Orcs

[Charles]

True.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

https://www.facebook.com/StrangerComics, posts this Orc announcement:

"You like Orcs?A sneak peek look at some early O.G pencils for our new book MORKA MOA by Art Director Darrell May. Sebastian A. Jones will join Darrell in adding the words. Sheldon Mitchell will ink and color. This is ‪#‎Asunda‬."

https://www.facebook.com/StrangerComi...

[Greg]

Looks interesting, Seth. Will need to keep an eye out for Morka Moa when it comes out.

[Ashe]

Hell yeah, an Orc comic!

[Ashe]

Haven't discussed orcs in a while. Wanted to let everyone know I finished A Demon in the Desert and it's up for sale now if you're curious.

http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Desert-Gr...

[Quentin]

I didn't realize it was for sale already, nice Ashe!

Also guys, this collection is out for free, and my story has orcs and goblins. Check it out if you're so inclined.

[Ashe]

Yeah, man. I didn't realize how quick the process can be.

Orcs and goblins, alright alright.

[Scott]

I need to pick up your book this weekend, Ashe! Congrats!

[Ashe]

Thanks! Goodreads is in the process of approving me as an author and I made a big post on facebook that you might've seen earlier. It has all the links there too.

[Mary]

Welcome to the ranks of Goodreads authors, then.

[Ashe]

Thank you!

[Greg]

Ashe wrote: "Haven't discussed orcs in a while. Wanted to let everyone know I finished A Demon in the Desert and it's up for sale now if you're curious.

http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Desert-Gr......"

Congrats on getting your book published, Ashe!

[Greg]

Quentin wrote: "I didn't realize it was for sale already, nice Ashe!

Also guys, this collection is out for free, and my story has orcs and goblins. Check it out if you're so inclined.

[bookcover:Seven Heavenly V..."

Congrats on getting your story published in this collection, Quentin!

[Mark]

Ashe wrote: "Haven't discussed orcs in a while. Wanted to let everyone know I finished A Demon in the Desert and it's up for sale now if you're curious.

http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Desert-Gr......"

Well done, looking forward to reading it Ashe.

[Quentin]

Thanks Greg!

I've got Ashe's book and I'll be reading it soon, looks good!

[Ashe]

Thank you!

I hope it can provide some more fun discussion about orcs. And maybe we can get a sixguns & sorcery discussion going on at some point. I know I need to find some of those books (there's a couple of my 'Genre Thought' thread).

[Charles]

Many of you may already have it, but in case not, I've made my fantasy tale, "Harvest of War" free for the Kindle today and wanted to spread the word. http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-War-Cha...

[S.wagenaar]

Just got it. Thanks Charles!

[Charles]

Thanks!

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Charles wrote: "Many of you may already have it, but in case not, I've made my fantasy tale, "Harvest of War" free for the Kindle today and wanted to spread the word. http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-War-Cha......"

Awesome. I loved Harvest of War. Others should get this too.

[Derek]

Charles wrote: "Many of you may already have it, but in case not, I've made my fantasy tale, "Harvest of War" free for the Kindle today and wanted to spread the word.

Thank you!

[Mark]

Thank you Charles

[Ashe]

Harvest was good stuff. My small review apparently helped a couple of folks decide on the purchase too haha.

[Charles]

I appreciate it, Ashe. Every bit helps.

[Greg]

Charles wrote: "Many of you may already have it, but in case not, I've made my fantasy tale, "Harvest of War" free for the Kindle today and wanted to spread the word. http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-War-Cha......"

You wouldn't have a pdf version of your story handy by any chance? (Hope I'm not being cheeky by asking! :P)

[Charles]

Greg, I've been looking through my stuff. Apparently I have to do some kind of add-on to save it in PDF format. I'll check with my wife when she is home later to see if she knows how to do it.

[Charles]

Greg, I've managed to convert the file to PDF. Let me know where to send it.

[Greg]

Charles wrote: "Greg, I've managed to convert the file to PDF. Let me know where to send it."

Awesome! I'll send you my email by private message.

[Charles]

Greg wrote: "Charles wrote: "Greg, I've managed to convert the file to PDF. Let me know where to send it."

Awesome! I'll send you my email by private message."

all right

[Greg]

Charles wrote: "Greg wrote: "Charles wrote: "Greg, I've managed to convert the file to PDF. Let me know where to send it."

Awesome! I'll send you my email by private message."

all right"

Except that I can't as we're not GR friends... yet.

[Greg]

Charles wrote: "Many of you may already have it, but in case not, I've made my fantasy tale, "Harvest of War" free for the Kindle today and wanted to spread the word. http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-War-Cha......"

I read Harvest of War this morning and really liked it! Brief review here.

[Charles]

Greg wrote: "Charles wrote: "Many of you may already have it, but in case not, I've made my fantasy tale, "Harvest of War" free for the Kindle today and wanted to spread the word. http://www.amazon.com/Harvest..."

Greg, thanks very much for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed!

[Greg]

You're welcome, Charles! Thanks for making it available through this thread.

[Charles]

Jack, thanks, much. Glad you enjoyed!

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Orc fans...just saw this Orc book advertised via the UK.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ORCS-David-As...

I know little about it, but figured a few of you might like it.

