Fantasy Books

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (Ballantine paperback editions, October & November 1965). Covers by Barbara Remington

I’ve defined Heroic Fantasy (HF) as a type of fiction in which a heroic (bigger than life) figures use a combination of physical strength and edged weapons (Swords, Axes, Spears) to face bigger than life foes. The hero may be either male or female, but the focus is primarily on personal conflict between the hero and various villains.

I divide Heroic Fantasy into four categories: Sword and Sorcery, Sword and Planet, High Fantasy, and Heroic Historical. I’ve previously discussed S&S, S&P, and Heroic Historical (HH). Today let’s check out High Fantasy.

[Click the images for heroic versions.]

The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris (Ballantine Adult Fantasy #3, July 1969) Cover by Gervasio Gallardo

The emphasis in High Fantasy is on a Mythic adventure, either a quest or a large scale (often world spanning) conflict between the powers of Light and Dark. The hero is usually not bigger than life. In fact, he, or she, is often rather small and weak physically, though there is usually a tight knit band of followers or friends who help them.

The heroes are generally chosen for their role by some greater power and usually do not know how strong they really are at the beginning of the story. They grow into the role as the work progresses.

The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison (Ballantine Books, April 1967). Cover by Barbara Remington

Supernatural forces are integral to High Fantasy, and there are almost always magical items such as rings, or swords, or enchanted armor that can help or hinder the heroes in their quests. There is much less emphasis on individual physical combat than in S&S, S&P, or HH. The High Fantasy setting is a mythic world, usually an ancient Earth that is populated by elves, dwarves, dragons, goblins, or recognizable variants of these. Dragons seem particularly indispensable.

J. R. R. Tolkien (1892 – 1973) established the primary tropes of High Fantasy and his Lord of the Rings trilogy is still the best example, although William Morris’s (1834 – 1896) The Wood Beyond the World (1894), E. R. Eddison’s (1882 – 1945) The Worm Ouroboros (1922) and Lord Dunsany’s (1878 – 1957) The King of Elfland’s Daughter (1924) preceded Tolkien’s The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings trilogy (1954-1955).

The fantasies of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Annotated Hobbit (Houghton Mifflin, October 1988), The Silmarillion (Houghton Mifflin, September 1977), Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham (Science Fiction Book Club, May 1984), and The Lord of the Rings revised editions (Houghton Mifflin). Covers, top row: J. R. R. Tolkien, J. R. R. Tolkien, Daniel Horne)

The sheer scale and detail of Tolkien’s Middle Earth has established him as the grandfather of the High Fantasy genre, and pretty much everything that came after owes him a debt. I don’t personally read a lot of High Fantasy and seldom write anything linked to the genre, but I have read some very good stuff in the field, including most of Tolkien’s work.

One difference between High Fantasy and the other three HF genres is the level of good versus evil that exists in them. In High Fantasy, we generally need to speak of EVIL in all caps because it is often a soul-destroying force that wants to bring darkness to the whole world. In S&S and S&P, the evil is not so all powerful, although it may be very nasty. In HH, the evil is human, as is the case in the real world.

The King of Elfland’s Daughter by Lord Dunsany (Ballantine Adult Fantasy #2, June 1969). Cover by Robert Pepper

There are two more differences between the subgenres I’ll mention. First, S&S works best in short stories, S&P and HH in novellas or short novels, but High Fantasy needs a grand scope and lends itself to large novels and multi-book series.

Second, High Fantasy lends itself to humor better than the other types. Perhaps because of its length and its ensemble cast of characters, it provides a setting where more humor naturally occurs.

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, filmed as the HBO series Game of Thrones

So, who writes High Fantasy since Tolkien?

There’s been a bunch of it. It currently seems the most popular form of Heroic Fantasy published today and has been for a long time. George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones is a prominent example, as is Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time.

The first four novels of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson: Lord Foul’s Bane, The Illearth War, The Power That Preserves, and The Wounded Land (Del Rey paperback editions, August and September 1978, March 1979, and May 1981). Covers by Darrell K. Sweet

I haven’t read either of those but I saw the TV series based on them and enjoyed them. I haven’t read them because both are multi-volume works with each volume making a good doorstopper. I’m 65 and there’s a lot of books I want to read before I go; I don’t plan to spend a year or two of precious reading time on these kinds of series.

What have I read in the genre? I read Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy in my teens and early twenties, and greatly enjoyed them, although I didn’t have any urge to write such a series. A little later, I read Stephen R. Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series of six books, and I read Dennis L. McKiernan “retelling” of Tolkien’s trilogy in his own trilogy, The Iron Tower.

The final volumes in The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: The One Tree and White Gold Wielder (Del Rey, April 1982 and April 1983), and the novella Gilden-Fire (Underwood-Miller, November 1981). Covers by Darrell K. Sweet and Stephen E. Fabian

McKiernan’s work was a little too close for my tastes, and I hated the protagonist in Donaldson’s series. Thomas Covenant was a complete asshole, though I loved the world and many of the supporting characters. I read a couple in Bret Funk’s Path of Glory series. In my fifties I read the entire Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, which I would categorize as High Fantasy, although it pushes the boundaries with few edged weapons and a lot more modern setting.

Why has High Fantasy been so popular? I think there are various reasons.

The first four novels in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Scholastic paperback reprints, November 2011, 2000, September 2001, September 2002). Covers: Mary GrandPré

First, the “growth” of the hero across the books is an attractive quality to many readers, who like to see a character gain strength and competence, perhaps because it offers hope that they, too, can grow. This is the classic “Hero’s Journey,” which can happen in the other genres of HF but often doesn’t, or at least not to the same extent.

