Fantasy Books

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: 
Bill: When not writing, Bill is a product manager for a company that tests food using analytical chemistry and microbiology. Bill currently lives in the greater Chicago, IL area with his wife, goblin (aka toddler) son, & daughter.
Dewey: When Dewey isn’t heads down into drawing or writing, he works as an instructional designer for a major learning management systems company developing online courses. Dewey lives north of Houston, TX with his wife and two dogs while his adult children are off on their own.
Find them online: The Willow Wraiths
The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword links: Amazon, Goodreads


Hello guys, thanks so much for joining us! Would you tell us a little about yourselves, and what made you want to start working together?
Bill: Hallo! Thanks for having us. Not only are we super grateful to even be named a finalist in SPFBOX (and the first ever middle grade book!), we are thankful y’all even want to chat with little ol’ us.
But to answer your question, I’m Bill Adams and I’m a middle grade and adult SFF writer. Aside from The Tenacious Tale, I have an adult dark fantasy series called The Divine Godsqueen Coda that I’ve been working on for mannnny years, and just released the first book, The Godsblood Tragedy, this past summer.
Dewey: Hello, I’m Dewey Conway and I’m a middle grade writer and illustrator. TTToTTT is my first book, but I also illustrate a little on the side and have been starting to branch out into commissioned art.
Bill: It’s an interesting journey we had together. We first started off as critique partners. I sent out the call in 2017 on social media and Dewey was one of the first to answer it. At the time, I was working on a draft of TGT and Dewey was on a first draft of TTToTTT. Not only did we click right away on a writing basis, but on a personal one too. We’ve become very close friends over the years.
Dewey: Arus brought Bill into my life, for sure. We have a dynamic that creatively works really well.
Bill: We really do work together well. I’ll answer it a bit further below, but I truly believed in the story Dewey had started. There was so much there, so many great things about it. I knew that as a middle grade age reader, I would have eaten this story up. I also knew that Dewey was getting a little discouraged by the querying process and seeing as we collaborated really well on altering some of the story over the years, I basically begged him to let me take a crack at an edit of it.
Dewey: I was done. This story and the characters within (especially Galdifort) are shards of my soul, so to have it rejected time after time by agents during querying was discouraging, for sure. I had shelved it for a bit before Bill coaxed me into bringing it back out. We’ll get more into that later.
Bill: It was a journey for sure to get to the self-pub point, but there’s no doubt in my mind, we put out the best story we could, one that would draw in readers not only at middle grade age, but adults too.

Collaborative work is… Well, it’s not for everyone. But you’ve pulled it off. What does it take to successfully co-write a novel? And what was the process for The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword ?
Bill: The key for us was trust. Because we started off as critique partners, we learned each other’s styles. Learned how to give feedback. But most importantly, we learned how to bounce ideas off of each other. For me, trusting in that other person implicitly is the biggest way to be a success, because let me tell you, this self-pub industry is not really set up for co-authorship. The systems/processes in place are difficult enough for one author, let alone two.
Dewey: Collaborative work is actually simple. The issue comes with ego. That’s where collaborative work derails. Bill loved this story, loved all the characters, brought to it elements that were missing, and I knew I could trust his intentions. And he knows he can trust me…we’re in this together, baby!
Bill: Ha! Very true, very true. But to bring it back some, early on, the draft Dewey shared with me had spots where I really thought changes could make it even better, one being that Tanna (a girl) was originally Tanner (a boy). After reading the whole draft, I came to Dewey with the idea of swapping gender because we always see boy heroes in stories, and if he wanted to appeal to a larger audience, I felt having a girl be the hero (while keeping Galdifort the grumpy chronicler a boy), the story would really open up for some excellent character dynamics and growth. And Dewey really seemed to agree. This is what I mean by trust. Dewey knew I had the best interest of the story at heart.
Dewey: This was a huge change, and I had to really mull it over, but it just made sense. Tanna was Tanner, but when we shifted him over to Tanna, everything just clicked. The dynamic we needed between Galdifort, who is perpetually grumpy and doubting, with a girl who was genuinely, over-the-top optimistic about everything in life was what the story needed.
Bill: Fast forward to Dewey agreeing to share his creation, we began to outline what we would need to do, not only changes, but how we can successfully launch this story.
Over the years of my writing journey, I really honed my editing skills, so I took our draft and ideas and went to work doing a full-blown edit from the ground up. I aimed to maintain the middle grade voice Dewey is amazing at, plus his penchant for humor and inherent grumpiness in Galdifort, and meld it with a more streamlined story arc, elevating the prose just a smidge so it would also draw in adult readers, while ironing out any kinks.
I’m also a project manager by trade, so I’m very diligent on timelines, on organization, etc. I may dislike it, but I also had been quite active on social media (but really love the indie community there!), so I took on a more ‘business’ role while Dewey remained fully on the ‘creative’ side.
Dewey: This story would not have happened without Bill. 100%. It would be living in my files somewhere under a folder title “Oh Well…”. Bill says he “honed [his] editing skills”...let me clarify. He is THE editor of editors. His eye for story, sense, emotion, and what feels right are beyond scope. BUT the more important part of this is his delivery. He edits with the objective of making the story the best it can be. And, to be honest, I’m a 100% sensitive creative soul, so taking criticism of my work is hard sometimes. I think Bill is one of 3 people that I can take authentic criticism from and listen to that, even if it fundamentally changes the outcome of the work. He is authentic, and this authenticity is a key to our collaborative success.
When Bill finished that final edit sweep, and I re-read it, I went to work on the illustrations and cover. I love drawing, and these characters have always had a certain feel to them that I love to illustrate. Bill had a plan, and we decided to publish on my birthday (April 2) back in January of this year, so I had to get to work on the illustrations, which was a challenge to complete. But nothing has been more satisfying than getting the book out, having it received well, and (most importantly) read by young readers who may now go on to read more fantasy!
Do you have a day job? If so, what is it?
Bill: As mentioned, I’m a project manager, and I work for a company that does food chemistry on food and beverage products. I also had a teaching license in ages past.
Dewey: I am currently an Instructional Designer for a major Learning Management platform, but before this, I taught 5th and 6th grade students for a gazillion years.
Who are some of your favorite writers, and why is their work important to you?
Bill: First and foremost is Richard Adams (no relation sadly) and his seminal work Watership Down. It is the first ‘big’ book I ever read, and he once said something along the lines of ‘a good book is one that is enjoyed when you are six and when you are sixty’ and this really rang home for me as an aspiring writer, especially in the middle grade level. I’m also a huge Terry Brooks fan, as his Shannara books are what got me into fantasy as a teenager in the 90s. Yes, Tolkien is the king, but without Brooks, I don’t think I’d be as big a fantasy fan as I am (I also met him a couple years back and he is one of the nicest people ever!)
Dewey: Well, I have to mention Tolkien. The Hobbit was my first fantasy book I read (I actually played Bill the Troll in a school play haha). This really got me interested in fantasy, but I tend to go for the safe fantasy, the kind that makes me wonder and isn’t necessarily filled with violence and gore. I also love Terry Brooks, but I started with his Kingdom For Sale series as well as the Krondor series by Raymond Feist. I am a huge fan of graphic novels, and Jeff Smith’s Bone is a big influence on me as an artist and author.
What do you like most about the act of writing?
Bill: Writing, and creating fantasy worlds, is my source of joy. I just love the creation part, just that feeling that anything can be done. It’s also an escape from the real world. It’s tough out there, especially now that I’m a parent, so I find solace in these made-up characters/worlds. I also weirdly enjoy the editing phase. I know most people loathe editing and prefer drafting, but I like being able to put meat on the bones and really make scenes pop.
Dewey: I love the creative process as a whole, but sometimes it can be frustrating. It’s a water well that, when it’s full, it’s go go go! I love to sit and just type it all out (more about that below), and the peaceful solitude of writing is so nice. The problem is often finding time for that peaceful solitude.
Can you lead us through your creative process? What works and doesn’t work for you? How long do you need to finish a book?
Bill: Ha, this is where Dewey and I are complete opposites. I’ll let him talk about his process, but let’s just say he’s a planner and I’m a pantster. My outlines are literally a couple of key ideas/concepts/outcomes that take place in each chapter. That’s it. I am a full-on ‘let the characters lead me’ type of writer. I know where things are meant to go, but I have to let my characters do as they will.
Dewey: I do like to plan things out. I like outlines…big chonky outlines with details and asides and rabbit holes into the arcane. I like scribbles on the side of the paper and post-it notes scattered from random thoughts during the day. I want to know the direction my characters are going, every step they’ll take to get there, the motivational arcs outlined, etc. All the stuff. Which, of course, makes this a tedious process.
Bill: When I am in the throes of writing, I can churn out 2k or more words a day and string those back-to-back. If all things are going smooth, I’ve finished 150k drafts of my adult series in a couple of months. However, life isn’t always perfect, so I’d say for me, it would take me about 6 months to have a complete first draft. But again, that’s for my adult books. I think I did the edit of Tanna in little under than 3 weeks, and that’s starting from scratch. It’ll be interesting to dive into book 2 (which we have just started recently) as it will be an all-new ballgame for both of us!
Dewey: Book 2 will be interesting to be sure. I’m super excited about it. I’m not as prolific as Bill, but I get the job done. Eventually.
What made you decide to self-publish The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword as opposed to traditional publishing?
Bill: Oh, we tried traditional publishing… To be honest, I still don’t know how we didn’t get a single partial request on this story. It baffles me because we queried for well over a year. Well, let’s be honest, I queried and tried to keep all the rejections away from Dewey’s ears, haha. But I think I queried over 50 agents in that time and I lost count of how many manuscript wishlists had something akin to this story. Truly baffling, but hey, that’s life, right?
But I was in the same boat with my adult series, and one of my other long-time critique partners (also found from that same call out on social media) went the self-pub route, so I had a brain to pick. It just seemed like the right thing to do because I really wanted people to read more stories. So, when Tanna didn’t get a sniff from agents, Dewey and I came to the conclusion we just had to do it ourselves. I think that worked out pretty well?
Dewey: And I’m a control freak. Did Bill say that already? Haha. Bill is so good to me. He did keep the rejections hidden, which is so annoying. But back to control freak, I like to have my hands on every step of the process. Bill and I have a vision in mind, and by golly I’m not going to have someone tell me my illustration doesn’t work, the chapter font is too big, or I need to change a character’s motivation. Nope. If we’re going to do this, we tell and present the story our way.
What’s your favorite and least favorite parts of self-publishing?
Bill: Marketing, plain and simple, is my least favorite. It’s such a creative drain having to feed those algorithms just to hope that someone likes your story enough to read it, maybe give it a review/rating. It destroys my creative well. After releasing Tanna, I had my adult release to look toward, so I didn’t really notice it as much because I was editing, formatting, etc. But post release of my adult in the summer (Tanna was in the spring), I just felt so empty, so devoid of wanting to write. And that was frustrating because writing is my happy place (my favorite part of self-pub because I make the deadlines). I just knew I had to keep going each day with a post or whatever just to remain relevant when all I wanted to do was crawl into the fetal position and burrow my way out of post release blues and write.
Dewey: My favorite part of all this is when we get a review that someone’s child loved it! That makes this grumpy little heart just happy as a clam. My least favorite has to be all the technical aspects of publishing. I realize it has become simpler, but there’s a lot to it.
Why did you enter SPFBO?
Bill: I’ve been following SPFBO for about 5 years or so when I read Senlin Ascends. I had learned it was originally self-pubbed and part of this comp. When the decision was made in 2020-21 to go the self-pub route, I decided to really dive into indie books, and now, I almost exclusively read self-pubbed books. And I used this comp as a source to find good indie reads. Dewey can add something if he likes, but I was the driver of entering as he wasn’t familiar with it at the time. I knew having a middle grade book in the comp, where middle grade and YA to an extent are usually overlooked, would help get eyes on our story. I figured why the heck not.
Dewey: Bill has his finger on the pulse of the indie community. I’m not very active with social media, and he has really developed a considerable amount of respect amongst our peers. He knew about this contest, told me he was entering us, and that was it. It was only when we hit the semi-finalist stage that I perked up about it, because, to be honest, I just didn’t know how special this contest was. And it’s hard when you’ve been rejected so many times by traditional agents to have positive thoughts, so I really didn’t think we would go anywhere until I listened to our semi-finalist judge, Brian Bell, talk about Tanna and all the nice things he said about reading it. It made me pause and listen to Bill, who never stopped believing. I am just beyond grateful to think our peers find our little tale a good read.
How would you describe the plot of The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword if you had to do so in just one or two sentences?
Dewey: In The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword, would-be Champion Tanna teams up with her reluctant Chronicler-in-training, Galdifort Quillpen, to secure her first quest in an offbeat, pig-filled town. When an eerie fog and rumors of a dark sorceress threaten the townsfolk, the two—guided by a peg-leg rooster—must embark upon an adventure to gain a first quest and uncover the true dangers awaiting them in a shadowy, haunted forest.
What was your initial inspiration for The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword? How long have you been working on it? Has it evolved from its original idea?
Dewey: I was initially inspired to make the story a graphic novel, way back in the late 90s. It was a tale of 3 monks who were setting out to find the perfect quill. The monks were named Tanner, Galdifort, and Lasser. Over time, that all changed until I created a comic called Monks back in the 2000s, where Tanner was the last of his kind, being pursued by an evil sorcerer’s enclave for the demon he unwittingly was holding at bay. This is the comic that introduced Cobbs and Wink, characters both still in the story. When I began teaching 5th grade students, I was inspired by that age group and the innocence of the stories they read, so I shifted and tried my hand at writing middle grade. From there, it became the backbone of what it is now.
What genre does it belong to?
Dewey: This is middle grade fantasy fiction.
If you had to describe it in 3 adjectives, which would you choose?
Dewey: Heroic
Bill: Heartfelt
Dewey: Humorous
Is it part of the series or a standalone? If series, how many books have you planned for it?
Bill: It is the first of a proposed trilogy. Without spoiling much, a Champion (what Tanna is inspired to become) has an item called an Elemstone, which gives a Champion extra powers so to speak. And as the would-be-Champion progresses, they get a piece of the Elemstone, or triad. Kinda like the TriForce in Legend of Zelda. So, three books, three pieces of Elemstone.
Who are the key players in this story? Could you introduce us to The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword’s protagonists/antagonists?
Dewey: Let’s see…
Protagonists:
● Tanna the Tendersword: a bold, optimistic would-be-Champion determined to prove herself by finding her first quest
● Galdifort Quillpen: Tanna’s Chronicler-in-training, he’s pragmatic and grumpy who very reluctantly goes along with Tanna, he’s also our POV
● Peggs the Rooster: a mysterious, peg-legged rooster who acts as an unconventional guide, who may hold a secret himself
Antagonists:
● What’s-Her-Name (Thistle Willow): A mysterious and feared sorceress whose presence brings darkness and the ominous Fog Blight
● The Fog Blight: A supernatural, creeping fog rumored to put people under her control or lure them to their doom
● Fechus, Scratch, and Mulch: A trio of mischievous creatures known as Throgs who appear in the fog, in league with Thistle Willow
Does your book feature a magic/magic system? If yes, can you describe it?
Dewey: Yes, the magic system in this story is based on time. The gods presented are the Three Scribes, who represent past, present, and future. They are said to provide the Champions of the land of Handover (that’s the name of the kingdom) with magical might, empowered through the Elemstones (Bill mentioned that earlier). There’s also an antithesis magic, represented by our antagonist, Thistle Willow. Our next two books will dive into this a little more.
Bill: You’re forgetting song magic, Dewey! Both Thistle Willow and a secondary character named Byrna (Galdifort’s friend and crush) use songs to manipulate the things around them. We plan to explore further with this in the other two books like Dewey mentioned above.
Have you written the book with a particular audience in mind?
Bill: Kids, 100%. Brian Bell (our sub-judge on Team Chase) made a great point, this book is a wonderful gateway for kids to get into fantasy as they grow. That’s exactly what we set out to do! But let’s not forget, this book has a lot for adults to love too. So we like to say it’s for all ages.
What’s new or unique about your book that we don’t see much in speculative fiction these days?
Bill: As I mentioned above, making Tanna (a girl) be the hero and Galdifort (a boy) be the more cautious, bookish type is something you don’t see all that often. We also wanted to show healthy admiration for people not the same as them. Galdifort’s aunt is his idol and she’s the most famous Chronicler in his world. And Tanna wants to be like Cobbs, the famous Champion Galdifort’s aunt chronicled for. We thought it very important for kids to see that you can root for and want to be like people who aren’t like you or don’t look like you.
Dewey: In addition to what Bill said, I think what’s unique or might surprise the reader is that the story is told from Galdifort’s point of view, even though the title is The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword. Tanna is a player in Galdifort’s story as a Chronicler. His grumpy perspective is something I think most would not expect.
Bill: I mean, we also have a peg-legged rooster companion that may or may not have a sword within said peg-leg…


