Just got back from celebrating my mom-in-law’s 90th birthday. She’s slowing down, but doing pretty good. Definitely bounced back from a few months ago! Those of you who knew and were praying, thank you. If we keep our schedule, our 90th post will be sometime next year. Too lazy to figure out when! Now, on with the show.
First off, more swordplay! Could a Samurai with Katana Beat a Musketeer with Rapier? I don’t know, but take my money.
Speaking of swordplay, here’s the April 4 behind-the-scenes vid (about 7 minutes highlighting week 10 of production) of The Pendragon Cycle. (This links to YouTube, you can watch all of them at the DailyWire+ with a free account.)
A Few Upcoming Events
+ Gen Con Indy - Aug 1-4. ALSO: Be sure to read up on Gen Con Writers Symposium at Seth Lindberg’s blog, especially his panel, “Sword and Sorcery for Contemporary Audiences.” This looks super cool.
+ Howard Days Update - June 7-8.
+ PulpFest in Pittsburgh - Aug 1-4.
+ Dragon Con in Atlanta - Aug 29 - Sept 2
+ Innsmouth Literary Festival - Sept 28.
+ For dates of various comic cons, visit FanCons.com.
What’s New in Contemporary S&S
+ Heroic Fantasy Quarterly Q–60 is out! (May 11) That’s Issue #60 - and the line up looks great with “City of Dreadful Light” by James Enge; “Death Upon the Turqiose Road” by Gregory Mele; and - if you haven’t read any Hanuvar adventures yet, here’s your chance for free - “Discordant Factions” by Howard Andrew Jones. This story is excerpted from Book 3 of The Chronicles of Hanuvar: Shadow of the Smoking Mountain (Baen, Oct 2024).
+ Also from HFQ - Pages 1-11 of “Spear and Fang” with a new page added each month. This comic is Gary McClusky’s take on Robert E. Howard’s first published story “Spear and Fang” (from Weird Tales, 1925). Support HFQ Ezine on Patreon and get early access.
+ From Steve Dilks: “Bohun: The Complete Savage Adventures is due to be published this August. The full list of contents are: The Festival of the Bull, The Horror from the Stars, By Darkness Enthroned, Intrigue in Aviene, Black Sunset in the Valley of Death, Red Trail of Vengeance and Harvest of the Blood-King.” (Currently unavailable.)
+ Coming Soon: Doom of the Dark Delta (a Snakehaven novella) from James Reasoner at Rough Edges blog.
+ A few books recently mentioned and found on Amazon: Divine Tales of Doomed Outcasts by D J McNulty (Oct, 2023); Ivan The Sabre: A Historical Novel by John Sammon (July 2021); and The Curse of the Star Wraiths (Steel & Stormbright Book 1) by The Lord Otter (Oct 2023).
+ Conan: City of the Dead - An original novel by John C. Hocking, also featuring the classic Conan and the Emerald Lotus from Titan Books. Available for pre-order.
+ Dime Novel Editions of the Legends of the Wandered Lands by Robert Victor Mills are pulp ebook novellas perfect for a quick thrill of fantasy adventure!
News, Reviews, and Interviews
+ Savage Realms has published 82 stories in 27 issues from 55 different authors. Start at the beginning with a free copy of Issue #1 here.
+ Some Thoughts on Swords & Sorcery from Justin Alexander.
+ First reactions to Furiosa at Rotten Tomatoes.
+ Cirsova On The Gutter Talking CL Moore and Leigh Brackett.
+ Hurled Headlong Flaming by Matt Holder from Short Story Focus with Jack Myers on YT (13 min). Based on Jack’s review, I went ahead an bought it (available only in paperback, btw, for only $8). Arrives this Thursday. ;-)
What else am I reading? Just finished Clashing Blades by Matt Hilton (review coming soon); finishing up Skallagrim – In The Vales Of Pagarna by Stephen R. Babb. And still reading the various adventures in The Song of Sangr by Gustavo Bondoni.
Kool Kickstarters
+ 15 Days to Go - More than halfway funded: Sword & Scandal - An anthology of NSFW heroic fantasy from J. Manfred Weichsel. Call for stories when the project funds.
+ HYPERBOREA: Modulistic Terror from Jeffrey Talanian - Three new adventure modules for HYPERBOREA. (21 days left, funding goal met.)
+ Star Wanderers: Epic sword & raygun mystery thrillers by J. D. Cowan brought to you by retrovirusrecords. (About 60 hours to go!)
+ The Lion of Olympus: Hera’s Wrath - A Greek Myth Comic - Hera is out to get Greece’s favorite hero, Herakles, in this brand new tale. Will he survive the threat against him or perish? from Devin Arscott (14 days to go).
Two More Roundups
Links of Steel from DMR Books (May 19)
Sensor Sweep from Castalia House (May 20)
S&S and Adjacent Podcasts
The Cromcast - Season 19 Episode 2: The Broken Sword, Part I (May 8)
Baen Free Radio Hour - BFRH 2024 05 17: Hyde & Seek; and Tinker by Wen Spencer, Part 52 Audio.
Rogues in the House - The Rogues React! (Part 2, March 28) - “Our follow-up session to origin stories from some of our listeners!”
Monsters, Madness and Magic Podcast - EP#259: Ghost Of The Ghastly Grinner - An Interview With Amos Crawley (May 16)
Dungeons & Damsels - “The Ghost House” S4E4 ~ A Fireside short story of the Dungeons & Damsels series by Unchained Productions (May 16)
Strange Shadows - SS3 09 The Nameless Offspring (May 20)
The Worldshapers - Episode 169: Sara Wolf – Heavenbreaker (May 19)
Pulp and Conan
+ From SuperHeroHype, a slew of Conan comic updates.
+ From G. W. Thomas at Dark Worlds - Conan the Barbarian: Archie Style!
+ Grayson D Sullivan reviews "The Tower of the Elephant" (His favorite Conan story.)
+ On YouTube: Conan the Barbarian podcast.
Speaking of Barbarians, somehow, I missed this version of Barbie… (grin)
YouTube Channels & Audiobooks
Jay Reqaurd: Fantasy Author & Podcaster.
Skallagrim: Historical Arms and Armor.
Howie Bentley: Echoes of Crom Records.
Faenon's Saga of the Jewels.
Interesting!
+ TRIAPA is an APA organized by Spiral Tower Press to give fan writers the opportunity of participating in this venerable tradition of fandom and print history. The focuses of TRIPA are three sets of three: the pulp genres of sword and sorcery, cosmic horror, and space opera…
+ The Older Writers Grant: Open May 1, 2024 – May 31, 2024. (Award is $1,000.)
+ More Opportunities for Writers, check out our last S&S Roundup #38.
Lastly, a bit of self-promo…
Swords & Heroes E-Zine launches next Tuesday. Here’s the upcoming ToC arriving straight to your inbox every two weeks… (Story #0 by yours truly was a test run, and I think I like the format. Let me know what you think!)
Story #1 - May 28 - “A Hiss from the Mound” by B. Harlan Crawford
Story #2 - June 11 - “Korvix and the Heart of Darkness” by Matt Hilton
Story #3 - June 25 - “Playing With Fire” by Geoff Hart
Story #4 - July 9 - “Eye of the Beholder” by Charles Allen Gramlich
Story #5 - July 23 - “Call of the Wyrd” by Teel James Glenn
Story #6 - Aug 6 - “The Forbidden City of Cyramon” by David A. Riley
Until next time, keep swinging!
I didn't know about fancons.com. Always good stuff here.
While I like my Musketeers, I'm taking the Samurai in that battle.