S.E. Lindberg's Blog, page 51

S.E. Lindberg Interviewed by AL Butcher

Alex Butcher (a.k.a A L or Alexandra), authors fantasy fiction for adults. She kindly interviewed me this February, which is my official first interview! 


Library of Erana Interview - S E Lindberg
I am trying to corner AL Butcher for a counter-interview, to get her take on Beauty In Weird Fiction; she has an interesting milieu regarding Magic-Elf-Eroticism that would be great to learn more about.  

Actually, our stories will appear together this May in HEROIKA -- DRAGON EATERS (pre-order link). Check out this anthology of Heroes hunting their legendary foe across centuries!



HEROIKA -- DRAGON EATERS is an anthology of heroic fiction Edited by Janet Morris, featuring original stories by:
Seth (S.E.) Lindberg, Jack William Finley, Travis Ludvigson, Tom Barczak, Jp Wilder, Joe Bonadonna, Milton Davis, Alex Butcher, Will Hiles, M Harold Page, Walter Rhein, Cas Peace, Beth Waggoner Patterson, Bruce Durham, Mark Finn.
Heroes throughout history stalk their legendary foe: the Father of Alchemy entombs his own magic; dragons must not kill dragons; even a patron saint struggles when confronted by the mighty Wyght Worm; Hunting dragons, getting there is half the battle; mankind’s fate lies in a man, a child, and a dragon; holy warriors write their legend in the blood of dragons; the love of the innocent meets a dragon’s heart; one dragon hunter finds out the truth about feeding on dragon’s blood; one woman and two wolverines seek a dragon’s egg; cross the water and stop a new plague of dragons before it’s too late; bounty hunters pit their dirigible against a dragon and a flying castle; seven enemies unite to kill an ancient legend; In the bayou stews more than storm and alligators; remnants of the human race face their ultimate challenge in the bleak Arctic; when dinosaurs return, a squad of Rangers goes from dragon hunters to hunted. 

Grimdark's 1930 and 1980 Roots - Hyperborea Guest Blog

“You Are A Grim Hero”; topical highlights of Grimdark’s history (Zothique, Fighting Fantasy)April 2015, guest post by S.E. Lindberg on Hyperborea Blog – Francesco La Manno 
Many "Grimdark" fans seem young enough to miss some of this history. Thanks to Francesco La Manno for inviting me to discuss it. Wish I could read Italian to enjoy his other posts! BTW, the article is in English :).
As “Grimdark” matures and gathers traction, readers seem interested in defining its scope.  Many blog posts already cover the topic of “What is Grimdark,” including posts from champion Mark Lawrence (author of Prince of Thorns). This post will not try to disambiguated the boundary between overlapping/similar genres, but it will highlight a few books/topics that aficionado’s and newcomers should enjoy: 

1)  1930’s Grimdark/Sword & Sorcery: the oft-overlooked Clark Ashton Smith
2) 1980’s Grimdark/Sword & Sorcery: the origins of Grimdark stem from Game’s Workshop’s Fighting Fantasy series
Read more on: Hyperborea Guest Blog

Mad Shadows is Cozy Gothic Noir - Highly Recommended

Mad Shadows: The Weird Tales of Dorgo the Dowser by Joe Bonadonna
S.E. Lindberg rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mystery for the Horror Fan -- Cozy Gothic Noir Joe Bonadonna's Mad Shadows: The Weird Tales of Dorgo the Dowser is a great mashup of Horror/Fantasy/Film Noir. In Television terms, this would appeal to fans of the X-files, Supernatural, or Grim. Being a collection of tales, each serves as an episode. Expect: necromancy, mythogical creatures (i.e., all the hybrid horned creatures (satyrs, minotaur, etc.), pitted against our protagonist who is motivated to set things right (and make enough money to eat…and perhaps a sustained glance at a beautiful woman).

