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

Finally got around to actually reading Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars. I've seen the films (liked the newest one, the Traci Lords one... meh.) and read the Dynamite adaptation Warlord of Mars Volume 1 so I knew pretty much the story. I just didn't feel like I could call myself a sword and sorcery fan unless I finally get around to reading some Burroughs. It was enjoyable, but I look much more forward to a sequel or two in this series since I anticipate the whole story being fresh to me.

Sean wrote: "Finally got around to actually reading Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars. I've seen the films (liked the newest one, the Traci Lords one... meh.) and read the D..."

For my money, The Gods of Mars may be the best book in the series. But you can't go wrong with any of them. Well, except for Synthetic Men of Mars and John Carter of Mars, which I'd suggest actively avoiding.

Myself, I'm not currently reading S&S, but I'm reading a book praised by Howard Andrew Jones on his website, so it's ... associational? Against the Fall of Night by Michael Arnold, historical fiction set at the tail end of the Byzantine Empire.

Read 3/4 of Gonji: Deathwind of Vedun: The Deathwind Triology, Book Three during a blast of insomnia. Very cinematic. Good stuff. Starting Griots: Sisters of the Spear tonight.

Thanks for the props, Fletcher. Consoling insomniacs was probably on my agenda for writing the GONJI series, though not on my short-list!

T.c. wrote: "Thanks for the props, Fletcher. Consoling insomniacs was probably on my agenda for writing the GONJI series, though not on my short-list!"
It's totally living up to your comment about it having "the longest, most character-centric battle in the genre's history." Awesome stuff.

Very kind and flattering of you---many thanks!

I've started The Reader of Acheron but only a couple of chapters in.

Having finally finished, (and reviewed at Black Gate - http://www.blackgate.com/2014/01/21/g...), T. C. Rypel's dynamite Gonji trilogy I'm working my way through the late Neal Barrett Jr.'s Vancian The Prophecy Machine and some crime fiction by Max Allan Collins

I keep thanking you for the terrific GONJI review in every forum where we meet, Fletcher, so now I'll thank you here.

It's always a rewarding feeling to know that your stories have entertained readers. Even better sometimes: when they've picked up on your themes and recognized the care with which you've structured your narrative to achieve certain effects.

You possess that kind of perception in spades, as a reviewer. Very sharp critical faculties...

I thank you, sir. Looking forward to more.

You honor me. And I look forward to hearing more, and reading more, from you as well!

Neither are sword & sorcery but I'm currently reading some Star Trek fan fiction called Mongoshitfacedtabletwisters (mainly of interest to me because a real paper I wrote is being read by a ten-year-old James T. Kirk in it!) and an X-Files novel, Goblins.

Just finished up the late Neal Barrett Jr.'s The Prophecy Machine. Not straight up S&S, being more in the Jack Vance mode. It's a blast and I'm looking forward to the sequel, The Treachery of Kings. My review's over at Black Gate - http://www.blackgate.com/2014/01/28/t... Now I'm starting the mighty Glen Cook's Dread Empire collection An Empire Unacquainted with Defeat.

While reading some S&S short stories, I took a quick peek into the first chapter of The Religion, by Tim Willocks. I now find myself about half way, and loving it! Not S&S, but awesome blood and thunder historical adventure- where S&S got started in the first place!

Yes, The Religion is indeed, blood & thunder - in the historical sense.

As is its sequel, The Twelve Children of Paris.

Brutal, unflinching and magnificent novels.

Just finished and reviewed Glen Cook's An Empire Unacquainted with Defeat over at Black Gate. It's alright. Some brilliant bits and lots of so-so stuff. Next, new issues of Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, and Swords and Sorcery Magazine.

I recently picked upThe Hammer and the Blade because it was on sale. I'm about 1/3 of the way in, and I'm greatly enjoying it. A lot of banter, a lot of action, and often both at once. That's basically all I ask for.

Just finished The Ship of Ishtar This planet stories edition is very nice with some great artwork as well. Feel like I am reading an old Zebra book.

I'm currently reading The Dead of Winter and She Returns From War, both by Lee Collins. Not technically sword & sorcery -- they're both about a monster-hunter in the Old West -- but replace Cora Oglesby's leathers and six-shooter with a mail shirt & sword and she'd easily fit in.

Almost finished with Andy Remic's CLOCKWORK VAMPIRE CHRONICLES omnibus. it's bloody and dangerous and entertaining, but dude's not a very good writer and whoever thinks he or this series can honestly satisfy any Gemmell fan is insane. outside of age and axe, Kell has nothing in common with Druss.

I'm re-reading The Sacred Band. I have some sci-fi/space opera and some historical to read next but have a ton of fantasy to read as well. The Fish the Fighters and the Song-Girl,Veil of the Dragon and the The Dragon's Path to name a few.

I've gone back to finish Oblivion Hand by Adrian Cole. I was a little hard on a earlier partial review on my own site. Revisiting it with less jaded eyes, it's a blast of over-the-top S&S craziness. Deserves to be memorialized by a Ken Kelly painting on the side of a van or a metal album cover.

Fletcher wrote: "I've gone back to finish Oblivion Hand by Adrian Cole. I was a little hard on a earlier partial review on my own site. Revisiting it with less jaded eyes, it's a blast ..."

I read the trilogy a year or two ago and I kind of agree. I initially encountered the Voidal in the anthology Heroic Fantasy and was quite taken by the weird multilayered cosmos; then I had to wait many, many years before Wildside brought the entire trilogy back into print and eBook formats.

