Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy" discussion
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Introductions
Thanks for the welcome!I believe you are right about Red Sonya. The only writer I think that has had his work so botched up on film as Howard was Burroughs... A guy would think that they would actually READ the books they are making movies about...
Red Sonya of Rogatino made her only appearance in 'Shadow of the Vulture', set during Suleiman the Magnificent's siege of Vienna in 1529. Excellent story, BTW.
Howdy! Just joined after Googling sword & sorcery groups on Goodreads and found this result. Glad I did. I'm an author with Baen Books and my new sword & sorcery series, the Shadow Warrior, debuts in September with Undead Hordes of Kan-Gul. The series has a decidedly Far East feel to it, and in this case while we've altered the world a bit, Shadow Warriors are basically ninja. Add in some nasty undead, evil sorcery, and crazy creatures and you've got the series. I've drawn upon my over 20 years of studying authentic Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu to help instill some great stuff into the books. Hopefully everyone digs it. I grew up devouring a lot of fantasy books - The Hobbit was the first book I read in one day out on my front lawn one summer. In my writing career, I've played more in the urban fantasy realm with a supernatural Jason Bourne type series among some standalone thrillers. Undead Hordes is my first foray into fantasy and I'm pretty excited about it - feels like I'm returning to my real roots, great books I loved to read, D&D games in grammar school...good stuff.
Anyway, when I'm not writing I study martial arts and enjoy getting my guts smashed with CrossFit workouts. Looking forward to talking with you all and participating as much as I'm able. have a great night!
Mod
Welcome Jon, thank you for joining us. Your series sounds mighty interesting. Feel free to introduce your Series & characters in this thread.
It's interesting to see Sword & Sorcery inspired by eastern or oriental elements. Many of us have been reading the Gonji series and of course, everything is better with ninjas. Kidding aside, it'll be interesting to read a series informed by authentic Ninjutsu training.
Feel free to participate in the group in any way you prefer. We're finishing our May-June Groupread and voting for the July-August Group Read, here .
As a youth I read almost all the Conan stories (though now I confess I only really like the ones by Howard himself (although I still like other stories by the 'Conan successor authors', I think they all missed the mark by a good yard when it came to Conan, though I am now grown aged and cynical and possibly over-picky).
Then I read all the Elric's that were available at that time and found them less satisfactory. Great in parts, less so in others.
I read a couple of Leiber's too (and the one where Mouser has his voyeuristic experience whilst trapped beneath the earth made a considerable impression on my young mind . . .). these I liked better than Moorcock, though strangely Moorcock was the author who I read more of (Corum, von Beck, Hawkmoon).
Probably the best Sword and Sorcery I've read is M. Joh Harrison's The Pastel City, which I think just about qualifies although there's no sorcery per se, although I find Vance to be hugely amusing at times too.
But Howard was where I came in.
Then I read all the Elric's that were available at that time and found them less satisfactory. Great in parts, less so in others.
I read a couple of Leiber's too (and the one where Mouser has his voyeuristic experience whilst trapped beneath the earth made a considerable impression on my young mind . . .). these I liked better than Moorcock, though strangely Moorcock was the author who I read more of (Corum, von Beck, Hawkmoon).
Probably the best Sword and Sorcery I've read is M. Joh Harrison's The Pastel City, which I think just about qualifies although there's no sorcery per se, although I find Vance to be hugely amusing at times too.
But Howard was where I came in.
Mod
Welcome David, thank you for joining us.
Interesting that you mention The Pastel City, an atypical S&S book that some love, others hate. I fall into the first group of readers, after reading it based on a Black Gate recommendation...
I wasn't keen on Harrison's follow-ups to The Pastel City, as they became a little too purposefully weird for my taste, as if he was trying too hard to make his fantasy 'mean something' in a literary sense. But I loved his vocabulary and phrasing in The Pastel City:
'. . . he knew that he would never come again, riding into the light out of battle, to Balmacara in the morning.'
'. . . he knew that he would never come again, riding into the light out of battle, to Balmacara in the morning.'
Hello all.I've been a fan of science fiction and fantasy for thirty plus years and have always had a fondness for s&s, especially Moorcock, Leiber, and Howard. I'm also a fan of music with those leanings (listening to Hawkwind as I type). I dabble in writing and have a couple of stories published in fanzines and small press mags. I've taught high school for twenty-two years, and for the past ten or so, I've been teaching a class in fantasy literature. Thanks for putting this group together. I'm always eager for new takes on old favorites and finding new gems to read.
Mod
I've been a fan of science fiction and fantasy for thirty plus years and have always had a fondness for s&s, especially Moorcock, Leiber, and Howard. I'm also a fan of music with those..."
Welcome Jeffery, thanks for joining us!
We should create a music thread soon.
Feel free to join our Group Reads and present your work to the group.
