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

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

Orc fans...just saw this Orc book advertised via the UK.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ORCS-David-As...

I know little about it, but figured a few of you might like it.

Anthology vote: As per tradition and respect for the short stories that initiated Sword & Sorcery, we'll be reading Anthologies for the Jan-Feb groupread. But which ones? [write in answers welcome] Vote for your favorite

Looking for one? There are many. Check out these links:
Great listings by GW Thomas:
(a) Anthologies and contents of each - 1963-1985
(b) Anthologies and contents of each - 1986-2008

Browse our group's "Anthology" bookshelf
Feel welcome to add books to the list!

Robert, congrats on the HFQ publication.
Here is the direct link to The Blue Lamp

AlamoJack wrote: "I hesitated to post my comments about High Couch of Silistra. However, I think that the purpose of the Group Reads is to discover and discuss the selected books. I hope a variety of comments are we..."

I'm glad you chimed in Jack. Your honest feedback is always well-supported and welcome. In the case of High Couch, Janet Morris wanted to explore/share some material in a risque way... so it gets some polarizing reviews--and it would be shocking if it appealed to everyone. I liked it, partly because it had some novel qualities and echoed flavors of Tanith Lee's Birthgrave which was a preceding group read. That said, I am hungry to delve back into my standard food, ie traditional Sword & Sorcery.

Shadyia wrote: "Trailers always look good, like the picture of a hamburger at a fast food joint. In fact, when a trailer looks bad, you know the movie sucks dead donkey.

I despised "Snow White and the Huntsman" ..."

I see your points. I actually liked the first ~2/3rds of Snow White and the Huntsman. That part seemed to build a dark fairytale to life with lots of fantasy elements and good special effects.
...then weird things started to happen near the building of the climax to nullify all the potential:
(a) the whole "snow-white-has-a-connection-to-nature&creatures aspect was dropped/unexplained/untapped
(b) the love triangle gets weird...especially the "kiss-snow-white-waken-her" doesn't make any sense; doesn't the Huntsman still love his missing/dead wife?
(c) Snow white getting in armor and leading a battle is also incongruent

I have hopes that the trailer for the sequel will not be misleading... but it's just hope.

The sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman is due out in 2016... sans snow white.

Trailer looks good in my opinion:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3515...

Apparently Poul Anderson's birthday was Nov 25th. Celebrate by commenting or reading the Broken Sword!

Just wrapped up Janet E. Morris 's High Couch of Silistra
Review = https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I had interviewed Janet Morris back in 2014 on the theme of Beauty in Weird Fiction and she shared a lot of insights about Silistra.
Interview= http://www.selindberg.com/2014/01/art...

In short, it's not Sword & Sorcery... but I enjoyed it; erotic-infused fantasy adventure for certain! Also, lots of parallels to Tanith Lee's The Birthgrave.

I didn't mention it in my review, but there was an interesting connection to John R. Fultz's Book of the Shaper Series Seven Princes... which also features a similar creative-shape-the-world-type-sorcery.

Nik wrote: "Happy to contribute. Thanks for putting this out there as a group read option. It's been on my list for a long time, so it was just the motivation I needed to finally read it."

Awesome. Feel welcome to nominate other Sword & Sorcery books on your to-read list during the polling (they are likely on other's to-read list too). The group reads have been helping me stay on track this way.

I echo the lauding of cheese

Andy,
Most here would argue that Robert E Howard, H P Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith.... Wrote almost exclusively short stories and their work predates (inspired actually) much of contemporary epic fantasy.

The Iliad and Odyssey are fine and epic. Merely different forms of literature. If the question is "which form came first?" ... I won't argue. But if the question is "can short stories have longevity...and perhaps more so than novels?" than the answer is clearly yes.

Jase wrote: "My vote for best Clonan is Duar The Accursed the very first Conan Clone. Written by Clifford Ball and published in Weird Tales' May 1937 issue. His whole physical aspect is basically identical as a..."

Jase, awesome comments. I never read Duar The Accursed, or anything by Clifford Ball actually. I'll need to track his work down.

Nik, great review. Thanks for reading, reviewing, and sharing.

A.L. wrote: "I read this a couple of weeks or so ago and loved it. Read it in a couple of days.

Strong female protagonist in a unique and complex world and fulfilling a duty which brings answers both wanted a..."

I'm only 12% in, but I am finding A.L.'s comments true. This is more sci-fi fantasy than Sword & Sorcery, which is fine of course since it will still appeal to the folks here. The world building is deep, and Janet Morris has a knack of presenting erotic/mature scenes in an intellectual way--the protagonist is seductress and sorceress of sorts.

AlamoJack wrote: "Ken Kelly
http://www.kenkellyfantasyart.com/man..."

LOL...I should have known that.

AlamoJack wrote: "I had to bring it up...the wonderful link between heavy metal album covers and S&S art. I love metal and am somewhat of an aficionado of two variations of metal album covers: S&S-inspired, and chee..."

Nice covers. Jack, do you know who the artist is?

Lee, Stealer of Flesh is currently free on the kindle, and it is short ... So it is worth a look. This had the potential to be great. I wonder if someone here has read the remaining six in the series to comment.

Finished Stealer of Flesh...and I thought it was ok. Had lots of potential that kept being developed...and then not used.

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

Check out these awesome miniature games with Sword & Sorcery flavors...these are still going...and/or have late pledging:

Sword & Sorcery - Epic Fantasy Co-op board & miniature game
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

Horror Strategy: Cthulhu Wars : Onslaught Two
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

Co-operative Survival : Zombicide: Black Plague
Can still late pledging ok!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
(I went for this one!)

Hell Dorado Miniature Skirmish Game: Inferno Expansion
Tactical Horror
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...


Kingdom Death
Cooperative board game set in a nightmare-horror world.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

Co-operative Horror Survival: Lobotomy Board Game
Escape the asylum! Late pledge available
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

The Others: 7 Sins
Late pledge ok!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE: Card Game

Ragnorak Publication's J.M. Martin and Mark Lawrence (Prince of Thorns, etc.), have a fun card game on Kickstarter about the end of the world!

http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2...

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...