Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy" discussion

Moi? Drink a friend's beer? Never!

That's okay, I don't like beer. Plus, I can't drink it. Or rather, if I'm gonna spend carbs on a drink, I'd rather have a pepsi. Diabetes sucks.

Ashe wrote: "That's okay, I don't like beer. Plus, I can't drink it. Or rather, if I'm gonna spend carbs on a drink, I'd rather have a pepsi. Diabetes sucks."

It does. I would've thought there was more sugar in Pepsi, no?

Greg wrote: "Ashe wrote: "Who needs guilty pleasures, am I right?"

Why do guilty pleasurea always seem better than the non-guilty ones? :P

Jon wrote: "Hey Greg, and thanks for the welcome! So you still have a..."

Greg, I'm seriously impressed here. You've written a scenario for my favourite tabletop game as a kid that was turned into a mod for my favourite CRPG as an adult. What else do you do?!

If the HQ in-crowd made your scenario canon, they should also have sent you some kind of medal in the mail. I'll try to download the "Inn of Chaos" mod, though my PC is seriously struggling these days. I write and work with a Macbook, but it doesn't run "Neverwinter Nights". (Anybody have any experience with Wineskin, though?)

As for guilty pleasures: It's been my lifelong motto that it is a sin not to commit a sin when it is the proper time to sin. However, that entails that some things need to remain sins. When I sit back to read S&S nowadays, a part of what makes it such a glorious experience is that I cherish that childhood memory of reading something I maybe shouldn't have been reading. :)

Greg wrote: "Ashe wrote: "That's okay, I don't like beer. Plus, I can't drink it. Or rather, if I'm gonna spend carbs on a drink, I'd rather have a pepsi. Diabetes sucks."

It does. I would've thought there was..."

Maybe. I haven't experimented. I really don't like beer and the stuff I do like is really bad about having any of the info on it. Plus, alcohol tends to just make me sleepy so I've never been much of a drinker.

It kind of comes down to numbers and frequency. I keep my soda intake way down now but sometimes, I need something sweet and sometimes, I need a quick boost. I'm just glad I'm managing it this way and not having to worry about insulin.

And Jon, I guess that makes sense. I only ever read one thing that I really shouldn't have and when I got to the point that was above my head, I stopped reading because it weirded me out. Couldn't tell you the book. I just remember liking the cover a lot.

Ashe wrote: "Greg wrote: "Ashe wrote: "That's okay, I don't like beer. Plus, I can't drink it. Or rather, if I'm gonna spend carbs on a drink, I'd rather have a pepsi. Diabetes sucks."

It does. I would've thou..."

Sounds like quite a book! But glad to hear that we're on the same page on this.

I'm a pretty enthusiastic drinker at times, provided the beer is good. I almost never drink wine, though. Soda I can't stand, except when I've had too much of the beer.

Well, I'm not sure if it was but I know the portion that made me quit involved a man and a woman peeing for each other. That kind of stuck with me. You can see why I quit.

Ashe wrote: "Well, I'm not sure if it was but I know the portion that made me quit involved a man and a woman peeing for each other. That kind of stuck with me. You can see why I quit."

That sounds like "Sabbath's Theater" by Philip Roth? It gets worse from there. I thought that book was great - on purely literary terms!! His best next to "Everyman" and "The Human Stain".

No, it was fantasy. I remember the cover had a sword being forged...or maybe tempered. Medieval fantasy stuff.

Ashe wrote: "No, it was fantasy. I remember the cover had a sword being forged...or maybe tempered. Medieval fantasy stuff."

Oh, ok! Quite some fantasy, then.

Yeah, that's all I can remember of it. I decided to read it soley on the cover and then my innocent little brain got weirded out and I put the book back where i'd found it.

Jon wrote: "Greg, I'm seriously impressed here. You've written a scenario for my favourite tabletop game as a kid that was turned into a mod for my favourite CRPG as an adult. What else do you do?!"

Thanks! I must say though that it's the only RPG scenario I ever got published (I therefore try to get as much mileage out if it whenever I can! :P). I had hoped that, one day, I'd get to contribute a scenario to Dungeon Magazine but it's too late to do that now. :/ I should clarify as well that I didn't write the mod for Neverwinter Nights - another person made the mod based on my scenario.

Jon wrote: "If the HQ in-crowd made your scenario canon, they should also have sent you some kind of medal in the mail. I'll try to download the "Inn of Chaos" mod, though my PC is seriously struggling these days. I write and work with a Macbook, but it doesn't run "Neverwinter Nights". (Anybody have any experience with Wineskin, though?)"

Although I've seen screenshots of the mod concerned I've never played Neverwinter Nights so I haven't been able to see how the mod works in that game (so far).

