Joseph’s Comments (group member since Oct 24, 2012)

Joseph’s comments from the Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy" group.

The Eternal Champion by Michael Moorcock is currently just $0.99 ...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K...

Oh, and as for myself, I started The Worldwound Gambit by Robin D. Laws for the RPG tie-in group read -- it's one of the early Pathfinder novels.

Started The Worldwound Gambit by Robin D. Laws -- it's the fourth Pathfinder Tales novel.

Dan wrote: "Started up a slew of books this weekend.

I'm reading Tales of Nevèrÿon for the commute to and from work on the bus. Reading Blue and Gold whilst at home (I don't bring ..."

Love Russell's art so very, very much. Have you seen his Elric adaptations?

Someday I need to try the Neveryon books again. I kind of bounced off of them many years ago, but I was probably too young at the time.

Richard wrote: "I've had The Man of Gold and Flamesong on the shelf for years, but have never got around to them. I've read one or two of the Tekumel rpg books, and found the setting kind of difficult to wrap my head around."

Yeah, it can be a bit overwhelming if you just plunge into the sourcebooks. I do think the fiction is more accessible, though.

I've really enjoyed the Witcher books, although at some point (maybe after #7 comes out) I need to go back and read them all in close succession; and maybe on a reread I'll have better luck following the framing story in Last Wish.

(And the games were excellent!)

Not quite sure what I'll be selecting for the group read -- maybe it's time for a few more Pathfinder novels, or alternatively, since I reread the original Dragonlance trilogy a couple of years ago, maybe DragonLance: Legends Trilogy?

Oh, but I'll also highly, highly recommend The Man of Gold by M.A.R. Barker as a possible candidate if anyone's looking.

Indeed! Congratulations!

Greg wrote: "I have a secondhand copy of The Eyes of the Overworld, but I haven't read yet as it's only the second book in the Dying Earth series. As I recall, Gary Gygax had recommended the series as inspiration of AD&D role-playing. ..."

Original D&D spellcasting ("memorizing" spells that vanish from your mind when you cast them) came straight from the Dying Earth.

You could go ahead and start reading Eyes of the Overworld if you wanted to -- it shares the same setting as the original Dying Earth, but isn't a direct sequel or anything like that.

Good luck with all of that! And if you do read it, I'll be curious to hear what you think.

Greg wrote: "I actually have Merchanter's Luck but held off reading it because it's the second book in a series. can it be read as a standalone?"

Yes. Most of her Union/Alliance novels are relatively standalone. Merchanter's Luck does take place in the immediate aftermath of Downbelow Station, and some characters from Downbelow come on stage, but you don't have to have read the one to enjoy the other.

(Downbelow Station is possibly my favorite of her books, but it's also not her most accessible.)

Greg wrote: "Will keep an eye out for your review when you've finished reading the book. I have yet to read anything by Cherryh yet. ..."

Honestly, if you've never read anything by her, I'd probably recommend starting with The Complete Morgaine (for fantasy) or maybe Merchanter's Luck (for SF).

Oh, or The Paladin is another I'd recommend to anyone in this group!

Greg wrote: "That book seems to get such varied reviews - a number of 2s but also some 4s and 5s!..."

I can definitely see that, although I'll be somewhere on the 4-5 end of the spectrum. As with a lot of mid-to-later period Cherryh (anything from maybe Heavy Time on), it's dense and occasionally psychologically claustrophobic; but in this case, it's set in a particularly creepy patch of Russian forest rather than being in a spaceship.

Am now reading something with both swords and sorcery in it -- the author's revised edition of Rusalka by C.J. Cherryh.

Finished Allan Quatermain, which I highly recommend as a kind of S&S ancestor with some epic battle scenes, and am heading off into the future with James S.A. Corey's Nemesis Games.

S.E. wrote: "Joseph, you fall ? Glad you can still read."

Yep. Fortunately, I have my Kindle.

Finished Jess and started Allan Quatermain, both by H. Rider Haggard. No reviews forthcoming due to ice-and-arm-related technical difficulties.

Also, Conan the Swordsman and Conan the Liberator. Someone would have to check, but I'd guess that's pretty much all of the Carter/de Camp/Nyberg that you could pluck out of the Ace series without including any of the more posthumous collaboration sorts of things.

All available on Kindle ...

As for the Tor novels, I admit I haven't read any of them, and I know there are some good ones out there, but I kind of got the impression that they collapsed under their own weight -- not because they were novels, necessarily, but because it got to the point where Conan would've needed a Franklin planner and a personal assistant to fit all of those adventures into his schedule.

As it happens ... Sagas of Conan