S.E.’s Comments (group member since Nov 01, 2012)

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

Brian wrote: "In your very own words "Lords of Dyscrasia explores the choices humans and their gods make as a disease corrupts their souls, shared blood and creative energies." : )"

LOL. I wasn't even thinking of Dyscrasia. But kudos to you for being kind. I wish you immunity from evil sorcery, blood diseases, etc.

Thinking ahead, since a poll is due soon to figure out groupreads for May-June. Ideas?

How about topics that resonate with COV19 virus?
i.e, Swords & Pestilence?

Any S&S books come to mind that are diseases based?

Just got to Ch11. Very impressive. Grimnir's backstory rolls right into the Nailed God vs. Odin conflict; a really tight story for an epic plot.

Disa is a wonderful heroine caught in the middle of an impending apocalypse/Ragnarok.

And the prose is beautiful and intellectual, even when it concerns bloody, corpse-smeared "dwarven (dvergar)/orken" halls.

I sensed some echoes of Tolkien... which could actually be call-outs to JRR's linguistics and/or dragon rampages of mountain fortresses (this is fresh on my mind since we happen to have the concurrent Tolkien groupread, and Twilight of the Gods has the same grandeur evoked in the The Children of Húrin)... or Oden simply drew from Norse legends--it is clear Oden knows a lot more about ancient myths than me.

At risk of raising spoilers... and since he is lurking around, I'd love to hear influences for Malice-Striker's roll in Ch 11 (ie invading the Hall of the Nine Fathers, the jewel of Orkahaugr).

The premise sounds fun. Lot you could do with that. So you are looking for some beta-readers?

Season 3 is a slow burn until episode 8 when it goes into high gear. Wild Sword and Sorcery fights juxtaposed with undead eroticism.

Great post by Greg Mele on Blackgate about Geralt's fighting style as depicted in the Netfkix show. https://www.blackgate.com/2020/03/11/...

season 3 available now!

Sweet. I did not know the Frost Giant inspiration... that makes the chapter even better.

Wow, chapter one of Twilight of the Gods is a blood-soaked duel between Christianity and Vikingdom!

Each paragraph is rich with meaning. Heck, it is almost easy to get engrossed in the battle and overlook that the duel resonates the title of the book.

Check it out online if you haven't already purchased: Excerpt of the first few chapters on the publishers/MacMillian's website - link

Had to finish some Clifford Ball.... now I'm headed into the Twilight...

Ok, the last groupread poll got me side tracked. In any event, I had to go read The Thief of Forthe and Other Stories because someone had it as an option.

Pretty interesting. There are only 3 tales of S&S in this set of 6.... but I swear they probably influenced Wagner and Leiber. Was curious if anyone knew about how Clifford Ball (who wrote for Weird Tales ~1937 after REH passed).

Fans of Fafrhd and the Gray Mouser? Would love to hear your thoughts on Rald and Thwaine.

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Scott wrote: "I've often wondered why there isn't more ancient Egyptian action/adventure fiction. The 6th century BC is a *great* setting, and one of the more evocative of traditional fantasy worlds. The Persian..."

Scott, I've only read your A Gathering of Ravens, and your Marvel Conan pastiche so far.

I'm curious about your approach to using alchemy (ancient chemistry/magic originating from Egypt).
I love reading, and writing, about "alchemical magic." Does that play a role in any sorcery you present in your other novels?

Scott wrote: "I'm just going to lurk in the corner and try not to feel too self-conscious . . . :)"

Welcome Scott! Glad to have you lurking. lol.

Super interesting. Nicely complements letters between authors to shed light on the creation process. Reading thru HPL's notes now. There's one regarding a 1907 instance of 19-Revise 1907 tale—painting of ultimate horror

I wonder if that relates to Pickman's Model (published in 1926)

I listened to Christopher Lee's audio version of The Children of Hurin..... which was awesome

Jack, The Children of Hurin can be read alone. It occurs chronologically long before the others you mention. It is a bit darker too. More dense (less easy to read) than the hobbit. It is much easy to read than the Simillarion. But if you were new to Tolkien altogether.... good question...the Hobbit may be the best.

Periklis, great to hear from you! Which one will you start with?

Richard wrote: "I can’t wait for my copy of Twilight of the Gods to arrive!
I only wish I could get Scott Oden to sign it and the others I have written by him."

Althougth the Kindle doesn't feel as a good as a paperback/hardcover, it arrived instantly on Feb 18th!

Mar-Apr 2020 Groupreads
A) Scott Oden - Link to Folder

B) Tolkien Memorial Read - link to Folder

Banner Credits:
Cover art by James Iacobelli for A Gathering of Ravens and Twilight of the Gods


Cover art by Alan Lee for The Children of Húrin (Interior art, the depiction of Hurin)

Morgoth seats the kidnapped Hurin on a throne in Angabad....

...taking Hurin back to Angabad [Morgoth] set him in a chair of stone upon a high place of Thangorodrm, from which he could see afar the land oh Hithlum in the west and the lands of Bereriand to the south. There he was bound by the power of Morgoth; and Morgoth standing beside him cursed him again and set his power upon him, so that he could not move from that place, nor die, until Morgoth should release him.

"Sit now there," said Morgoth, "and look out upon the lands where evil and despair shall come upon those whom you have delivered to me. For you have dared to mock me, and have questioned the power of Melkor, Master of the fates of Arda. Therefore with my eyes you shall see, and with my ears you shall hear, and nothing shall be hidden from you."

Lots of Scott Oden fans here, and his sequel to A Gathering of Ravens called Twilight of the Gods was just released!

Men of Bronze, Memnon, The Lion of Cairo are all fair game! Even his Conan pastiche in the Marvel Comics.