David wrote: "I wasn't keen on Harrison's follow-ups to The Pastel City, as they became a little too purposefully weird for my taste, as if he was trying too hard to make his fantasy 'mean something' in a liter..."Yes, I think Harrison was trying to make s&s do something different but it ended up being either a new kind of s&s or not s&s at all. (I can't criticise him for that, I've tried it myself!)
I did like his short story Viriconium Knights, though the first part more than the ending. I'm not quite certain what defines a book as sword and sorcery but to my mind The Pastel City was pretty much within its borders whereas A storm of Wings and In Viriconium as you say seemed to be something different, a bit reminiscent if Moorcock at his oddest, but more so,
Mod
I've created a thread dedicated to Viriconium. Feel free to discuss further there please. :-)
Hello:) I write dark adult fantasy and read fantasy (among other genres). Always looking for recommendations too.
I am trying to get hold of the Janet Morris Thieves World books as my BFF recommended them. I have picked up a couple of her works and really looking forward to them:)
Always willing to check out other indies too:)
Mod
I write dark adult fantasy and read fantasy (among other genres). Always looking for recommendations too.
I am trying to get hold of the Janet Morris Thieves World books as my BFF recomm..."
Welcome Alexandra, thank you for joining us. You might be interested in this thread, where Janet Morris provides valuable information on the internal chronology of her series & characters.
Just joined,I've read alot of Salvatore,Feist and Eddings.And several others.
Mod
Welcome Charlton, thanks for joining. Hope you find more interesting readings in the group. Have a look at our bi-monthly group reads.
Hi there, I've already posted a couple times, but I figure I should introduce myself. My name is Dan, and I have been a S&S fan since I discovered Robert E. Howard's writing when I was in high school. Bran Mak Morn is my favourite of his creations. To this day he remains my favourite author, with Michael Moorcock coming in a tight second.I have read many Sword & Sorcery stories and novels, though few current ones. To be 100% honest I am more interested in exploring the classic authors of the genre. Other than the aforementioned Moorcock and Howard I am also a big fan of Fritz Leiber and Karl Edward Wagner. A little lesser known author, but whose Simon Magus stories I love, is Richard Tierney.
Myself I am a wannabe writer, but I mostly try my hand at horror and weird fiction. My few attempts at fantasy have seemed to come up flat.
Mod
Welcome Dan! Thanks for participating. You are in good company (a bunch of like-minded dark fantasy addicts/artists).
BTW Bran Mak Morn is my favorite REH character too..Frazetta's coverart has haunted me for decades...and Wagner's pastiche of Bran totally rocked: Bran Mak Morn: Legion From The Shadows.
Legion from the shadows is my single favorite pastiche of any ever done about Howard's characters.
I'll have to go out of my way to check it out.
Hi. I have to say this group is a little intimidating with all these published authors and their long histories with Swords & Sorcery.
I am a long-time fan of Swords & Sorcery with Conan being both my introduction and my favorite. I started with the movies first until I discovered some beaten up, old copies of the Ace paperbacks. I spent many years after trying to track down the complete Howard (and only Howard) stories until Del Rey finally released them in the early 2000's.
I am also a big fan of the Savage Sword of Conan collections from Dark Horse which I have been piling up every year faster than I can read them along with Kull. Lately I have been tracking down other swords & sorcery heroes from used book stores and such, and I'm in the middle of Gardner F. Fox binge with this Kothar, Kyrik, and Llarn series.
I was also heavily influenced by the sword & planet books such as Burroughs' Barsoom series which still ranks as one of my favorites, and I love just about anything by Vance including the Dying Earth.
Years of D&D and other roleplaying games have influenced my own writing, and I prefer to write tales about groups of protagonists rather than single or dual. I am hoping to have my first novel and novella published later this year, but this publishing business is all very new to me.
The group seems great, though is there is a lot to take in here. I am hoping to get more involved with fellow fans of the genre.
I am a long-time fan of Swords & Sorcery with Conan being both my introduction and my favorite. I started with the movies first until I discovered some beaten up, old copies of the Ace paperbacks. I spent many years after trying to track down the complete Howard (and only Howard) stories until Del Rey finally released them in the early 2000's.
I am also a big fan of the Savage Sword of Conan collections from Dark Horse which I have been piling up every year faster than I can read them along with Kull. Lately I have been tracking down other swords & sorcery heroes from used book stores and such, and I'm in the middle of Gardner F. Fox binge with this Kothar, Kyrik, and Llarn series.
I was also heavily influenced by the sword & planet books such as Burroughs' Barsoom series which still ranks as one of my favorites, and I love just about anything by Vance including the Dying Earth.
Years of D&D and other roleplaying games have influenced my own writing, and I prefer to write tales about groups of protagonists rather than single or dual. I am hoping to have my first novel and novella published later this year, but this publishing business is all very new to me.
