New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine: Issue #0

New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine #0

by Oliver Brackenbury, Nat Webb, Jordan Douglas Smith

A brand new sword & sorcery short fiction magazine featuring brand new fiction, articles, interviews, reviews, and original illustrations!

Stories include:
The Curse of the Horsetail Banner by Dariel R.A. Quiogue
The Ember Inside by Remco van Straten & Angeline B. Adams
Old Moon Over Irukad by David C. Smith
The Beast of the Shadow Gum Trees by T,K. Rex
Vapors of Zinai by J.M. Clarke
The Grief-Note of Vultures by Bryn Hammond

Articles include:
The Origin of the New Edge by Howard Andrew Jones
C.L. Moore and Jirel of Joiry: The First Lady of Sword & Sorcery by Cora Buhlert
Sword & Soul - An Interview with Milton Davis
The Outsider in Sword & Sorcery by Brian Murphy
Gender Performativity in Howard's "Sword Woman" by Nicole Emmelhainz
The Obanaax and Other Tales of Heroes and Horrors, a review by Robin Marx
What is New Edge Sword & Sorcery? by Oliver Brackenbury

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Short Stories, Fiction

82 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2022

About the author

My name is Oliver Brackenbury. I’m a screenwriter & author. I grew up around the corner from a five story deep cold war bunker, as one does, and can now be found living not far from a popular 1,815.4 ft tower in Toronto.

My first novel, JUNKYARD LEOPARD, was released through the Bad Day Books imprint of Assent Publishing. The book trailer and more can be found at www.junkyardleopard.com

I’m currently working on my third novel, a sword & sorcery short story cycle, and am putting out a podcast about my work on it. You can check that out at www.soimwritinganovel.com or by searching for "So I'm Writing a Novel..." wherever you get your podcasts.

Reviews

[Adam McPhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. Bryn Hammond's story The Grief-Note of Vultures was the standout fiction work for me, she painted such a big world in so little space that it left me wanting to more. Good action and great atmosphere. Really need to track down more of her work.

When I heard this publication was in the works, I sort of worried a bit about what would fill the non-fiction section, as sword and sorcery is a cool concept yet also a somewhat limited remit. But the essays are good, and offer a nice mix of looking backwards on the genre's past as well as exploring current offerings (need to look up Kirk Johnson's Obanaax for sure).

Looking forward to see what this New Edge is capable of in the future.

[Jason Ray Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a compelling new sword and sorcery magazine that (1) pays homage to the traditional tropes of sword and sorcery, (2) artfully tests the literary boundaries of the genre, and (3) provides insight into the genre's literary history and themes with intriguing and well-wrought scholarship. All of the fiction is skillfully written and even literary at times. Let me highlight a few of my favorite stories. Dariel R.A. Quiogue's "The Curse of the Horsetail Banner" is amazing, an excting tale of a haunted war trophy and the evil machinations of a shapeshifting sorcerer/troll. David C. Smith's "Old Moon Over Irukad" is a compelling story of a haunted crypt, skullduggery betrayal, and bloodthirsty vampire demons. J.M. Clarke's "Vapors of Zinai" feature a humorous, deadly, and distinctive sword and sorcery hero, Kyembe the Sengezian (I really want to read more of this hero's exploits). He battles a demonic murderer summoned by an insane priest. The fiction is amply illustrated throughout. Morgan King's illustration is my favorite. It features the above-mentioned Kyembe slaughtering a sorcerer in an ultra violent fashion. Hardeep Aujula's illustration of Quiogue's piece is really intriguing as well, more traditional in style and truly of the story it illustrates. The nonfiction ranges from brief penseés, such as Howard Andrew Jones's "The Origin of the New Edge," to Brian Murphy's "The Outsider in Sword & Sorcery" (both are very interesting). There is a long and quite dense interview with Milton Davis, the creator of "Sword and Soul" fiction (14 pages). Nicole Emmelhainz's essay, "Gender Performativity in Sword and Sorcery" is great, academic-lite prose (eg, she discusses Judith Butler) that makes us consider S&S's feminist credentials. Cora Buhlert's essay of literary history gets my vote for the best scholarly piece. It's an informed, thoughtful, and detailed account of C.L. Moore's situation in the sword and sorcery canon. S&S history enthusiasts will find a lot of value in this one. The design and layout is a pulp homage, I think, and so works for me. The pages are magazine-sized (not digest) and the text is three columns per page. Consequently, there is a lot more here than the 80 page count might suggest. To generalize and summarize: a great magazine. I'll definitely return to it. I look forward to future issues. This is a robust miscellany, a true grassroots love letter to the genre: new fiction, reviews, scholarship, art, interviews.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oliver Brackenbury has a good appreciation for the genre of sword-and-sorcery fantasy literature (of the sort that forms the foundation of the Appendix N of Gary Gygax), but notes that traditional sword-and-sorcery is not always the most inclusive or diverse. This is a sort of experimental "issue #0" of a new wave of sword-and-sorcery - a "new edge" of the blade - with more inclusive and progressive values. And the stories are VERY good. I really hope there will be more issues in the future!