Second, although there are plenty of exceptions, High Fantasy also seems to appeal more to the average woman reader than the other types and — quite simply — women buy more books than men, a big plus for publishers. This is illustrated, in part, by the number of women writers in the genre. Patricia McKillip, Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, Joy Chant, Margaret Weis, and J. K. Rowling are just some of the many women writers who have enriched the genre.

The concluding volumes of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Scholastic paperback reprint, August 2004), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Arthur A. Levine Books, July 16, 2005 and July 21, 2007), and The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Paw Prints, April 9, 2009). Covers by Mary GrandPré

Because of the ensemble cast of characters in high fantasy, the lesser focus on hack and slay, and the setting details, there would also seem to be more potential good roles for women in these books.

Charles Gramlich administers The Swords & Planet League group on Facebook, where this post first appeared. His last article for us was a look at the Sword & Sorcery of S. E. Lindberg. See all of his recent posts for Black Gate here.

The fifteenth annual Women in SF&F Month closes this week with one final guest post on Monday, which will be followed by a link list containing all this month’s articles on Wednesday. Thank you so much to last week’s guests for another excellent week of essays! Before announcing the upcoming schedule, here are last week’s essays in case you missed any of them. All guest posts from April 2026 can be found here, and last week’s guest posts were: “Writing […]

The post Women in SF&F Month: Final Week Schedule & Week in Review first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.

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

 The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of The Geomagician

Publisher: Del Rey (March 31, 2026)

Length: 464 pages

Author Information: Website

I confess, I went into The Geomagician expecting something lighter and fluffier with a heavier romance angle, but this is one of those rare cases where I’m glad to be wrong. Instead, the novel delivers a story with far more substance than I anticipated, blending historical inspiration with magical charm and bigger, thoughtful thematic ideas embedded in a strong narrative that kept me hooked.

The book follows Mary Anning, an aspiring geomagician who grew up fossil hunting along the English coast in the small, humble village she calls home. All her life, she’s dreamed of joining the elite Geomagical Society in London, a group of scholars who can harness magic from fossils. But as a woman, that path is firmly closed to her. For now, she has to settle for building a reputation through her remarkable finds, selling fossils to tourists and the very geomagicians who benefit from work she’ll never be credited for.

But everything changes when Mary stumbles upon a fossil bed containing an intact egg which, against all odds, hatches into a living baby pterodactyl after she channels her magic into it. All of a sudden, she has something the Geomagical Society would be desperate to have. Maybe even enough to finally offer her a place among them? She quickly reaches out to her mentor, hoping to turn the discovery into an opportunity, but when he arrives, he brings along his colleague Henry Stanton, the man who was once her first love before breaking her heart. Though Henry’s presence complicates things, Mary is determined not to let it derail her plans. And yet, as she pushes ahead to London, she finds herself caught in a tangled web of politics, rivalries, and conflicting beliefs about magic, forcing her to confront just how far she’s willing to go to claim her place.

To start, I loved the world-building, which is easily one of the book’s biggest highlights. The idea that fossils can store and channel magical energy to accomplish incredible things is such a cool concept, and the story really digs into it from multiple perspectives, featuring strong tensions between science and the book’s fictional church, with different factions holding opposing beliefs about where magic comes from. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that this conflict ends up shaping a lot of what happens, and on top of that, you’ve got layers of social hierarchy, gender barriers, and shifting political viewpoints, all tied to bigger questions about power. Who gets to have it? Who controls it? Should magic belong to an elite few or be accessible to everyone? All these questions and more are woven into the plot naturally, giving the world a depth that feels lived in.

And then, of course, there’s Ajax, who completely stole the show. Honestly, I wish we’d gotten more of that little pterodactyl, along with more of the prehistoric elements in general. For a book so rooted in fossils and ancient creatures, it feels like this should have been featured more prominently, especially since the whole science and scholarship angle in addition to a woman fighting for her place in that world are one of its biggest draws. That said, this book still taps into the same appeal as series like Emily Wilde by Heather Fawcett or The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan, both of which feature ambitious female protagonists driven by their pursuit of knowledge and academic curiosity. I think if you are a fan of those types of stories, this one will be quite the treat.

In the end, The Geomagician ended up being a really entertaining novel and meatier than I expected, all in the best ways. It’s got a unique premise, a richly developed world, and just enough emotional weight to balance out its airier moments. If you’re in the mood for historical fantasy with a strong sense of place and an emphasis on ideas as much as plot, this one is definitely worth the read.

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth by Jack Kirby (DC Comics,
October 1972 and February 1973). Covers by Jack Kirby

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth, written and illustrated by Jack “King” Kirby (1917-1994), has long been an inspiration to my creative works. The tone, the setting, the characters and creatures — pure brilliance. Highly recommended.

Kamandi #16 is a fascinating issue. An ape doctor who encounters Kamandi knows of Cortexin, the chemical which stimulated evolution and intelligence in animals and turned them into parahumans. The Last Boy on Earth discovers more about the post-cataclysmic Earth, in which men have devolved to beasts, and beasts have evolved to higher intelligence.

[Click the images for Kirby-sized versions.]

Interior art from Kamandi The Last Boy on Earth #3, by Jack Kirby (DC Comics, February 1973)

Jack Kirby was such a visionary and innovator, and Kamandi is such a treasure. Every time I flip through a random issue, I’m filled with joy.

Kamandi art by Jack Kirby. Left: a look at Kamandi’s world. Right: splash page for issue #3, February 1973

Below is a panel from Fantastic Four #34, from 1965, written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Kirby. Kirby as usual peered into his crystal ball and came up with a billionaire just as evil and corrupt as any Marvel costume baddie, smacking of today’s headlines.