Cover art is always an important factor in book sales. Can you tell us about the idea behind the cover of The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword and the artist?
Dewey: I did the cover art, and the design came while I was eating dinner one night. I suddenly saw Tanna leaping into action, head on, ready to face whatever perils await her while Galdifort stood behind her, an expression of complete doubt and subtle fear. That image stuck with me and so I sketched it out, placed them square in the Dwimmerleaf Forest (where Thistle Willow dwells), and added Peggs. I wanted them to be front and center for the story, so a prospective reader knew from the start that this tale was all about adventure with a plucky hero. The idea to add the silhouette of Thistle Willow behind them came a little later when I realized I needed to also convey danger. For the lettering of the title, I drew a font that I imagined Galdifort would draw (he is a Chronicler after all) and placed it on a leathery, silver lined plaque.
I think it catches the eye, for sure, but I wanted it to tell the reader what they were in for: a fun adventure with unconventional characters.
What are you currently working on that readers might be interested in learning more about, and when can we expect to see it released?
Bill: I’m currently putting the final touches on book two of The Divine Godsqueen Coda, hoping to reveal the cover in the next month or so, and release around February. I’m also working on a Sci-fi novella that I want to release in December. My guy Dewey is working on my cover as we speak! Then comes my part on Tanna 2!
Dewey: I’ve been doing some illustrations for indie authors lately, but I’m currently working on Bill’s cover for his novella. Tanna part 2 is also on the horizon!
Thank you for taking the time to answer all the questions. In closing, do you have any parting thoughts or comments you would like to share with our readers?
Bill: First off, again, thank you for having us, this has been great! Second, thank you to team Fantasy Book Critic for being judges and championing indie authors! But yeah, I suppose I just want to say to everyone reading this interview, please go out and support the rest of these finalists, all the semi-finalists, all the 300 authors who submitted and made the comp (as well as the almost 300 who didn’t in the lottery), as well as any indie author. I know TBR lists are unfinishable, but support and hype goes a long way for us little authors. Thank you!
Dewey: Yes, thank you! I am excited, thrilled, nervous, and humbled by everything that’s happened. There are so many incredible authors with amazing stories and to even be mentioned in the same breath as them is just unbelievable. I’ve learned the indie community is one of the most welcoming and hard-working group of creatives, so please support them. Again, thank you for reading our interview and being a champion. Smack gobble!

Look! It’s fun! Image by Patrycja Kwiatkowska from Pixabay

Good afterevenmorn!

I hope everyone who has to suffer through the daylight savings shift Sunday are coping with losing that hour of sleep. To those to whom that does not apply, know that I am fiercely jealous of you. But let’s not dwell on our minor hardships. Today, I want to talk about writing, and very specifically how to make situations that are absolutely ridiculous on the outside feel real and very serious.

This came to me as I walked home from work today, thinking of my serialised novel (online on my blog every Friday until it concludes… look at me dropping a plug). It has, if you were to distill it down, the silliest, most ridiculous premise you could possibly imagine: Zombies, but make them hyper-aggressive, human-sized fairies.

Yup.

It’s so dumb. On the outside of it. And to be fair, I had so much fun writing it; giggling like a twit at how silly it all actually is. I take great delight in pointing out the hilariously ridiculousness of the premise. If I managed to do it well, then it will feel a good deal more serious than it seems when you distill it. If I pulled it off, it won’t feel how ridiculous it is. Whether I did or not is not really for me to decide, but here are some things I did in an effort to make it work. Maybe they’re something you can think about if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Image by Prawny from Pixabay

1. The situation might be ridiculous, but your characters don’t know that.

Let’s be honest. If you’re fighting for your life in a city that has been overtaken by a swarm of mindless winged humanoid killers, you’re probably going to be too busy trying to survive to worry about how silly it all actually is. That might come later, after you have done the surviving. If your characters treat their situation seriously (and it kinda is; they’re fighting for their lives), it’ll be much easier for your readers to suspend their disbelief while reading it. They’ll buy human-sized fairies attacking in swarms and consuming a city of millions in less than twenty-four hours.

It will probably also help to have at least one character who is familiar with really weird situations. Think of Mulder and Scully in the X-Files. They’re constantly facing things that, on the outside, are completely unbelievable, even ridiculous. But it works precisely because they take it seriously when they’re in the moment, and Mulder is a believer. However weird or out there a situation is, Mulder just accepts is as fact and rolls with it. It makes it easy for the viewer to do the same.

2. The situation is ridiculous, and your characters absolutely know it.

This isn’t an and/or situation with number one, trust me. If I found myself facing a mindless winged humanoid, I would absolutely demand of no one in particular what the actual f[redacted]. Having a character call out the idiocy of the situation they find themselves in — while taking it very seriously — is may be a way to get readers on board. This is especially true if the world you’ve built is encountering the situation for the first time.

If winged humanoids are a normal thing in the world, then having a character acknowledge how stupid that seems, will probably distance the reader and make it hard for them to suspend their own disbelief. However, if these creatures are not a part of your characters’ every day reality then having someone be absolutely incredulous at the situation they face will help your reader relate, making it easier for them to sink into the story.

It works for me, in any case. If the characters I’m reading aren’t absolute morons that question absolutely nothing, then I’m much more amenable to accept the scenarios they’re put through. Mind you, I’m not an especially critical reader, so I get sucked into stories a lot more frequently than most. It is both a blessing and a curse.

Image by Karen Nadine from Pixabay

3. Keep it grounded

This might sound impossible, given the fantastic situation you’re trying to create, but keeping it as grounded as possible will help. There are a number of ways to do this. Providing real consequences for mistakes is one. Have people get hurt, or die. People will suffer in these situations if they ever actually happened; there will be grief, and fear, and anger. You’re already stretching incredulity with the situation. Have everyone dancing along unscathed will be pushing it much too far. This is especially important if it’s not taking place in a world that is easily relatable. I got a leg up, because the serial is set in a fictional city, but in the real world and set in 2024. There are a lot of touchstones that are easily digested for a reader.

It becomes harder if the entire world is fantastical. Finding something grounding in a world where trees talk or teleport, or whatever, is much harder. It’s not impossible, though. Find those touchstones and use them.

Did I achieve creating a story that brings people along and has them absolutely invested while also having gate silliest premise I think I could possibly conjure? No idea. But I tried, and I used these three (and other) things in the attempt. Maybe they’ll help you, too. If you’ve read books or are currently writing one which has an absolutely ridiculous premise, let me know what, and what worked (or didn’t). If you have any tips of your own for making a silly premise both believable and feel serious, also let me know in the comments below.

When S.M. Carrière isn’t brutally killing your favorite characters, she spends her time teaching martial arts, live streaming video games, and cuddling her cat. In other words, she spends her time teaching others to kill, streaming her digital kills, and a cuddling furry murderer. Her most recent titles include Daughters of Britain, Skylark and Human. Her serial The New Haven Incident is free and goes up every Friday on her blog.

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Nightfire (March 11, 2025)

Length: 352 pages

Author Information: Website

Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian returns to the dark and supernatural world first introduced in Red Rabbit, his 1880s western horror novel. While this is technically a follow-up that revisits the witchy trio of Sadie Grace, Rabbit, and Rose, it still stands solidly on its own, allowing new readers to jump in without needing prior knowledge. And personally, I found this new book to be even stronger and more immersive than its predecessor.

The book begins with a tragedy. A man named Moses Burke loses both his beloved wife and newborn child, and in his grief, takes on Death himself and murders him. Readers are transported back to the remote village of Ascension, Massachusetts, where the result of Death’s absence is subsequently illustrated in a bizarre string of events that go against the natural order. A gruesome accident that should have killed a boy instead leaves him walking around with a hole in his chest. Likewise, a terminally ill woman finds that the progression of her disease has halted, so she can suddenly get out of bed and go about her day. A hanged man calls out while still hanging from the noose, even with his neck broken and eyes pecked out by crows. And on and on it goes. It appears people can no longer die! While this revelation is met with confusion, there is also no small amount of excitement.

However, the longer this reality persists, the more the town and its residents are feeling its dark effects. Inside, those who should have been dead are changing, becoming more dangerous. Newly arrived in town, Rabbit, Sadie Grace, and Rose watch as chaos descends upon Ascension. As the three women attempt to find out what’s going on, they must also contend with the restless entities that haunt Bethany Hall, the old house they are staying in while they help take care of Rose’s sick cousin.

Unsurprisingly, Rose of Jericho delves into some thought-provoking themes, questioning the significance of mortality by exploring the balance between life and death. The Grim Reaper is literally killed off in a fit of rage, and the ripples created by this one impulsive act result in grave consequences for everyone on the planet. For the deeply religious townsfolk of Ascension, you can just imagine their struggle to reconcile their beliefs with what’s happening around them, and though readers only get to see the effects on this one little slice of the world, we can easily surmise that all hell has broken loose across the globe as well.

Speaking of Ascension, the author also does a fantastic job of bringing the town to life, making it feel even more vivid and immersive than I remember from Red Rabbit. This sort-of sequel gave us a chance to see more of the town, providing a deeper look into its people, customs, and day-to-day struggles—though admittedly, describing their “daily life” takes on a more sinister meaning when we’re talking about a world where no on can truly die. As the characters go on existing in this strange limbo, we watch some of them embrace what they believe is a gift or miracle, while others who are more skeptical end up succumbing to fear and paranoia.

All in all, Rose of Jericho is a unique dark fantasy novel that balances horror and grim humor while providing plenty of food for thought. The overall vibe is a mixture of eerie gothic and surreal western, presenting a weird but refreshing premise that keeps the story engaging and unpredictable. I found Alex Grecian’s prose and character work to be much stronger here than in Red Rabbit, but whether you’re returning to this world or a complete newcomer, I believe Rose of Jericho is an interesting and strange journey worth taking.