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine, Volume 1, #0. Edited by Oliver Brackenbury, Cover by Gilead.
This is issue 0 of a new sword & sorcery magazine, distributed in eformat and PDF for free, or sold for a little over 3 dollars in print format on Amazon. I picked up the print version. As a magazine rather than an anthology, it contains nonfiction articles as well as short stories. The stories are clustered up front, with the nonfiction more toward the back, and I found myself liking that format.

New Edge Sword & Sorcery is a term still undergoing a “shakedown.” In other words, it’s still finding its ultimate definition. According to Brackenbury, who has an essay on the concept at the end of the magazine, New Edge continues the older traditions of the “outsider protagonist,” “thrilling energy,” and “weirdness” while adding “inclusivity” and a strong support for “new works” in the field. This includes a greater inclusion of women authors and authors of color, as well as those who do not fit neatly into standard gender and lifestyle dichotomies. What I’m most concerned with here, however, are the stories and the information. Did I enjoy them as stories and essays? Below are my thoughts.

First up is a story by Dariel R. A. Quiogue, a Philippines based writer. “The Curse of the Horsetail Banner” was an excellent choice to start the anthology because this is a very strong tale—both well written and exciting. As the name of the protagonist suggests—Orhan Timur—this tale is set in a pseudo Mongolian/Tibetan milieu. The writing really puts you into the cold, snowy climate as Timur flees from pursuers who want him dead, and finds a potential way to regain his lost position as Khagan, khan of khans. I’ve bought a book by Quiogue featuring this character, which I hope to get to soon.

Story 2 is “The Ember Inside” by Remco van Straten and Angeline B. Adams. Very interesting story in that it features a “storyteller” as the primary hero. There’s a twist as to how the stories get told, however, and I won’t reveal the surprise. The main character, Ymke, is not, to my mind, a completely sympathetic character, although her life has certainly given her some tough choices. She is certainly a complex character. There are elements of Ymke that remind me of Robert E. Howard’s Dark Agnes.

“Old Moon over Irukad” is next and is a real treat. The tale features Edrion and Virissa, sword companions who are hired for a questionable job that pays good gold, but are then betrayed. Not a good idea to betray this pair. The story is by David C. Smith, an old hand at sword & sorcery who became known in the late 1970s and early 1980s for his tales of Oron. I’ve been a fan of his since those days. This is a fun story written by a master.

“The Beast of the Shadow Gum Trees” by T. K. Rex, is definitely the weirdest story here. It’s certainly fantasy but only on the fringes of sword & sorcery. But it’s an enjoyable tale and the prose is extraordinary. I would have enjoyed reading this just for the prose, but the tale itself is quite good. An old being named “Moth,” who is not human but some type of minor nature god it seems, mourns the loss of his love and plans to let himself die. Turns out, he has one more task to perform, in a land far away. There’s a lot of feeling in this one and I was touched by the ending.

“Vapors of Zinai” is by J. M. Clarke. I’m not all that familiar with the “sword & soul” subgenre of S&S but I believe this one might fit there. It features a warrior/sorcerer as the protagonist, a man named Kyembe. Despite the setting in a sort of Alternate Egypt, this is—in many ways—one of the most traditional stories in the magazine. Kyembe is warrior in the Conan, Kane, Imaro tradition. I really enjoyed the character and have picked up another anthology with a Kyembe tale in it. I got a big kick out of the ending to this one. That last line is pure entertainment.

“The Grief-Note of Vultures” is next, by Bryn Hammond. Excellent title, but I have to admit I didn’t quite understand this story. It’s written in a very unusual style, a unique style certainly, and one that might take some familiarity with to become fully comfortable in the tale. (I had the same issue with Glen Cook’s Black Company books at first and came to love those.) I think it was probably the style that kept me from becoming fully immersed in this story.