Jon wrote: "As for guilty pleasures: It's been my lifelong motto that it is a sin not to commit a sin when it is the proper time to sin. However, that entails that some things need to remain sins. When I sit back to read S&S nowadays, a part of what makes it such a glorious experience is that I cherish that childhood memory of reading something I maybe shouldn't have been reading. :)"

You mean when you were supposed to be doing homework or something! LOL

Ashe wrote: "Maybe. I haven't experimented. I really don't like beer and the stuff I do like is really bad about having any of the info on it. Plus, alcohol tends to just make me sleepy so I've never been much of a drinker.

It kind of comes down to numbers and frequency. I keep my soda intake way down now but sometimes, I need something sweet and sometimes, I need a quick boost. I'm just glad I'm managing it this way and not having to worry about insulin."

I hear you! I remember that in my 20s red wine made me drowsy and my face would get flushed but I don't suffer these effects any more - don't know why.

Ashe wrote: "And Jon, I guess that makes sense. I only ever read one thing that I really shouldn't have and when I got to the point that was above my head, I stopped reading because it weirded me out. Couldn't tell you the book. I just remember liking the cover a lot."

:O This wasn't the Necronomicon by any chance? :P

Ashe wrote: "Well, I'm not sure if it was but I know the portion that made me quit involved a man and a woman peeing for each other. That kind of stuck with me. You can see why I quit."

Hmm. This doesn't sound like a Necronomicon-type theme....

I tried looking for it bbut "fantasy cover with swords/forges" is uh...monolithic.

WH Smiths bookshelves, with captivating covers, got me hooked on Conan, The Lensman series and absolutely anything by Robert A. Heinlein or Louis Lamour.
Over the years though, Sword & Sorcery writers seemed to wane, Robert E. Howard was no longer the sole writer of the Conan books and the newbies were not made of the same stuff of greatness, at least in my opinion.
I did not read S&S again until Paul Kearney came along so I pretty much stayed with Westerns, Military Fiction and SF (Peter F Hamilton) until GOT hit the small screen and people started by the genre again. (Well done Mr Martin!).
I have published my own military fiction series, with a WW3 take, and I am working on a prequel but I had a swords and sorcery yarn in my head, Of Demons and Blue Moons, which I hope is as good as the cover and interiors.

AlamoJack wrote: "Hey, Andy. I recently got back into military sci-fi after reading Linda Nagata's First Light. I'll check out your stuff. Warning about this group: your S&S to-read list will grow qu..."
I have a small brain that concentrates mainly on writing and I am paranoid about accidentally 'borrowing' ideas from other writers' work. The last book I read was my cars maintenance manual:(
Many thanks AlamoJack, the 'Armageddon's Song' series is all on Kindle Select now, if you are a member.

Allison wrote: "Hey! I'm Allison, and I'm a freelance illustrator. I'd really like to get into cover design and illustrating for fantasy novels. I'm here to get to know fellow illustrators, fantasy lovers, and may..."

Hey Allison, welcome! Note we have an emerging pinboard of sorts for networks. Please peruse and add any info. re: your illustration services.

Link to networking folder, which has subtopics:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Hi Allison,

do you have a website with samples?

True to life images of remote models, who only require copies of the art as payment, is what I require in the new year.
I have the models, one of whom is very well known in the glamour world, and both sword wielding and 1930s chic is what I need.

Hello! My name is Steve and I am a long-time fantasy reader and a recent fantasy author. The former caused the latter as I wanted to write a book that I would want to read (my first novel, Ohlen's Arrow, was the result of that). My love of fantasy started after a friend talked me into playing my first game of D&D back in 1980. Hiero's Journey by Sterling E. Lanier was my first. Joel Rosenberg's The Sleeping Dragon (and subsequent books in The Guardians of the Flame series) were staples.

I'm currently reading through Robert E. Howard's entire Conan collection and am blown away by how powerful his writing is. I can't believe I never ready any of it before.

Welcome to the group Steven! I was introduced to AD&D not long after you - in 1983. Haven't played or refereed a game in some 10 years though, Alas!

And belated welcome to Allison! Sorry for not posting sooner.

Steven wrote: "Hello! My name is Steve and I am a long-time fantasy reader and a recent fantasy author. The former caused the latter as I wanted to write a book that I would want to read (my first novel, Ohlen's ..."

Welcome Steven, you'll fit right in here.

Welcome aboard.

Strangely, I've somehow never managed to do anything but play a failed game of Deadlands. No D&D, no Pathfinder, and the Deadlands was through IRC. I never seem to be near folks to play.

Ashe, Gray Mouser, AlamoJack and Greg Thanks! D&D has been a huge source of inspiration, and continues to be so to this day. My third book is inspired by a game of D&D my family played during a holiday get-together two years ago. They miraculously agreed to go through a simple dungeon I created -- playing their very first D&D game! -- instead of the usual family games like Pictionary, etc. The game was a huge success, and several of them really got into the role-playing aspect of it. Several of the characters of my upcoming book are based on how they played their PCs, and in fact the whole premise of the book is based on their game.

I'm sure other role-playing games can be excellent sources of fantasy and sci-fi books, too.

As I've said many times, Skyrim had quite the influence on my first book. And definitely Deadlands too.