Big Chief, Jon Hickey’s gripping literary debut about power and corruption, family, and facing the…

The post Spotlight on “Big Chief” by Jon Hickey appeared first on LitStack.

Wow. Eleven years ago today, on March 10, 2014, I became an official Black Gate blogger. The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes kicked off a three year run, bringing a mystery presence every Monday morning. I roamed off topic a bit – but NOTHING like I do now. I mean, did you read last week’s baseball post?

Encouraged by my buddy William Patrick Maynard (an established Black Gater), I went from some uknown guy commenting on other people’s posts, to a moderately interesting weekly columnist. And every World Fantasy Award-winning website, with an amazing roster of bloggers, needs a mystery column, right???

I talked about joining Black Gate in my chronicle of what passes for my writing career: Ya Gotta Ask.

And So It Began

By my count, I have written 510 posts here at Black Gate. That doesn’t include those posts I’ve hoodwinked folks…I mean, ones written by my gracious and talented friends. Discovering Robert E. Howard, Hither Came Conan, Talking Tolkien, and A (Black) Gat in the Hand have included some FANTASTIC stuff from others, and I’m very grateful to everyone who has used my Monday morning slot to make Black Gate even better.

I average about 1,000 words a post, and I frequently go over; I don’t go much under that (I write like I talk…). So, It’s not unreasonable to say I’ve written a half a million words here at Black Gate, over the past eleven years.

It’s been a fantastic ride, and I’ve gotten to write extensively about Sherlock Holmes, Robert E. Howard, Nero Wolfe, John D. MacDonald, Douglas Adams, Humphrey Bogart, RPGs and gaming, TV shows and movies, hardboiled Pulp, and pretty much anything else I like. I’m very ‘Squirrel!’.

I’ve created some regular features, such as What I’ve Been Watching, What I’ve Been Reading, and What I’ve Been Listening To (audiobooks).

Hither Come Came Conan will always be one of the proudest achievements of my writing career. And I honestly think if I could find out how, A (Black) Gat in the Hand should win some kind of mystery award.

I’ve tried to add new multi-contributor series’. I haven’t managed to pull one off for Solomon Kane, or John D. MacDonald, or Columbo, or Star Trek. But I haven’t necessarily given up yet. And I’m sure more will come to mind.

I have grown as a writer in many ways, in my eleven years at Black Gate. I know I’m a better blogger than when I started. Not that that would have been hard to do…

I did a 24? in 42 podcast interview with Rogue Blades’ Jason Waltz, which just dropped last week. It’s the topic of next week’s post.

When he threw me a curveball with the first question (‘What color do you write in?’), I ended up talking about engagement. I write about things I’m interested in. I rarely write negative columns. I don’t wanna spend a thousand words bitching about something I don’t like (I’ve got Facebook and Reddit for that). I will be critical, sure. But if I hate the latest ‘whatever it is,’ I’m gonna find something else to write about.

I wanna share things I’m interested in. I know some folks have gone on to check out topics I’ve talked about. My annual summer Pulp series has been good for that. And I like when people comment. It means I made some kind of connection. I try to reply to every comment, and I think I’m about 98%. Engagement.

I hope when somebody reads my Monday morning post, they enjoyed it. But more, I hope it resonated somehow. I’ve learned things, and gotten recommendations, from the comments. Engagement.

BG head honcho John O’Neil praised my stuff by saying I try to educate people. That’s part of me sharing stuff I enjoy. If there was a Norbert Davis Appreciation Society, I would be the president. So, I’ve written about the under-appreciated Black Mask Boy, several times. I’ve written a lot about Nero Wolfe, John D. MacDonald, and Terry Pratchett. They are three of my favorite writers, and I want to share with readers here. It’s obvious I’m a huge Douglas Adams fan, if you do a search on the site.

And I’ve certainly espoused my love of Robert E. Howard here at Black Gate.

I joke that I’ll keep doing a weekly column for as long as I can get around the firewall.

 

My life has changed a lot since I started this column. Divorce, moved, changed jobs (there was some kind of Pandemic, I hear…). But I have averaged 46 essays a year, for 11 years. And it would be many more, if I didn’t conned folks into writing some for me, once in awhile.

I talk about other Black Gaters who are Writers with a capital ‘W.’ And I consider myself a lower case ‘w’ writer.

But you know what? I’ve won three awards for my writing (and editing). You can buy my short stories in anthologies on Amazon. I was a regular columnist for a British mystery magazine. And I’m writing intros to books published by Steeger Books – sometimes with a cover mention. I followed Ian Esslemont (I’m a Malazan fan) on a podcast for authors. Ian Esslemont!

And I’ve been doing a thousand words a week, for eleven years. In this age, being a blogger is a valid way to write. I’m finally gonna give myself that capital W.

So, until they tighten up the firewall, I plan on continuing here at Black Gate for a while. Hope you keep finding things you like to read. And leave some comments. Let’s have a discussion.

Let’s engage.

And today’s post title is a nod to a popular memoir by sportswriter Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie.

Bob Byrne’s ‘A (Black) Gat in the Hand’ made its Black Gate debut in 2018 and has returned every summer since.

His ‘The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes’ column ran every Monday morning at Black Gate from March, 2014 through March, 2017. And he irregularly posts on Rex Stout’s gargantuan detective in ‘Nero Wolfe’s Brownstone.’ He is a member of the Praed Street Irregulars, founded www.SolarPons.com (the only website dedicated to the ‘Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street’).

He organized Black Gate’s award-nominated ‘Discovering Robert E. Howard’ series, as well as the award-winning ‘Hither Came Conan’ series. Which is now part of THE Definitive guide to Conan. He also organized 2023’s ‘Talking Tolkien.’

He has contributed stories to The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories — Parts III, IV, V, VI, XXI, and XXXIII.

He has written introductions for Steeger Books, and appeared in several magazines, including Black Mask, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, The Strand Magazine, and Sherlock Magazine.

 

 

 

Book links: Amazon, Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mike Carey is the acclaimed writer of Lucifer and Hellblazer (now filmed as Constantine). He has recently completed a comics adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, and is the current writer on Marvel's X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four. He has also written the screenplay for a movie, Frost Flowers, which is soon to be produced by Hadaly Films and Bluestar Pictures.

Also writes as Mike Carey

Publisher: Orbit (March 4, 2025) Length: 310 pages Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback

Finally, something fresh. Once Was Willem is part medieval horror, part dark fairy tale, part found-family adventure.

Our narrator, Willem, was once a regular 12-year-old boy. Then he died. His grieving parents let a sorcerer bring their dead son back to life. Since Willem has been in the ground for a while, what rises from the grave is… not ideal. He’s stronger, uglier, and-despite still having his memories-not exactly welcome back at the dinner table. His parents panic, the village does what angry mobs do best, and Willem, now Once-Was-Willem, finds himself on the run.

Banished from the only home he’s ever known, Willem finds a new life in the deep woods, where he befriends a group of monsters who, like him, have been cast out. Meanwhile, the sorcerer, Cain Caradoc, is busy setting up shop in a fortress built on the bones of a sleeping angel and preparing a mass sacrifice of children to fuel his quest for godhood. Eventually, the terrified villagers realize that only “monsters” they ran off can save them. Oops.

This book is dark, and it has some truly stomach-churning moments, but it never feels dreary. It’s sharp, self-aware, and laced with a dry, biting humor that makes even the bleakest parts go down easy. Willem himself is an excellent protagonist/narrator: a lonely, tragic figure with a surprising amount of warmth. You want him to find belonging. You want him to win. And when the time comes to face Caradoc, you really want him to rip that smug sorcerer apart.

If you like your fantasy a little twisted, your heroes a little ugly, and your villains really vile, Once Was Willem is absolutely worth your time.

Dilvish, the Damned (Del Rey, November 1982). Cover by Michael Herring

Roger Zelazny was unquestionably one of the great American fantasists of the 20th century. That’s not to say he was perfect. His woman characters were often 2-dimensional, and he paired an unwillingness to work with an outline (“Trust your demon” was his motto) with a fondness for projects that really needed an outline.

But perfection is boring. Zelazny rarely is. Much of Zelazny’s work is on my always-reread list, anyway. He had a nifty way of putting things, and in describing the Amber series he brilliantly expressed the kind of fiction I love best and have often tried to write: “philosophic romance, shot through with elements of horror and morbidity.” Philoromhorrmorbpunk. That’s my genre. Or you could just say sword-and-sorcery.

Some people doubt whether Zelazny counts as a sword-and-sorcery writer, but he didn’t doubt it. He described not only the Corwin novels but also big chunks of Lord of Light as sword-and-sorcery. Some people think that a story only counts as S&S if it has a Clonan at its center, but as far as I’m concerned, if you’ve got an outsider hero on a personal mission in a landscape of magical adventure, and there are swords or other edged weapons, you’ve got sword-and-sorcery.

It doesn’t matter if it’s set in the deep future (e.g. Vance’s stories of the Dying Earth), or in an imaginary past (e.g. REH’s pioneering stories about Solomon Kane, Kull, Conan etc, but also C.L. Moore’s Jirel of Joiry and Cabell’s tales of Poictesme), or another world (e.g. Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series).

And, anyway, Zelazny obviously counts as a sword-and-sorcery writer because of the Dilvish series. In some ways, it’s one of the finest achievements of heroic fantasy in the 20th century. In some ways, not. Details (a lot of them) ahead.

“Dilvish and Black,” fan art by Olga Sluchanko. Dilvish never had a cover painting this good in his damned life.

Dilvish, a.k.a. Dilvish the Damned, a.k.a. the Colonel of the East, first appeared in Fantastic under the guiding light of Cele Goldsmith, one of the great sf/f editors. After Goldsmith left the helm of Fantastic and Amazing, Zelazny continued to appear in those magazines, until he fell out with their new owner, Sol Cohen.

From that point Dilvish went into exile, the condition most natural for s&s heroes. He made appearances in a fanzine here, a small-press publication there. Zelazny’s hazy plan was to bring out a volume of Dilvish stories “to culminate in a possible novel, Nine Black Doves.” (Letter from Zelazny, 1965, quoted in the afterword to “Thelinde’s Song” in Power & Light.) When the Dilvish collection ultimately appeared from Del Rey in 1982, it was called Dilvish the Damned and it was paired with a booklength Dilvish adventure, The Changing Land.

A real golden age for Dilvish fans (which I had been since reading “The Bells of Shoredan” in a back-issue of Fantastic sometime in the mid-70s).

Or: maybe not.

The Changing Land (Del Rey, April 1981). Cover by Michael Herring

I didn’t glom onto these books as soon as they were published; I’d been drifting away from buying books as my life became nomadic (and chaotic) in my early 20s. When I did finally get hold of the volumes I was, to say the least, underwhelmed. I wasn’t crazy about the covers, for one thing. Michael Herring is a talented artist, but I like his work better for sf; these covers are kind of Brothers-Hildebrandtish. (From some, that would be praise, but not from me. De gustibus non disputandum.)

I also didn’t like the titles: Nine Black Doves is weird and evocative; Dilvish the Damned and The Changing Land are blunt and dull declarations, like a can of peas with a generic black-and-white label PEAS.

But a book by Zelazny is a book by Zelazny, so I bought both paperbacks when I had a chance… and was not crazy about them.

“Even Homer nods,” I said to myself, and put them in a box somewhere.

When NESFA Press, that beacon of glory in sf/f publishing, produced its monumental series collecting all of Zelazny’s short fiction (Grubbs, Kovacs, and Crimmins ed.), of course I seized on the volumes as soon as I could, read them through, and loved them furiously.

The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny, all six volumes (NESFA Press, February – December, 2009). Covers by Michael Whelan

There were expected and unexpected pleasures in these volumes, but one of the surprises was how much I liked some of the Dilvish stories, tarnished in my fading memory by that 80s-era read. “I should reread the whole set of Dilvish stories together sometime,” I thought.

That was fifteen years ago, so maybe it’s time.

My executive summary, in case you don’t have the patience to read through these notes, is that the Dilvish stories contain some of Zelazny’s best writing, and some of his worst. My initial, uneasy thought was that the early stories were good and the later stories were bad, but that turned out to be too simplistic; one of the last Dilvish stories he wrote is maybe the single best thing in the two Dilvish books.

I reread the stories in the electronic version of the NESFA Collected Stories, which I recommend even more strongly than the original edition, because the editors have continued to revise and proofread the books. The design of the collections is to include the stories in the order they were composed, to the extent that can be ascertained, but they bend that rule when one story was written to provide backstory for another. (Which is exactly the right attitude toward rules. Rules should be governed by intelligence, not vice versa.)

Is Dilvish the Damned a novel or a collection of stories? I suppose I could waive the question, since I’m rereading the stories individually. But it’s a live question for work like this — a series of connected stories read as a whole. Lots of people call these things “fix-ups,” because that’s what Van Vogt called it when he smashed the bizarrely square pegs of his 1940s stories into the boring round holes of his 1950s paperback originals.