After “Grief-Note,” there’s a short essay by Howard Andrew Jones on the “Origin of the New Edge.” This was interesting to me since I had very little knowledge of how it came about. (I’ve mostly been writing westerns and modern westerns for the last 3 years.)

Immediately after comes “C. L. Moore and Jirel of Joiry: The First lady of Sword & Sorcery” by Cora Buhlert. I’m a huge fan of Moore’s work, especially the Jirel and Northwest Smith tales, which have all the adventure you could want but also seem to have a little something more written into their characterizations. I’ve also written an essay talking about Moore’s work, so I didn’t learn a lot of new information from this essay, but it was fun to revisit some of this information. I did learn more about Moore’s post-Jirel work and appreciated that. A good essay.

We have an interview with Milton Davis up next, conducted by Brackenbury. I learned a lot of new information here. Davis’s name pops up frequently in recent conversations about new fantasy. He is firmly associated with the sword & soul moniker and was influenced to some extent by the 1970s and 1980s work of Charles Saunders, one of the first African Americans to put his unique stamp on sword & sorcery. I learned some things about Saunders, who I much admire.

Another article, “The Outsider in Sword & Sorcery,” is up next, by Brian Murphy. A short treatise on the role of the outsider in S&S. Interesting and enjoyable.

Nicole Emmelhainz produces the next essay, which is “Gender Performativity in Howard’s ‘Sword Woman.’” This piece examines Howard’s Dark Agnes stories at some length, focusing on gender issues. Emmelhainz is a professor and this work certainly has an academic feel to it. As an academic myself, I quite appreciated it. This is something we might have run in The Dark Man, which I’ve been occasionally an assistant editor for. I thought the ending here, which talks about how modern authors can still learn some things from writers such as Robert E. Howard, was even handed, open minded, and powerful. It was also appreciated.

Magazines often have reviews and toward the end here we have a review of “The Obanaax and Other Tales of Heroes and Horrors” by Kirk Johnson. The review is written by Robin Marx. Not having read this book, there’s not much I can say. Marx seemed to enjoy it.

Finally, we have Brackenbury’s essay on “What is New Edge Sword & Sorcery,” which I’ve already mentioned earlier. I thought this was a really entertaining first issue for this new magazine. I was happy to see it since I would really love to see a sword & sorcery revival, given that I’ve written quite a bit of the stuff myself. I recommend it. For more information, check out their Facebook page under the same name, and I also understand there’s a Kickstarter launching soon, which I will support. I hope the quality of the work shown here continues.

[Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whaddya know, I ended up reading two free manifestos for Christmas? Oliver Brackenbury's mission statement for a proposed third wave of sword and sorcery bursts onto the scene with an energy befitting its iron-thewed protagonists, with old hands like David C. Smith, and indie talent like Dariel Quiogue and Bryn Hammond. Not sure about putting literally all the non-fic in the latter half, seeing as how I think Howard Andrew Jones' intro might have been a very nice opening salvo, but I certainly understand wanting to let the prose speak for itself.

It's interesting that both Quiogue and Hammond opt for a (to my understanding unrelated) faux Eurasian steppe setting, with wholly divergent -- yet successful! -- results. Quiogue's Curse of the Horse-Tail Banner might well have been a spin-off of Subotai, archer and thief, in his own conqueror phase. I could simply hear Mako narrate this from his mound. As a Milius-hoe, this is one of the highest compliments I can bestow.

Hammond's Grief-Note of Vultures, though not without action or monsters, is a more contemplative affair, with whole empires, cultures and traditions sketched in brief asides without feeling like diversions into lore codex entries. Sumptuous is the word; a truly lived-in world populated with characters weathered yet capable of deep feeling. Goatskin gang!

Special shout-out to Vapors of Sinai, the entry with the most WWE energy (complimentary) of the lot. What if... a cool guy fucked up bad dudes and was a hit with the ladies??? Tell me more...

Special special shout-out to Nicole Emmelhainz's "Gender Performativity in REH's Sword Woman," an essay which first sent me to (finally) check out the adventures of Dark Agnes, then had me nodding my head in enthusiastic Jack Nicholson sicko mode as I agreed with every point.

I have cut myself on this... New Edge... and its curse is in my blood now... expect more magazine reviews here soon!

