Jason Waltz > Recent Status Updates

Went to the library for a particular title, didn't have it, found something completely different. Good to read some Westerns again, L'Amour to boot. A slip of a Bowdrie tale opens the contents right nicely.

Rousing introduction kicks things off nicely. I especially like the idea that the author's roots are planted firmly on a pretty darn good foundation in SSOC #16. Descriptives such as "this brisker, more visceral style of fantasy," and "clawing itself out of a shallow grave, and bearing with it a bright blade of vengeance" thrill my soul as much as the author's assertion S&S permeates our culture far beyond print.

"There was a Time" is a very moving poem expressing well my thoughts upon when I the father could mitigate my daughters' hurts and losses...and how I no longer can.

"... remember that this is your child's experience, not yours, and you are an invited guest at this very intimate time."

Taylor's second Fal tale gives even more depth to our hero and his family and clan. This one did not deliver the wallop of the previous story but definitely contributes to the addictive storytelling of this master creator.

Merritt's short tale is a decent inclusion, though the introductory description is perhaps more entertaining.

What a tale is Taylor's "The Unlawful Hunter"! Marvelous descriptions and violent activities! Great storytelling with a compelling protagonist.

"Killer" from Drake & Wagner is finally read by yours truly. The novel has been in my TBR for years. Marvelous foe and an endearing protagonist, and the mystery of the foe's origin is addictive. The book version has moved higher.

Nunnally Johnson's "Clothes Make the Man" provided a good chuckle. Well-drawn antagonist and protagonist.

Oh, touche! Well done good sir! Marvelous little tale from Mark Hellinger; "Jim the Scratch" is about as cold and deadly as they come.

Quite the invigorating tale from Walter Havighurst! "Suicide Ship" embodies the bravery and belief of the British naval crew circa WWII. A rousing good read.

Hot damnations! That Bob Howard can write! Cut away the dismayingly overwrought framing device of James Allison and the savage power of Howard's prose--especially in the galvanizing climactic scenes--is a firehose of fresh, clear, arctic water to the face bringing invigoration, exaltation, and an exuberance for battle riot and the power of living deeply that blows the prose of the previous stories away with no regard

Reading Howard's "Marchers of Valhalla" for the first time and may have just read the first description of Karl Edward Wagner's Kane lineage...or The Man himself: "This king was unlike them; he was a white-skinned giant like ourselves, with mad blue eyes and hair crimson as blood."

Rackhir is a fun though rather thin character. While "To Rescue Tanelorn" pre-dates "The Roaming Forest" by far, I by far enjoyed the second prequel story much more.

So Skharr finally reaches his dungeon destination and turns into a whining, incredulous creature. He's scared of everything, worried about everything, surprised by everything, and can't stop trying to outdo his own creative vulgarities at each one of these events. He seems to have lost his creativity, his intelligence, his experience, his intelligent speech, and pretty much most all of what made him a cool character.

I am enjoying Skharr and his exploits, but dang if this story doesn't plod. Good storytelling marred by poor writing. Could have been drastically improved by a strong edit. Skharr is a fun and formidable character though.

Dave Gross' story is enchanting, his characters delightful, and his presentation of how the main character fills her scabbards quite well drawn. I liked this story idea and both characters rather a lot.

Malan's story is one of the most exciting, mysterious, dangerous, and thrilling short stories I've read in quite a while. Very much fun, and so much of her characters' world delights me. I shall find more of these adventures.

Never met Malan's Dhulyn and Parno before; one page in I'm enjoying them quite a bit.

Several duo stories are featured in this issue, with the tale by Setsu Uzume providing an unique look into an unusual phenomenon: partners who hate each other. It starts in a somewhat confusing fashion and ends particularly violently, so not for the faint of heart. Nathan Long provides a fun jaunt of heroics in a single evening's adventure.

Rackhir the Red travels the moonbeam paths. S&S working together in a dangerous adventure.

This is a very telling read, very personal, very intimate, rather sad to me.

The author tells us that without the hope that this life is temporary and that heaven promises a time far longer and more substantial of health and wholeness and pleasure and peace, there is no hope. I find this quite sad, that he finds unworthy daily little hopes of love and contentment and gratitude and selflessness and joy. These are the hopes that are tangible and can make a day survivable.

Someone didn't know the page count when entering this book. I'm actually on page 238. That said, "Stone Snake" was a fairly decent tale with an interesting character and a good plot twist x 2, but not really the best written. Then Emery's tale, a shining reason of purchase, delivers a stellar secondary character, a decent protagonist, and an eerie diabolical plot. Another of his explorations of S&S, but simply ok.

I recall Iniguez' tale from WHETSTONE; liked it then, like it now. Powerful, sorrowful, and sorceries filled.

Dimly as through a musty looking glass I can understand the appeal of such novels as these forty to fifty years ago. I'm hanging on for the climax, though this has definitely reinforced my declining interests in reading such stories. Anderson does write some good characters, which makes it easy to read some sections, but there are numerous pages I'm skipping or skimming.

Darlington's tale is as unusual as billed and interestingly strikes chords of similarity to TOC companion Emery's novel-length exploration of S&S, THE SHADOW CYCLES. That said, while this is fantasy that is heroic in its way, this is neither so much S&S nor appealing to my tastes.

Powerful, engrossing tale from Dilks, a masterful S&S story of grisly swords and grotesque sorceries. Several worthy characters.

Best I can say about the last story is that it was childish and I am surprised it is included here.

Wonderful story from Martin Owton! I'd read more of these characters and more of his writing after this, my first contact with him. This is both heroic fantasy and S&S storytelling, in this particular case requiring both swords and sorceries to survive. Good story!

And the tale of the inland sea is most assuredly a tale of sorceries, but S&S and heroic fantasy it is not. A grand adventure, yes, but now the taste of these first two stories is making me wonder if I have erred in my purchase.