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

Heroic Fantasy Quarterly is up online today with a story by me in it. The tale is called “A Whisper in Ashes,” and is the first heroic fantasy/Sword and Sorcery piece that I’ve written in a while. It features a character named Krieg, who, if I had to describe him in terms folks would recognize, is kind of a cross between REH’s Conan and Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane. I hope you’ll check it out. I’m very proud of it. http://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/

Started reading this just this a.m., and it rocks so far. Real S&S, not watered down, generic, feel-good fantasy. Grim and bloody, just the way I like it!

S.wagenaar wrote: "Started reading this just this a.m., and it rocks so far. Real S&S, not watered down, generic, feel-good fantasy. Grim and bloody, just the way I like it!"

Thanks, man. I know what you mean about the feel-good fantasy.

Don't get me wrong, there is a place for 'feel good' fantasy. Just not in my place. No room alongside the likes of Howard, Wagner, Saunders, Taylor ... and now, Gramlich!

Thanks! I sometimes read humorous fantasy, but I definitely like my fantasy grim and bloody. I'd add Gemmell to your list!

Just finished A Whisper in Ashes, and what a great read, truly excellent.
I recently purchased Bitter Steel, and can't wait to dig into those tales.
I am a big fan of S&S in the form of short stories on up to novellas/short novels. I have a hard time digesting 1000 page door-stoppers-too much filler!
And to all you S&S fans out there- give Charles a try, you won't be disappointed!

S.Wagenaar, Have you tried Charles's Harvest of War? Epic, poetic, brutal fun; highly recommended. I have to wait a few hours to dig into A Whisper in Ashes, but it seems to be of similar style.

S.E. wrote: "S.Wagenaar, Have you tried Charles's Harvest of War? Epic, poetic, brutal fun; highly recommended. I have to wait a few hours to dig into A Whisper in Ashes, but it seems to be of similar style."

S.E., thanks, man. I appreciate the kind words.

S.wagenaar wrote: "Just finished A Whisper in Ashes, and what a great read, truly excellent.
I recently purchased Bitter Steel, and can't wait to dig into those tales.
I am a big fan of S&S in the form of short sto..."

I'm the same way with the really long books and series. I often think that novella length is just about perfect for adventure fantasy.

Again I am impressed with Charles' economy of words. "A Whisper in Ashes" is a compact dose of carefully selected words and short sentences, but is not dense narrative. Reads fast, yet has depth. I enjoy this accessible, poetic style.

S.E. wrote: "Again I am impressed with Charles' economy of words. "A Whisper in Ashes" is a compact dose of carefully selected words and short sentences, but is not dense narrative. Reads fast, yet has depth. ..."

Well said S.E.!
Excellent short story, exactly what I'm looking for in the genre.
Charles, would you like to create a thread here where you can update it everytime you publish something new, like your recent poems?

On a side note, I really liked the laconic & suggestive name of your hero (Krieg being german for war). Hopefully there are more Krieg tales in the making.

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Glad you enjoyed these stories. The thread idea sounds great. Thanks for the idea