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s well past time I did a review of this. This is a project I support. I’m in favor of any project that brings voices to the table for my favorite genre. At the time of writing this review, there is a Kickstarter to fund issues 1 and 2. It’s at about 80% funding. I’m a backer. I would love to see it funded at 100%+. If you support new S&S, I implore you to back it at whatever level you are fiscally comfortable with.

As to issue #0. It is nearly a 50/50 mix of fiction and non-fiction. I’m of the “Give Me Great Non-Fiction Works that Explore and Open My Eyes to the Genre”; and I’m happy to say the included essays do just that. I’m very happy.

However, not all readers will be. I feel I’m a minority. I am of the opinion that many, if not most, readers want fiction and do not care for nonfiction. My belief is that NESS must decide what kind of publication it wants to be. The wise move would be less essays and more fiction. This saddens me, as I like the 50/50 mix, but success is the key. It must appeal. Save those essays for bonus issues.

As to the fiction: it was pretty good. There were no standouts for me, but there were no clunkers either. I can see the fiction improving as more submissions continue to come in.

In short: give this issue a go and if you like what you read, or at least view the potential, back the Kickstarter.

[Gregory Mele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun new work that seeks to show that sword and sorcery is alive and well, and can be more than 'Thud and Blunder' or regressive, adventure fiction.

Beautifully produced with excellent internal art, this 'Volume Zero' succeeds more than not. Structurally, the fiction and essays are separate, and I think that although this works, moving Howard Andrew Jones' short piece on what 'New Edge S&S' is would have made the entire magazine feel more cohesive.

Of the various offerings, they are mixed in quality and tone. "The Curse of the Horsetail Banner' by Dariel R.A. Quiogue is a solid, Asiatic tale about a recurring character, essentially a Mongol chieftain in a secondary world. This one is a bit over-the-top at the end, but Quiogue is a solid writer and his work is reminiscent of Harold Lamb's Cossack tales, just with fantastical elements. "Vapors of Zinai" by J.M. Clarke was my favorite tale, an African adventure with a not-entirely-human hero caught between the machinations of the high priest and priestess of two different deities -- who are also spouses. Very fun and I hope to see more of this character. David C. Smith is a giant of 70s and 80s S&S and "Old Moon Over Irukad" is another solid entry, although here I feel that he makes both of his characters, a swordswoman and warrior, respectively, gay for little reason other than to fit the magazine's goal of showing modern S&S's inclusivity. Essentially, the characters' sexuality is irrelevant to the story, especially the man's, and gets wedged in at start and finish and was just distracting.

Sexual identity and the abuse of women is far more central to "The Ember Inside" by Remco van Straten & Angeline B. Adams, which is a well-crafted, low fantasy story...that doesn't belong in this magazine. Straten and Adams have written an entire collection "The Red Man and Others" that is about fitting issues of queerness and disability into traditional S&S. As someone who spent months living in a wheelchair, came close to living in it permanently, and has permanent pain and damage as a daily reminder, I appreciate what they are seeking to do. Having said that, my take here is the same as it was with their collection: much of what they write is well-suited to modern fantasy magazines like FANTASY or LIGHTSPEED or UNCANNY, especially the latter. They are good writers, but unless Sword & Sorcery now merely means 'low fantasy,' I think we are bending the definition of S&S too far to really include their work under that banner, for reasons having nothing to do with their inclusion of queer or disabled characters.

"The Beast of the Shadow Gum Trees" by T. K. Rex is another story that feels very much out-of-place but was enjoyable to read, feeling more like an update of the works of a Nancy Springer than a Karl Edward Wagner.

"The Grief-Note of Vultures" by Bryn Hammond is not an easy ready -- her writing style is a bit idiosyncratic and challenging -- but worth the effort, and was a good wrap to the fiction.

The essays were all solid, my preferences being for Cora Buhlert's look at the life of C. L. Moore and Brima Murphy's discussion of the role of the Outsider archetype in S&S lit. The interview with Milton Davis is fantastic but long -- over 20 pages -- and dominates too much real estate in something this size. I think another couple of pieces or an editing of what was presented, might have created better balance.

All in all a good first outing and I'd certainly be happy to see more.

[Leigh Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great blend of stories coupled with fascinating non-fiction articles about the sword & sorcery genre makes for a very good read - looking forward to more!

[James T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a really hard time deciding a rating for this debut issue of New Edge magazine. I really wish GR had 1/2 stars because 3 seems a bit too low and 4 a bit too high.