Gregory Gideon tried to use his money to destroy the FF, but his son got in the middle and almost died, Daddy repented and the story had a happy ending. The lust for money at any cost is the Root of all Evil.

Art from Fantastic Four #34 by Jack Kirby (Marvel Comics,  cover date January 1965)

There is an incredible array of fascinating characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, not the least of which is Medusa, a member of the Inhumans. Pictured below is a rendition of Medusa by Jack for Marvel’s line of black light posters.

Magnificent Medusa by Jack Kirby

Medusa, inspired in part by the creature of same name from Greek Mythology, has prehensile hair that can lift thousands of pounds, can extend to great lengths, and strangle an enemy with ease. The wife of Black Bolt, she is a stunning beauty whom Jack illustrated magnificently. Her first appearance was in Fantastic Four #36, but I best remember her from the Kree-Skrull War, which took place in the pages of The Avengers.

Anyone else a fan of this lesser known character, or any of the other Inhumans for that matter?

Warlock by Jim Starlin

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would do well to look into the character Adam Warlock, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. His original name was “Him,” a being created by a group called Enclave to be the next step in human evolution (Fantastic Four #66-67). It was an interesting storyline, but not very significant as compared to other characters and stories being developed at that time.

It was years later, when Roy Thomas and Jim Starlin really brought the character to life as Warlock, renamed and rebirthed by the High Evolutionary. The Marvel Comics Database explains it well.

The High Evolutionary gave Warlock purpose, direction, and the vampiric Soul Gem. Soon afterward, Warlock journeyed to the planet called Counter-Earth, one of the High Evolutionary’s experiments, that had recently been contaminated. Counter-Earth had been an attempt to create a Utopian society, and it had been so till the evil Man-Beast, a renegade creation of the High Evolutionary, had corrupted it; the Man-Beast was to become Warlock’s greatest enemy.

Warlock’s later involvement versus Thanos — and that one’s obsession with the accumulation of power — gave rise to the original mini-series, The Infinity Gauntlet. While it was nice that the MCU afforded Warlock a bit role in the films, satisfying (to some degree) fans like me, it is still worth pointing out that major aspects of that spectacular MCU run were derived from content that Adam Warlock was the star of in the comic books.

Any other Adam Warlock fans in the house?

Conan the Barbarian by Jack Kirby

I’ll close with a few sketches of other Marvel characters, starting with Conan the Barbarian, by Jack Kirby. Jack was not known for many Conan illustrations, but by Crom, this one is incredible.

Thor by Jack Kirby

Although Walt Simonson wrote my favorite Thor story arc, no one, IMO, drew the thunder god better than Kirby. If you have a favorite Thor picture, feel free to mention it in the comments! Make sure to cite the artist.

The Silver Surfer by Jack Kirby

Finally, here’s a rendering of the Silver Surfer by Jack.

Jeffrey P. Talanian’s last article for Black Gate was a look at the Fifty Years of Gary Gygax’s Greyhawk. Jeffrey 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.

TODAY IS THE DAY!

We have chosen our champion, and we’re excited to announce the winner and runners-up.

First, we want to thank all SPFBO participants. We sincerely appreciate your involvement in the process. 

After getting through the batch of thirty books, we’ve picked five semi-finalists. Here they are in alphabetical order:

CARRION SAINTS by Hiyodori - In its authors words "Carrion Saints is a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance between an immortal saint and a severed head." And that's it, in a nutshell. We highly appreciated Hiyodori's unique take on the trope, bitter-sweet ending and excellent writing. If you like character-driven conflict, this one sticks.

PILGRIM by Mitchell Lüthi - Dust, faith, politics, and people making difficult choices for reasons that make sense to them. It’s immersive without feeling like a lecture, and the amount of research into various cultures, religions and traditions must've been insane. Not fast, but worth checking out.

THE INHERITED BLADE by Jye Sorensen - it connects two storylines: one with lots of running for survival, one about inheriting unwanted responsibilities. It takes a bit to balance, but when it does, it clicks nicely. Good if you like character contrast and gradual build.

THE SINS OF STEEL AND SHADOW by Steve Pannett - Fast, scrappy, and very aware that most problems can (unfortunately) escalate into violence. Bail is a great guide through a cruel city, and the book rarely slows down long enough for you to get bored. Not deep, but reliably entertaining. Most of us will read the sequel as soon as it hits the shelves.

THE UNNAMED by M.S. Masood - It has a rich world, and skillfully pictures a slow unraveling of belief. The tension comes from watching someone realize their entire worldview might be wrong and not liking that realization one bit. Heavy at times, but well-written and engaging.

CHOICES CHOICES

At this stage, we had to decide how to evaluate one good book against another and whether it was at all possible to come to some sort of fair and objective decision. We tried to base our choice on the following criteria (listed in alphabetical order):

• Characterization
• Editing
• Personal Enjoyment
• Plotting
• World-building
• Writing Style

You can almost hear the drumroll, can't you? Or is that just the sound of SPFBO followers holding their breath?

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Without further ado (because we know you're just dying to know), the story that has danced its way into the finals is 

 

Congratulations to Hiyodori , and good luck in the finals! 

We're sending Carrion Saints to the finals with a rating of 8.0/10.

Hamlet – a celebrated Shakespeare classic, filled with treachery, vengeance, and moral dilemmas.  Politics and…

The post “Hamlet” by Shakespeare | Words Become The World appeared first on LitStack.