[Greg]

S.E. wrote: "Orc fans...just saw this Orc book advertised via the UK.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ORCS-David-As...

I know little about it, but figured a few of you might like it."

Seems to be a composite of poetry and footnotes - art and literary criticism? Looks interesting.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

AlamoJack wrote: "Thanks, SE, looks interesting. Maybe one of our 2016 Group Reads can have an orc theme. We can pick a book or two that doesn't follow the typical LOTR/D&D treatment. Charles did a good job in his [..."

Hi Jack; note the group had an ORC groupread theme in March last year (2015):
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Could revisit if group desires.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

No worries, Jack. Just another confirmation that you belong in this group. Funny how many orciphilles are here.

[Scott]

S.E. wrote: "No worries, Jack. Just another confirmation that you belong in this group. Funny how many orciphilles are here."

We are legion :)

[Joseph, Master Ultan]

Scott wrote: "S.E. wrote: "No worries, Jack. Just another confirmation that you belong in this group. Funny how many orciphilles are here."

We are legion :)"

You could almost say ... a horde?

[Ashe]

AlamoJack wrote: "Thanks, SE, looks interesting. Maybe one of our 2016 Group Reads can have an orc theme. We can pick a book or two that doesn't follow the typical LOTR/D&D treatment. Charles did a good job in his [..."

I have a Christmas sale going right now. Details are up on my blog.

But yeah, the book looks more like poetry and critiquing, which could be cool. And another Orc theme is always rad.

[Charles]

sounds good to me.

[Greg]

Not sure if anyone has posted about here already; but I'm currently reading The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French. It's a fun read so far. It was described to me a Sons of Anarchy as orcs. To me its more like the America Indians that acted as scouts for the US Army or maybe Indians who were the police on the reservations. I'm very impressed with the detailed structure of their society and culture. I guess I should mention these guys are half - orcs -offspring of human women raped by full blood orcs.

[Ashe]

That sounds interesting. Not a huge fan of the "half-orcs come from rape" trope but at least the book looks like it does a little more than is typical.

Oh yeah, and I found another book recently called Jack Bloodfist: Fixer. Loved the cover, looked like an interesting premise, and the author seems like a nice guy. We've chatted on twitter some.

[Greg]

I hear ya on the Half - orcs but it works well in this book, not too wear out the American Indians comparisons, cause I don't want to give the wrong impression of the book, but they were much like "half-breeds" in American history; outcast from both races. And I should mention, they have bred boars to be their steeds.

[Scott]

I read the free sample at Amazon; need to pick a copy of it up. I have a pet peeve: Orcs that act TOO human; for sake of discussion, why do you folks think so many writers do this? Is it to make their Orcs more identifiable for readers? More sympathetic? Me, personally, I like Orcs that are more than just humans in Orc makeup . . .

[Ashe]

Given I'm a bit guilty of humanization, I can really only say that I wrote Grimluk the way I did more from a desire to see orcs be more than savages. Though i'm getting more into some history and culture in book 2 and the way i've worked out some of the history, it makes sense. Also thinking of ways to curve some of the other orcs away from that some. I've also blatantly chosen to go againat certain common aspects. My orcs are capable of great violence, don't shy away from combat, but still attempt to keep compassion as a major philosophical point. Not in a monolithic cultural way necessarily but again, history. Also physical things. Eyes and strength and tusks.

Man, I have a lot of details built up that I want to share but don't want to just dump out.

Anywho, Scott, we've discussed your dislike of green skin but what iterations have you read that were really "green human?"

[Greg]

Scott wrote: "I read the free sample at Amazon; need to pick a copy of it up. I have a pet peeve: Orcs that act TOO human; for sake of discussion, why do you folks think so many writers do this? Is it to make th..."

Agreed, Scott. That was my problem -one of many really- with Nicole's Orcs. Not only were his Orcs basically human barbarians, but that weren't particularly all that bad-ass either. In Gray Riders, this half-orcs have a lot of human traits but there is a huge difference between them and the full-blooded fathers. Also, there are half-orcs they call thrice-blood, which is the offspring of an Orc male and a half-orc female. they are significantly bigger, stonger, and more ferrious fighters than then true half-orcs.
Trying to kill a full blood orc is like trying to kill a A Cyberdyne Systems series T-800 Model 101 Terminator, which is why the half-orcs in this world became so crucial for the humans to reach somewhat of an alliance with them.

[Scott]

In WoW (never played, and only read a couple of Orc-centric books) and Elder Scrolls Orcs strike me as "green human": noble savages who could easily be idealized human barbarians. I'm guilty of it, too. I've been toying with ways to make Orcs distinct in my own fiction -- mostly by changing the cadence of their speech to mimic that of someone whose mother-tongue isn't English, and by creating a unique social and religious foundation for them.

I'm currently arguing with my editor about the need to make my protagonist sympathetic. My position is I need to make him sympathetic *to other Orcs*, not necessarily to Human readers. He's afraid it will alienate readers, while my hope is they'll trust me and come along for the ride.

[Scott]

Greg wrote: Trying to kill a full blood orc is like trying to kill a A Cyberdyne Systems series T-800 Model 101 Terminator, which is why the half-orcs in this world became so crucial for the humans to reach somewhat of an alliance with them.

I so need to pick up a copy of this book . . .