Firstly, for those unaware, New Edge is another entry into the burgeoning Sword and Sorcery revival scene. This magazine ethos is centered on having more diverse characters and cultural influences, and it succeeds at this in spades.

As this is a pilot I'll give my detailed thoughts below. I enjoyed it, and hope that the crowdfunded issues 1 & 2 happen and would absolutely read them, but I did find this first issue a bit rough around the edges and the balance of essays compared to short stories a bit too heavily favoring the essays. That's personal preference, as literary criticism is really not my thing, but I think one or two more short stories and one or two fewer essays would have been the right balance.

Fiction

The Curse of the Horesetail Banner by Dariel Quiogue. I've really liked what I've read of Dariel's in Whetstone and Rakehell. I still need to read his self published work. He combines Sword and Sorcery with Asian influences the way that Charles Saunders and Milton Davis combined Sword and Sorcery with African influences to create Sword and Soul. I liked this story, though not as much as others I've read by Dariel. There's a lot of exposition/world building that I think should have either been cut to give the story a bit more alacrity, or the story should have been a bit longer to allow these introduced elements to blossom. All in all I still liked it. Also, the companion art piece is phenomenal and really belongs on the cover of a heavy metal album. Just awesome. As is all the art in this magazine.

The Ember Inside by Remco van Straten & Angeline B. Adams. I liked the opening vibe the beginning of this story created but found what followed after, though a very cool idea, a little unfulfilling. I think this story could have benefited from a bit more action. Also the companion art is excellent and there are several pieces. A solid story, but a little flat for my tastes.

Old Moon Over Irukad by David C. Smith. I think there's a huge opportunity for an LGBT S&S series. Something that is to the LGBT community what Imaro is to African-Americans. This story feels like a LGBT Fafhrd and Gray Mouser. Which is a great idea! I think these could really resonate with people and if this series becomes serialized I could see it being a hit. The characters really land, but I think the story is a bit forgettable. I read a lot of the small press S&S publications, and though the characters I think are there, and there is one cool twist in the story, it doesn't quite stand out against the pack. I think this has huge potential and would want to see the author give these two rogues another story! Also, once again, stunning companion art.

The Beast of the Shadow Gum Trees by T.K. Rex. I have to be honest, I know people nitpick way too much about what is and isn't sword and sorcery, but this really doesn't seem to fall into the genre to me. It feels like capital F fantasy before it was subdivided. But I think that critique is ultimately irrelevant. I thought this was a fantastic story. The prose was beautiful and it was deeply touching. I think its the most well written of the bunch. I'm glad this story found a home I'm just not sure this is the right home for it. Also, again, cool art.

Vapors of Zinai by JM Clarke. Man I loved this one. It's a Sword and Soul story and a heck of tale. It's got everything you want in a good S&S story. It's roguish, a bit racy, very witty and just has a great sense of adventure. I've also read the author's story in a Book of Blades and thought it was equally fantastic. I think he has huge potential and could be a big deal in both the Sword and Sorcery and Sword and Soul worlds. A fun piece of art

The Grief-Note of Vultures by Bryn Hammond. I thought this story was really imaginative and its use of Steppe culture influences very fresh. I liked it but did find it a bit heavy on exposition and light on action. That being said, I think it was good, and would love to see more from this author. I just thought the balance was a tad off. Also great art which accompanies the very cool monsters in this story.

Non-Fiction

Howard Andrew Jones has brief blurb that is concise and feels like a nice forward, though it comes more than halfway through the issue.

Huge Award Winner Cora Buhlert has an excellent essay on C.L. Moore. I love both Jirel of Jorey and NW Smith so I found this very interesting. Her interpretation of the Jirel stories is also very thought provoking. Would love to see her as a regular essayist in the magazine.

I've heard the interview with Milton Davis on the editor's podcast before, but if you haven't you're in for a treat. Milton does awesome work.

Brian Murphy's essay on how S&S always has an outside protagonist is interesting.

Nicole Emmelhainz essay on REH's Dark Agnes is thoughtful and very academic. Admittedly, Howard's historicals never entirely connected with me. I think I just need the magic. To me historical fiction feels like sword and sorcery but someone forgot to add the spice. So I've read the stories she's referencing in her essay, but I'm not overly attached to them.

Robin Marx review the Obaanaax is a nice reminder I still need to pick up a copy of that book.

Finally we get a nice closing letter from the editor.

