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

you are an astounding consumer of books, Mary!

Mortu and Kyrus in the White City by Schuyler Hernstrom

Christian wrote: "Mortu and Kyrus in the White City by Schuyler Hernstrom"

It's great. 👍

Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Mortu and Kyrus in the White City by Schuyler Hernstrom"

It's great. 👍"

It is. Looking forward to when he can fill out a collection of Mortu & Kyrus tales.

Jason M wrote: "you are an astounding consumer of books, Mary!"

I'm jealous.

Christian wrote: "Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Mortu and Kyrus in the White City by Schuyler Hernstrom"

It's great. 👍"

It is. Looking forward to whe..."

Me too. I was part of his Kickstarter for the new bigger, better re-released hardcover edition of Thune's Vision and will try and support him whenever I can including any production of more Mortu & Kyrus tales. Would make for a great film too.

Making my way through Lois McMaster Bujold's Penric series. Next up is...

The Physicians of Vilnoc

Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Mortu and Kyrus in the White City by Schuyler Hernstrom"

It's great. 👍"

It is. Look..."

Nice. I almost bit the bullet on that but the overseas postage is a killer nowadays. I see it's up for preorder on Amazon but $50 for the hardcover and $30 for the paperback is a bit rich for me atm. Still very much considering it though, might be worth a mint in the future.

Christian wrote: "Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Mortu and Kyrus in the White City by [author:Schuyler Hernstr..."

Trust me it's worth it. If you want I will send you $20 to pitch in. I tried to turn on several of my S&S friends to Schuyler when he first came on the scene but only one checked him out. I think his work is classic-in-the-making. A special talent for utilizing the less-is-more attitude; sparse words, clever ideas and subtle storytelling, not always trying to be epic in nature. I can only compare him to Moorcock, Howard, Vance and Leiber. And maybe Asimov only his genre is pure SF.

Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Mortu and Kyrus in the White City by [autho..."

Hey, I appreciate the offer but that's not necessary. I probably will end up buying a copy.

I've been a backer of Cirsova Magazine from the first issue and if memory serves me that's where his "The Gift of the Ob-Men" story was first published. Definitely a highlight in that first issue. Cirsova has been a fantastic source of new and old authors of ye olde pulp.

EDIT: But yeah, I do think he is this generations second coming of the old pulp masters. High praise maybe but one author to very much support.

Jason M wrote: "you are an astounding consumer of books, Mary!"

Picked up a series and was plowing through.

Christian wrote: "Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "Christian wrote: "[book:Mortu and K..."

Cirsova is a great magazine. I need to pick up the rest of the issues I don't have. I have another book with a Schuyler Hernstrom story in it but I can't remember which story or what book it is at the moment. It believe the story was reprinted in Thune's Vision, I'll have to look into it as it's been awhile. Good talk!

Savage Realms Monthly: May 2022

Whetstone #5!

Flame Winds, by Norvell Page.

Reading The Graveyard Apartment

Listening to The Hidden

So far, so so.

@Jason

I loved Flame Winds!

Just finished Cyrion, the last of my current spate of Tanith Lee, and am starting The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison.

Joseph wrote: "Just finished Cyrion, the last of my current spate of Tanith Lee, and am starting The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison."

The Worm of Ouroboros is amazing. The prose makes Dunsany and Gene Wolfe look like Forgotten Realms authors (though I love Forgotten Realms stuff) but it is very enjoyable. Hope you have a good time with it!

Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "The Worm of Ouroboros is amazing. The prose makes Dunsany and Gene Wolfe look like Forgotten Realms authors (though I love Forgotten Realms stuff) but it is very enjoyable. Hope you have a good time with it!"
..."

Yeah, it's a remarkable book. I think this is actually my third time through it? After once in the late 90s/early 00s and a second time in 2014.

The challenge is that I'm trying to get through it by EOD Saturday because I'm going to be taking part in a book discussion Sunday morning. Things might be ... tight ...

Reading well worth reading.

Joseph wrote: "Michael Fierce (aka Darth Fierce) wrote: "The Worm of Ouroboros is amazing. The prose makes Dunsany and Gene Wolfe look like Forgotten Realms authors (though I love Forgotten Realms stuff) but it i..."

Yeah I didn't notice that until after my comment. I looked at the review an hour later.

Awesome about the discussion! Hope it goes well. The Worm of Ouroboros is like a handful of soul gem pebbles of William Morris, Lord Dunsany, James Branch Cabell, and J.R.R. Tolkien. It obviously made a big impression on Gary Gygax as well.

In my opinion, The Worm Ouroboros is the finest book in fantasy, period. Everything - and I mean everything - else comes after that in quality and imagination.

The only flaw I think the book has it is that the introductory bits with Lessingham and the talking bird can be ignored completely.