The group seems great, though is there is a lot to take in here. I am hoping to get more involved with fellow fans of the genre.
Michael, welcome. Your reading background sounds a lot like mine. I read Conan, Kothar, Kyrik, and the Llarn books. Missed most of the Vance when I was young. And read ERB's Martian stuff and many of the others that wrote tales later under his influence, like Carter.
Mod
Welcome, Michael. You fit right in here. Note the current group read includes Vance:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
Well thank you for the warm welcome. :) Yes, I've always been very much into Conan. Back in college some of my friends and I were obsessed with the few tales we could get our hands on. We even created our own version of a Conan roleplaying game and converted the story "The God in the Bowl" (still my favorite) into an adventure.
I just got into Fox after lucking out on a shopping trip recently. I was visiting friends and went to a comic book store with them. I perused their book section expecting the usual old Star Trek novels to be sitting there, and I was amazed to discover all of these old swords & sorcery paperbacks. I snatched up an armful of them, and I have been slowly working my way through them ever since. Then, when I discovered the holes in my collection I HAD to start filling them up from Amazon used books.
Ooh, I'll have to check that out. I'm still trying to absorb everything the group has to offer. I got into Vance late as well based on the D&D connection. I loved the Dying Earth and slowly started reading more and more of Vance. The Blue Planet is favorite of his though I love Cugel.
I just got into Fox after lucking out on a shopping trip recently. I was visiting friends and went to a comic book store with them. I perused their book section expecting the usual old Star Trek novels to be sitting there, and I was amazed to discover all of these old swords & sorcery paperbacks. I snatched up an armful of them, and I have been slowly working my way through them ever since. Then, when I discovered the holes in my collection I HAD to start filling them up from Amazon used books.
Ooh, I'll have to check that out. I'm still trying to absorb everything the group has to offer. I got into Vance late as well based on the D&D connection. I loved the Dying Earth and slowly started reading more and more of Vance. The Blue Planet is favorite of his though I love Cugel.
Welcome, Michael. If you haven't already, check out the Community Forums at Conan.com. There's a ton of information in those threads. Mind you, you may have to search for some of it :)
Oh boy. More forums? I'm trying to take in everything going on here. The Black Star sounds interesting. I'm not sure what it's about exactly, but I like the look of the cover. :P I'll keep an eye out for it on my used book hunts.
Periklis wrote: "Alexandra wrote: "Hello:) I write dark adult fantasy and read fantasy (among other genres). Always looking for recommendations too.
I am trying to get hold of the Janet Morris Thieves World book..."
Alexandra, if there's anything I can tell you about the Thieves World Sacred Band stories we wrote, or about the Sacred Band of Stepsons series that grew from those early stories, feel free to ask.
Periklis, thanks for directing Alexandra to the SBS chronology thread. -- jem
Mod
I am a long-time fan of Swords & Sorcery with Conan being ..."
Hello Michael and welcome! thank you for joining us with such an enthusiasm. You could introduce us to your work in the Promotions thread or by creating a new thread in the Authors Folder. Please vote on the Sept-Oct Group Read Poll here, if you like.
Since it would be nice to keep this thread focused on introductions, here is the Sword & Planet Thread where there is copy of your discussion, since there is no way of moving comments from different folders.
Feel free to discuss anything related to Sword & Sorcery (and subgenres) in the appropriate thread and if there isn't one, feel free to create a new one in the appropriate folder. Thanks to all participants, of the above discusssion, for their understanding.
Thanks. Sorry, I didn't mean to derail things in here. I'll certainly post something about my work once it's ready for publication.
Hi! I am following J.W. Kent here, I am a fan of his Fergus stories. I was also raised on Burroughs, Howard, Moorcock, and Leiber.My earliest memory of the contents of a book were when my father read to me Burroughs', Tanar of Pellucidar. I remember the hero being trapped in a lightless prison and snakes would enter the cell to slither over him. Creepy goodness!
I am an artist with a love of Frazetta and Roy G. Krenkel. I filled sketchbooks in my youth with barbarians and monsters.
Recently, I became a self-published author of heroic fantasy. I set out to answer questions that many stories, and nights around the D&D table, left burning in my mind. This led to an enourmous amount of world building. Which in turn led to writing.
This looks like a great group to network with other authors and readers.
Mod
My earliest memory of the contents of a book were when my father ..."
Welcome Thomas, thank you for joining us. Feel free to introduce your work, either in the authors folder or the photos section for your artwork.
Also, feel free to join the September-October Groupread. The "Review Starved Books" topic would be a good place to spread your enthusiasm about J.W. Kent's work.