Gothic Noir: With the exception of one tale, Mad Shadows: The Weird Tales of Dorgo the Dowser proved to be more “Crime & Sorcery” than “Sword & Sorcery.” Dorgo is not an official constable or justice keeper, but he is hired layman with investigative skills and a magical dowsing rod which he uses on occasion -- much less than expected given his name “Dorgo the Dowser.” Bonadonna brands his Dorgo tales “Gothic Noir,” which is fitting. Despite the weirdness of Valdar city and the threatening necromancy that abounds, we know Dorgo will survive and resolve any case as surely as Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser did. Speaking of Leiber, Bonadonna call’s out Leiber as an influence; Bonadonna's style is unique but he delivers the same entertaining blend of weird adventure dosed with humor.

Episodes: All are stand alone reads, except for the last one (“Blood on the Moon”) which leans toward being a sequel to the “Black Diamond.” Without spoiling, the first four are set in Valdar, and the final two explore some “old” territory…and we learn a bit about Dorgo’s past.
1-Mad Shadows
2-The Secret Of Andaro’s Daughter
3-The Moonstones Of Sor Lunarum -- For T.C. Rypel fans, you’ll enjoy a call-out to his Gonji: Red Blade from the East.
4-The Man Who Loved Puppets
5-In The Vale Of The Black Diamond
6-Blood On The Moon (an extension of #5)

Orphan/Parent-Offspring Themes: The haunting dedication sets the stage for the themes of many of these stories: the dedication was extended to his parents and to “Mary Ellen Pettenon and the other 91 children and 3 nuns who became angles too soon in the Our Lady of Angels School Fire, December 1, 1958.” I learned on Facebook that Bonadonna is a long time Chicagoan, who was in the same school system and if his birthday was a few months different, he would have been in the building. In the book, we learn early on that Dorgo is an orphan, and many of the plots/character-motivations are based on family ties.

Echoes: Bonadonna’s Book of Echoes contribution to Azieran Adventures Presents Artifacts and Relics: Extreme Sorcery was so good I tracked this collection down, and enjoyed this. I suggest you track more Dorgo/Bonadonna down too:
Bonadonna’s Blog
Bonadonna’s Amazon Author Page


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Heroika Dragon Eaters - Pre-Orders

Heroes throughout history stalk their legendary foe! 


My short story Legacy of the Great Dragon  appears in HEROIKA -- DRAGON EATERS  along with fourteen tales of dragon hunting/consumption, each with a varied milieu & style (from an awesome set of authors). Recipes will be shared online from many of the authors, so get your gear on, hunt some dragon, and prepare to make a wild stew!  Or just pre-order the Kindle (Paperbacks to be available late May/early June).

HEROIKA -- DRAGON EATERS is an anthology of heroic fiction edited by Janet Morris and featuring original stories by:
Seth (S.E.) Lindberg, Jack William Finley, Travis Ludvigson, Tom Barczak, Jp Wilder, Joe Bonadonna, Milton Davis, Alex Butcher, Will Hiles, M Harold Page, Walter Rhein, Cas Peace, Beth Waggoner Patterson, Bruce Durham, Mark Finn.

Highly recommended heroic fantasy coming your way from Perseid Press! Kindle pre-order's available now. 


About the editor: Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. She has contributed short fiction to the shared universe fantasy series Thieves World, in which she created the Sacred Band of Stepsons, a mythical unit of ancient fighters modeled on the Sacred Band of Thebes. She created, orchestrated, and edited the Bangsian fantasy series Heroes in Hell, writing stories for the series as well as co-writing the related novel, The Little Helliad, with Chris Morris.

Audio Sample - Kathy Bell Denton Narrates Spawn of Dyscrasia

Audio Sampler of  Spawn of Dyscrasia :

Immerse yourself in the dark world of Dyscrasia FictionSpawn of Dyscrasia is now available as an audio book, narrated by Complimentary Review Copies!Review copies of all forms are available (Audible, Kindle, and Paperback). For files or promotional codes, just contact me via email (teamlinderg-at-gmail.com), on Dyscrasia Fiction on Facebook, or the Goodreads Sword & Sorcery group that I co-moderate. Thanks to all who already read, listened, and reviewed. 

