Last Year and This Year

This past year was a haphazard one here at Swords & Sorcery: A Blog. First I tried to review all of Chaosium's Cthluhu Mythos anthologies, but Lin Carter killed that for me. Really, it was just too much of too much of the same stuff over and over again. To get to the really good stories I had to wade through lots of meh, to lousy, to hair-torn-out-at-the-roots bad stories. So after only a few volumes that whole business crashed and burned.

Then, in reaction to reading nothing but fantasy and being driven nuts by the state of the nation and the world, I turned to the Long 19th Century Project. While it crashed and burned as well, I will still go back to it. 

The rise of Western Imperialism and its attendant wars is one of the most compelling and interesting periods of world history. The great powers of today, save China, were forged into their modern versions during this era: industrialized America and Japan, Germany and Italy both united, Russia's completion of its southward and westward expansion, England and France chopping up Africa. 

My problem was I went overboard, trying to cram a vast stack of of books into my brain too quickly. I will definitely return to this in the coming year, just not with as concentrated attention, probably no more than a book or two at a time, but I will return.

Finally, there was, and still is, EPIC. It's going to be around at least until I finish the several series I've already started reviewing: First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Riddle-Master of Hed, and Fionavar. I need to read the next Kencyrath book from P.C. Hodgell, To Ride A Rathorn. Heck, I might even throw another Shanarra book in just for the heck of it. If I can think of anymore good stand-alones like Red Moon and Black Mountain I read/review them as well.

Then there are the reviews I've been asked to do (or will be shortly). The next Charles Saunders book should show up soon (oh, yeah!), a Gonji collection. Some other things I don't even know what they are yet.

And, as I've been doing for several years now, my short story reviews. I really don't read much new fantasy except in bite-size form, which suits me just fine. I get to read a wider array of authors, styles, and encounter dozens more ideas in a stack of doorstoppers. 

I do read a few books, mostly by people I know now, but very little of the popular stuff the kids are digging. With their terrible photo-realistic covers and their monstrous thickness and endless sequels, they just don't catch my eye. I need to read from people whose taste run similar to mine that a new book's good for me to chance it. I'm turning fifty this year, so I'm allowed to be crotchety.

And, of course, other posts about things that catch my fancy. Genre related things just not necessarily about a specific book or story, though they could be. You know, whatever.

I hope nobody got too bored or frustrated with my rapidly changing interests here during the last year. I like to believe I'm providing decent value (or amusement) for your dollar. I hope everyone sticks with me for the next twelve months. I don't know what it'll really bring, but I'm still having fun here and at Black Gate, so I with any luck that'll be apparent in what I write. Here's hoping, and a Happy New Year to everybody!

Go Read the Stories!

Eel Witch by Jon Hodgson

My monthly review of the last month's short stories just went up at Black Gate. Not a bad batch of stories and well worth a reader's time. I particularly liked "Mouth of the Jaguar" by Evan Dicken and "The Challenger's Garland" by Schuyler Hernstrom, both in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly #20.

The other day, the illustrious Janet Morris asked something I found interesting: "Here's a question for you, s&s fans and writers. Does your hero need a quest, or can he be motivated by long-standing goal, or revenge, or something as simple as his given word?"

My answer was quests are fine, but how many of REH's heroes adventures just happen when they're traveling from Point A to Point B? Like in real life, things just happen. Sometimes an overheard word leads them to a treasure, other times a fight leaves them on the wrong side of the law. The thing is, the heroes can be motivated by any variety of things.

It's one of the reasons I like short stories best when it comes to heroic fiction. Characters aren't locked into participating in some epic, endless plot. They maintain a bit of freewill in choosing what they'll do with their lives. 

I think of S&S characters as the blue collar heroes of fantasy. They want to get through the day, make some money and relax. It's not that they're not ambitious, they just don't have the breaks in life (inherited magic item, secret genetic inheritance making them the Chosen One, etc.) that set them up to be responsible for the world's destiny. I want to see S&S characters facing off against an uncaring and unfair world - and winning - not finding the lost Foofrah, the only thing that can stop the Evil Omni-Lord. A good S&S hero is too sensible to actively look to get caught up in that sort of dangerous nonsense.

S&S and long, questy sort of stories can work. Just look at Charles Saunders' Imaro or Ted Rypel's Gonji for proof. Still, I think those are exceptions. As good as Hour of the Dragon is, I'd rather reread "Beyond the Black River" or "Red Nails." Same with Karl Edward Wagner. The stories in Night Winds and Death Angel's Shadow are much better than the novels Bloodstone or Darkness Weaves. 

Next week I'm going to be reviewing Michael Chabon's Gentlemen of the Road. Even if McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales wasn't that good I really like Chabon's foreword calling for literary fictioneers to return to plot and genre. I've read much of his non-fiction but the only fiction so far is his Sherlock Holmes pastiche, The Final Problem. Not a groundbreaking book but a decent, heartfelt homage to the great detective.

I was inspired to finally crack the cover of Gentlemen because I'm still working my way slowly through Harold Lamb's Swords from the West. I'm hoping the Chabon book will be a nice companion piece to Lamb's. Here's hoping!