All the non-fic stuff is thoughtful, but as someone who is more interested in stories than literary criticism it was bit too much for a single issue of a magazine for me. Maybe if there had been one or two more short stories it wouldn't have felt as overwhelming to me.

Overall, I liked this debut issue. I just think a couple stories could have used just a bit more pizazz to jump of the page and grab you the way a good S&S yarn does. Still everything is solid. Nothing is remotely bad.

I'd definitely be onboard for a second issue. The magazine is available for cheap, so if you're a genre fan you'd be doing yourself a disservice not picking it up. But as someone who reads a lot of small press S&S I was a tiny bit underwhelmed. But it was a test issue and I'm excited to see what a second issue can do. It is a solid start and I hope this review doesn't come off as too negative.

[serfraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely radical. I love that this magazine exists and look forward to reading more.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something for everyone. Standout pieces for me: Dariel Quiogue's excellent Curse of the Horsetail Banner, and Cora Buhlert's very nice bio of C.L. Moore. I also vastly appreciated that Bryn Hammond introduced me to the joys of roast wild donkey, the genre's greatest universal truth since the riddle of steel.

[Matthew X Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems every few years or so, sword and sorcery goes and tries to reinvent itself, rebrand itself, see if it can’t get a new generation of readers and writers. As someone who has spent more than a little time reading, writing, and publishing sword-and-sorcery – I get it. There can be a sense of toiling in the shadows of giants (while also fighting against a general disposition to view swords-and-and-sorcery as some lesser version of fantasy fiction – more thud and blunder than literary, and maybe not offering much in the way of cognitive nutrition. Okay – but dammit, sometimes a body just wants to be entertained, and that’s okay as well.

Evidently – this concept of a New Edge grew out of a discord discourse about what could be done to help revitalize the genre, maybe shed some of the old tired tropes and predilections of the past, and help the genre move forward into the 21st century. They are hardly the only ones, but kudos to the editors for bringing more voices to the table. Part of the result is this, the inaugural issue of New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine. It is a decent sized volume, featuring six new pieces of fiction as well as seven non-fiction articles that any aficionado would do well to sink their teeth into. Some spoilers follow as to the fiction pieces.

The Curse of the Horsetail Banner by Daniel R.A. Quirogue – A khan betrayed by his blood brother discovers that an ancient tomb has been desecrated, a banner stolen, and a curse unleashed on the land. What follows is a tale of curses and sorcerers and dark magic… and the persistence and stamina of the main character which may be his greatest virtue.

What makes this story unique (other than the departure from your typical Euro-centric Western fantasy) is the central character’s moral dilemma when it comes to the object of the quest. Does he take the banner for himself and assemble a host such has only been seen once before? Or does he return the banner to its rightful resting place and lift the curse from the land? It is this central moral quandry that helps elevate this particular story, and leaves the reader wondering what choice they would make in that situation.

The Ember Inside by Remco van Straten and Angeline B. Adams – Ymke, a writer, or at least a storyteller of one kind or another, is invited to meet with a like-minded individual- a one Sigismond, evidently because he misses the company of other “literary minded individuals.” However, Sigismond is less interested in sharing craft tips as he is to plunge Ymke into a dreamscape and plunder her dreams. What follows is an exploration of a life-not-lived, the alternative branch of choices not taken or maybe simply what happens when a coin lands on heads and not tails. How different would Ymke become as a result? While it made for an interesting tale, by the end I found the tale somewhat lacking. the way the dream scape worked, the way the story resolved at the end – it left me wondering “What are the stakes here? What is the danger? What does Ymke stand to gain? What might she lose?” While the ending, and Sigismond’s fate, did bring a smile to my face, the fact that at the end most of the story was little more than a dream left me feeling unfilled as a reader, and wanting more. I want to see Ymke in her native element, the way she is now, and felt like I received little more than a taste of that within the story.

Old Moon Over Irukad by David C. Smith – a pair of adventurers – Virissa and Edrion – agree to take on a commission. A simple enough job to escort a man to a tomb and stand guard while he retrieves a certain scroll from within. There is a twist to the plan, but it isn’t one that comes as any great surprise. There is a good sense of the weight of history within the story, of old secrets and older evil buried just under the surface. Virissa and Edrion make for a decent pair of rogues, and it would be interesting to see where else their adventures take them.