One of the recent discussions about Science Fiction I’ve had with non-genre readers has been about what readers want from Science Fiction. “Why do sci-fi writers explain things SO much?” was the question. This made me think. Personally, I think that it is part of the SF heritage. Modern SF came from a group of…

Today’s Women in SF&F Month guest is Sonia Tagliareni! Her novel Deathbringer, which is described as “a dark academia romantasy steeped in necromancy, forbidden love and a twisty murder mystery set within the perilous halls of a magical institute,” will be published on April 28 in the UK and May 19 in the US. I’m delighted she’s here today to discuss her main character—a death mage who despises her ability—in “Does a Soft Female Lead Belong in SFF?” About Deathbringer: […]

The post Women in SF&F Month: Sonia Tagliareni first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.

G. Peyton Wertenbaker

Green Peyton Wertenbaker was born on December 23, 1907 in New Castle, Delaware. He attended the University of Virginia. After graduation, he worked as a technical writer and eventually a journalist in addition to writing fiction. During World War II, Wertenbaker services in the U.S. Navy and was later associated with the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine.

Wertenbaker married Barkley Barbee and they had one son, George.

His first story, published in Science and Invention when he was 16 in 1923, was “The Man from the Atom.” Gernsback reprinted the story three years later in the first issue of Amazing Stories. The next month, he would become the first person to publish an original story in Amazing (as well as the first repeat author), when Gernsback published his obviously titled sequel “The Man from the Atom (sequel).” Wertenbaker would go three issues for three the next month with the appearance of “The Coming of the Ice.”

Science and Invention, 8/1923, Cover by Howard V. Brown

Along with Wertenbaker’s “The Man from the Atom,” the first issue of Amazing included a reprint story by Austin Hall. In January 1924, Weird Tales ran a letter from Wertenbaker which stated “In the September issue of Weird Tales, begins a romance by Austin Hall, entitled ‘The People of the Comet.’…You may imagine my surprise when I discovered that the idea that plays the most important part in it is one which I myself developed somewhat differently in a story about a month earlier. If you will consult Science and Invention…you will see my own tale ‘The Man from the Atom.’ Mr. Hall may possibly be interested in comparing it with his romance.” Wertenbaker’s letter indicates that he saw himself a fan of horror fiction, even if most of his own fiction was more science fiction.

Although Wertenbaker had a long and successful career as a writer, his science fiction formed only a small part of his work over a short period of time, with a mere eight years passing between the original publication of “The Man from the Atom” when he was 16 until “Elaine’s Tomb” when he was 24.

Wertenbaker also published under his first two names. His first novel, Black Cabin, was published in 1933 as by Green Peyton. Under that name he also wrote 5,000 Miles Toward Tokyo, San Antonio: City in the Sun, For God and Texas, and American’s Heartland: The Southwest and was considered an authority of the American Southwest.

Eventually, Wertenbaker moved to London, where he served as the UK correspondent for Fortune Magazine and also wrote for Time. In 1958, he wrote the scripts for the series Doctors in Space and joined NASA as a speechwriter, eventually taking on the role of NASA Chief Historian of the Aerospace Medical Division. In final book was the non-fiction Fifty Years of Aerospace Medicine.

Wertenbaker died on July 26, 1968 in San Antonio, Texas and was cremated.

Steven H Silver is a twenty-one-time Hugo Award nominee and was the publisher of the Hugo-nominated fanzine Argentus as well as the editor and publisher of ISFiC Press for eight years. He has also edited books for DAW, NESFA Press, and ZNB. His most recent anthology is Alternate Peace and his novel After Hastings was published in 2020. Steven has chaired the first Midwest Construction, Windycon three times, and the SFWA Nebula Conference numerous times. He was programming chair for Chicon 2000 and Vice Chair of Chicon 7.

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

The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (April 21, 2026)

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Author Information: Website

This was my first Marcus Kliewer book, and I was quite excited to tackle it since I’ve heard such great things about his debut We Used to Live Here. And now I can see why his style of horror has garnered him so many fans. The Caretaker leans hard into that brand of eerie, slow-burn horror where you’re never quite sure what’s real and what’s simply the protagonist’s sanity unraveling inside her own mind. But at the same time, the writing doesn’t always complement the story’s goals, often running long and being repetitive in ways that took away from the tension. That said, I also listened to this in audio, so it’s possible that the format might have made these issues stand out more.

The story follows Macy Mullins, a young woman barely keeping her head above water. After her father’s death, she’s left as the sole guardian of her teenage sister, and between the grief and a growing pile of bills, survival has become a daily struggle. Desperate to keep the rent paid and the lights on in their tiny apartment, Macy can’t afford to be picky about work. So when she stumbles across a vague Craigslist ad offering a short-term caretaking job at an isolated coastal property, with suspiciously generous pay, she decides to take the chance. Even if the woman hiring her is evasive about the details, and the job itself comes with a list of strange, unsettling requirements, it’s hard to say no to that kind of money for just a few days’ work.

At first, the rules seem odd but manageable. The homeowner explains they were put in place by her late husband, who insisted they be followed to the letter even after his death, with all instructions recorded on a VHS tape for Macy to watch. Some involve checking lights at specific times in the middle of the night, answering mysterious phone calls, and keeping a close eye on the rabbits that roam the property. Strange, sure, but straightforward. However, it doesn’t take long for things to spiral. Small mistakes lead to escalating consequences, and the written instructions in the event of failure quickly become more extreme, more unsettling, and at times outright unhinged. As Macy struggles to keep up with these “rites” that grow increasingly complex and difficult to follow, she finds her grip on reality slipping, blurred by exhaustion, fear, and the surreal nature of what’s happening around her. What started as a simple job soon reveals itself to be something far bigger, more dangerous, and impossible to escape.