I don’t like the term because I hate Van Vogt’s fix-ups, and I also think that the best examples of this form (e.g. Leiber’s F&G volumes for Ace, or the various collections of C.L. Moore’s Jirel and Northwest Smith stories, or Howard Andrew Jones’ Hanuvar novels) don’t replicate Van Vogt’s mistakes: they respect the original stories, even when they create connective tissue to string the stories together. I call this kind of thing an episodic novel, and keep hoping that the term will catch on.

Whatever this thing is, here’s what I thought of it. (YMMV; de gustibus non disputandum; objects in mirror may be closer than they appear; etc.) This is already getting to be pretty long, so I’ll defer my thoughts about The Changing Land to another time (if ever).

Fantastic Stories of Imagination, February 1965, containing the first Dilvish story, “Passage to Dilfar.” Cover by Heidi Coquette 1. “Passage to Dilfar” (1965, approx 2,000 words)

We meet Dilvish, already in progress, riding a horse made of steel named Black, “for whom it was said the Colonel of the East had bartered a part of his soul.” They are fleeing from a place called Portaroy, pursued by horseman sent by Lylish, Colonel of the West. (Dilvish himself is the aforesaid Colonel of the East.) Through hazards mundane and magical, they make their way to Dilfar, in the hopes that this city will withstand the onslaught of Lylish’s armies.

This is a very short story, approx 2,000 words, but it packs a strong, fantastical punch. It suggests a world far larger than anything it depicts. Zelazny claimed that he never intended to write a sequel, but Editor Goldsmith said it “begs for a series”, so Zelazny obliged. In fact, he started to plan a series of adventures, maybe to be capped with a novel called Nine Black Doves.

Fantastic Stories of Imagination, June 1965. Cover by Gray Morrow, illustrating “Thelinde’s Song.” 2. “Thelinde’s Song” (1965; approx 2,800 words)

If you’re expecting an epic account of the defense of Dilfar against the slavering hordes of the Colonel of the West, that’s not where Zelazny is headed. There was such a defense, and it’s mentioned in passing here, including Dilvish’s final encounter with the warrior he met and bested (sort of) in the previous story.

But Dilvish himself doesn’t even appear as a character in this story, which is a conversation between the titular Thelinde and her witch-mother Mildin. Mildin explains the half-elven background of Dilvish, his victory in defending Portaroy in the old time, his magic green elf-boots, and his enmity with the evil and powerful wizard Jelerak.

Jelerak was using evil magic to evilly draw the youth out of a maiden; Dilvish tried to disrupt the ceremony; Jelerak changed Dilvish’s body to a statue and sent his soul to Hell. There Dilvish suffered for centuries, but now he’s escaped with a demonic horse named Black and Jelerak, with all his power, now has something to worry about.

This story isn’t much longer than “Passage to Dilfar.” Where “Passage” was all action, this is all exposition, and at times it seems like Zelazny has a list of things he wants his mouthpiece to talk about (e.g. Dilvish’s green elf-boots, magical equipment which you would think would affect the stories a lot, but usually do not). Still, this quasi-story is vivid and impactful and sketches in details about Dilvish and his world that make them loom even larger in the imagination.

Fantastic, March 1966, containing “The Bells of Shoredan.” Cover by Frank R. Paul 3. “The Bells of Shoredan” (1966; approx 6,200 words)

In this much longer story, Dilvish goes to the ruined city of Shoredan to ring its bells and summon its legions of the dead to fight against the Colonel of the West. On the way he must confront the ghost of his Elvish forebear Selar and the demon who tortured Dilvish in Hell, Cal-den. On the way he acquires the invisible blade of Selar.

If you like this kind of thing, you will like this story a lot. A sword-and-sorcery classic. If you read only one Dilvish story, it should be this one.

Eternity Science Fiction #3, 1974, containing “A Knight for Merytha.” Cover by Stephen Fabian 4. “A Knight for Merytha” (1967; approx 3,000 words)

Again, where an epic fantasist would zig (i.e. follow up the previous story by describing the battle of the dead against Lylish), Zelazny zags. We catch up with Dilvish for a solo adventure as he travels alone with his steel horse and demonic sidekick Black.

And, if you were expecting more progress on the Jelerak plotline, that doesn’t happen either. Zelazny later described Dilvish as a man obsessed with revenge, but that isn’t clear in the actual stories. Jelerak isn’t mentioned at all in the first Dilvish story, or in this one, where he is scouting ahead of the “doomed army” he summoned to defeat Lylish.

Like a knight sans peur et sans reproche, Dilvish responds to the cry of a woman in distress (even though his wily steed warns him against it). If you think you know where this story is going, you probably do, but it’s a solid fantasy adventure involving a vampire. Sword-and-sorcery meets Hammer Horror. Cast Ingrid Pitt as Merytha and you’ve got it.

One particular detail that struck me about this story — more a worldmaking question than an issue with the story itself — is the use of the invisible sword of Selar (which Zelazny acquired in “Shoredan”). It’s hard to see (wokka-wokka-wokka) how such a sword would actually be useful. No doubt there’s a surprise factor when you approach your foe armed, but apparently empty handed. But how do you fight with it? You, as much as your opponent, need to know where your point is so you can stab him with it. There’s a great series of movies about a blind swordsman Zatoichi, but on film that stuff works because your eye sees it and the mind accepts it.

It wasn’t clear to me what skills Dilvish had or developed to make use of the invisible blade. Zelazny was a fencer and pursued a number of different martial arts and he may have had ideas about it, but the invisible blade disappears after this story, along with Lylish and the defense of Dilfar.

“A Knight for Merytha” originally appeared in a fanzine and was the last of the Dilvish stories for a while. Zelazny wasn’t sending his work to Fantastic or Amazing anymore, due to his quarrel with their new publisher, and when he got the sword-and-sorcery itch he would write about other characters — Sam the Buddha and his pseudo-divine frenemies, or Corwin of Amber and his quasi-divine familenemies.

Other Worlds 2, edited by Roy Torgeson, containing
“The Places of Aache” (Zebra, January 1980). Cover by Jordi Penalva

5. “The Places of Aache” (1980)

We again find Dilvish wandering through strange lands alone (except for his faithful Black). He runs into a would-be robber who’s disconcerted by Dilvish’s militant response. The robber thinks he has protection from a local goddess, who authorizes his career of crime, but that doesn’t save him from Dilvish’s (non-invisible) sword.

Dilvish goes on to confront the sinister priest of the goddess, and the goddess herself. She’s a monstrous, many-limbed creature, and at this point you might expect an epic battle. What actually happens is that Aache (the monster-goddess) and Dilvish talk, and he figures out a solution for her particular set of problems. But there’s a menace lurking that neither of them expect, and the story ends on a tragic note.

This is a solid sword-and-sorcery adventure where the hero displays intelligence and compassion as well as ruthlessness and fighting skill. (The conversation between Dilvish and Rogis the robber is classic, Hammett-level tough-guy dialogue.)

There’s no mention of Jelerak here; there’s no mention of Lylish and the military conflict over Portaroy, Dilfar, etc.

6. “A City Divided” (1982)

Originally published in Dilvish, the Damned.

We again find Dilvish wandering through strange lands alone (except for his faithful Black). (Yes I did just cut-and-paste that from the section above.) While travelling in the North Country, Dilvish falls into a city-sized trap, where a magical game is being played between two sorcerers. Dilvish’s fighting ability and Black’s infernal strength can’t get them out of this one, so Dilvish turns to magic — one of the twelve Awful Sayings that he learned in Hell.

There’s some good stuff here: conversations between Dilvish and Black, the depth of infernal lore suggested by a few strategic details, the conversation between Dilvish and the sorcerer Strodd at the end of the story.

But there’s also a lot of narrative busywork as Dilvish and Black try to negotiate the maze inside the city. Mazes are weird and perplexing when you’re in them, and that kind of experience films well (I’m thinking of a couple of very different scenes in The Stand and in Sleuth), but I don’t think it works well in fiction. Anyway, it didn’t work for me in this fiction.

The conflict with Lylish is mentioned (as completed in the past), and Jelerak is discussed at the end, including the place Dilvish expects to find him, the Tower of Ice. So there’s at least some attempt to fit this story into the over-arching plotline of the series.

Whispers 2, October 1979, edited by Stuart David Schiff, containing “The White Beast.” Cover by Steve Fabian

7. “The White Beast” (1979, approx 1,200 words)

We again find Dilvish wandering through strange lands alone (except for his faithful Black). My cut-and-paste notwithstanding, I don’t object to this generic type of beginning. Zelazny varies the descriptions to keep the thing interesting, and a sword-and-sorcery hero is usually a loner or at least an outsider. In this story, for instance, Dilvish’s name doesn’t appear until three-quarters of the way through this very short (approx, 1,200 words) story. He’s just described externally.

Now Dilvish is deep in the north, in a landscape of snow and ice, and he is being pursued through the icy wasteland by a white werebeast. Dilvish is not the guy to back away from a fight, but instead of killing the monster he offers to split his food with it. They engage in conversation and discover they have a common enemy.

This is only an episode, leading to the longest Dilvish story (except for the novel, The Changing Land), but it’s vivid and haunting.

Flashing Swords! #5: Demons and Dagger, edited by Lin Carter,
containing “Tower of Ice” (Dell, December 1981). Cover by Richard Corben

8. “Tower of Ice” (1981)

We again find Dilvish wandering through strange lands alone (except for his faithful Black). But this is no mere random episode: Dilvish has finally reached one of Jelerak’s strongholds and hopes that he can have his long-sought-for confrontation with this Evil Wizard Who Is Evil… if he can just get into the damned place.

This is the longest of the Dilvish stories (except for the novel, The Changing Land). It was one that Zelazny had long planned on writing. And it is, in my view, the worst of the Dilvish stories (except for the novel, The Changing Land).

What went wrong? (If you love this story, you may be screaming “NOTHING!” so hard at your device that the screen cracks. But don’t do that. De gustibus non disputandum. And you can always write your own review.)

For one thing, this story was a rush job, and it shows.

The stage was finally set [for the novella ‘Tower of Ice’]. But I had no intention of carrying things further at that point. I was busy writing the novel Roadmarks and wanted to get on with it. A week after I’d sent off ‘The White Beast,’ though, I received a request from Lin Carter for a 20,000 word Dilvish story for Flashing Swords #5. It seemed like the Finger of Fate. I allowed myself a week and wrote ‘Tower of Ice.’

— Zelazny in Alternities 6 (Summer 1981), quoted in the NESFA collection Last Exit to Babylon (Grubbs, Kovacs, and Crimmins ed.)

There’s a lot of stuff in here: a brother and sister with a sorcerous connection, a wizard with multiple personalities struggling to control his power and himself, a sorcerer’s apprentice readying himself to confront his evil master in a magical duel to the death, a magic mirror prophesying a doom that grows ever closer, a captive demon, a demented monster in love with a demented witch who commands an army of demented rats. Etc! I say yay to all this. More is more!

Some of these people are the same person, but (significantly) none of them is Dilvish. This is not really his story, although we spend a lot of it following him around. There’s a lot of narrative busywork getting him into the Tower of Ice, and then a lot more to get him out, without fighting Jelerak, even though that nemesis shows up (in non-physical form). Dilvish departs with Reena, the sister of Ridley, Jelerak’s rebellious apprentice, and it’s Ridley who fights Jelerak. Jelerak seems to kill him and escape at the end of the story.

The upshot is that Dilvish is back on the road again, now with a female companion. The whole novella is just a narrative cul-de-sac, where Dilvish goes one way only to come back the way he came. No progress on Dilvish’s quest is made at all, and it’s not a satisfying episode (unlike many that preceded it and some that follow) because Dilvish doesn’t take any significant action that affects the story.

You never know what might have happened, but if Zelazny had taken more time writing this story, he might have made its diverse elements cohere into something more worth reading.

9. “Devil and the Dancer” (1982, approx 15,000 words)

Originally published in Dilvish, the Damned.

We again find Dilvish… Wait a second. No we don’t.

This novelette opens with a witch-priestess named Oele dancing a fiery ritual before the “empty stone-faced altar” of a dying god. This god (whose name she doesn’t know, so she calls him “Devil”) repays her with magical and material benefits. She is his last worshipper, and without her he’ll die (or undergo a transition that is like death to a god). She gained her power from the god by sacrificing her lover to him; now he needs a new sacrifice to maintain his strength. She goes in search for one and will find… Dilvish, the only man who still remembers the name of the dying god.

This is one of the best Dilvish stories. Everything that goes wrong in “Tower of Ice” goes right here. The novelette is stuffed with interesting, distinctive characters: Oele the witch-priestess, her devil-god who needs and hates her, an old man who shall be nameless at this time, an adventurous and temptable ship-captain named Reynar, witchy Reena (who travels with Dilvish but who knows he isn’t for her), and Dilvish himself, who takes crucial action to resolve the Gordian knot of conflicting quests that cross the empty altar of the dying god.

“Devil and the Dancer” is 15,000 words long, with not one wasted. The final brief paragraph is a dagger that stabs deep; the weight of the whole story is behind it.

Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Summer 1979, edited by Ken St. Andre, containing “Garden of Blood.” Cover by Joan Hanke-Woods 10. “Garden of Blood” (1979)

We again find Dilvish wandering through strange lands alone (except for his faithful Black). (According to the first paragraph, he’s working as a scout for a caravan, but we never see the caravan and it doesn’t affect the course of the story much, if at all.)