The Beast of the Shadow Gum Trees by T.K. Rex – An ecological allegory wrapped in a fantasy story, of how the only constant in life is change. Moth is an engaging character, as I am always intrigued by how writers handle characters who have prolonged lifespans, and who they end up seeing the world around them. It might be too bold to state this acts as a meditation on love and loss and the process of letting go… but there is a bit of that as well. The action, however, is muted, but it provides a different take on a guardian of wild places than what one usually sees.

Vapors of Zinai by J.M. Clarke – A tale of an itinerant wanderer, dark magic, old gods and foul demons – so you know this one is like catnip for me. Set in an analogous Africa, it follows Kyembe of Sengezi and how he comes to be employed by the Priestess Takhat to slay a demon. Clarke does a masterful job of setting up competing interests and factions through the course of the story and manages to give enough of a taste of the world (objects of power, gods and demons, named warriors out for hire) to leave the reader wanting to delve deeper into the lore behind the story. The final battle with the demon Kyembe is pitted against is appropriately danger wrought, and the resolution does not merely rely on Kyembe’s strength of arm, but also his wits.

The Grief-Note of Vultures by Bryn Hammond – What happens when a caravan is forced to take shelter from monstrous vultures? How do you battle something that refuses to die? If it is a curse, is it one that can be lifted? A great story where the main character, Angaj-Duzmat, gets by on her wits and her knowledge, and is able to carry the day, and where what seems like a just and fit punishment ripples through the years to create new atrocities. Again, there is a strong sense of a broader world and a consistent set of rules applied that hints to some deep world building by Hammond. However, she does a fantastic job of using it to inform the story, rather than hitting the reader with it.

The non-fiction pieces also deserve a special mention, with my two favorites being Cora Buhlert’s profile of C.L. Moore and Nicole Emmelhaniz’s deep dive into Robert E. Howard’s Dark Agnes.

[Lyndon]

Only 2 of the 6 stories were S&S, imo, and they were both fairly well done. The other 4 entries were not to my tastes, and a couple of them were hard to follow, sort of experimental, I'd say. Didn't read the non-fiction articles. Probably won't pick up another issue of the magazine because I'm not their target reading audience I don't believe. Best wishes to the editor and project and all those involved but not for me.

[em]

pretty good! standouts for me were "the beast of the shadow gum trees" (t.k. rex) and "the grief-note of vultures" (bryn hammond). love the b&w illustrations throughout; i especially appreciate the artist who went all out trying to depict the human corpse sledding scene from "vapors of zinai". metal.

looking forward to future issues for sure.

[Dan Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful quality of stories.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This issue was mostly disappointing, full of works filled with mediocre overlong writings. It was somewhat redeemed by some excellent non-fiction works, which include~
1. Cora Buhlert's essay "C.L.Moore and Jirel of Joiry: The First Lady of Sword & Sorcery";
2. Brian Murphy's "The Outsider in Sword & Sorcery";
3. Nicole Emmelhainz's "Gender Performativity in Howard's 'Sword Woman'";
I was also impressed by the review penned by Robin Marx, which emboldened me to park 'The Obanaax' in the Cart.
The interview with Milton Davis is historically significant and deserves special attention.
On the 'fiction' side, except R.A. Quiogue's "The Curse of the Horsetail Banner", none were good. I hope that Quiogue would continue the adventures of Orhan Timur in future.

Overall, the editors need to sharpen their axes and infuse some humour in the vein. Otherwise, this stuff wouldn’t survive on the 'edge' and would go into the chasm.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bringing experimentation and inclusiveness to a classic but sometimes maligned subgenre, this new magazine is really exciting. The stories are of uneven quality, but all are entertaining and have good pace. And there's a first-rate book review by Robin Marx and a fascinating essay about C.L. Moore (by Cara Buhlert) among other nonfiction morsels. Issue zero is free, so check it out-- highly recommended

[Javier A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really should have sat down to write this earlier. The inaugural issue of New Edge Sword & Sorcery (NESS) is delightful and just what I was looking for after years of being an ardent Sword and Sorcery enthusiast, containing a refreshing ensemble of new stories with a bent towards inclusivity and pushing the genre forward and non-fiction articles that reminds us of the genre's history as well as where it may be headed.

The non-fiction articles are well-written, interesting, and unexpectedly austere in their composition as well as the way they dialogue with genre. The interview with the editor further illuminates the genre definition at play and how they have approached their attempt at expanding it.