Jason wrote: "In my opinion, The Worm Ouroboros is the finest book in fantasy, period. Everything - and I mean everything - else comes after that in quality and imagination.

The only flaw I think the book has ..."

👍

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 4

WHETSTONE #5:
(Not up on Goodreads yet)
Best story thus far AND possibly best story in all WHETSTONE issues so far is Charles Dooley's "A Song from the Sea"! Great, great Howardian Loftcraftian storytelling. Now let's see how strong the next story is.

Dressing the Past edited by Margarita Gleba, Cherine Munkholt, and Marie-Louise Nosch

Just finished this non S&S book. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

During a Writing Class last year, author Howard Andrew Jones suggested I read Donald E. Westlake (aka Richard Stark)'s Parker series to (1) to add variety to my steady dose of Sword & Sorcery [this is a dark, noir crime thriller .... not fantasy adventure] and (2) experience reading economical writing and optimal information flow (i.e., "reveals").

As HAJ indicated, this was not only fun to read, but it is a fine example of an entertaining book that also demonstrates highly-efficient prose; each sentence delivers only what it has to, and Stark/Westlake perfected when to add detail (i.e. Brand names or key adjectives). Also perfected, chapter-to-chapter information reveals; the reader only receives what they need, but five chapters in you'll realize that each section unravels key context from all the prior ones.

S.E. wrote: "

Just finished this non S&S book. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

During a Writing Class last year, author Howard Andrew Jones suggested I re..."

Stark's Parker series is...stark (sorry), but electric. It's also quite dark. Tough to like such a nasty piece of work as the "protagonist" he created in Parker.

For me, my current non-S&S reading is another of Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael series. Its setting certainly makes it feel very fantasy-esque.

MI6 Spy Skills for Civilians: A former British agent reveals how to live like a spy - smarter, sneakier and ready for anything by Red Riley

It's a high time for crime around here.
Brother Cadfael's murder mysteries, MI6 spies, and organized crime are infecting us!

I wonder if these other genres are represented in the New Edge S&S topics/books at all.

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 9 by Kamome Shirahama

S.E. wrote: "It's a high time for crime around here.
Brother Cadfael's murder mysteries, MI6 spies, and organized crime are infecting us!

I wonder if these other genres are represented in the New Edge S&S topi..."

If not, they should be!

Carthage's Other Wars: Carthaginian Warfare Outside the 'Punic Wars' Against Rome by Dexter Hoyos

Am now on to Mistress of Mistresses, the first of E.R. Eddison's Zimiamvia trilogy.

Other Rhodes by Sarah A. Hoyt

Tinsel Rain by Moe Lane

I'm on the last story of Queer Blades: An Anthology of LGBTQIA2+ Adventure Fantasy. I reckon four stars. Review to follow shortly!

That Moe Lane series sounds interesting, thanks Mary!

Reading The Cockroach

Listening to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I am still somewhere in the middle of the small paperback anthology Blood on the Blade: Ten Tales of Slashing Swords and Sinister Sorcery by Flinch! Books. I've discovered great talent in it, and several authors and characters I wish to read more of. Most of the short stories in it also work as one-and-done pieces, just moments of adventure in a sword & sorcery world. Also, they all hit that sweet spot in length where a single short story is just the right length for one of my short commutes by train, or a long lunch break.

I just finished reading Hag of the Hills, a Celtic heroic fantasy story set on the Isle of Skye circa 200 BC. I liked it! Lots of meaty ancient battles and weird supernatural encounters.

Jason M wrote: "That Moe Lane series sounds interesting, thanks Mary!"

Hope you enjoy it!

Secrets of Monet's Garden: Bringing the Beauty of Monet's Style to Your Own Garden by Derek Fell

Blood on the Blade: Ten Tales of Slashing Swords and Sinister Sorcery

Everything about this slim and powerful ten-story anthology just clicks for me, it is great and versatile sword and sorcery entertainment. Memorable characters, wonderful vistas, mysterious locations and lots of twisted and foreboding magic, and lone adventurers trying to make their own way in a dark and dangerous world, typically just making it by the skin of their teeth. There are many obvious nods to the familiar favorites of the S&S genre, but most of the stories have enough to offer to surpass any sort of pastiche.

I liked this one so much I secretly wished for it to be longer (it is under 200 paperback pages, barely 180 pages), and now I hope there is going to be another volume by the same editors, put together with the same degree of care and dedication. Either that or even ten-story volumes each for several of the new heroes introduced in this short volume. It really is pulp adventure fiction in the sense that you are left wanting more and expecting there to be more issues, maybe one per month.

William Shakespeare's Avengers: The Complete Works by Ian Doescher

Hag of the Hills

The Apothecary Diaries 05 by Natsu Hyuuga

Reading

Listening to

Just starting The Origin of Storms, the concluding volume in Elizabeth Bear's Lotus Kingdoms trilogy.