First, the positives. The Caretaker really shines when it comes to concept and atmosphere. After looking into the author, I also discovered that Marcus Kliewer likes to weave mental health themes into his work. For example, OCD features heavily in this story, and the allusions aren’t exactly subtle. You can see it in the way the rites are structured, or the constant dread tied to getting them wrong. As someone with OCD though, I was surprised how strongly these connections resonated, like the constant checking, the double-checking, the second-guessing, and the intrusive thoughts that something terrible will happen if you don’t get it just right. Overall, it’s a clever use of horror that adds an extra layer of meaning beneath the strangeness, and I thought it worked really well.

But now, the elements that didn’t work so well. For me, the biggest weakness was the novel’s longwindedness with certain ideas, such as whole paragraphs devoted to expounding on topics related to Macy’s financial struggles, her cigarette cravings, how crappy her apartment is, etc. The writing had this tendency to keep pressing on things you’ve long already absorbed, and it’s like, “Okay, I get it!” It’s very conspicuous in audio and very distracting, making it easy to lose focus and drift off once the rambling starts.

In the end, The Caretaker is a solid if imperfect novel of psychological horror. It has a unique hook, interesting themes, and some genuinely unsettling moments. However, it’s also weighed down by repetition and an overextended runtime, making the final sections drag on and on. Still, pacing issues aside, this is one to check out if you’re drawn to horror that excels at building a strong sense of dread, and the audiobook is worth a listen as well.

The movie Return to Silent Hill (2026) is an adaptation of the psychological horror Silent Hill 2 (SH2) video game that was rebooted by Konami under Bloober Team in 2024. This ‘return’ film is directed by Christophe Gans, who championed the original 2006 film (which loosely adapted the first video game released in 1999). With the resounding success of the Bloober SH2 video game reboot, fans of the horror series had hope that the movie would pack a 1-2 punch, but it has been received poorly. Why?

Not helping the United States release was an ill-timed blizzard that stretched across the country (Wikipedia even has an entry about the storm). I suspect if that were a fog-storm (do those exist?), then ticket sales would have skyrocketed. At this point, almost every blogger and reviewer who has seen the movie has been pissed since it did not seem to represent the core elements of the game; I was in a similar camp until I dissected the film for this article. Here’s the Deal.

All warnings and advisories issued in the US due to the January 23–27 winter storm (Source: Wikipedia)

James Sunderland appears to be the focus since the movie opens with him driving a car to a lookout featuring Silent Hill, as would be expected from the video games (both original and release) and the Trailer.  The truth is, the movie is really not about him. Also, you’ll meet a ton of characters, and they will mirror characters in the game… except in the movie, they aren’t really different people.

So:

• If you do not know the lore, you’ll take the characters at face value when introduced (different names imply different people), and you’ll get confused later
• Fans knowing the lore will watch assuming the same… and get confused… and pissed

To deliver this sucker punch approach, Gans’ production delivery had to be perfect. And it was off. I had to meticulously screen capture, crop, and dissect the movie to change my mind about the work. Why reveal spoilers here?  Most of the internet already has, including Gans in his interview (links below), and, for me, the movie would have been more enjoyable knowing what I know now. What at first appears to be a big mess is actually a coherent offering.

Anyway, in short, as teased by the header image, there is something about Mary.

Read on! Maybe you will enjoy the film more!

Expectations of Artistic Horror from Silent Hill

Being Dark Muse News, we are focused on beautiful, horrific art. With the resurgence of Silent Hill games, Silent Hill f released late 2025, just months before the Return to Silent Hill movie. This game is set in 1960s Japan, focusing on a teenage girl named Hinako Shimizu, and it doesn’t share creators with the film.

Anyway, it’s a great game that I hope to cover soon; we mention it here because its tagline is “Find the Beauty in Terror” which can be found on the buses in Japan and on the home screen of the PS5 console. Its use of red spider lilies (higanbana) instead of creepy, red paint used in prior SH offerings brought with it the beautiful horror it promised. Could the movie, released months after “f” have the same artistic, beautiful take on terror?

TOP: James Sunderland opens a letter from Mary in his art studio (Return to Silent Hill Movie) BOTTOM: Thurber, and artist in Pickman’s Model – Netflix adaptation  (Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Season 1, Ep 5) James is a Painter! But he isn’t Lovecraft’s Pickman / Thurber

Ok, so we are revved up, expecting blends of art and horror from the SH franchise. In the game, the protagonist is James Sunderland, who was an “average Joe” everyman. In the movie, he is portrayed as a painter! As soon as I learned this from the trail and internet hype, I was excited, since I had hopes of the character being more deep, something like the artist(s) in H. P. Lovecraft’s 1927 “Pickman’s Model” (wherein Richard Upton Pickman painted monstrosities that were more real than his audience knew; the story is fantastic and occasionally adapted to film, such as Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Season 1, Ep 5, 2022).

In Return to Silent Hill, James is only shown painting in one instance. As far as screen time goes, the painter aspect is not fleshed out much (this post highlights the most relevant, painting snapshots).

It’s a lost opportunity. Artsy elements were set up, but they are swamped out by CGI antics, with more time dedicated to atmospheric ambiance (which was overdone). James’ ability to paint feels thrown in as a bonus, rather than a critical design element. Why did we not see him portray Mary in action, watch him capture her emotions? Watch him make the gallery shown later in the movie (for about a minute when he races through it with Maria).

He could have stopped to analyze those paintings, inquire about his muse, and what was in them. Instead, he just races by them. I purchased and skimmed the Novelization by John Passarella, hoping to unearth some arcana, but it provides even less depth on the paintings than the movie.

.

Spoiler: There’s Something About Mary!

So why would James’ character not be fleshed out more? Well, he was not the main draw, apparently. In a sense, Return to Silent Hill (2026) has more in common with There’s Something About Mary (1998), a romantic comedy in which Ben Stiller plays a man who pines for his old crush Mary Jensen (played by Cameron Diaz). Both movies are romances where a blond woman named Mary is sought out. RtSH was really more about Mary than James. Note that, according to Reddit and fan lore, a SH2 documentary had the character designers identifying Cameron Diaz as an inspiration for Maria’s character.