The fiction is arguably an even bigger draw, and I do not think it disappoints in the slightest. The efficacious worldbuilding, clever use of characterization, and well-considered conflict of *The Grief-Note of Vultures* by Bryn Hammond makes it my favorite out of the bunch. The prose is, at times, a bit too terse for my tastes, but I otherwise found it an excellent read. The aforementioned story only barely edges out *The Beast of The Shadow Gum Trees* by T.K. Rex as my favorite, but the latter is a startlingly beautiful story full of impassioned grief, astounding wonder, and remarkable hope. The other offerings are still great, but I felt the need to highlight those two in particular.

I recommend this magazine to essentially every S&S enthusiast who isn't a mal actor. This first issue is also available for free, so if you're at all curious take a gander at it online.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to treat high-sounding literary movements with eyerolls proportional to their name, and unfortunately "New Edge" has that air of deliberately edgy branding. So to speak.

But after reading it and especially the essays, the meaning becomes clear: put a new edge on it, cleaning it of what is not essential and encouraging the diversity of storytelling that prevents the genre from going into a rut. I see the point. Also, so to speak.

Issue Zero as a trial run has that proof-of-concept feel, which is only reinforced by the POD version being a full 8x11 binding, meaning special shelving in the bookcase. This leads to oddities such as the reader finishing "Vapors of Zinai" (where a highlight has the protagonist sledding down a sandy incline on the broken body of the evil wizard) and turning the corner to the very literary analysis "Gender Performativity in Howard’s ‘Sword Woman.’” (which uses the word "Performativity"). Big tent, is what I'm saying.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fiction highlights for me are “Old Moon Over Irukad” by David C. Smith and “The Grief-Note of Vultures” by Brynn Hammond. The short note from Howard Andrew Jones is a great piece to get a better understanding of “New Edge” and the article on C.L. Moore and Jirel of Joiry was excellent. This is free digitally, so no reason not to read it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the "Issue #0" moniker fool you. This may have been a practice run for the editor/publisher, but it's got high quality writing in it!

Like Issue #1, there was one story that didn't completely suit my tastes, but it wasn't bad at all, and the rest were excellent!

Looking forward to future issues.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little collection of new Sword and Sorcery. I particularly loved contributions of T. K Rex and Bryn Hammond. The editors do a great job of highlighting works by and about marginalized and queer communities that are absent in more classics Sword and sorcery. I know they've gone on Kickstart and some additional issues, and I'll definitely be checking them out.

[Tôpher Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Sword and Sorcery introductory issue. Came away with some new S&S names to look up. Large format, well illustrated with some corking stories and interviews. Good value. I shall be looking up further issues.

[Michael]

Not my jam.

[Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the project, but unfortunately the works are pretty poor. I only enjoyed one out of the six stories. Some of them are straight word salads, because the author tries to fit a whole lot of world building and history and action into 7 or 8 pages. The writing styles are inconsistent within the same works. Most of it is really messy and takes a tone of someone attempting olde english literary grammar but with modern words. I don’t know how much editing was done but it was not enough. And most unfortunate of all, I didn’t really care for any of the stories. It’s hard to fit this genre which needs deep exploration of a new world into a short story. In general the authors are trying to do too much here.

Other than that, the nonfiction works at the end are interesting. I don’t like the three column formatting. And the cover illustration is just comically hideous. I hope to see this mag improve

[Justin Alferman · Rating 3 out of 5]

4/5 solid stories where I can definitely find myself reading more about the characters.

I found some of the articles and stories to include social issues that felt forced, as in it didn't add anything to the complexity of the story.

[aja · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this! there wasn't a single story included in this that i didn't like. we had two mongolian-inspired pieces, one of which i LOVED (although i do think the action sequence in "the grief-note of vultures" was a little clunky & maybe lasted a bit longer than it should have), a fun piece set in a fantasy version of egypt, & then a couple that read very fairytale-like which were very cool. the piece about c.l. moore & jirel of joiry didn't really have much to add to what i already knew about her (altho it did remind me i'd never looked up any of her husband's work) but it was still cool to see it here. i confess i skipped the interview transcript-- not really my jam, unfortunately. i liked essay on robert e. howard's dark agnes, a series i didn't actually know existed! but i will definitely be checking it out.

overall i was very impressed by the quality of work available in this issue (artwork included, bc that is something always worth mentioning in a pulp mag), especially considering it was the first issue of the magazine & also it is available for free on their website. looking forward to more!