The lands are strange to us, but not to him. He’s been over this ground before, before he was trapped for 200 years in hell. He finds himself in the ruins of a town he once knew, named Trelgi. He and Black pass onward to a fair field full of bright flowers, where the town’s ancient stone altar still stands.

Through some combination of magic and narcotics from the flowers (flashback to the poppy scene in The Wizard of Oz), Black is paralyzed and Dilvish finds himself trapped in a dream or vision where he and Black (in human form) fight against the robbers who sacked Trelgi and slew its inhabitants.

A solid adventure-fantasy, well worth reading.

11. “Dilvish the Damned” (1982)

Originally published in Dilvish, the Damned.

The last two Dilvish stories (apart from the novel) have something in common that distinguishes them from the others. We find Dilvish working for a living. He may be a somewhat sorcerous person who rides a demonic metal steed, but he apparently can’t pull gold coins out of Black’s ears, or other orifices. I like this, as supplying the grit that s&s needs (Joe McCullough’s great definition of sword-and-sorcery is “Fantasy with dirt.”) But it does put the end of this series on a different, more mundane level than its dreamlike, allusive beginnings.

After getting paid and buying supplies, he sets off for a castle called Timeless:

The blind poet and seer, Olgric, had told him that he would find there the thing that he sought.

But before Dilvish gets there, a guy on the road tries to rob him. The robber is pretty inept, and Dilvish in the end is inclined to let him go, but he tries to impale himself on Dilvish’s sword. It turns out that he’s been trying to get Dilvish to kill him. Dilvish is intrigued and, in spite of Black’s warnings, he stops to get the thief’s story.

The thief is named Fly and he is the walking definition of the phrase “mealy mouthed.” (He keeps saying things like “Well, yes and no.”) Dilvish eventually gets his story: he stole a magic belt from a god’s temple; now the adherents of the god are after him, as well as the adherents of a rival god who want the belt for their own purposes.

There’s some wiliness and chasing and fighting and a curse or two but, in the end, Dilvish returns the belt to the god from whom it was stolen, and he and his demonic steed get the hell out of there.

After the story proper, there’s a short coda. The next day, Dilvish is confronted by a young woman who begs for his help. Black warns him not to be taken in, and we’ve actually seen Dilvish tricked this way before (“A Knight for Merytha”).

But Dilvish can’t bring himself to deny a plea for help. ” ‘Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,’ he said, dismounting.” Which is at least kind of an amusing punchline to the series, if not laugh-out-loud funny.

The Bells of Shoredan (Underwood Miller, May 1979). Cover by Matt Gouig Overview

The parts of the Dilvish series are greater than the whole. Some stories, I would argue, are essential reading for the heroic fantasy enthusiast (e.g. “Passage to Dilfar”, “The Bells of Shoredan”, “Devil and the Dancer”). Most of the rest are well worth reading (e.g. “The Places of Aache”, or “Garden of Blood”). The weakest and longest story in this series (setting apart The Changing Land for another time) is “Tower of Ice”, and even it has some interesting stuff in it.

But it has nothing that connects it all together. It’s a set of fragments. Zelazny would have it that Dilvish is a man obsessed. He calls him “a humorless monomaniac.” (This from a letter to Carl Yoke, quoted in the afterword to the last Dilvish short story in the NESFA collection Nine Black Doves.) But Dilvish has at least two sets of concerns in the stories: defending Dilfar and other cities of “the East” from Lylish, the Colonel of the West, and also getting revenge on Jelerak, neither of which seem to me to be crazy. And most of the stories don’t involve either one of these goals, or mention them only in passing, undermining any picture of Dilvish as obsessive.

Zelazny knows his character better than anyone else does, obviously, but my point is that he doesn’t create the portrait of a monomaniac in the Dilvish stories that he actually wrote and published. There isn’t that much coherence in them. When Dilvish raises a ghost legion to fight for him in Shoredan, the actual fight he raises them for occurs offstage and is mentioned only in passing. Lylish and Jelerak are supposed to be these big menaces, but Lylish never appears onstage, and Jelerak only occasionally and somewhat unimpressively. Zelazny is careful to introduce us to a sorcerer named Strodd in “A City Divided” and make him indebted to Dilvish… but he’s only mentioned once in passing, later on, and he never appears in a Dilvish story again.

The good stuff in the stories is mostly the incidental stuff along the way. There is no overarching plotline that connects them, any more than there is for Leiber’s stories of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser or REH’s Conan stories.

And that’s a virtue, not a vice. Zelazny’s great gift as a writer was for brilliant improvisation. These stories would be better if they were presented as a series of fragments from a heroic life, without any pretense of telling a continuous story.

Interior art for “The Bells of Shoredan” by Gray Morrow. From Fantastic Stories, March 1966

That was Howard’s idea for the Conan series:

“The average adventurer, telling tales of a wild life at random, seldom follows any ordered plan, but narrates episodes widely separated by space and years as they occur to him.” (From a letter REH wrote in 1936 to P.S. Miller, included in the Lancer/Ace Conan, p.17.)

I’m not saying every s&s writer has to imitate REH forever, but this approach would work better with the Dilvish stories than the pseudo-biography that Zelazny tries to force them into.

The reader who has read this far without dying of boredom deserves some kind of ringing peroration to send them rushing out into the street in search of trouble and fantastic adventure. Unfortunately I don’t have one.

I do have kind of a technical writing observation that, if nothing else, will help you to drift off to sleep in the friendly light from whatever device you’re reading this on.

In most of the Dilvish stories, we get almost nothing of Dilvish’s inner life. We have to deduce what he’s thinking and feeling from his words and actions — the same way we do with the people around us. This is unlike a lot of modern fiction, where we typically get the inner monologue of the viewpoint character. In lots of ways, Dilvish is not our viewpoint character; he is a character we are viewing.

That appeals to me because it’s more like ancient and medieval literature, and it gives him a degree of mystery. The later stories in the series where we get more of Dilvish’s feelings are part of that descent into mundanity, like the mentions of him working for a living. I don’t think that’s bad; it’s just interesting how Zelazny’s approach to the character changed over the nearly-two-decades that he wrote about him.

Now go ye forth into the mysterious vale of night and smite those who must be smitten, even as your heart doth compel ye. (Unless that seems inadvisable for ethical, legal, or practical reasons. Offer void where prohibited.)

Our previous coverage of Dilvish at Black Gate includes:

Dilvish, the Damned by Fletcher Vredenburgh (September 12, 2017)

This article originally appeared at James Enge’s excellent Engeblog on January 23, 2025.

My Mom’s a Werewolf (Crown International Pictures, May 12, 1989)

A 20 film marathon of werewolf movies I’ve never seen before.

As usual, the films must be free to stream.

I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

My Mom’s a Werewolf (1989) YouTube

Man or beast? Gradual, hairy transformation into rubbish suits.

Howlin’ good time? The 80s are arguably the greatest decade for horror and, perhaps, the much maligned sub-genre of horror comedy, but this one squeaks in at the end hoping to ride some Teen-Wolf coat tails, and it doesn’t quite succeed. The intention is there, everyone gives it their all to a cartoonish level, and John Saxon is awesome, but for me the jokes didn’t always land, and it felt horribly dated.

The film has a similar premise to the OG Fright Night (teen recruits monster nerd friend to combat monster and save family), but it was all a bit too cutesy for my tastes and, despite the promise of a great werewolf at the end, the actual makeups were a bit of a let down. Fun to see Ruth Buzzi again though, looking younger than she did in the 60s.

5/10

The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! (William Mishkin Motion
Pictures, May 1972) and Crying Wolf (Uncork’d Entertainment, 2015)

The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! (1972) Tubi

Man or beast? Brownface + hairy eyebrow makeups.

Howlin’ good time? This is a film from the notably sleazy mind of Andy Milligan, who once enjoyed stuffing his grindhouse efforts full of sadism and salaciousness. This film, however, is his tamest by far, with nary a whiff of sex or violence (although he does include a ghastly bit of sadistic treatment towards a live mouse, which is unpleasant).

The best thing about this movie is the title, but even the rats are merely a ten-minute distraction, presumably an after-thought, during this dull exercise in miserable family members sitting around moaning about being werewolves. The actual beasts appear at the end, when everyone seemingly turns into one and set upon each other for no good reason. Pretty awful.

3/10

Crying Wolf (2015) Tubi

Man or beast? CG/gorilla suit hybrids.

Howlin’ good time? Full transparency, I put this one on because Caroline Munro headlines it, but when she disappears after 5 mins, I should have done the same.

This is such an odd film, but not in the charmingly odd sense. Allegedly a comedy, it’s as cutting edge as a Benny Hill sketch but with none of the subtlety, complete with head turn ‘whooshes’ and slide whistles. The thin-as-tissue plot is padded out with flashbacks, and flashbacks within flashbacks, none of which bring anything to the story.

There a couple of fun gore effects, but it’s hampered by some lousy CG and awful werewolf costumes, and the whole affair has been re-dubbed using some lacklustre ADR and one awful American accent. The whole hot mess is narrated by a detective in a pub, and it comes off as a prolonged episode of Garth Merenghi’s Dark Place, but with worse production quality. Terrible.

3/10

Strippers vs Werewolves (Well Go, April 27, 2012) Strippers vs Werewolves (2012) Prime

Man or beast? Hairy, humanoid, beast-faced bad boys.

Howlin’ good time? I went into this one expecting the usual crap (having seen Zombies vs Strippers in a moment of weakness a couple of years ago), but was a little surprised by how much I liked it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still rubbish, released the same year as the superior (but still rubbish) Cockneys vs Zombies, but clearly everyone was having a splendid time, and there were a couple of gags that managed to get a laugh out of me.

It’s a UK production through and through, taking place in Basildon (and finishing in Dagenham!) and full of your stereotypical Essex-types, but I wasn’t ready for the cameos from folks in need of new patios, including Steven Berkoff, Robert England, Martin Kemp, Lysette Anthony and Sarah Douglas (who was the best part of the film). It’s rude, slightly violent and full of knockers, which is to be expected, daft as a brush, but still more fun than many of the films I’ve watched during this project and I didn’t hate the werewolf designs.

Recommended for people who like Alan ‘Brick Top’ Ford and bosoms.

6/10

The Beast of Bray Road (The Asylum, September 1, 2005) The Beast of Bray Road (2005) YouTube

Man or beast? Hairy, humanoid, naughty thing.

Howlin’ good time? It’s an Asylum flick, but don’t let that put you off. Granted, it’s the usual fare; two-dimensional charac… sorry… cannon fodder going through the motions, hitting their marks and spouting uninspiring dialogue. However, a great portion of the budget went on practical effects, including more loops of guts than a back-alley sausage shop. The gore was over the top and fun, the beast however was a bit of a laugh. In fact, this poster doesn’t do the film any favours, and I can’t believe they didn’t hire an artist to paint a kick-ass werewolf for it.

As it is, this one just reminded me of Zeb from Star Wars: Rebels (if you know, you know), and I couldn’t take it seriously. Ultimately though, it’s a better-than-most Asylum effort, and I was entertained, so… congrats?

6/10

I Am Lisa (Mutiny Pictures, July 2, 2020)
and Wolf (Columbia Pictures, June 17, 1994)

I Am Lisa (2020) Prime

Man or beast? Subtle lady beast.

Howlin’ good time? I’m glad I saved this one until close to the end of my werewolf watch-a-thon, because I was quite impressed with this indie film, shot on a low budget but spending the money wisely. It’s a tale of abuse and revenge, with strong female leads, well-written queer undertones and some lovely cinematography. I thought the director Patrick Rea handled the story really well and the score had a nice throwback vibe to it. In fact, the whole shebang put me in mind of I Spit on your Grave, with more teeth.

My only gripes lay with the sound design and the fight choreography, neither of which packed enough punch and let down the climax, but overall it’s a solid watch and I’m going to go ahead and recommend it.

8/10

Wolf (1994) Prime

Man or beast? Nicholson and Spader being hairy.

Howlin’ good time? Saved a ‘proper’ film for last, because it would be nice to go out with a bit of quality, and I hadn’t seen this before. However, I was wholly unprepared for how ludicrous and dull it actually is.

At the risk of invoking the wrath of those of you who fondly* remember this as being great, let me just express my surprise over so much before and behind the camera talent coming up with this wereturkey. It features amazing actors, Mike (The Graduate) Nichols directing, FX from Rick (American Werewolf in London) Baker and a score by Ennio (Ennio freakin’ Morricone) Morricone, and yet it is still as dumb as a bag of wolf nards. The lycanthropic plot is reduced to a subplot as the main focus is about a guy getting his job back, and its direction is a bit aimless (unlike Jack’s pee).

Is it a satire? Not funny enough. Is it horror? It’s got less teeth than grandma shark. Gah — maybe at this point, now finished with the werewolf movies, I’m jaded, cynical and ready to move on — but I really was expecting better.

6/10

*incorrectly

Previous Murkey Movie surveys from Neil Baker include:

There, Wolves: Part I
There, Wolves: Part II
What a Croc
Prehistrionics
Jumping the Shark
Alien Overlords
Biggus Footus
I Like Big Bugs and I Cannot Lie
The Weird, Weird West
Warrior Women Watch-a-thon

Neil Baker’s last article for us was There, Wolves: Part II. Neil spends his days watching dodgy movies, most of them terrible, in the hope that you might be inspired to watch them too. He is often asked why he doesn’t watch ‘proper’ films, and he honestly doesn’t have a good answer. He is an author, illustrator, outdoor educator and owner of April Moon Books (AprilMoonBooks.com).

