm too busy to write a proper post so, yeah, there you go.

New NEFERATA Review

Neferata: Blood of Nagash has gotten another review. If you’d like to check out the other reviews, I did a round-up HERE. The new review is in Polish, but I think they enjoyed it. Anyway, here’s some of what they had to say:

“Neferata”podobała mi się bardzo – na tyle, że w moim prywatnym rankingu mieści się w pierwszej dziesiątce powieści ze świata Warhammera – wraz z Malusem Darkbladem, starą trylogią Konrada i paroma innymi historiami.

Why not go check out the full review? And while you’re at it, why not pick up a copy of the book and see for yourself what all the fuss is about? The book is available on Amazon and other various on-line retailers, or via Black Library.

New THE EXECUTIONER: BORDER OFFENSIVE Review

My first contribution to Don Pendleton’s Executioner mythos, The Executioner: Border Offensive, has received it’s third review, and it’s another good one, I’m pleased to say.

This book has a very western feel to it, the villains are colorful, the action crisp, the story keeps the reader interested, there is no filler. Great job by this writer, I recommend this title and would like to see more from Reynolds.

Pretty good right? I’ve spoken briefly about the book before. If you’re interested in seeing what all the fuss is about, why not pick up your own copy? It’s available in print and in Kindle format.

NEFERATA Review Round-Up

So, Neferata: Blood of Nagash, my contribution to Black Library’s ‘Time of Legends’ series has been out for a few months now and it’s garnered some fairly positive reviews from diverse and sundry folks.

From the Founding Fields:

As I said I did not expect to like Neferata, so I was surprised when I found that I did. Reynolds has made the Queen of the Lahmians an intelligent, witty and understandable villainess, and provides her with a strong supporting cast ranging from the petulant Ushoran to the devious Dwarf Razek Silverfoot to the ever-loyal handmaiden Naaima. The portrayal of the First Vampires was done very well, they felt suitably distinct from the human characters and you could really get a sense of how they view time, human civilisation and how each of them regards the Blood Kiss and the consequences thereof. I particularly enjoyed that even the Lahmians under Neferata were enjoyable, each a well-rounded character distinct from the rest that I found myself intrigued by.

From Fifty Shades of Geek:

I have to admit that I really enjoyed the Rise of Nagash trilogy, and the Vampires are one of my favourite races in the Warhammer universe, so when I heard that someone else was writing Neferata, I was a little worried, especially as I’d not read anything by Josh Reynolds before. However, very quickly I realised how wrong I was.

From The British Fantasy Society:

The story is well paced, and contains some amazing sections of dialogue that are at times heart stopping.

From Mass Movement Magazine:

Not only a superb Warhammer novel but also a vampire story that’s actually worth reading. Yes, that’s right, a vampire story worth reading, not had one of those in a LONG time have we!

From Starburst Magazine:

The frequent battle scenes are suitably gory. These aren’t the tame vampires of the Twilight generation, but rather the bloody horrors of myth. Visceral and explicit, the action never quite crosses the line of good taste, but does deliver the sort thrills that fans of fangy violence will enjoy.

From The Falcata Times:

The Queen of the Vampires comes into her own in this, her part of the Time of Legends Series that is not only wonderfully written but also delightfully complex as she plays a game of cat and mouse with the infamous Nagash. It’s full of horror, bloody combat and of course a whole section on her discoveries during the years when the Great Sorcerer slumbered.

But don’t take their word for it (or, better yet, do), why not check out the book for yourself? The book is available on Amazon and other various on-line retailers, or via Black Library.

Another Brief GOTREK & FELIX: ROAD OF SKULLS FAQ

Well, it’s that time. We all knew this was coming, didn’t we? I like to think we did. My inbox continues to creak beneath a variety of missives regarding Gotrek & Felix: Road of Skulls, most of them nice, some decidedly not so nice, but hey, whatever. I’m of the opinion that if you paid good money for a book, you can say what you like.

That said, I’m seeing more reoccurring questions to add to my previous FAQ. So, in order to clear up these new questions, hey, presto, new FAQ!