LEFT: Cameron Diaz; RIGHT Maria from Silent Hill 2 (original game)

The evidence that movie is not really about James, but is about Mary? Well, Christopher Gans told the public via interviews with Fandomwire (link) and Temple of Geek (link to where Gans explains that Angela is Mary too). This explains why actress Hannah Emily Anderson plays four ‘distinct’ roles in the 2026 film Return to Silent Hill: Mary Crane, Maria, Angela, and monstrous/moth Mary.

Evie Templeton played the character Laura, who, by chance, apparently also did the voice and motion capture for the same character in Bloober’s SH2. The explicit evidence of a universal Mary existing is Laura’s reveal at the Lakeview Hotel, when she reminded James that the tombstone for Mary has this inscription: “Mary Angela Laura Crane.” In the video game, Laura is a girl whom Mary met in the hospital, and Angela is a depressed survivor of sexual abuse.  The film conversely posits that Angela, Mary, and Laura are all the same! For me, I would have enjoyed the movie more if I had known this ‘sucker punch’ spoiler.

For first-time watchers, the film appears to be a mess until the grand reveal of the tombstone naming. There are tons of characters that seem to require more screen time and stories fleshed out. They all play roles similar to what they had in the games, but are left fragmented. Once we know that many of the characters in the movie are literally Mary in different forms, then we can enjoy it a lot more.

Return to Silent Hill is really about her. Let go of a few red herrings and cameos (i.e., Eddie) and focus on the implications.

Embracing There’s something about Mary

The consequence of having Laura, Angela, Mary, and Mary’s monstrous version of herself all being the same entity is profound.  It implies that the Abstract Daddy is Mary’s father, who abused her sexually (more so than the cultish poisoning).  It implies her connection to the town is so powerful that her soul/identity manifests throughout everything. It means she was trying to communicate with James through several versions of herself.

In the film, Abstract Daddy was Mary’s father. Mary’s father and his cult (The Order) abused her, drugged and manipulated her.  James catches Mary when she wants to leave the cult at the overlook at the beginning, and he brings her back. He is responsible for her not leaving the cult!

Character Differences: Game vs Movie Character SH2 Video Game(s) Return to Silent Hill movie James Sunderland Focal Character of Story, knew his wife was terminally ill A foil character for Mary …. it’s all about Mary. James did not know Mary was sick Silent Hill A resort/retreat town that James and Mary Mary’s birthplace, a trap she is trying to escape Mary _____ Mary Shepherd-Sunderland, WIFE of James, victim of  terminal disease, and later to James Mary Crane, a GIRLFRIEND of James, a victim to her father’s abuse and the cult of Silent Hill Laura A girl whom Mary befriended in Brookhaven Hospital A younger Mary Angela A woman abused by her father Another version of Mary Maria An alternative version of Mary, a sluttier version of his wife A doppelganger Mary, a sluttier version of his girlfriend, is not real Pyramid Head A monstrous manifestation of James ’ sexual frustrations An angry/champion version of James, fighting on his behalf against the monstrous version of Mary (the version of her that the cult encouraged her to become

 

Incarnations of Mary

Pyramid Head is James’s Buddy/Self

The movie introduces Pyramid Head as an entity chasing him/Laura, but then it becomes clear that it is not after James. It is after the monsters and unreal things haunting James. Pyramid Head doesn’t rape maniquins as he does in the video games; here he struggles with the monster version of Mary.  James’s only painting (done when he had a beard, so before the timeline of the film) is a self-portrait that assumes the Pyramid Head mask. Many times in the film, both James and Pyramid Head mirror each other’s gestures.

Improvements (and/or things I wish to see in a Director’s Cut)

For my first viewing, the movie was too different than the game and too confusing for me to catch the artistic nuances. Analyzing it for this post made me more sympathetic to Mary (and happier to rewatch the film). Below are a few additions I would have enjoyed, and if there is a god in Silent Hill, perhaps some of them exist in a Director’s Cut.

• Have Mary be focused in the beginning scene (not James in the car); have her climb out of the valley to the overlook, maybe even dropping a sacred doll or relic of the cult to demonstrate her escape
• Have James place a rose on a tombstone when he meets Angela (instead of carrying sandbags with her)
• Have James actively paint Mary, show them interacting, and him exercising his craft. Show him learning about her as he paints. Show her hiding her odd past with the cult, turning into a monster.  Maybe he sees the emerging monster in her, and paints it.

Now that you are in the know, you’ll appreciate the artistic juxtaposition of hands/faces between James/Mary (and the Order Cult/Mary)

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 Amateur S&S Magazine, Swords & Sorcery online magazine, Rogues In the House Podcast’s A Book of Blades Vol I & II, DMR’s Terra Incognita, the 9th issue of Tales From the Magician’s Skull, Savage Realms Magazine, and Michael Stackpole’s S&S Chain Story 2 Project.

LitStack Spots Matt Haig LitStack has spotted a few other titles we want on our…

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Lords of Dyscrasia by S. E. Lindberg (IGNIS Publishing, July 7, 2011). Cover by S. E. Lindberg

One of the most unique voices working in Sword & Sorcery today is S. E. Lindberg. I met Seth a few years back and we’ve corresponded frequently as well as running into each other here at Black Gate, where he is the Managing Editor, and at Goodreads. Lindberg has put together a unique setting for what he calls Dyscrasia Fiction.

Dyscrasia means “a bad mixture of liquids,” which is related to the Greek concept of the four “humors” of Blood, Phlegm, Black Bile, and Yellow Bile. In Dyscrasia fiction, these humors are sources of magical power and often soul and body corrupting influences.