Spawn is Audible!

Immerse yourself in the dark world of Dyscrasia FictionSpawn of Dyscrasia is now available as an audio book, narrated by 

Orcs vs Goblins - Groupread Apr-Mar 2015 on Goodreads

Please join the Sword and Sorcery Goodreads Group  as we have two groupreads this Mar-Apr 2015: two competing discussions actually...

Orcs  versus Goblins (and Worms too!)


Our default specific book is E.R. Eddison's The Worm Ouroboros, which has a type of Goblin featured.  Any Goblin or Orc Book will suffice...heck, some members are even discussing kobolds already as well. 
Cover Artist Credits L to R in the Banner:
1) Tim Lauten - Stan Nicholls's Orcs: Inferno (2012)
2) Barbara Remington E.R. Eddison's The Worm Ouroboros Ballantine Books (~1960)
3) Cheoljoo Lee - Guy Haley's Skarsnik (Warhammer-Black Library, 2013)
     

Untamed - Graphic Sword and Sorcery - 2015 Kickstarter

I just backed a the UNTAMED - Print Hardcover Kickstarter campaign  (started Feb-17...last until March something). A hardcover rendition of Stranger Comic's Untamed series. Very grim, artsy, Sword & Sorcery. The book will retail at $29.99, but as a Kickstarter Special, you can get it signed and shipped for $25. 

This combines the eBooks of Sebastian A. Jones Untamed series under one hardcover book:The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer #1, The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer #2, The Untamed #3,Dusu: Path of the Ancient #4, The Untamed #5...more I think...there should be 7 total

The first one was made into a Motion Graphic, on Youtube: ~11min (see embedded video). Watch it!

     

Stranger Comics  /    UNTAMED on Facebook

The IX, by Andrew Weston - New Release

Perseid Press has a great portfolio of Historical Fantasy and Fantasy Fiction including The Heroes In Hell Series and Sacred Band of Step Sons.  Below is the announcement for their most recent offering, a new take on the legendary missing Ninth Legion (available now):   
The IX, by Andrew Weston
If you like your science fiction fast paced and gritty, full of realistic action and dark humor in the face of overwhelming odds, then The IX is definitely the epic for you. 
Fans of Julian May’s “Saga of the Pliocene Exiles,” Robert Heinlein’s “Have Space Suit, Will Travel”, and Jerry Pournelle's “Janissaries Series” will love this tale. It combines the divergent elements of the past, present, and future, and blends them together into a slick and stylish package that will leave you breathless and hungry for more. 
The Must Read Science Fiction Adventure of 2015. Sometimes, death is only the beginning of the adventure...
Arden, home to a culture that has existed for thousands of years and which spans dozens of worlds. Regardless, their sophistication cannot prevent calamity at the hands of an unstoppable nemesis. Known only as the Horde, this enemy has proven relentless. They have not only stripped the outer colonies bare, but now threaten the existence of the entire Ardenese way of life.
Realizing there is nothing they can do to prevent the inevitable march toward extinction, the Ardenese governing body comes to a drastic decision. They gather together at their capital city, Rhomane, and place their remaining genetic heritage in a vast underground ark, in the care of an advanced AI construct called the Architect. Its mission? To use Rhomane’s dwindling reserves and safeguard their race by reaching out across time and space toward those who might be in a position to help reseed a devastated world at some time in the future.
Soldiers from varying eras and vastly different backgrounds find themselves snatched away from Earth at the moment of their passing and transported to the far side of the galaxy. Thinking they have been granted a reprieve, their relief turns to horror when they discover they face a stark ultimatum:Fight or die! Despite a host of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, this group of misfits manages to turn the tide against a relentless foe, only to discover the true cost of victory might exact a price they are unwilling to pay.

Andrew Weston - Author Website  / Author Blog /  Author page on Amazon /  Weston on Twitter  Andrew P Weston is a military and police veteran from the UK who now lives on the beautiful Greek island of Kos with his wife, Annette, and their growing family of rescue cats. A criminal law and astronomy graduate, he is a member of the British Science Fiction Association and British Fantasy Society, and is a contracted writer of both fiction and poetry for several publishing houses and a growing number of well established magazines. 