Okay, romance novel lovers, cuddle up with your warm blanket in your favorite reading spot.…

The post Love is in the Air | 9 Steamy Romance Novels to Devour appeared first on LitStack.

From the publisher: “Severian is a torturer, born to the guild and with an exceptionally promising career ahead of him . . . until… he is exiled from the guild and his home city to the distant metropolis of Thrax with little more than Terminus Est, a fabled sword, to his name. Along the way…

Left: The memorial booklet for Howard Andrew Jones given to attendees at the February
22nd Celebration of Life. Right: Sean CW Korsgaard gives his eulogy for Howard.
Foreground: Christopher Rowe, Cinda Hocking, John C. Hocking. Photo by John O’Neill

A Celebration of Life for Howard Andrew Jones (HAJ) was just held in Evansville, IN, Feb 22, 2025.  The event gathered friends, family, and over a dozen author colleagues. Numerous online memorials and tributes had been posted leading up to this. Links to many are listed at the bottom of the post; reading these reveals wonderful insights. This article aims to honor HAJ slightly differently by echoing excerpts from his blogs intermixed with remembrances and emphasizing the importance of community.

It struck me that when discussing HAJ, there are always references to REH (Robert E. Howard, indisputable “Father of Sword & Sorcery Genre”). Whereas REH kicked off the genre with his heroes in the 1920-30s (Conan, Bran Mak Morn, Kull, etc.), a hundred years later, the other Howard, our dear HAJ, championed S&S, wrote S&S, and built a community of S&S readers & writers.

You may already know that HAJ edited the online Flashing Swords ezine (links to internet archives below), grew Black Gate in print and online, edited the Harold Lamb series, led the Tales from the Magician’s Skull Magazine, and wrote copious amounts of pulp and fantasy fiction (Asim & Dabir, Ringsworn, Pathfinder, Hanuvar). He did all that while immersing himself with authors and readers.

A lifetime of activity is impossible to capture, but several montages of his writer-focused activities were captured and shared at the celebration (PDF link); and Sean CW Korsgaard created a spectacular video playlist of HAJ interviews, panels, and more.

We’ve been conditioned to believe that there aren’t any real heroes and that everyone’s in it for themselves; we’ve been trained to be skeptical and ironic and detached and sarcastic and hip. Yet even as we sneer and laugh with our friends, we know it’s a lie. — HAJ 2008

Herein, you’ll learn his thoughts behind the “New Edge” S&S term he coined, how he inspired the Goodreads S&S group, how he conjured up the Day of Might, and more! HAJ was a mentor and coach to many dozens and a father figure to some (as Hanuvar champion and Bean editor Sean CW Korsgaard attested in his remembrance, image above).

I suspect HAJ would balk at being called “The only father of all S&S communities.” Heck, being called a simple role model made him uncomfortable (sorry, Howard). But his community building and influence are undeniable. They deserve to be called out and remembered. Funny enough, Howard called “Harold Lamb the grandfather of S&S” (evidence herein). With REH being the father, maybe that makes HAJ the grandson?!

Whatever. Read on, mortal dogs, and imbibe the contagious sorcery of a hero recently passed. Hear now his closing line for his editorials, which resonates with comradery:

Swords Together! The Writing Display of Howard Andrew Jones at his Celebration of Life, February 22, 2025 Goodreads Sword & Sorcery Group

The Goodreads S&S Group began in 2012, initiated by Periklis Begzos. We struck a friendship, and I became a lead moderator for 10 years before getting pulled into organizing the Gen Con Writers Symposium over the Covid era (not ironically, a role that followed after HAJ encouraged me to volunteer for the convention).  Anyway, S&S GR group still exists, but activity has waned. Regardless, I share a moving anecdote from Periklis that captures how Howard helped others and they helped him:

“Regarding Howard’s touch, I remember discovering his book “The Desert of Souls” in early 2012. I loved it. I was following Black Gate magazine and what struck me the most was the love for the culture (of both S&S and adventure/pulp fiction) that Howard spread. At the same time he announced a competition for naming the Dabir & Asim series. I submitted the name “The Chronicles of Sword and Sand” and was awestruck when it won. Along came a gift pack of all of Howard’s published works, with a printed map and a lovely letter from him. It really pulled me from a dark place I was going around that time and allowed me to start the public Goodreads group about sword and sorcery. So I would think that Howard’s generosity of character and his altruistic involvement with all things Sword & Sorcery are keeping inspired to this day.”  Periklis Begzos

Harold Lamb is the ‘Grandfather of S&S’?

Perusing HAJ’s comments in the Goodreads Sword and Sorcery Group, I came across this gem that showcases his love for Lamb and S&S.

I stumbled across one of his Cossack collections when I was in high school and was immediately reminded of one of the Leiber collections of Fafhrd and Mouser stories. Not because Khlit the Cossack is a thief and bravo, because he isn’t, but because both Lamb and Leiber wrote serial stories with continuing characters — almost like a TV series — stuffed full of action and adventure and sense of wonder.

I’ve argued at length, in many places, that Lamb is the unsung grandfather of sword-and-sorcery, because he’s got nearly EVERYTHING except the imaginary world and real sorcery. He occasionally (very occasionally) suggests the fantastic. And he is one of the very first to write adventure fiction with a mostly modern feel. He’s still compulsively readable today. Combine that with his laconic style and pacing and sense of adventure — not to mention surprise — and you have something phenomenal.

I was astonished when I discovered how many of his stories that had not been collected were excellent. His work isn’t like, say an obscure rock band that’s only good when you listen to their greatest hits. Even many of his deep album tracks are strong. I dreamed that one day I could find them all and read them. Slowly I did. And because the only job I could find in the economic downturn of the ’90s was as a third shift proofreader, I ended up becoming an editor, which made it possible for me to cold call Bison Books and pitch the collections. I knew how to talk “book” in the language of “editor” and I’d amassed a sizable collection of obscure Lamb texts by that point. Because I loved his stories I’d accidentally become an expert, and because of my accidental training I was perfectly positioned to make it happen. Serendipity.  — HAJ 2016, Goodreads Threads

Magazine Editing and Honing A New Edge

In 2005-2007, Howard edited the first six 6 e-zones of Flashing Swords (this link goes to the archived internet that offers the PDFs! Go get them!). How influential can an e-zine be?  Read the introduction of Return of the Sword where esteemed heroic fiction champion Jason M Waltz  lists Flashing Swords as one of his inspirations (and provided Jason an opportunity to become an assistant editor; Rogue Blades Entertainment and Foundation evolved from Jason’s own passion to build an S&S community).

In 2006, Howard moved along to take a position as Associate Editor at Black Gate. As John O’Neill mentions in his tribute and oral remembrance, Howard quickly rose from exuberant writer and associate editor to Black Gate’s first Managing Editor. HAJ grew the website driven by a passion to get fresh content posted daily and enlisted over thirty staff. In 2016 Black Gate Magazine was awarded a World Fantasy Award, a recognition that John O’Neill has said reflects Howard’s devotion (keep in mind, John is also a superb, understated mentor/hero who deflects compliments).

In 2008, as Managing Editor at Black Gate, HAJ posted his “manifesto” regarding a resurgence brewing in Sword & Sorcery fiction: Honing A New Edge Part 1 & Part 2  (these originally appeared in the introductory editorials  Issue 3 & 4 as “The New Edge”). Excerpts are below. This sentiment resonated with many authors and editors, and a decade after its posting, directly inspired the creation of New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine (though editor Oliver Brackenbury has a slightly different definition than that of HAJ, read Oliver’s interview on BG for more). Incidentally, New Edge S&S 2025 has another crowdfunding running now, check out the link for the new Jirel of Joiry.

Traditional S&S Heroes (from Honing A New Edge Part 1)

The protagonists in sword-and-sorcery fiction are most often thieves, mercenaries, or barbarians struggling not for worlds or kingdoms, but for their own gain or mere survival. They are rebels against authority, skeptical of civilization and its rulers and adherents. While the strengths and skills of sword-and-sorcery heroes are romanticized, their exploits take place on a very different stage from one where lovely princesses, dashing nobles, and prophesied saviors are cast as the leads. Sword-and-sorcery heroes face more immediate problems than those of questing kings. They are cousins of the lone gunslingers of American westerns and the wandering samurai of Japanese folklore, traveling through the wilderness to right wrongs or simply to earn food, shelter, and coin. Unknown or hazardous lands are an essential ingredient of the genre, and if its protagonists should chance upon inhabited lands, they are often strangers to either the culture or civilization itself. — HAJ 2008

Being Heroic (from Honing A New Edge Part 2 )

We’ve been conditioned to believe that there aren’t any real heroes and that everyone’s in it for themselves; we’ve been trained to be skeptical and ironic and detached and sarcastic and hip. Yet even as we sneer and laugh with our friends, we know it’s a lie. Heroes really are out there. They’ve lived and breathed and sacrificed right here on this very Earth, and some of them are still at it. Students of history know them. Sometimes we can even find them covered by our local news stations. Stories of heroes, not of dejected mopers, have inspired us since the dawn of humanity, and we should not be embarrassed if they continue to fire our imagination. — HAJ 2008

HAJ: So what are those New Edge guiding principles?  Briefly:

1. A hardboiled tone — as in terse and unsentimental

2. Exotic settings and/or settings that live — as in NOT faux Tolkien (if the settings echo Tolkien or other writers then they must be twisted or seen from some new perspective)

3. Evoking a sense of wonder — magic is never banal or easy, the fantastic should not be mundane

4. High energy storytelling — as in fast and without padding

Grateful to be a part of the community  – It’s more than Networking

From a 2012 editorial post, we learn HAJ’s gratitude for being part of a community.

We wouldn’t be working so hard to get published in this genre if we didn’t love the genre, and I can trace a lot of my success back to actually becoming involved in it (I already posted about the exact steps to my book deal a year or two ago). Corresponding with other writers, writing reviews for genre sites, reading slush, writing editorials, editing for ‘zines and magazines. Eventually, a whole lot of people had heard of me, so that I wasn’t a complete unknown when it got to be time to try to promote my books.

I didn’t know that was going to happen — I just couldn’t stay away from fantasy fiction, particularly heroic fiction. But it DID happen, and even though every author’s journey is a little different, surely there’s some lessons from this story some of you out there could find useful. — HAJ 2012

When you begin your writing career, you’re joining a community — HAJ

Writing is a lonely business and I wanted to meet some kindred spirits. What I didn’t realize was that I was also forming a network of friends and allies, AKA “networking.” I dislike that word, though, because it suggests that one is cold-bloodedly setting forth to make friends to climb the ladder, probably before callously putting them aside for new and better and more powerful contacts as one advances. I realize now that I was becoming part of a writing community.

Many writers grow up thinking of the writing profession as a noble romantic one, where we sit alone in a tower room with our raven on a bust of Poe and a cat in our lap. Well, okay, I never pictured that, exactly, but I expected that I would write stuff and I just had to send it out until some editor finally printed me, probably sooner rather than later. As I became a regular at various magazines, I realized just how rewarding it was to be exchanging letters with editors and fellow authors and even readers from the various magazines. After I jumped the editorial fence, I started to comprehend that part of what you’re doing with a magazine is helping to build a community of writers and readers. — HAJ 2012

The Evil Skull versus the Heroic Hanuvar

In  2017 (Kickstarter Link), Howard teamed with Joseph Goodman (Goodman Games) to create Tales from the Magizian’s Skull (as Joseph describes in his tribute).

Howard shared my appreciation of how fiction can inspire great gaming. We were both fans of several of the same things: D&D and DCC RPG, Appendix N, and Weird Tales, the publication that first published many of the Appendix N authors. We decided to start a fiction magazine together. From there we created Tales From The Magician’s Skull. The issues of that magazine that I published are among the Goodman Games publications of which I am most proud. Tales From The Magician’s Skull stands out from every other periodical in its category for its titular hero (or perhaps villain?), who would not exist were it not for the weird melding of Howard’s and my brains. Somehow our mutual creativity synthesized this bizarre character who seemed completely real to both of us. The Magician’s Skull was so integral to our mutual imaginations that we tag-teamed to write the editorials, articles, and memorandums attributed to the Skull.  — JG 2025

The magazine moved ownership from Goodman Games to Outland in 2024 (here is their KS page for issues 13+ and their current store). The magazine’s run was a creative fusion of Howard and Joseph, but Howard was the frontman under the mask and editor. I shared my thoughts within the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) obituary, and echo them here since they capture how Howard and the Skull persona complemented each other:

Howard’s Skull’s persona resonated since it was the antithesis of him. Whereas the villainous champion of the titular magazine spitefully called his readers ‘mortal dogs’ and regularly ‘immolated’ his interns, the man behind the mask was known to be overly gracious, coaching aspiring, mature, and professional writers in myriad conventions, editing, blogs… for decades! He mentored tirelessly even as his body failed. A week before he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he improvised a personalized ‘Hey Jude’ song at Gen Con Writers Symposium to inspire me on the piano beside the green room, and the lyrics motivate/haunt me continuously. How did he exude so much vitality?