Helen’s Daimones by S. E. Lindberg (IGNIS Publishing, September 22, 2017). Cover by Daniel Landerman

The three novels available now are

Lords of Dyscrasia (2011)
Spawn of Dyscrasia (2014)
Helen’s Daimones (2017)

Although Helen’s Daimones was the most recently published, Lindberg suggests new readers start with it since it sets the tone for the other books.

Wherever you start, though, you’ll find a combination of beautiful language and powerful imagination. These works are hallucinogenic, dream-like, full of wraiths and apparitions — and sometimes horrors. Ideas and images pile one on top of another with an intensity that is far from common in fantasy literature.

Spawn of Dyscrasia (IGNIS Publishing, July 17, 2015). Cover by Ken Kelly

I admire the author’s ability to maintain that intensity throughout his works; his world-building never stumbles, and the result is a unique fantasy vision that rises to the level of art.

A word about the covers for these books. The first was created by Lindberg himself, who also has other artistic skills in addition to writing. Spawn of Dyscrasia has an amazing cover by Ken Kelly, and Helen’s Daimones has a great cover by Daniel Landerman.

There are also a number of short stories tied to the Dyscrasia setting. For more information, check out Seth’s webpage or his Facebook page, or have a look at Joe Bonadonna’s 2015 review of Lords of Dyscrasia, here at Black Gate.

Charles Gramlich administers The Swords & Planet League group on Facebook, where this post first appeared. His last article for us was a review of The Barbarian Swordsmen, edited by Peter Haining. See all of his recent posts for Black Gate here.

Today’s Women in SF&F Month guest is Nghi Vo! Her short stories and novelettes include the Hugo Award winner “Stitched to Skin like Family Is” and the Shirley Jackson Award winner “What the Dead Know.” She is also the author of the fantasy novels Siren Queen, which was a World Fantasy, Locus, and Ignyte Award finalist, and The City in Glass, which was a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy and Locus Awards plus the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize. Her next […]

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

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Lewis Buzbee calls us out with Books I Was Once To Cool To Read. Maybe…

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Excalibur (Warner Bros, April 10, 1981) Excalibur (141 minutes; 1981)

Written by Rospo Pallenberg and John Boorman. Directed by John Boorman.

Loosely based on Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory.

What is it?

A classic telling of the story of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the magical sword Excalibur.

Many filmed adaptations of that story have followed. This one, however, with its heightened sense of wonder and layers of magic woven throughout, probably remains the best-loved, most visually stunning, and most talked-about of them all.

Arthur and Guenevere in Excalibur Noteworthy

The story goes that Boorman, legendary director of films as lofty as Hope and Glory (1987) and as derided as Zardoz (1974), brought the idea of a film about King Arthur to United Artists in 1969. The studio rejected his original script, which ran three hours, on the grounds of its enormous expected cost to produce. They suggested he make an adaptation of The Lord of the Rings instead. Because that would’ve been shorter and cost less money–?!

Boorman briefly went along with the Rings idea, at least long enough that costume and set designs for Middle-Earth were drafted. Some of these would later be recycled for use on Excalibur.

It took him the entire decade of the Seventies to do it, but eventually he raised enough funds and support to begin work on the movie he’d wanted to make all along.

Liam Neeson and Helen Mirren in Excalibur

Boorman couldn’t afford the top actors of the day, so instead he did a remarkable job of finding the top actors of tomorrow, and fitting them into his budget. We therefore get the likes of Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Ciaran Hinds and Patrick Stewart, all in minor supporting roles. The film’s actual leads include Nigel Terry as Arthur (from teen to aged), Helen Mirren as Morgana, Nicholas Clay as Lancelot, Cherie Lunghi as Guenevere, Paul Geoffrey as Perceval and Nicol Williamson as Merlin.

On a budget of $11 million ($41 million in 2026), Excalibur brought in $35 million ($131 million today) at the North American box office. And of course it went on to become a staple on cable TV.

Morgana and Mordred

At Cannes in 1981, it won for “Best Artistic Contribution.” It received an Oscar nomination for “Best Cinematography” and a BAFTA nomination for “Best Costume Design.”

Appropriately enough, Boorman was himself knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2022.

Uthur receives the sword Quick and Dirty Summary

The wizard Merlin receives the magical sword Excalibur from the mystical force known as the Lady of the Lake and gives it to Arthur’s future father, Uther Pendragon. Uther uses it to conquer and unify the kingdom. Through Merlin’s magic, Uther seduces a rival’s queen and she gives birth to Arthur. Merlin takes young Arthur away to be raised by another nobleman. Uther implants Excalibur into a stone, and only the future king can draw it out. (Though, like folks lining up to try to lift Thor’s hammer, everyone takes a shot at it.)

A young Arthur draws the sword from the stone, becomes king, unifies the kingdom and creates the Round Table for his knights.

Arthur draws the sword

Conflict arises from various quarters. There’s a quest for the Holy Grail, more great battles and more sorcery.

Eventually most of the main characters square off against one another, in clashes of swords and magic. Merlin overcomes the sorceress Morgana’s spells, Arthur’s son Mordred kills his mother (it’s complicated), and then he and his father slay one another in battle. Before he dies, Arthur orders the sword Excalibur returned to the Lady of the Lake, where it will await the next time England finds itself in need of its power.

Mordred dons the armor

In addition to being an awesome saga of knights and wizards and battles, the story reflects a deeper idea about the relationship between the people, the land and the king. Here, King Arthur, the sword Excalibur, and the land of England are all tied together in mystical fashion, such that harm to one harms the others, and jealousy and bad actions by the king result in misery and unhappiness for the people and the land. Only by redeeming himself can Arthur restore the land and people to health and prosperity.

