S&S Roundup #34

The Latest in Contemporary Sword & Sorcery

Another day, another roundup. Another day closer to…well, you know. Not to be a drag or anything. (grin) Anyway, on the way to our final destination, here’s a bit of entertainment. Enjoy the links.

Reviews & Blogs

+ “21st Century Sword-and-Sorcery: An Introduction” by Deuce Richardson at DMR Books.

+ Grayson D. Sullivan reviews his favorite Kull story: The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune by Robert E. Howard.

+ Review from Stan Wagenaar of Immaculate Scoundrels by John R. Fultz.

+ A review (with spoilers) from Jon Olfert of Erik Waag's Weird of the Skull Totem. “Felt like Waag spent a lot of time thinking about the settings (the ships, the castle, others) at a technical/tactical level in a way I don't see so often while reading indie S&S.”

+ From Baen Books: A note on the passing of David Drake, from Baen Publisher Toni Weisskopf.

S&S and Adjacent Zines and Reads

+ The latest from Schlock Webzine, plus a review by Gavin Chappell of Conan: Black Starlight by John C Hocking.

+ Issue 144 from Swords and Sorcery Magazine features three stories: “The Fleet of Lamvula” by Rab Foster; “Diamonds in the Darkness” by Matthew X. Gomez; and “The Peddler of Favours” by Matthew Owen Jones.

+ Just missed this last time, sorry about that! New issue of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly (Issue #59) features: ‘The Dreams From the Barrow’ by Harry Piper; ‘Axandrjo the Silvernosed Vagabond’ by C.D. Crabtree; and ‘The Iron Serpent’ by H. R. Laurence.

From HFQ: “The long gloomy days of winter getting you down? Eager to get out and back to adventure? Our offerings will lift your spirits and enflame your blood! We’ve got three original stories and a fantastic poem. Drag your chair to the fire and delve in!”

Submission Windows for Writers

+ Schlock! Magazine is now open for submissions. Guidelines here.

+ The Savage Realms has their guidelines posted along with their fine print.

+ From WolfSinger Publications, the antho, The Dragon’s Hoard 2 closes March 31.

+ From Phobica Books, the pirate horror antho, Shivering Timbers! closes June 1.

Conan and the Pulps

+ “The Lost Cities of Conan” from G. W. Thomas at Dark Worlds Quarterly. (Check out their back issues as well.)

+ Also from G. W. Thomas: “Sword & Sorcery at Warren – Part 12: 1982-1983.”

+ “Enjoying Clark Ashton Smith’s Zothique”, a review by Phil Sawyer at Sprague de Camp Fan.

+ “Adventures in Fiction” at Goodman Games features a number of Appendix N discoveries: August Derleth, Margaret St. Clair, Andre Norton, Philip Jose Farmer, and Robert E. Howard to name a few.

+ Hollow Earth Tales, Volume 1 reviewed at Vintage Pop Fiction. “There’s a whole sub-genre of science fiction dealing with the idea of a hollow earth, or undiscovered civilisations deep beneath the Earth.”

+ Reviews at Paperback Warrior of "Ki-Gor - And the Secret Legions of Simba" and "Ki-Gor - And the Giant Gorilla-Men."

Kickstarter Campaigns, Etc.

+ 4 days and $500 to go! Jim Breyfogle’s A Bad Case of Dead is Live (from retrovirusrecords). “A Victorian Fairytale Romance about Necromancers, Dragons, Mermaids, Vampires, Zombies, and Adventure on the High Seas!”

Coming Soon:

+ Quest #1-3: Swords & Sorcery Action in a Magical Realm! from Scott Harris. “The paladin Vhess fights from beyond the grave to save her friends... and the world!”

+ The Madcaps issue # 1 from Philbo Publishing: “A Medieval Fantasy Miniseries about the reunion of four friends interrupted by a local drug problem.”

+ Tales of Argosa from Pickpocket Press: “A Sword & Sorcery Emergent Play Adventure Game, for groups and solo.”

