Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy" discussion

Morituri



Told plainly from first person perspective. There isn't a lot to recommend in the first 90 pages...Lucanus is still learning his trade and on his way to being a star.

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 8 by Kamome Shirahama

All currently-reading folks.... consider your current and next-to-bat TBR books.... then think about writing-in those S&S options into the poll for the group-read topics for Nov-Dec.

Maybe others want to synchronize reading with you.

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/8...

Hardtack and Coffee or, The Unwritten Story of Army Life by John Davis Billings

Full Steam Ahead: How the Railways Made Britain by Peter Ginn and Ruth Goodman

DMR's just released edition of Far Away & Never by Ramsey Campbell

Just finished To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey. Quite good!

Far Away and Never

Me too!

Richard wrote: "Far Away and Never
Me too! "

Just ordered mine. Group read?

S.E. wrote: "Richard wrote: "Far Away and Never
Me too! "

Just ordered mine. Group read?"

I think it definitely would rate! Maybe for the November/December free-for-all?

Myself, I'm still in Ellen Kushner's Riverside, which has more than its share of swords -- just about to finish up The Privilege of the Sword.

Tolkien's The Return of the King to round out my reread.

Its October so I'm reading some horror - My Heart Is a Chainsaw- Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders and CAS short stories.

Mistress of the Waves by George Phillies

Currently reading:
The God's Temptress



Half-heartedly listening to:


The Anubis Gates

And slowly picking through:

Whetstone: Amateur Magazine of Sword and Sorcery Issue Three

I've moved on to Tremontaine: The Complete Season One, so still in Ellen Kushner's Riverside, but this is a prequel that was originally serialized on Serial Box (or whatever they're calling themselves these days).

The Prisoner of Limnos by Lois McMaster Bujold

Gemini of the Sleeping Gods

Blood

The Werewolf of Whitechapel by Suzannah Rowntree

Mary wrote: "The Werewolf of Whitechapel by Suzannah Rowntree"

I like Suzannah's writing, The Werewolf of Whitechapel is on my tbr's too. Enjoy!

Daryk Skull Keep of the Primal Clans

I'm still in Ellen Kushner's Riverside, now on to Tremontaine: The Complete Season Two, which is the second of four volumes, each collecting 13 serialized installments that were originally released by Serial Box (which is now called something else, I believe?).

I just finished Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I've been a big fan of his sci-fi, but this is the first of his fantasy stuff I've waded into. In some ways the story becomes a subtle deconstruction, if not mockery, of some classic and overdone epic fantasy tropes. It's hilariously funny, skin crawlingly chilling, and also kind of heartbreaking. I think fellow S&S fans might enjoy as well, both for the creativity he brings to the genre and also how he kind of flays it apart.

Giving this Fritz cat a shot at some science fiction.

Appointment in Tomorrow


apocalyptic, nuclear, war

A plan to oppose the Thinkers...

C.A. wrote: "Giving this Fritz cat a shot at some science fiction.

Appointment in Tomorrow


apocalyptic, nuclear, war

A plan to oppose the Thinke..."

Gotta love Leiber. I'm gonna give this one a shot. Thanks.

Jamie wrote: "C.A. wrote: " Fritz cat / science fiction. "

Enjoy. I'm digging the Conan so far. Even if the writing is antiquated. And exceedingly macho...

Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe


I came across this in a group on FB. A novel published by Playboy written by George Takei and Robert Asprin? How did I not know of this before?

Swords and Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Vol. 3

wowz, got into that one fast Richard!

Lol, we live in a digital age…

Oliver Brackenberry's Review of 'The Red Man

Time and the Gods by Lord Dunsany

Aurora's End by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Sojourn - Dark Elf Trilogy Book 3 - Forgotten Realms by R.A. Salvatore

Michael Fierce wrote: "Sojourn - Dark Elf Trilogy Book 3 - Forgotten Realms by R.A. Salvatore"

Just recently read that one. I think I enjoyed it the most out of the first three.

The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander

Season of Storms

Jason wrote: "The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander"

Man, I really need to revisit Prydain one of these years.

Myself, I just tonight started Tremontaine: The Complete Season 4. Maybe after that it'll be time for When the Goddess Wakes.

Jason wrote: "Michael Fierce wrote: "Sojourn - Dark Elf Trilogy Book 3 - Forgotten Realms by R.A. Salvatore"

Just recently read that one. I think I enjoyed it the most out of the first three."

Nice - tbh seeing your update around here might have jolted some extra inspiration in reading it. The D&D/Forgotten Realms stuff for 2021 got me amped up ; the D&D-themed cards for Magic: The Gathering, the Dark Alliance/Drizzt Do'Urden PS4 game, the Benedict Cumberbatch-narrated The Legend of Drizzt animated short, the upcoming Netflix tv series rumored to be centered around Drizzt, etc., Gonna be a good year!

*btw I'm a huge Dunsany fan and consider The King of Elfland's Daughter and The Sword of Welleran favorites though I have never read Time and the Gods.

Joseph wrote: "Jason wrote: "The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander"

Man, I really need to revisit Prydain one of these years"


Read the entire Prydain series. Classic.

Michael Fierce wrote: "the Dark Alliance/Drizzt Do'Urden PS4 game, the Benedict Cumberbatch-narrated The Legend of Drizzt animated short, the upcoming Netflix tv series rumored to be centered around Drizzt, etc..."

Oh wow, that is exciting stuff!

Jason wrote: "Michael Fierce wrote: "the Dark Alliance/Drizzt Do'Urden PS4 game, the Benedict Cumberbatch-narrated The Legend of Drizzt animated short, the upcoming Netflix tv series rumored to be centered aroun..."

It certainly is! 👊😎👍

There are two Appendix N books. Which is recommended? I believe it's the "Eldritch" one, but I wanted to hear from you guys.

Appendix N: The Eldritch Roots of Dungeons and Dragons
OR
Appendix N: The Literary History of Dungeons & Dragons

Jason wrote: "There are two Appendix N books. Which is recommended? I believe it's the "Eldritch" one, but I wanted to hear from you guys.

[bookcover:Appendix N: The Eldritch Roots of Dungeons and Dragons|53137..."

I've been planning to read both.

Reading too many books at once - two books of short stories
One S&S, Far Away and Never

One, the illimitable Neil Gaiman Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances

and HAJ's For the Killing of Kings

Appendix N Eldritch Roots is a good read but fans of DND loathe it.

My review:
https://dmrbooks.com/test-blog/2021/4...

The rebuttal to the anthology

https://dmrbooks.com/test-blog/2021/4...

Richard wrote: "Appendix N Eldritch Roots is a good read but fans of DND loathe it.

My review:
https://dmrbooks.com/test-blog/2021/4...

The rebuttal t..."

Interesting reads. Thanks, Richard!

Wedding Flowers Will Do For a Funeral by Christopher Lansdown

Richard wrote: "Appendix N Eldritch Roots is a good read but fans of DND loathe it. "

Well, this fan certainly didn't loathe it.

Edited to add: The biggest difference between the two books is that the Bebergal volume is an anthology of fiction by (mostly) Appendix N authors with some accompanying essays, while the Jones book (which I admit I haven't read yet) is entirely a collection of essays.