His Hanuvar character embodies Howard more accurately, a veteran striving to save his shattered family and reunite his community (refreshing compared to the flood of immoral, vengeful protagonists available). Howard could strike a friendship up in minutes, and combined with his passion for storytelling, [this] makes him one to be remembered as much as for his heroes as for his own heroism. Howard was the quintessential role model. I imagine him inspiring us now in our time of mourning: ‘Behold, mortal readers, do your morning stretches, carry on, and realize the stories inside you. Swords together!’  — SEL

A Confluence of S&S Community Builders In 2022, I reported on the S&S Rogues in the House podcast for Black Gate. As the Rogues moved beyond podcasts to build the Sword & Sorcery community, they started publishing anthologies including the just-released A Book of Blades. With my Event Coordinator role for the Gen Con Writers Symposium, I did my best to gather the Rogues and other contributors to A Book of Blades on several panels.  Collected were the Rogues in the House podcasters, HAJ of the Skull magazine, Jason Ray Carney of Whetstone Amateur Sword & Sorcery Magazine, and myself.  We gathered in Marriott Ballroom #4 to record this special session.  At 6:45 min:sec, the Skull crashes the party and awards his only named intern an award. Click here to listen: The Rogues on Hallowed Ground (link to Aug 8-2022 podcast episode)

“Rogues, old and new, meet at the mecca called Gen Con. In this very special episode, Deane Geiken and Matt John are joined by Howard Andrew Jones, Seth Lindberg, Steve Diamond, Sean CW Korsgaard, Jason Ray Carney, and *shudders* The Magician’s Skull himself. Topics include sword and sorcery (of course) as well as our “top picks” from Gen Con.”

2023 Gen Con, the Skull with Joseph Goodman, Matt John, Seth Lindberg Day of Might

The Skull is responsible for creating the first Sword & Sorcery holiday to be celebrated every October 23rd.  A cartoon excerpt from Tales from the Magician’s Skull explains the inception (below) and Skull TV captures essential broadcasting of the initial days.

Memorials

I have been grateful to HAJ for many years, from being a fan of his S&S blogs and appearances at World Con 2010, to meeting him at Gen Con and having him coach me into volunteering at the Writers Symposium ~2017 (which grew into me chairing it in 2023), for bridging the connection to John O’Neill to edit for Black Gate online magazine (~2019 onward), and for being able to intern for his magazine Tales From the Magician’s Skull as acquisition editor and for being a social media intern for the Skull (~2022).

The outpouring of memorials speaks to HAJ’s character and influence. Each instance, even the shorter obituaries, amplifies his life and reveals nuances. Below I list several so I, and anyone visiting here, can learn more about the man we miss. There are many more tributes than those listed below. More may be added after the original posting date as I track those down.

Did you know Howard… was once a TV cameraman? Created an official Walk Through Guide for a Castlevania game? Coined New Edge Sword & Sorcery?

• Locus: abbreviated verionHoward Andrew Jones (1968-2025); longer version by CSE Cooney, John O’Neill, John Hocking, Matthew John, Scott Oden) available in Issue 769 also inside the celebration display p16.
• SFWA: In Memoriam: Howard Andrew Jones [John O’Neill, SE Lindberg, Martha Wells, Sean CW Korsgaard]
• Joseph Goodman (Skull publisher) A Tribute to Howard Andrew Jones
• John ONeill (Black Gate): Howard Andrew Jones, July 19, 1968 – January 16, 2025
• Jason Ray Carney: Howard Andrew Jones, a Mentee’s Perspective
• Bob Byrne An Important Life – Howard Andrew Jones (1968 – 2025)
• Brian Murphy: Rest in peace, Howard Andrew Jones
• Sean CW Korsgaard This is one of the hardest things I’ve had to write in my career. Howard Andrew Jones is dead
• Mark Rigney (Celebration of Life farewell)
• Greg Mele: “Swords Together, buddy” Private Facebook Post
• Matt John — Devastated to learn my friend, Howard Andrew Jones, has passed.
• Deuce Richardson (DMR) Howard Andrew Jones Has Fought His Last Battle
• Vanessa Armstrong Author Howard Andrew Jones Passes Away at Age 56
• Michael Grossberg Acclaimed fantasy writer and Prometheus finalist Howard Andrew Jones, R.I.P.
• Paizo (Pathfinder)  Paizo Remembers Howard Andrew Jones
• Morgan Holmes Remembering Howard A. Jones
• Keith West RIP, Howard Andrew Jones

Howard Andrew Jones’ Office in Evansville Heroes really are out there. They’ve lived and breathed and sacrificed right here on this very Earth, and some of them are still at it. Students of history know them. Sometimes we can even find them covered by our local news stations. Stories of heroes, not of dejected mopers, have inspired us since the dawn of humanity, and we should not be embarrassed if they continue to fire our imagination. — HAJ 2008

S.E. Lindberg is a Managing Editor at Black Gate, regularly reviewing books and interviewing authors on the topic of “Beauty & Art in Weird-Fantasy Fiction.” He has taken lead roles organizing the Gen Con Writers’ Symposium (chairing it in 2023), is the lead moderator of the Goodreads Sword & Sorcery Group and was an intern for Tales from the Magician’s Skull magazine.  As for crafting stories, he has contributed eight entries across Perseid Press’s Heroes in Hell and Heroika series, and has an entry in Weirdbook Annual #3: Zombies. He independently publishes novels under the banner Dyscrasia Fiction; short stories of Dyscrasia Fiction have appeared in Whetstone, Swords & Sorcery online magazine, Rogues In the House Podcast’s A Book of Blades Vol I and Vol II, DMR’s Terra Incognita, and the 9th issue of Tales From the Magician’s Skull.

 

Lights Out (Into Darkness #1)by Navessa Allen
What is it about:I want someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.
Trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci doesn’t need any more kinks. She likes the one she’s landed on just fine. To her, nothing could top the masked men she follows online. Unless one of those men was shirtless, heavily tattooed, and waiting for her in her bedroom. She dreams about being hunted by one in particular, of him chasing her down and doing deliciously dark things to her willing body. She never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become her new reality.
I want things most people don’t, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love.
Josh Hammond has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans to drool over, but one follower has caught his eye: Aly. After reading a comment begging him to break into her house wearing a mask, he decides to take her up on her offer.
Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone else. Someone with far more sinister intentions than a little light stalking. As Josh turns from predator to protector and the stakes heighten, he must ask himself how far he’s willing to go for the woman he’s obsessed with.
What did Voodoo Bride think of it:*Might be a tiny bit spoilery*
Either I'm more depraved than I thought, or there needs to be a serious discussion about what a Dark Romance is.
Because this wasn't dark at all in my opinion!
Not that that was a bad thing: I haven't laughed so much while reading a Romance in a long time. And not because the story is laughable, but because it really is meant to be funny.
I liked Aly and Josh from the start. Josh is a bit of a social disaster, but otherwise they're both just really fun people. I enjoyed learning more about them and seeing them fall for each other. 
There were two minor annoyances:1 - Even though their backstories were entertaining, I didn't like it that those were used as an explanation for their kinks. You don't need a trauma or tragic event to enjoy kinks.2 - Saying "No safe word. Just say stop, and I'll stop." = a safe word!!!!!But those were minor as I said. I could easily put it aside for the sake of the story.
All in all I had a great time with this, and even Sullivan got invested when real danger was introduced to make things a bit more suspenseful. He also really liked Fred, the cat.
You bet we will get hold of the next book.
Why should you read it:It's a very enjoyable Dark Romance

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Genre: Science Fiction, Mystery

Series: Book 1 of Dorothy Gentleman

Publisher: Tordotcom (March 18, 2025)

Length: 325 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

I’d never read Olivia Waite before, but apparently she’s known for her romance writing. In Murder by Memory, she’s managed to successfully blend elements of a love story with a cozy mystery set on a generation ship—not genres you often see thrown together in the same mix. Still, while tackling it in novella form may have made this one a quick read, I think the shorter length probably hobbled its potential.

The story kicks off when Dorothy Gentleman, detective on starship H.M.S. Fairweather, wakes up unexpectedly in the middle of their centuries-long journey. In addition to thousands of passengers, the vessel is also carrying a vast digital archive, the “Library”, where their memories have been uploaded and stored in “books.” These books can be updated at any time, ready to be downloaded into a person’s new body that is provided once their old one dies.

When Dorothy awakens, however, she had not expected to be downloaded into a new body so soon, for she had chosen to shelve her memories for a few years. Not only that, but the new body she finds herself in is not her own, but a stranger’s named Gloria. The ship’s A.I. informs our protagonist that there has been a death on the ship, and someone has also been deleting memory archives from the Library. Along with the unusual circumstances she now finds herself in, these incidents are more than likely connected. To solve the murder and figure out why her memory book was erased—which has resulted her being in the wrong body—Dorothy must step into her detective shoes and investigate, using her skills and the element of surprise to her advantage.

Without a doubt, the greatest strength in Murder by Memory is the world-building. While the concept of effective immortality by uploading the consciousness and downloading it into new bodies isn’t new, I have never seen it used in a cozy setting like this. In fact, the stories I’ve read that are set on generation ships tend not to be very pleasant, weighed down by themes like scarcity and uncertainty. But the world Waite has created is perfectly copacetic. Which is why the idea of a murder, especially one like this, feels like such a big deal.

The mystery plot itself was also solid, but unfortunately, the constraints of the novella’s short length were noticeable. There was no room for the story to be anything but straightforward, making the investigation feel rushed and lacking in complexity. While we moved quickly from clue to clue, the absence of any intrigue left the resolution feeling a bit sudden and too easy. Likewise, Dorothy was an enjoyable protagonist, and there were certainly moments of humor reading about this older lady adjusting to a more youthful body, but the story’s brevity also meant that her development was somewhat sparse, and I barely registered any of the side characters.

Ultimately, Murder by Memory was a fun read, but despite some of its unique qualities, I doubt it will leave a lasting impression. That said, as the opening volume of a new series, I think it has potential. Over time, I can see future sequels building upon each other, fleshing out the world and bringing more depth to Dorothy’s character. And if these episodes will be as short and sweet as this one, I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next book and hoping it expands on the foundations laid here.

TransWorld’s Halloween & Attractions Show 2025

Around this time every year, Black Gate photog Chris Z and I pack up the car for the 10-hour-round-trip from Chicago to St. Louis to attend the TransWorld Haunted Attractions Show. This event not only kicks off the spooky season for the new year but never fails to produce at least one memorable adventure. From Fireball shots to epic snowstorms, to celebrity encounters, I can always count on our annual road trip to produce stories that will easily carry me through a year’s worth of cocktail-party small talk.

This year was no exception.

Seen at the TransWorld Halloween & Attractions Show 2025. Photos by Chris Z

For a start, our odyssey begins with me picking up Chris Z at 5am to ensure we are in St. Louis when the show doors open at 10. This has been the standard operating procedure for the eighteen years we have been covering this show, except for the couple of years TransWorld was held here in Chicago. Every year, Chris Z complains about the early pickup time, threatening to show up in his pajamas and sleep the entire five hours; and every year I tell him to nut-up and promise to stock the car with Mountain Dew.

So, last weekend at 5am I roll up into his driveway, noticing there is some kind of cord laying in front of his garage door, and remind myself to tell him when he comes to the car. At that moment, the darkness of the suburban neighborhood is shattered by a disco light display worthy of Saturday Night Fever. My stunned brain seized up, my mouth dropped open, and before I could figure out what the heck was happening, the garage door lifted to reveal Chris Z in a giraffe onesy.

As I have no further words to describe this, so here…

Chris Z in a onesy

Yes, apparently Amazon really does have everything.

Chris Z loads his camera gear in the back seat, gets in, and curls up – all in silence. An hour later when we stop to recaffeinate, he strolls into the Starbucks in said onesy and blithely orders like this is something he does every day. To the credit of the baristas, they just looked at each other and kept right on working. Back at the car, Chris Z shed the onesy saying only that it was making him too hot.

…sigh.

 Photos by Chris Z

Now, about the TransWorld show and why thousands of Halloween tradespeople fly from all over North America to get their spooky on in February.

TransWorld is an “industry only” event not open to the public. It brings together professional haunt operators and the suppliers of everything from costumes and makeup, to $20K special effects.

Scenes from TransWorld’s Halloween & Attractions Show 2025

Ever wonder where amusement parks like Cedar Point and Great America, or big-name haunted attractions get their gear? TransWorld is the place, and with the haunt industry estimated at $30 billion annually, the vendors who have booths at TransWorld are the absolute real deal. Also, since creating and shipping all these scares takes time, the flurry of activity happens in February to ensure everything is in place by fall.

Frightprops Pneumatics

Walking into TransWorld, held at the Americas Center is stepping into 500,000 square feet of creativity and horror. Imagine rows upon rows of booths showcasing hyper-realistic props, cutting-edge animatronics, custom soundscapes, and theatrical-grade special effects. One of the highlights of each year is getting an early look at the new technology that keeps the haunted attraction industry fresh and terrifying. Innovations like AI-driven scares, augmented reality overlays, and hyper-detailed silicone masks demonstrate the evolution of horror craftsmanship.

