S&S Roundup #37

The Latest in Contemporary Sword & Sorcery

Getting closer to launching “Swords & Heroes E-Zine” - Sword and Sorcery One Story at a Time. For submission guidelines, click here. As a reader of this S&S Roundup, you’re already a subscriber! This free newsletter runs every two weeks; on alternating weeks, you’ll receive an original S&S tale direct to your inbox (or to read later here online).

Free subscription, but there will be opportunities to express your support to the zine’s contributors. In a few weeks we’ll announce the initial table of contents! Exciting! Any questions, just ask. Now, here are more opportunities for writers…

• Crimson Quill Quarterly: “We will be accepting until May 15th and hope to have our decisions made one calendar week afterwards.”

• Schlock! is now open to all submissions. For guidelines, visit here.

• Heroic Fantasy Quarterly will open for subs in July 20,024! (grin)

• Hexagon Speculative Fiction opens May 1st. Guidelines here.

• New Edge Sword & Sorcery is looking for flash fiction. Deadline is May 1st.

• Swords and Sorcery monthly magazine submission guidelines are here.

• Savage Realms Monthly has submission guidelines here.

• Goodman Games is “open to writers interested in working on our 5E lines.”

Do you have any other market tips? Comment or message me with links. Thanks!

New S&S Projects

+ Check out this 2 minute book trailer from Spiral Tower Press regarding Keen Blades #1: Hurled Headlong Flaming by Matt Holder. This first novella arrives May 1, 2024.

+ Announcing Parallel Universe Publications latest project: Adrian Cole’s Elak of Atlantis Trilogy. Coming soon! Also, Volume 8 of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy arrives in a week or so.

+ From Sword Worship: “2nd issue of our newsletter-turned-fanzine featuring an interview with Nick Varsamis (Wrathblade/Litany) , a new short story by Schuyler Hernstrom “The Song of Toran”, comic “Syrtis Major” by Chris M. Wilson and Jason Tarpey, EC news & more!”

+ The Last Shadow Epic - a 9 book series by AJ Cooper - has just dropped. Quick blurb from Book 1: "A summons from a long-lost mentor thrusts Reev Nax, a boy of uncertain parentage, into a fateful journey of discovery. Reev learns that an ancient evil has reawakened in the world of Varda..."

+ I, Barbarian! by Gary Lovisi (Author) and Ron Hill (Illustrator). “There once was an age of men before the dawn of pre-history, when magic ruled and heroic warriors fought with blood-drenched swords in vicious battles for treasure, power, and honor.”

+ Check out The Hollow Realms, a 3 book series by Jordan Allen. "Venture forth, traveller, into The Hollow Realms. A world of dark fantasy sword and sorcery tales, taking inspiration from the pulp classics of old."

+ Also note The Ruined Gods, a 3 book series by Alex Robins. Quick blurb from Book 1: "At the heart of every legend lies a truth. Twisted and reshaped by the currents of time." Panacea, Metanoia, and Titanica - just released this April.

News You Can Use

+ The Libertarian Futurist Society has announced five finalists for the Best Novel category of the 44th annual Prometheus Awards. Howard Andrew Jones's Lord of a Shattered Land is among the finalists. Congratulations!

+ Glass Hammer co-founder Steve Babb tells Prog why the band decided to step into the world of swords and sorcery for Dreaming City. Babb is the author of Skallagrim - In The Vales Of Pagarna. Book 2 is expected later this year.

+ All the latest news from Heroic Signatures.

+ Coming Sat, 28 September - the Innsmouth Literary Festival 24. This autumn marks the return of the Innsmouth Literary Festival. Check out the 2023 highlights video.

+ Four Fools Press celebrates their four year anniversary. Titles include Courage and Steel - Erlik Saga, Vol 1 - along with other viking stories with Erlik Rowenson the Kinslayer by R. R. Hunsginger.

+ "Most Accurate Depiction Of Ancient Combat": Oliver Stone's Critically-Panned Epic Alexander Gets Extremely High Score From Historian (via Screen Rant)

Kickin’ Kickstarters

+ The Elf With No Name #1-2: The next fantasy-western chapter! "The Elf With No Name visits Dwarfwood in the newest issue of the Magic Powder spin-off series!" From Jeff Schiller. Half way there with 25 days to go. Looks cool.

+ The Spear of the Gods Book Two campaign from Gregory Amato is over, but you can preorder the project via PledgeBox. "Imagine a past much like our own, only the myths and sagas of Norse legend are all true. Vikings, wizards, trolls, and gods."

+ The Gray Paladin is an HP Lovecraft-inspired, faith-themed fantasy novel by Garet Davidson. About 2 days to go.

+ Gilead's Fantasy Art - An 18 month calendar is available at Lulu through July, 2024. To find more of Gilead’s projects, here’s his LinkTree. Also, Gilead has a small Kickstarter up called After Image: "Where Do You Get Your Ideas?"

+ Savage Wizard #1-2 - Sword & Sorcery action comedy. "A disgraced barbarian is forced to learn magic with an unhinged wizard to stop his former brother-in-arms from conquering the world." From Lesly Julien. A week to go.

+ Check out my own "Sherlock & Friends: Eldritch Investigations" - An anthology of 9 adventures featuring Holmes’s friends & rivals as they pit their detection skills against Lovecraftian horrors. Almost fully funded with about 10 days to go!

Pulp, Howard, and Lovecraft

+ The journal Zothique #17 (2024) is a R.E. Howard special issue (190 pages).

+ Os Mitos de Lovecraft (2020), a crowdfunded Brazilian black-and-white graphic anthology edited by Douglas P. Freitas, published by Skript. (via Deep Cuts blog)

+ What do you think about Keanu Reeves's BRZRKR series? I'd seen mention of these but then forgot to check them out. Here’s the series on Goodreads.

+ Review of Paul Leone’s The Dweller In Drury Lane from Virtual Pulp.

+ On Facebook: Robert E. Howard Comics and Media News. “Originally just about comics but with so much REH news these days decided to expand to cover everything I can find.”

+ Conan vs. Werewolves at Dark Worlds from G. W. Thomas.

+ Review of The Bantam Conan Series: Conan the Liberator from Gary Romeo.

Podcasts & Video Podcasts

• Links of Steel from DMR Books (April 21)

• Sensor Sweep from Castalia House (April 22)

• The Cromcast - Season 19 Episode 1: Meet Poul Anderson (April 3)

• 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#255: Death Of An Endless Summer - An Interview With Tyler Lyle (April 21)

• Dungeons & Damsels - “D’aakor The Fearless” (Part 1 of 2) S4E2 (April 11)

• Strange Shadows - The Eternal World (Apr 20)

• The Worldshapers - Ep 165: Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes – A Fifth of the Story

• Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff - Episode 595: IPA Aliens (Apr 19)

• Faenon's Fantasy Fiction Newsletter, Saga of the Jewels.

• YouTube: Jay Requard, Fantasy Author & Podcaster.

• YouTube: Echoes of Crom Records. Sword and Sorcery Heavey Metal, Episode 14 - A Conversation With Ramsey Campbell.

Are there other S&S and adjacent podcasts or YouTube channels you frequent? Let me know! Well, that’s it for another two weeks. Until next time, Lyn Perry