Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy" discussion
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What are you currently reading?
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Jan 01, 2022 03:18PM

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Also just started up Robert E. Howard Changed My Life: Personal Essays about an Extraordinary Legacy

A Means to Freedom: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard.
Rogue Protocol, the third of Martha Wells' Murderbot novellas, which isn't even remotely sword & sorcery, but after the two Silverberg Legends anthologies (which I enjoyed immensely), it was time for a change.
Bless The Child by David J. West. Well written fantasy as you would expect from Mr. West.

[bookcover:Swords of the Four Winds: Tales of Swords and Sorcery in an Ancient East That Neve..."
Oh, cool! I just interviewed the author this weekend. What brought this to your attention?

That’s awesome! Is the interview available yet online?
I liked his story on Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Lord of the Brass Host, and discovered he had penned a whole book of short stories in the same vein. Brilliant stuff. To me it reads like Harold Lamb and David Gemmell collaborated.

Not yet, I record several episodes in advance. I'm thinking March, at which point I'll advertise it here (among other places). He's a real history buff and had plenty to say - including his admiration for Harold Lamb, who you better believe I brought up!

I cannot recommend Swords of the Four Winds enough. I initially bought it, and shelved it, pretty much forgetting it. Now that I’m reading it I’m quite taken with it. I regret not diving right in. Even the editing surpasses a majority of books printed today, and this was self published.

I cannot recommend Swords of the Four Winds enough. I initially bought it, and shelved it, pretty much forgetting it. Now that I’m reading it I’m quite taken with it. I regret not diving r..."
@Oliver @Richard...you guys convinced me(when you both gush about it, it means I'm gonna love it)..yet another book purchased to be read....:-)...cant wait for the episode Oliver!


Just a few more and I'm all caught up!


I cannot recommend Swords of the Four Winds enough. I initially bought it, and shelved it, pretty much forgetting it. Now that I’m reading it I’m quite taken with it. I reg..."
Thank you! Should come out in early March (I record several episodes ahead). I'll crow about it here when that happens, I'm sure.

I cannot recommend Swords of the Four Winds enough. I initially bought it, and shelved it, pretty much forgetting it. Now that I’m reading it I’m quite taken with it. I regret not diving r..."
Right? And he wrote that a while ago, publishing in 2013. I'm very curious to see what his newer stuff is like, including the sequel he's working on.
Dariel has a Ko-Fi, if you want to help him commission cover art for said sequel: https://ko-fi.com/writerdariel

Theok the Indomitable: A Spill Of Sorcerer's Blood

After stampeding through Murderbot #3-#6 in about a week, I decided to take a (possibly ill-considered) revisit to my childhood, beginning with Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs.




The first of a Viking themed trilogy. It seems only the first book was published here in the States. Stan Wagenaar put my feet upon this path.
From the jacket:
"Rich in the background of ancient Norse legends, Starkadder is a vivid, sweeping novel of swordplay and intrigue."

It's my first dip into Wellman, and I'm excited to read more. Are there any other good collections I should look out for?

Sadly most of his collections are out of print and very expensive second hand.
His novel Cahena is still in print from DMR Books. It’s a fun historical adventure.
Worse Things Waiting and Lonely Vigils are still in print and while I haven’t read them others seem to really like them. Both books were initially printed by Carcosa, a publishing house started by Karl Edward Wagner.
After reading another set of Tarzan books (the new editions from the Edgar Rice Burroughs Authorized Library, which have lots of nice bonus materials) -- Jungle Tales of Tarzan, Tarzan the Untamed and Tarzan the Terrible -- I decided it was finally time to try some Matthew Hughes (an author who works very much in the tradition of Jack Vance) with his novel Majestrum.


Digging the 'Justicar and 'Cinders the undead hide of a Hellhound .... Unique Characters so far. Fight scenes are a bit disjointed. World building is unabashedly fantastic, as it most certainly spawns from the foundations of D&D. .
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