In his spare time, Andrew assists NASA on one of their research projects, and amazingly, still finds the time to submit regular educational articles for Amazing Stories and Astronaut.com. When not writing, Andrew enjoys holding his breath, being told what to do by his wife, and drinking Earl Grey Tea whilst dressed as Captain Jean Luc Picard. Make it so...

 

Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology - Review by S.E.

Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology by Milton J. Davis
S.E. Lindberg rating: 5 of 5 stars

Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology is an aptly named milestone in speculative fiction. Named after African storytellers who relied on the oral tradition (griots), this anthology marks the initial growth of the sub-genre “Sword & Soul.” Charles R. Saunders is credited with starting the sub-genre with his Imaro tale (Imaro Series). Imaro broke the mold of adventure fantasy with Saunders being the primary champion. With Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology, Milton J. Davis leads a troop of authors to expand the front. Saunders contributes the introduction for this as well as the capping tale. An excerpt reveals the Saunders’s motivation and the original scope of Sword & Soul:

Robert E. Howard and his contemporaries were products of their time. Racism, in the form of white supremacy, was an integral part of the popular culture of the early decades of the twentieth century, and as such it pervaded pulp fiction. As a product of a later time during which the tenets of racism came under vigorous challenge, my enjoyment of fiction from past decades was often compromised by the racial attitudes I encountered in my reading. On some occasions, I simply let it slide. On others, I wrestled with resentment. Then I discovered a way to resolve my dilemma.

Interest in African history and culture surged during the 1960s, and at the same time I was reading sword-and-sorcery and fantasy fiction, I was also absorbing heretofore-unknown information about a continent that was not “dark” as its detractors made it out to be. I realized that this non-stereotypical Africa of history and legend was just as valid a setting for fantasy stories as was the ancient and medieval Europe that served as the common default setting for everything from Conan to Lord of the Rings. A character came into my head then: Imaro, a black man who could stand alongside mythical warrior-heroes like Beowulf and Hercules, as well as fictional creations such as Conan and Kull.

There are 14 varied contributions. A large portion deal with the coming-of-age of the protagonist. Some suffer from too-powerful heroes or overly ambitious scopes (i.e. a few did not feel stand alone, reading as non-identified excerpts or poorly contained plots). My favorites tales were:

Awakening by Valjeanne Jeffers: A coming-of-age tale about a feisty heroine; nice sword & sorcery.

Skin Magic by P. Djeli Clark: a dose of Lovecraftian horror and aesthetic magic make this desert journey very entertaining.

The Belly of The Crocodile by Minister Faust, a vulgar, first-person perspective of a fantastic tale.

The General’s Daughter by Anthony Nana Kawmu: a trip to the Underworld, a warrior goes to save a loved one from death.

The Queen, The Demon, and The Mercenary Ronald Jones’s battling, demonic armies = engrossing sorcery and battle.

The Three-Faced One: Charles R. Saunders’s Imaro tale demonstrates the best storytelling, from its tapping into African history/myth coupled with excellent pacing and gripping style.

More Sword & Soul: Milton J. Davis leads MVMedia which is churning out more Griots (i.e Griots: Sisters of the Spear) and a host of other Sword & Soul media, from Young Adult novels to Video Games! Check out their offerings at the (MVMedia Website and Facebook page for Sword & Soul.

Quibbles: I read the Kindle version which had two outages: (1) Scene breaks were not marked; hence, paragraphs from different scenes that should have had an additional return/space or a marker, instead ran together; this leads to repeated confusion in several stories; (2) There are credits for many artists, but there is no art in the Kindle or even alternate text.

Recommendation: New to Sword & Soul? I recommend reading either version of Charles R. Saunders's Imaro. Then it would be a coin toss continue with either (a) Imaro:2 (The Quest for Cush) or (b) branching out to find like-minded authors with very different styles with Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology.



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