I'm so glad I finally got smart and searched on S&S. I'm a huge fan but came to it from a different direction than most people. I started watching old Errol Flynn movies, lots of swords, not so much sorcery, which lead me to Rafael Sabatini, more swords and swash, and only after running out of straight-sword adventures came to swords with a generous helping of sorcery. Then I was hooked for life.I'm a member of Author's Guild and Novelist's Inc.
Mod
Welcome Cynthia, thank you for joining us.
I've added your book to the group's Bookshelf. Feel free to discuss your series, hero, inspiration or even writing techniques by creating a new post in the Authors Folder.
Also, feel free to participate to our Group Reads, focused on Charles' Saunders "Imaro" series and genre-related titles with a small number of reviews.
Hello, all. I'm Derek and I've been quietly lurking in the group for entirely too long.I'm a fan of really obscure, little-known fantasy works, and am looking forward to the September/October group read.
Mod
Welcome Derek. We look forward to a review of something obscure from you. Obscure works are often treasures.
Derek wrote: "I'm a fan of really obscure, little-known fantasy works, and am looking forward to the September/October gr..."Hello Derek! That's one of the reasons I joined. I want to discover more hidden Sword & Sorcery gems.
Hello all, I'm Andrew and a fan of the Sword and Soul genre including the works of Charles R. Saunders and Milton J. Davis among others. I have been a reader of fantasy for many years and I’m looking forward to discussions and recommendations in this group.
Mod
Welcome, Andrew! Not sure if our current groupread lured you in or not...but in case you were not aware, please note that for Sept-Oct we are reading Saunder's works (Link below). Please join in:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
Hi all! I'm glad to have found this group! I'm C.V. Dreesman, a Goodreads Author whose new Fantasy/S&S novel has just been published. I grew up reading and watching S&S stories (Conan and Elric books, and Tolkien of course, and movies like the Beastmaster) and role playing with the same D&D group for years recreating adventures like we came across in the books. The earthiness of those adventures created a life long interest for me.I will be checking on discussions and commenting as often as possible (often, once I get some of the promo work finished for my book...which was written with an idea of S&S type stories in mind) and look forward to discussing S&S with everyone!
Mod
Welcome C.V., thanks for joining us. Feel free to promote and discuss your work by creating a post on this thread. Also, feel free to participate in the current group reads.
Hello, everyone!I'm A.R. Williams. I write fantasy and science fiction.
I first became seriously interested in fantasy when I read the Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weiss & Tracy Hickman, but was also influenced by comics such as ElfQuest and the Savage Sword of Conan.
Sword & Sorcery hasn't been the biggest part of my fantasy reading experience ( most of my reading falling in the epic fantasy category), but I like what the genre has to offer and want to read and write more of it.
One thing I like about R.E. Howard's work is his ability to create such a realistic and gritty setting. His work is filled with mood and atmosphere. And Conan, although a "dumb" brute in the movies, has moments where he makes really insightful comments in the stories.
I love Frank Frazetta's work. For me, his artwork plays just as big a part in the S&S mythos as Howard's Conan tales.
I look forward to talking more about the genre with those present in this group.
Charles wrote: "Welcome, A. R."Thanks, Charles :)
Mod
Welcome, AR. I see you already delved into a few discussions. Note that we have a current poll to steer the direction our 2-month duration group reads (usually with two topics)....next period = Nov-Dec:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/8...
And, the current Group reads are
1) Review-starved books
2) Imaro, by Saunders
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
S.E. wrote: "Welcome, AR. I see you already delved into a few discussions..."
Thanks, S.E. This seems like an interesting group to talk about S&S with.
Hello everyone. My name is Dan (Daniel Side) officially I guess. Fascinated in the early sixties by Burroughs. Was just at the right age to be captivated by all that adventure and his imagination. Graduated to Lord of the Rings and the first Terry Brook's Shanara series. Kept reading but eveutually got tired of magic, gnomes, dwarfs and the threat from the east,west, north. Finally set out to write my own story that I wanted to read (much, much older now!) and enjoyed the experience thoroughly. Have been writing since - a variety of different genres, but heroic fantasy seems to be my favourite. Have published a first novel with Amazon and my second one, out sometime in 2014, will be that s&s novel I wrote those many years ago - after yet another revision. Glad I found this site and am looking forward to reading some of the suggested works.
Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"
Books mentioned in this topic
Kull: Exile of Atlantis (other topics)Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology (other topics)
Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword-and-Sorcery (other topics)
Samurai Cat Goes to Hell (other topics)
Samurai Cat Goes to Hell (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Robert E. Howard (other topics)Robert E. Howard (other topics)
Edgar Rice Burroughs (other topics)
Mary Gentle (other topics)
Stan Nicholls (other topics)
More...
Welcome J.W. and thanks for joining us. I think it was in that cycle of stories that "Red Sonya" (later popularized as Red Sonja) was introduced as a character.
Feel free to introduce your work in this thread.