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

Goblin Readers: the Poll winner was E.R. Eddison's classic The Worm Ouroboros, so that is the default choice here. And even though his King Gaslark of Goblinland, and the goblin Lord Gro, appear more like humans than today's stereotype... we welcome any topic on GOBLINS to counter the other concurrent groupread on ORCS.

So decide...are you goblin-phillic? goblin-phobic? Or are you orc-loving-scum?

Those choices seem rather constrained. Methinks a gob-philic wrote them. :)

Charles wrote: "Those choices seem rather constrained. Methinks a gob-philic wrote them. :)"

So says the orciphile....

touche

I read Ouroboros back in December -- loved it, but there's no way I'm rereading it for probably at least another decade ... The Goblin Emperor is also one I've had my eye on, though.

(And, to cross over to the other, filthy side, I might have to at least dip into the Stan Nicholls books just because I already have one on my Kindle.)

Joseph wrote: "And, to cross over to the other, filthy side,..."

Well to get really filthy, someone needs to step up and read one of these:
Goblin Gangbang or Goblin Gangbang, two monster erotica with the same name...but different authors. I'm not sure if I am brave enough.
or

I volunteer not to be the victim.

I've never pictured the beings in "The Worm Ouroboros" mentioned as members of the kingdom of Goblinland as being the current fashion of greenskinned marauders. Lord Juss may have horns sprouting from his forehead being a Demon, but really he's an English aristocrat. King Gaslark is a charismatic, brave, loyal ally, who has the misfortune of being in over his head. Brandoch Daha and the whatever winds may take him Lord Gro would have got along with Oscar Wilde, they wouldn't have snubbed him. Then again Daha would have tried to sleep with Wilde's wife and Gro would have critiqued his published works. In another category, "Fifty Shades of Goblin", who would want that in their resume?

The Goblin Emperor has very human like goblins. And elves.

Except for the ears. I like the ears. I've been known to complain of elves (or goblins) being humans with pointy ears, but if everyone used the ears like this, I would complain less.

Though others -- Lisa Shearin's series beginning with Magic Lost, Trouble Found are fun (especially when she got a grip on the voice after the first) but the races in there are only nominally human, goblin, and elf.

These have goblins in, https://www.goodreads.com/series/5308... and the 2nd series https://www.goodreads.com/series/4082...

not exactly lotr goblins.

Man, these are over 20 years old not sure of availability now.

Are we counting Kobolds?

Ren of Atikala

OK, finished The Goblin Emperor, which was really, really good although there was only one sword mentioned briefly on one page. It's much more about a naïve 18 year old who suddenly finds himself made emperor and has no idea what on earth that's going to entail.

Next up is She by H. Rider Haggard -- maybe after that I'll try something more Orcish.

I am leaning toward a reread of The Worm Ouroboros. I never gave it a review.

S.E. wrote: "I am leaning toward a reread of The Worm Ouroboros. I never gave it a review."

I would prefer The Worm Ouroboros as well.

Finally started rereading The Worm Ouroboros. Took a few pages to get back into E.R. Eddison's style. It has long paragraphs, Shakespeare-like intelligence, and an abundance of description.

Joseph wrote: "OK, finished The Goblin Emperor, which was really, really good although there was only one sword mentioned briefly on one page. It's much more about a naïve 18 year old who suddenl..."

Yah, it's much more political than your typical Sword & Sorcery.

Mary wrote: "Joseph wrote: "OK, finished The Goblin Emperor, which was really, really good although there was only one sword mentioned briefly on one page. It's much more about a naïve 18 year ..."

I will try to start reading Ouroboros as soon as I finish my current book.

I love The Worm Ouroboros. I found it in college when I worked as a shelver at the university library. It was in the Dewey decimal section on the top floor, with all the other old books that never got checked out. It was an early black hardcover edition. Since then I've read it many times, sometimes aloud with my wife. I quoted some of my favorite passages on my blog. But really that only scratches the surface.