TransWorld is more than just a trade show; it’s a masterclass in the haunt industry. The event features an array of seminars, workshops, and panels led by industry veterans. Topics range from the art of creating compelling narratives for haunted houses to practical advice on marketing, ticketing, and safety protocols.

Seen at TransWorld. Photos by Chris Z

For haunters who want to experience the thrills firsthand, the event hosts live demonstrations and walkthrough attractions. These mini-haunts showcase the latest in set design, scare techniques, and interactive storytelling. Walking through these exhibits is like getting a sneak peek at the nightmares that will soon populate attractions nationwide.

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of TransWorld is the community it fosters. Chris Z and I consider it our annual “family reunion” where we connect with artists we’ve covered for nearly two decades and get the scoop on their newest ventures.

We couldn’t kick off spooky season without checking in with my long-time goth boy-band crushes, Ed and Gavin of Midnight Syndicate. Best known for their dark, atmospheric soundtracks they have become staples in the haunted attraction industry.

Goth Boy-Band Crush: Midnight Syndicate

Since their formation in 1997, Midnight Syndicate has created the soundtrack for haunt season, providing music for Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights and hosting their own stage show at Cedar Point’s Halloweekends.. We absolutely love Ed and Gavin’s music and were excited to learn they have a new album coming out later this year. We are always honored to get an early listen, so stand by for more.

Demski Creations

We also checked in with Brian Demski of Demski Creations. Brian is a seasoned artist with over two decades of specializing in creature special effects, custom prop fabrication, and scenic design. He has contributed to feature films, television, music videos, and haunted attractions, and his work is characterized by a macabre aesthetic, often incorporating steampunk elements. Having first interviewed Brian for Black Gate back in 2011, when I acquired my first Demski original, it has been incredible seeing the evolution of his talent first hand.

Last but never least we had a chance to catch up with John Weisgerber, owner of the Gemini Company. John didn’t have a booth this year, but we loved hearing about his latest creations. The Gemini Company specializes in museum-quality replicas sculpted and/or molded from actual specimens and cast in high quality materials and resins. Gemini pieces can be seen in shows such as American Horror Story and Mysteries at the Museum and I am the proud owner of a very realistic shrunken head which attends all my Teams meetings. Gemini also has a great Etsy page and I’m eyeballing that evil little doll from Trilogy of Terror.

That creepy little doll from Trilogy of Terror (replica by The Gemini Company)

So spooky season 2025 has officially kicked off and I couldn’t be more excited. By the way, I never considered a giraffe to be an element of horror – until now.

When We Were Real is a madcap adventure of two friends on a cross-country bus…

The post Spotlight on “When We Were Real” by Daryl Gregory appeared first on LitStack.

 

A Dagger of Lightningby Meredith R. Lyons
Let's get one thing straight: I am not your chosen one.
Forty-five-year-old Imogen has always struggled to fit in, never finding her passion in life. And while that may include having cold feet in her impending nuptials, that doesn't mean she's ready to ditch planet Earth—and her entire life—completely.
When Imogen is kidnapped by an alien prince in disguise, there’s nothing she can do to stop him. He’s sidhe—a being with powerful abilities—and he’s grown up used to getting what he wants. The prince is convinced Imogen will fall in love with him, and that her new powers, once she’s turned sidhe, will help his country win a centuries-old feud.
With the help of the prince’s much more tolerable brother, Imogen starts to get her feet back under her, but even he can’t protect her from those who would use her for her powers. If Imogen can’t find a way to fight for herself, she’ll become a pawn in a world that has already decided what she’s going to be.
Expected publication April 1, 2025

The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield, by Mary Norton
(Odyssey/Harcourt, January 1998). Covers by Marla Frazee

I’ve done four posts in a row on Edgar Rice Burroughs, with more to come. But right now it’s time for a change of pace.

It’s going to be a big change for this particular post. It’s about The Borrowers. In my late teens, after I learned Andre Norton was a woman, someone told me she’d written books under her own name of Mary Norton, and that one was called The Borrowers. Turns out this wasn’t true; her original name was Alice Mary Norton, although she changed it legally to Andre Alice Norton in 1934. This was in the late 1970s, pre-internet, and I believed Andre Norton wrote The Borrowers for several years. It added to her charm for a while because I’d read The Borrowers when I was 11 or 12 and adored it.

The Borrowers may seem pretty far afield from Sword & Planet fiction, but the story of little people living in human houses and borrowing things from them, which would explain why things got “lost,” inspired my imagination and I invented many stories of myself shrunk down to that size and adventuring. After I wrote Swords of Talera, my first S&P novel, I toyed with the idea of writing an S&P story with borrower size characters but never did. Many many years later I discovered a graphic novel from DC called Sword of the Atom, which somewhat scratched that itch for me. (More on that later.)

[Click the images for non-Borrower-sized versions.]

The Borrowers Afloat, The Borrowers Aloft, and The Borrowers Avenged
(Odyssey/Harcourt, January 1998). Covers by Marla Frazee

I got The Borrowers from our local library and only found out as an adult in my thirties that there were three later books in the series. These are: The Borrowers Afield, Afloat, and Aloft. I still remember being irritated at our library for not having those too. I would have devoured them.

This happened to me with other series I would have read more of at the time, including The Three Investigators (I thought there were just 2), The Hardy Boys (I only saw 3), and Doc Savage (I thought there was only a couple).

I picked up my own copy of The Borrowers many years ago, and later got The Borrowers Afloat, but after thinking about this post I went and ordered Afield and Aloft, and then discovered that Mary Norton wrote a fifth sequel 20 years after Aloft called The Borrowers Avenged. I ordered that one too. I just finished reading Afield and Aloft and they had all the charm and fun of the original.

I’m reading Avenged now. The first two I have are ex-library copies but I bought the other three are new. The older ex-library editions have wonderful covers and interior illustrations by Beth and Joe Krush. I particularly love The Borrowers Afield cover, by Marla Frazee. Totally ignites my imagination.

Charles Gramlich administers The Swords & Planet League group on Facebook, where this post first appeared. His last article for Black Gate was The Fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Part IV: The Hollow Earth and Pellucidar.

Here are 7 Author Shoutouts for this week. Find your favorite author or discover an…

The post 7 Author Shoutouts | Authors We Love To Recommend appeared first on LitStack.

 

Alien Ghostshipby Bella Blair
What is it about:Jane: While scouting my assigned sector in our galaxy, I come upon an abandoned alien ship. A Ghostship. Excited to explore the deserted vessel, things soon turn strange as an eerie mist follows me wherever I go, even showing me the way to a cabin that appears to have been left in a hurry. Soon I discover, that I'm not only unable to leave the Alien Ghostship, but I begin to dream of a handssome, alien stranger. Is he the guy who left this ship in an obvious haste? 
WREN: Thanks to my copilot's betrayal, I have been a prisoner in this cave for I don't know how long. My only hope is that my prototype ship has left to find help, otherwise I'm afraid I will be doomed in here. One morning my tablet announces that somebody has boarded my ship. A woman of a species I have never seen before. Did she board my ship to steal it or to get help? And what is that mist that seems to follow her everywhere? And why do I suddenly begin dreaming of her? So real it is as if she were sitting right next to me. So alluring that all I care about is being with her. 
What did Voodoo Bride think of it:I got this as a freebie for signing up to Bella Blair's newsletter
This is a nice read.
It could have used a bit more editing, but I liked the story well enough to overlook the typo's and missing words.
The romance is fast, but enjoyable. It is a bit of a puzzle how the two are noticing and feeling each other, but that added a bit of suspense to it.
The ending was a bit too obviously trying to shove in lead characters of other books, but all in all ths was a pleasant read. I got several other freebies for signing up, all part of different series by Blair. I might try one of those to see if there's a series/world that captures me.
Why should you read it:It's a nice SciFi Romance.

Robert E. Howard in a photo sent to H.P. Lovecraft in 1931,
and Bran Mak Morn: The Last King (Del Rey, May 31, 2005)

January 22, 2025 was the 119th birthday of Robert E. Howard, my favorite author. The works of this great author resonate with countless fans to this day.

“Worms of the Earth” is my favorite story by Robert E. Howard. It features Bran Mak Morn, the last king of the Picts.

Howard was fascinated with Picts, his conception of whom was largely mythological, with splashes of real world history. The Picts in his stories span Kull, Conan, Bran, James Allison, and more.

Art and layout from “The Worms in Earth,” published in
Bran Mak Morn: The Last King. Art by Gary Gianni

Of this story, REH said, “Only in my last Bran story, The Worms of the Earth… did I look through Pictish eyes, and speak with a Pictish tongue!”

The attached pictures feature art by Gary Gianni, from the Del Rey paperback, Bran Mak Morn, The Last King. His illustrations of the witch-woman, Atla, are particularly good.

From “The Worms in Earth,” in Bran Mak Morn: The Last King

She was truly remarkable in the story, especially when she named her price for help to Bran:

What of my blasted and bitter life, I, whom mortal men loathe and fear? I have not known the love of men, the clasp of a strong arm, the sting of human kisses, I, Atla, the were-woman of the moors! What have I known but the lone winds of the fens, the dreary fire of cold sunsets, the whispering of the marsh grasses? – the faces that blink up at me in the waters of the meres, the foot-pad of night-things in the gloom, the glimmer of red eyes, the grisly murmur of nameless beings in the night!

I am half-human, at least! Have I not known sorrow and yearning and crying wistfulness, and the drear ache of loneliness? Give to me, king – give me your fierce kisses and your hurtful barbarian’s embrace. Then in the long drear years to come I shall not utterly eat out my heart in vain envy of the white-bosomed women of men; for I shall have a memory few of them can boast – the kisses of a king! One night of love, oh king, and I will guide you to the gates of Hell!

The Ultimate Triumph: The Heroic Fiction of Robert E. Howard
(Wandering Star, January 1, 1999). Art by Frank Frazetta.

The Ultimate Triumph ~ The Heroic Fiction of Robert E. Howard, illustrated by Frank Frazetta, is a prized treasure of mine, a gift that I received from my dear friend, Jim Goodwin.

“Beyond the Black River,” in The Ultimate Triumph: The Heroic Fiction of Robert E. Howard. Art by Frazetta

It features my favorite Conan story, “Beyond the Black River,” a recently discovered version of “The House of Arabu,” and several other rarities, poems, and one of my favorite letters that REH wrote to HPL regarding his stance on Civilization vs. Barbarism.

From The Ultimate Triumph: The Heroic Fiction of Robert E. Howard. Art by Frazetta

Sprinkled throughout this slipcased volume are incredible illustrations and paintings by the great Frank Frazetta. In fact, a foreword by Mr. Frazetta is also included, as well as an introduction by preeminent Howard scholar, Rusty Burke.

The title of this book is no misnomer, my friends — it truly is the ultimate triumph.

From The Ultimate Triumph: The Heroic Fiction of Robert E. Howard. Art by Frazetta

Robert E. Howard’s boxing stories may be his least read, because he’s so well known for Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, El Borak, and several “Weird West” tales (a sub-genre that he is sometimes credited as the originator of).

But the boxing stories are excellent, too! They also include more humor than many of his other works (excepting the stories from A Gent from Bear Creek). Several of the “Sailor” Dennis Dorgan tales were not published during Robert’s lifetime, and those that were published were done so under his pseudonym, Patrick Ervin.

The Incredible Adventures of Dennis Dorgan (Fax Collector’s Editions, January 1, 1974))

In December 2022 I received the download files for “The Black Stone,” by Robert E. Howard. This dramatic presentation, recorded by the inimitable H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, may be (and please correct me if I’m wrong) the first time they have recorded an REH story. I couldn’t wait to listen to it! This is one of my favorite short stories.

Robert E. Howard’s The Black Stone (H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, December 2022)

Robert E. Howard was an incredible innovator of sword-and-sorcery, weird fiction, horror, boxing, action/adventure, western, weird west stories, and more, as well as an equally impressive collection poems and verse. And he did almost all of it in a ten-year period from about age 20 to his passing at age 30, pounding away on an Underwood typewriter in a cramped, screened-in porch. I marvel at what he accomplished, and I wonder at what might have been.

If you are interested in the man and his life, I highly recommend Blood and Thunder, by Mark Finn.

Robert E. Howard postcard

I never imagined that a postcard would be sent to me from Robert E. Howard’s home town of Cross Plains, TX. And during the 100-year anniversary of Weird Tales magazine, no less! I am ever grateful to my dog brother, Mark Finn, for making this possible.

I first met Mark after I’d read his stellar biography Blood & Thunder. I wanted to express my gratitude and appreciation for his incredible work, and I soon learned (surprise, surprise; or, “surprize,” as REH spelled it) that he was a fellow tabletop RPG enthusiast and comic book fan. So, thank you, Mark! By this postcard you rule!

Jeffrey P. Talanian’s last article for Black Gate was a review of The Eye of Sounnu by Schuyler Hernstrom. He is the creator and publisher of the Hyperborea sword-and-sorcery and weird science-fantasy RPG from North Wind Adventures. He was the co-author, with E. Gary Gygax, of the Castle Zagyg releases, including several Yggsburgh city supplements, Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer, and Castle Zagyg: The Upper Works. Read Gabe Gybing’s interview with Jeffrey here, and follow his latest projects on Facebook and at www.hyperborea.tv.