In previous posts I’ve praised David Drake’s Vettius and Dama stories. It was clear to me he had a gift for melding historical accuracy with Sword-and-Sorcery. So I wasn’t surprised to find that his first novel pulled off the same trick.
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The State of the Web Log. Plus A Trip To Nashville
The state of the web log is…unfortunate. I tried to post last week only to discover that my entire website had gone missing. With the assistance of a helpful freelance IT specialist from Bangladesh I was able to recover enough that at least the place is functional, though poorly furnished. Of over 400 posts, only… Continue reading The State of the Web Log. Plus A Trip To Nashville
A Trip to The Dalles
Only a fence and the Columbia River separate me from the State of Washington I took MBW and the HA for an excursion yesterday. We needed to shake the rust off and see new horizons. So, skirting south of Mt. Hood, then along its eastern flanks for a while, until we cut due east through… Continue reading A Trip to The Dalles
A (Un)Real American Hero
Who is the most American of fantasy heroes? I ignited enough fireworks yesterday in the course of Independence Day festivities to get me feeling good and patriotic. And as a patriotic writer of fabulism, it should come as little surprise that the opening question occurred to me. The British Isles have produced abundant fantasy heroes,… Continue reading A (Un)Real American Hero
Belly Up to the Bar
What are the best taverns in fantasy? Where do you imagine yourself sipping a pint in rather unusual company? The genre is full of these joints, though most, sadly, go nameless. Of course, some of these you’d probably just as soon avoid, like a den of merriment in Arenun’s Maul, in Zamora. Some spring immediately to… Continue reading Belly Up to the Bar
The Quintessence of S&S
If I were to distill the elements of Swords-and-Sorcery to their essence, what story would I find pooled at the bottom of the alembic? To answer such a question, I’d first have to gather the elements. It requires a confident man or an arrogant fool to think he knows what those elements are. Let’s take… Continue reading The Quintessence of S&S
A Snippet
I thought I’d offer a change of pace this week. Something different from my usual blathering. I’m offering a snippet from my novel Thick As Thieves. I hope you get a kick out of it. If you’re intrigued enough to want to read the rest, Thick As Thieves is available in print and digital formats here and here, and I suppose… Continue reading A Snippet
Flashing Swords #3. Pack Your Bags.
I have a number of well-worn anthologies on my shelves. It has been said that shorter fiction is the proper length for Swords-and-Sorcery. Maybe so. At least in an anthology the reader has access to multiple imagined worlds in a single volume instead of the single world of a novel. I thought I’d investigate this… Continue reading Flashing Swords #3. Pack Your Bags.
The Dresden Files: Sword-and-Sorcery?
I had intended to write another post on anthologies. However, I was about three and a half stories through a collection when Peace Talks arrived. So much for that plan. I’m about halfway through the latest of Harry Dresden’s series of unfortunate events. Once I’m done, I’ll get back to revisiting Fafhrd and Gray Mouser’s shenanigans. Reading Peace… Continue reading The Dresden Files: Sword-and-Sorcery?