P. Pherson’s Comments (group member since Nov 27, 2024)

P. Pherson’s comments from the Fantasy group.

I saw in one of my reviews groups, some dude gave one star to his assigned book and tagged it, DNF.

Thats not cool, you should at least finish the book you've been assigned. The other authors that are helping you are not DNF'ing you.

You think that is fair game?

How freely would you move to DNF'ing and putting up a review?

Hey All,

I write fantasy, and pretty much, only fantasy. Its usually gritty and violent and full of big themes that fantasy is so good at reaching for.

Always open to having new friends. If you friend me, I may send you some PM's to see who you are :) and get to know you better.

I am a writer, and most of my free time is spent writing and not reading... so most of you have probably read more than me. But I have read a lot of fantasy, so we should have that in common.

One that came to mind last night, was a TPB about superman, called Kingdom Come. I loved that comic, and I read it long after I had already stopped reading comics.

If you've not read it, I thought that one really stood out as a great story.

Its sequel, the Kingdom, is terrible ;) You can skip it.

I will accept that I may be confusing the terms. I would say though, that literary fiction probably has some secondary definitions. One might be something like, fiction that is regarded as having some type of literary merit...which could follow along the same process as getting labelled a classic.

Anyway...I dont know all the books out there. If you like to follow a series in progress, I think my book is literary fantasy.

If I stumble across another, I'll post it up. But...next for me is a murder mystery, and then a smut book :)

A series from a friend of mine might qualify. I read the first book, called Empire: Country. Its kind of lovecraftian, but his strong focus on the dilapidation of a nation after a war is pretty strong.

Since I am on the subject, and not a lot else is going up on the boards, I will say...

I've always loved water colors (maybe Frazetta did that), and definitely wanted a look that was its own style and not run of the mill. I wanted a pallet of grey and purple, and I wanted someone who could capture the stares and look and attitude of the subjects.

I showed her some sample covers I liked (I always liked the Elric of Menlibone covers cause they showed so much texture in them). And I envisioned something like the art of the Child of Light video game, which is a game done entirely in computerized water colors.

Teresa just stood alone in that when I was looking for artists. What sold me was her picture of the battered woman...cause I knew if she would make a picture like that, she would not filter her art to make something look better than it was. I wanted something that looked like someone really cared to get it right.

What I did not want is some chick on the cover with light behind her head, which seems to be the run of the mill today. I also have a rule now. No CGI...No AI. I want a real artist doing real art.

I had some things Teresa needed to adjust (and maybe some she still does) but she did not complain, she just did it and made it right.

I have big plans for her, I hope she's got the bandwidth for it. (And I hate to say, but my only real complaint is she charged me too little... Shhhh...)

https://teresajenellen.com/index.html

Teresa jenellen. I love her work, and am super happy she accepted my offer to be my cover artist.

And I hope many others make her famous as well....but not if they steal her away and leave me hanging ;)

I feel I want to say, but I am not sure why...

That Fantasy is a great genre. I know that when many people think of it, they think naked barbarians bashing each other with axes and swords, or dorky elves and dwarves meeting in a tavern, one who sounds Scottish and one unnaturally thin, but that always sells it short.

Fantasy is a genre where we get to ask big questions and seek great, though often difficult to relate, truths about the universe, the aspects of creation, and the human condition. In fantasy, I can ask questions to the Gods and make them answer. And I can put my heroes on epic life threatening quests, and show the meddle of the human spirit. I can capture the wonder of worlds where the sky is purple and unicorns prance over floating stones, or I can show the glory of men who fight for all they have, knowing that it is by their broadsword alone that they may achieve, and against others who also know the same. There is a great type of honor in that.

I can also show all the ugliness of a world fallen to darkness, and the beauty of those who do what they must, not just for themselves, but for all of us in their own heroic and altruistic way.

Fantasy lets us take all of it to extremes and show how it would sift out. It is the greatest genre for 'what if', IMO. What if the Gods fought? What if heroes were cast out? What if a boy found out he was a wizard?

I am not sure a lot of fantasy makes it into the minds of others as literary, but much of what is literary does not capture what fantasy can.

I suppose I will end by saying, I am a fantasy author. I've not much interest in writing anything else. But that just me.

Are you saying that literary fantasy is like well-aged wine? It only gets really good after a certain amount of time?