Guenevere comes to Lancelot Fantasy/SF/Sword & Sorcery Elements

The most obvious examples are Merlin and Morgana and their use of magical powers. The fact that everyone else takes completely for granted the fact that magic is real and is being used around them constantly, including on the battlefield, only reinforces the sense that this is a different England from the one we know. Sorcery is rather commonplace and expected in and around Camelot.

Excalibur itself is a magical weapon. Other supernatural elements include Mordred’s golden armor that cannot be harmed by any weapon forged by Man; the Lady of the Lake distributing magical swords from her watery confines; and the fact that the land suffers when Arthur is low and prospers when he is redeemed.

Patrick Stewart and Cherie Lunghi in Excalibur High Point

There are many to choose from, but my favorite has always been the moment when a young Arthur is part of an army besieging a castle commanded by a rival nobleman. Arthur, at this point still in the simple garb of a squire, confronts one of the enemy’s vassal knights. Arthur demands the knight swear fealty to him, but the knight scoffs that he couldn’t even if he desired to, because Arthur is but a squire.

This represents no real hurdle for Arthur. He simply hands Excalibur to the knight and commands his enemy to knight him, there on the battlefield. Arthur has thus rendered himself unarmed and defenseless, and has given over the great sword of kings to his enemy.

Arthur asks to be knighted

The battle comes to a very abrupt halt as knights and soldiers all around look on in astonishment. Everyone clearly expects the knight to strike foolish Arthur down with Excalibur and claim the sword as his own. The knight even appears resolved to follow that course of action.

He raises Excalibur to deliver the killing stroke. But then, whether from the compulsion of some magical force or out of simple respect for Arthur’s bravery, he finds he cannot do so. Instead he brings the sword down on Arthur’s shoulders and speaks the words, knighting him. Arthur, for his part, takes this all in stride, reclaims Excalibur from the bewildered knight, and declares victory.

Helen Mirren as Morgana Low Point

If there is a low point, perhaps it is in how Gabriel Byrne’s Uther reacts upon first laying eyes upon Igrayne, the queen whom he will later trick into sleeping with him. Uther loses his fool mind, declares that he will move heaven and earth to have one night with the lass, and demands that Merlin use his spells to make it happen.

This question arises: Why does Merlin not only go along with this foul act but actually enable what is without question rape? If Merlin knew that Igrayne bearing Uther’s child was vital to the future of the realm, it seems there are many other ways that such a thing could’ve been arranged, none of which need include outright deception and violation in this manner. Indeed, Merlin behaves as if it is all quite unexpected and he wants nothing to do with it, yet he actually facilitates it.

Nicol Williamson as Merlin in Excalibur Standout Performance

In a movie that includes the likes of Neeson, Stewart and Mirren, can there be any question that Nicol Williamson absolutely dominates the screen any time he appears? What he achieves here places Merlin on par with such legendary and movie-stealing supporting performances as Val Kilmer’s “Doc Holliday” in Tombstone and Alan Rickman’s “Hans Gruber” in Die Hard.

Williamson is by turns menacing, silly, vulnerable, outraged, commanding, and hilarious. He spends most of the movie warning Arthur about the dangers of various women, then falls into the trap of one himself.

That relationship – Merlin and Morgana, played by Helen Mirren – was fiery off-screen as well as on. Boorman intentionally cast Mirren in the role because he knew she and Williamson couldn’t stand one another. He anticipated fireworks as a result, and he got them.

Arthur and Guenevere Overall Evaluation as a Movie and as Fantasy/SF/Sword & Sorcery

Excalibur exists in a strange in-between realm. On the one hand, it very much looks like a product of the early Eighties; in places, almost like a glorified stage play. On the other, the performances by a cadre of legendary actors still jump off the screen, and the cinematography and visuals (with no CGI!) remain radiant and lush to this day.

It’s a timeless tale, well-told by Boorman and company. Watching it again in 2026, the armor still gleams, Excalibur’s magic yet flashes, and the Williamson-Mirren sparks continue to fly.

All told, it’s for the best Boorman chose the sword over the ring.

Van Allen Plexico is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a Grand Master of Pulp Literature (2025 class) and a multiple-award-winning author of more than two dozen novels and anthologies, ranging from space opera to Kaiju to crime fiction to superheroes to military SF. He notably edited, co-created and co-wrote the Sword and Sorcery anthology GIDEON CAIN: DEMON HUNTER. Find all of his works on Amazon and at Plexico.net.

The Demon King is the third and final installment of Peter V. Brett’s Nightfall saga, closing the saga of Olive Paper and Darin Bales, as well as the world introduced in The Warded Man, the first Demon Cycle novel. For now, at least. The second installment, The Hidden Queen left readers in a lurch, with…

Tattoo artist Talia is inking her last customer of the night with a hideous snake on his butt when she runs out of ink. With little option she enters her boss’s office and swipes a little of the ink she is forbidden from using.

And suddenly the snake that was a tattoo, is no longer a tattoo but a very real snake hissing at her.

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At first I wasn’t really feeling this book. I picked it up in a sale at audible and honestly if it wasn’t on special I probably would not have bought it. 

But I’m man enough to admit when I was wrong. 

This is a great book. Took a while to suck me in, but suck me in it did and I ended up loving it.

It’s a new week of Women in SF&F Month, starting with a new guest post by Isabel J. Kim! Her short fiction has been selected for inclusion in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023, 2024, and 2025, and it has been on the Locus Recommended Reading List multiple times. Some of her more recent short stories are “Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole,” a Nebula, Locus, and BSFA Award winner and Hugo Award […]

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