Myself, as I mentioned in the Whelan thread, I'm rereading Michael Shea's Nifft the Lean, and enjoying it again.

Joseph wrote: "Fletcher wrote: "I've gone back to finish Oblivion Hand by Adrian Cole. I was a little hard on a earlier partial review on my own site. Revisiting it with less jaded ey..."

Finally read that a year or two back - dynamite stuff, now I have to read the 2 sequels

I've just finished Temple of the Sixth, which isn't fantasy but it a space opera.

And having finished Nifft, I'm moving on to In Yana, the Touch of Undying, which isn't directly tied to Nifft but is at least spiritually similar.

Joseph, I'd like to hear your take on Shea's Yana. After enjoying Nifft, I bought a copy but it sits on my shelf.

S.E. wrote: "Joseph, I'd like to hear your take on Shea's Yana. After enjoying Nifft, I bought a copy but it sits on my shelf."

Give me a few days ... :) From memory (it's been years since I last read it), it's another book that exists primarily as an excuse to traverse weird landscapes. As far as I can tell, it's not set on Nifft's world, but there's nothing that would be out of place. The biggest difference is the protagonist -- Bramt Hex is kind of fat, ineffectual and naïve, none of which could be said about Nifft ...

And I finished In Yana, the Touch of Undying, which was much as I remembered above, but highly recommended if you enjoyed Nifft the Lean, and started K.J. Parker's Devices and Desires, which I expect will have little-to-no sorcery but more than its share of swordplay.

Reading Echoes of the Goddess: Tales of Terror and Wonder from the End of Time by Darrell Schweitzer. Seems very good so far.

Reading Harkfast; The making of a King, by Hugh C Rae. Historical fantasy set in dark ages Britain-Druids, Picts, sorcery and bloody combat. What's not to like?

S.wagenaar wrote: "Reading Harkfast; The making of a King, by Hugh C Rae. Historical fantasy set in dark ages Britain-Druids, Picts, sorcery and bloody combat. What's not to like?"

I will be interested in your thoughts on this work. I had never heard of the book or author, but one of the existing reviews was throwing out names like Leiber, Vance, Moorcock and Karl Edward Wagner as measures of comparison to gauge one's interest, and those comparisons certainly invite mine.

I will post a review as soon as I am done- I am a slow reader, give me a week or two!

Currently reading I, the Sun by Janet E. Morris. Not fantasy, but what the heck...

And now I'm going back to the roots with The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories by Lord Dunsany.

Just started House of Cthulhu by the prolific Brian Lumley. Good, Clark Ashton Smith infused fantasy with a dollop of HPL's Mythos slathered on top.

Just finished Steles of the Sky by Elizabeth Bear which isn't S&S but certainly has swords and sorcerers aplenty (and about which I cannot say enough good things), and started The Hum and the Shiver, which also isn't S&S, but is by Alex Bledsoe, who's written other books that are, so it counts, right?

The vlad taltos series again☺️

Just wrapped up Tom Barczak's Veil of the Dragon. It's a nice take on good vs. disembodied evil. It's poetic, trippy, haunting stuff. Perhaps it would be fitting for a Sword & Ghost ... or Sword & Faith sub-genre (if those exist).

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

Just finished (and reviewed at Black Gate) Keith Taylor's excellent Bard. Set in the time of Arthur, it's an example of how to do Celtic S&S. Hoping to read the sequel, Bard 2, soon.

The Fish the Fighters and the Song-Girl I finished on Sunday, now I am reading a history book. I started Clockwork Blue but I am only a page or two in.

After a lengthy break from fantasy in favor of non-fiction and comics, I blew through The Hammer and the Blade in a single cross-Pacific sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

While it may be a bit closer to D&D-style fantasy than pure sword & sorcery, I also really enjoyed the first Rat Queens graphic novel. It read a bit like a "Tank Girl" take on an adventuring party.

In addition to trying to finish Harold Lamb's Swords from the West, I've started Michael Chabon's Gentlemen of the Road. The beautiful cover and interior art by Gary Gianni reminds me why I love physical books. Then the actual physicality of the book and the need to find a place for it reminds me why I mostly buy e-books these days.

I just started reading Krull, the novelization by Alan Dean Foster of the old fantasy movie.

I'm about half a dozen stories into Martian Quest: The Early Brackett by Leigh Brackett -- I'm loving it although, to be honest, there's lots of planet but so far not much sword.

Charles wrote: "I just started reading Krull, the novelization by Alan Dean Foster of the old fantasy movie."

I'm really curious how this one turns out. I have a real soft spot for the movie and respect for Alan Dean Foster.

Fletcher wrote: "I'm really curious how this one turns out. I have a real soft spot for the movie and respect for Alan Dean Foster."

I'll also be curious -- the movie always seemed to just be scratching the surface of a potentially interesting setting.

Foster's novelization of the Thing was a masterpiece of horror. his Alien was good, although not as good. I know he can write. I've not read a lot of his original stuff, though.

Charles wrote: "Foster's novelization of the Thing was a masterpiece of horror. his Alien was good, although not as good. I know he can write. I've not read a lot of his original stuff, though."

I read a fair amount of his original sci-fi. It's good, occasionally very good, space opera. I'm like any good genre fan from the 70s/80s and grew up loving his novelizations. My favorites were Alien and Dark Star.

Alan Dean Foster's novelizations (Total Recall and Alien in my case) were a great way for curious kids to enjoy R-rated movies.

Incidentally, the Alien novelization has been re-released. I found this article pretty interesting: 15 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Alien: The Official Movie Novelization’/