All RPG fans, note there is a discussion thread for RPG chatting:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm thinking an RPG-theme group read might be nice. But if you want to comment on that...please extend the conversation in the dedicated zone :)

Hello everyone,
My name is Arley, and I am a long time fan of Sword and Sorcery. I have written five western novels, but am now working on a fantasy project. After so many westerns it feels like coming home. Glad to be here.
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Welcome Arley!

Welcome, Arley. Best of luck on your current project.

Howdy Arley! welcome, congrats on the Westerns (not that much removed from S&S) - I enjoyed your blog post on heroes: http://westerlinglore.blogspot.com/20...

Hi Arley! The Western and traditional S&S are often like brothers to me, especially work from the paperback boom of the 60's-70's. My favorites are the violent and bloody "men's adventure" series like Edge and Apache. The John Benteen (Ben Haas) novels featuring Fargo is almost Conan in the dying days of the Wild West!

Welcome Arley!

Welcome Arley! Our member, Ashe, has written a kind of Western/Pistol & Sorcery mash-up called A Demon in the Desert.

Hi! My name’s Rich, also known online in some circles as Cthulhuslibrarian or Eighth Deadly Sin. I’m a long time fantasy, SF, and horror reader. I’m particularly drawn to S&S, and recently getting into “grimdark” (I hate that name). I’m also a huge fan of H.P. Lovecraft and weird fiction. My life has always revolved around books. I was originally drawn to fantasy after seeing the animated Lord of the Rings film in 1978, then reading The Hobbit a year later in 3rd grade, and I never looked back. Whether working as a bookseller, an assistant editor in the SF & fantasy imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, or finally settling down to a career in a university library, I’ve always had ready access to a lot of books. I’m also a long time (30+ years) rpg player, particularly old school D&D. I’m looking forward to the discussions here!

Richard wrote: "Hi! My name’s Rich, also known online in some circles as Cthulhuslibrarian or Eighth Deadly Sin. I’m a long time fantasy, SF, and horror reader. I’m particularly drawn to S&S, and recently getting ..."

A very hearty welcome Richard!

I think we share a lot in tastes. I too was introduced to fantasy through Tolkien (The Rankin & Bass The Hobbit cartoon actually, some children's fantasy lit. and and the Hobbit novel shortly thereafter). As well as played D&D on and off for years, and foster a certain love for Lovecraft and weird fiction too.

Welcome to the group, Richard! Lapsed role-player here - enjoyed AD&D, CoC and WFRP among other games over the years.

Hi folks!

Really glad to have found this group. I’ve been skulking around for some time and thought I’d introduce myself.

I write fantasy and historical fiction, and I’ve been a fan of sword and sorcery since I was a teen—and that’s a long time ago. Started when Marvel Comics advertised Conan. I picked up the old Carter/DeCamp Lancer paperback editions with Frazetta covers before the comic even came out. Then read Leiber, Moorcock, Swann; those anthologies with Steranko covers; Exile’s Quest by Richard Meade—anyone remember that one? Excellent tale! I was hooked on S&S long before reading Tolkien in 1971 or so.

Thanks for your great site!

GK Werner

Welcome to the board!

G.K. wrote: "Hi folks!
Really glad to have found this group. I’ve been skulking around for some time and thought I’d introduce myself. I write fantasy and historical fiction, and I’ve been a fan of sword and ..."

Welcome GK, you fit right in.

Thanks for the warm welcome!!!

Greg wrote: "Welcome Arley! Our member, Ashe, has written a kind of Western/Pistol & Sorcery mash-up called A Demon in the Desert."

Totally missed the shout. Thanks, Greg.

And welcome aboard to all the newbies.

Hello. I have always been drawn to S&S fantasy. I remember it was my father's old Savage Sword of Conan comics that spellbound me into reading anything I could about fantasy worlds. Nothing is more primal than vanquishing a foe face to face in melee or through force of will that magic requires. Good stuff!

Nolan wrote: "Hello. I have always been drawn to S&S fantasy. I remember it was my father's old Savage Sword of Conan comics that spellbound me into reading anything I could about fantasy worlds. Nothing is more..."

Welcome Nolan...or should...or should we call you Skeletor?

Welcome Nolan!

Hi All, I'm Adrian. I love to read and write dark fantasy and military or noir sci-fi, and am the founder of Grimdark Magazine. Nice to meet you all!

Adrian, awesome to have you here. Grimdark is a hot topic and GdM gaining traction.

Hello and welcome, Adrian. It is nice to meet you as well.

For any grimdark fans, I highly recommend Adrian's GdM. It's top notch.

Welcome to the fold Adrian!

Ashe wrote: "Greg wrote: "Welcome Arley! Our member, Ashe, has written a kind of Western/Pistol & Sorcery mash-up called A Demon in the Desert."

Totally missed the shout. Thanks, Greg.

And wel..."

No problem, Ashe! :)

Welcome to Nolan and Adrian - hope you have fun posting here!

Thanks all. Appreciate the welcome!