Hmmm...seemed to miss this question.

Well...many things have many definitions, so literary could just be the effort to deal with social or political commentary, or insight into the human condition.

But it also carries the connotation of standing above in its realm. So, Conan and Brak may both be stories about barbarians, but Conan may be considered literary because so many others have come to esteem it as such.

So...its not really that it ages like wine, I mean, the story is always the same, but more that it just collects the acclaim of others, which over time makes it start to stand out as being the best of its class. I guess that is what I was aiming for. For me to say with some assurance that 'this' book stands in exclusive company as a great literary work, having the acclaim of many over many years would support that.

Of course, some stories do age like wine, cause even after many re-reads, there is still something to discover in it, and long well-thought conversations about it may follow for a century or more afterwards. (I hope I am one of those ;))

I was talking with a friend last night who was talking up Brak the Barbarian series. Its probably not as well known (and I've not read it) but it is cut from the Conan cloth.

By strange coincidence, the author died without finishing Brak's adventure, but he wrote a bunch of bullet points as to what happens. His son has possession of those, and happens to work in the same lawfirm as my friends wife. There might be a way to be a ghost writer some day :) Though I think my friend would enjoy that role more--just...I mean I do kind of have the skill and the voice for it.

(I see I mentioned Brak above...just a rehash.)

Well...after many months of no contact, my cover artist has returned. It seemed she had to recover from Cancer treatments...and, as it happens, I am currently suffering through cancer treatments, so we have that in common.

I am excited. I was really wondering if she had ghosted me. I love her artwork, and dont want to have to find another.

Anyway...when I get the cover...I am looking forward to my next book coming out...The Promise of Eternity.

~Coming soon~ I hope :)

I seem to be having a lot of trouble finishing Sword of Kaigen (or coming back to finish).

For whatever reason, I just dont really care about what is going on in it. It did get exciting, but I am not connected. I am not sure if I will finish it.

I guess, after a long life of stories, I am kind of meh, another story where grumpy Japanese dudes grunt a lot, and put a lot of pressure on their kids while somehow barely even talking to them. Its just not my vibe.

I also agreed to read for review some other books in a review group which is taking up my reading time as well. (I kind of regret doing this, as...I am not really the reader these writers should target...I dont want to ding them for it, but...I am too hard to please.)

Ultimately, I think I should not be a book reviewer, and just stick to editing and helping those before they publish.

Anyway...we'll see on this one.

Well...I did finish the Deed of Pakksenarion (review here)

Pakksenarion review

So, I am back to Sword of Kaigen

Sword of kaigen is stand alone.

That day will come sooner than you know. :)

Well. I am just finishing round 2 of edits for my book 4 and am jumping back on book 2 after that. So… i feel it ought to count but probably it doesnt ;)

I am about to finish the deed of pakksenarion (finally). Next for me is one by an author i know. Not sure the title.

Send it to me :)

I m kidding.

If you think you might read it, keep it. If not, give it to someone else. I am sure the author would prefer it was in the hands of a reader.

I like the story of Clan of the Cavebear. I'd not mind having it.

Yes, I can be very diplomatic.

I would not want to lead you all astray. I consider myself a fantasy writer. I go after big themes, and big questions, and big conflicts, and try to bring them down to real people, with high stakes and real consequences. I would love for you all to read me stuff :)

I have book 1 out of a five book series, and I have just completed book 4. I am in negotiations with the cover artist for book 2, she's hard to pin down.

The Eye of Ebon

I do not consider myself a romance or erotica author....though I have done a story or two for fun over the years. TBH, looking at the books that float by on GR, it would seem if I was to write a spicy book about a Fae hockey team, and a lucky young girl, I might get a national bestseller. But, its not what I want to be known for ;)

If you really want to know about the dragon and romance, you'll have to send me a PM.

Well...that would be erotica, and the topic was romance....

I will not confirm or deny anything ;)

Gonna say...I dont know of any, but my depth of knowledge on a wide array of books is limited. Whats wrong with the recommendations you have?

Personally, I would avoid using an AI for anything of an artistic endeavor. If I was reading, I would probably finish the book, figure out what I thought about it, and maybe ask ChatGPT after it was done.

I would be far more interest to know what other people thought of it, specially if is was a real time, lets do this together, kind of thing.