+ Coming in April: Sherlock & Friends: Eldritch Investigations - An anthology of 8 novelettes featuring Holmes’s friends and rivals as they pit their detection skills against Lovecraftian horrors. Edited and curated by me, Lyndon Perry. Please click “notify me on launch” to catch all the updates. Thanks! See the ToC below.

New in S&S

+ Fire and Ice: Teegra. From Dynamite: "Renowned writer Bill Willingham and fan-favorite artist Gabriele di Caro return to the incredible world of Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta's groundbreaking animated film "Fire and Ice" with this special 40-page one-shot, featuring perfectly primordial covers by Dan Panosian and Meghan Hetrick!”

+ From J. R. Cason - “Valengetrix finds himself once more embroiled in a war set to bathe the realm of Auropia in flames, only to be cast upon a treacherous isle with but his indomitable will and survival instinct to guide him. Savage creatures, ancient sorcery and hidden secrets abound in book 3 of Valengetrix: Titan of the Isle.”

+ "Tale of the Necromancer", dark fantasy/horror stylized as an ancient, oral legend about a man who went from a simple craftsman to a powerful sorcerer, losing everything he cared about along the way. On Wattpad here by Adeptus. If you prefer an audio version, it’s on YouTube. About an hour.

+ DMR Books to unleash three new titles in early 2024. The Chronicles of Caylen-Tor Volume III by Byron A. Roberts. Die By the Sword Volume II edited by D. M. Ritzlin. Dark Dreams of Nilztiria by D. M. Ritzlin.

+ Up for pre-order on Amazon, by Steven L. Shrewsbury. The Heroic Legends Series - Bran Mak Morn: Red Waves of Slaughter. Coming March, 2024. Also, check out the whole lineup of The Heroic Legends series from Titan Books.

Roundup & Podcasts

• Links of Steel from DMR Books (Feb 25)

• Sensor Sweep from Castalia House (Feb 26)

• The Cromcast - Season 18 Episode 21: Mailbag and The Northman! (Feb 11)

• Rogues in the House - Savage Sword with Jim Zub (Feb 21)

• Dungeons & Damsels - Samples of Scenes & Characters from Season 3 (Jan 25).

• The Worldshapers - Ep157: Marie Brennan – The Market of 100 Fortunes (Feb 25)

• Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff - Ep586: Velveteen Rabbit of Signage (Feb 16)

• Strange Shadows - SS3 04 Beyond the Singing Flame (Feb 24)

• Monsters, Madness and Magic Podcast - EP#243: Run for Your Lives - An Interview with Bruce Dickinson (Feb 24)

• New to this roundup: Faenon's Fantasy Fiction Newsletter, Saga of the Jewels.

• YouTube: Jay Requard, Fantasy Author & Podcaster. Latest episode is Pondering the Orb Season 2 Finale.

• YouTube: Echoes of Crom Records. Episode 7 - Discussing "Hellsgarde" by C.L. Moore (Feb 25)

Well, that’s it for now. The roundup is going back on hiatus for a bit, prolly through next month. My mother-in-law has just gone into hospice care, and I’m heading to Chicago area to be with her and my wife as she walks the final bit of this journey before heaven. If I don’t get a chance to say it before March 31, may you have a blessed Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday. - Lyn Perry

Want to Support this Newsletter?

This issue’s promo project (published by me at Tule Fog Press) is Charles Allen Gramlich’s post-apocalyptic, genetic SF fantasy…with swords. I mean, is there a better genre? I can’t think of one! (grin). Read the blurb below. Available as 2 e-book novellas (for one complete story), or as 1 paperback (which includes both novellas). Why confuse things? I have no idea. Just check it Razored Land by Charles Gramlich!

About Razored Land: The day after The Flux hit, Jase Holland was still alive…and immune. The world was not as fortunate. The Flux was a genetic plague—possibly leaked from a biowarfare lab—and it played havoc with the DNA of everything living, mutating genes and creating strange new sentient beasts both beautiful and monstrous.

Rushing home to search for Jenn, his pregnant fiancé, Jase encountered what appeared to be demons intent on destroying the remnants of humanity. Calling them the Vile, he wondered if something other than humanity’s hubris and irresponsibility had triggered The Flux. Evil forces were on the march and Jenn was nowhere to be found.