Q. Why is Snorri different?

A. It’s a different character. Snorri Thungrimsson is not Snorri Nosebiter. You can tell, because the former doesn’t have nails in his head. He’s also not a Slayer. Thungrimsson is a minor character from the game lore–he’s (or was…or will be?) Karak Kadrin’s envoy during the Storm of Chaos (who remembers SoC?).

That said, if you want more of ol’ Rust-Skull, why not check out my story “A Cask of Wynters” in Gotrek & Felix: The Anthology?

Q. Why don’t their weapons glow when they confront Chaos?

A. Authorial fiat. It happens haphazardly in the series itself, so I was uncertain as to whether to include it or not. Too, it seemed a bit unnecessary to have their weapons glow to herald the presence of Chaos when there’s a big-damn-all Chaos army right in front of them. There’s no reason to flash the Bat-Signal when Batman’s already chasing the Joker or have Spider-Man’s spider sense flare when he’s already fighting someone, you dig?

But, hey, just to double-check, why not grab a copy of “Berthold’s Beard” and see whether I had them glow in that? Just as a favour to me?

Q. Have you actually even READ the series?

A. No. 

…

Wait…you were serious? Are you honestly implying that I would be ALLOWED to add to the series without having read it? Yes, I’ve read it. More than once, in fact. Have you? Because if not, BL is coming out with some wicked awesome new omnibuses that you should totally check out.

Actually, you should buy them anyway. There’s a bunch of new stuff in them that you’d probably enjoy.

Q. It sure doesn’t seem like you’ve read it!

A. That’s not a question. Also, because of the nature of book (i.e. ’continuity-free’), I was limited in what I could refer to. So, I kept the references to Trollslayer and my own novella, ‘Charnel Congress’. I mention them just in case you were feeling the need to read them in the proper order.

Q. Why is it continuity free? Why couldn’t you just follow the story? Why did you have to ignore the series? 

A. That’s three questions. And why do you assume it was my call? How influential do you think I am, dude? People way above my pay-grade made that call, just like they’ll make the call as to whether I write another one or not.

Also, as has been stated ad nauseum, the series proper will continue. Just not right now. Chill. If it makes you feel any better, it probably won’t be by me.

…

Then again, it might. But probably not.

…

Or maybe so. Who can say what the future holds?

…

I can! It’s Curse of the Everliving! If you loved (or hated) Road of Skulls, you’ll enjoy David Guymer’s first whack at the series. He’s also writing a book featuring the duo, I hear tell.

Oh, and there’s also ‘The Reckoning’, by Jordan Ellinger, for those whose tastes run to the electronic.

Q.  Why does the book read like an advertisement for the new Warriors of Chaos army book?

A. You ARE aware of what tie-in fiction is, right? That said, the books need to represent the game lore as it stands, thus, any book dealing with a Chaos army in WHF is going to refer to the newest version of the WoC army book. Which is available HERE, by the by, complete with some stunning interior illustrations and a glossy map of the Chaos Wastes.

Also, if you’d like your very own Ulfrgandr, you can get one HERE. He doubles as a paperweight.

Oh, and if you’d like to learn more about Valkia (who’s mentioned several times in Road of Skulls, as you might have noticed) why not grab a copy of Valkia the Bloody?

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them via the comments section here, Facebook, or Twitter. I will be happy to answer them in a forthright and honest manner.

Or I’ll attempt to sell you something. Maybe both.

New GOTREK & FELIX: ROAD OF SKULLS Review

Ed Fortune reviewed Gotrek & Felix: Road of Skulls for Starburst Magazine recently. And he seems to have liked it quite a bit, which is always a good thing. 

From the review:

The series has been around for well over a decade and currently spans four omnibus editions. Though initially written by William King and carried on by Nathan Long, the series was recently handed over to the extremely prolific and skilled Josh Reynolds, and the fans have collectively held their breath, hoping that the Reynolds could continue to deliver the sort of gritty, witty and action-packed monster-slaying action that the books are renowned for. The answer is not only yes, but in doing so he fixes a number of the issues that this long-running series has begun to develop.

To read the full review, head over to the Starburst Magazine site. To read an excerpt from the book, click here. And if you like what you see, why not give Road of Skulls a try for yourself?