Being Sick, Blogging and Buying Books

   So pretty much the day after the luminous Mrs. V. started recovering from a week+ bout of flu-like symptoms, I woke up with a fever.  This is the second time I've been sick in the past few months which really stinks.
  Fortunately, I didn't feel crappy until after I got my weekly Black Gate post written.  It's the December short story roundup. Only three stories to review but I pretty much like all of them. Some clever ideas, particularly in Fraser Sherman's "I Think Therefore I Die" and decent writing in all three. Check 'em out.
   My writing music was an odd mix of Derek Trucks, Kiss, and seventies Kinks.

  I finished spending my Christmas gift certificates over at Amazon and picked up a nice batch of stuff.  Crime, horror, neo-pulp and swords & sorcery.  Oh, and I did get my copy of Pilgrim's Progress.

Some Books Are Only OK (and I'm cool with that)

   So I just read and reviewed Daughter of the Bright Moon by Lynn Abbey over at Black Gate. I've meant to read it for years but didn't. Overall, it's a decent book. Nothing special but I didn't feel like I'd wasted the five or six hours I spent on it.

   In fact the story of how it came to be is even better than the book. According to Abbey, she was going to pick up Gordon Dickson for a convention had a bad accident. He felt bad and that someone just trying to get him to the show on time got hurt, so he offered to read anything she had. With his advice she turned her ideas into a finished book.  Then he helped her get it published. Pretty cool.

   When I finished reading DotBM my initial reaction was, okay, that's done. I was sad that it was over. I hadn't rushed through it because I couldn't wait to find out what happened next but because I didn't want to miss my deadline at Black Gate.

   Only when I started describing the book to the luminous Mrs. V did I realized how many thing about it that I really liked. There's some good things going on in it and Rifkind is a great hero. In a genre that has way too many wish-fulfillment characters, she's pretty believable. I admit to having problems with a lot of the amazonian characters I've come across in some modern heroic fantasy. Few women are going to be able to go head to head with a man in physical combat for an extended period of time. That's not the case here. Rifkind's victories are hard and smartly bought. In retrospect, I had really sort of enjoyed the book.

   Most books I finish are just like that. Not great, but a good way to pass the time. I read for entertainment. Now it can be at a more sophisticated level of entertainment like The Master and Margarita or at a simpler one like Beyond the Black River, but most books aren't going to be that good.

   And that's ok, it doesn't make them bad books. Heck, the law of averages says most of what I read is going to be, well, average. And I'm cool with that.  Sometimes I just want a little adventure or humor. Maybe a some mystery.   Is every football game you watch or album you listen to the greatest? Nope, but you still enjoy them.  Same thing with books.  If a book delivers what it says on the cover then I'm happy.


Next week, provided an essay I'm working on about why I blog doesn't come together (which I'm can safely guarantee it won't), I'm going to review the fricking awesome God Stalk by the fricking awesome P. C. Hodgell.  It's one of my all time favorite books and I hope I'm able to convey some of that love.

This past week's music (and at least the coming week's as well) was various live Led Zeppelin recordings the studio albums Presence and In Through the Out Door.

Stories from September and Musings

   So blogging at Black Gate is forcing me to reacquire good reading habits. I'm back to at least a book a week and I've gotten back to reading all the current issues of Beneath Ceaseless Skies.  Lately I'd let the latter slip. That Issue #129 has two great stories made it a little easier.  To read what I thought of the rest go check out my post.

   I'm starting to excavate my S&S shelves to find older books that either I haven't read and haven't gotten a more recent review at BG.  I also want to start getting up to speed on some newer books that deserve attention.

   I know I seemed a little pessimistic last week about writing about S&S but I've gotten over that.  I've been given a great opportunity and perch to unfurl the banners, rally the troops and sign up new recruits.  Okay, that sounds even sillier out loud than it reads, but it's how I want to approach things.   S&S may never have more than a cult following but not for lack of me yammering about it or, more importantly, dozens of excellent writers creating new and exciting stories.  

   I just bought two new e-books: David C. Smith's The West is Dying and the anthology Azieran Adventures Presents Artifacts and Relics: Extreme Sorcery.  The last has stories by friends of this site, Bill Ward and David J. West as well as an introduction by S&S entrepreneur Jason M. Waltz.  It's also got stuff by folks I'm a fan of, including Joe Bonadonna and Steve Goble, as others whom I just might become a fan of as well.  Only time will tell.

I've also ordered two newer (though thoroughly used and very cheap) books by writers I'm not familiar with because of things I've read on the 'net.  Maybe I'll even read them this year.

This past weekend's music for writing turned out to be a selection of heavy duty stoner bands like Nebula and Queens of the Stone Age.  Good stuff.

Reviewing and Stuff, etc.

   This past week or so has seen several articles/posts on the whys and wherefores of reviewing.  As somebody trying to teach himself how to craft reviews worth people wasting their time on instead of more important things like walking the dog or shining their shoes, I'm eager to take advice and seek insights into the art of reviewing wherever I can.   I own scads of compilations of reviews by David Thomson, Clive James, Christopher Hitchens and others.  I'll never attain a level of skill or artistry that comes close to the bottom rung of their least work (I'm not being self-effacing.  Their work is superb and important.).  At this point this site is mostly filled with reviews and I do want to be better in the little genre pool I've chose to swim in.

   The first came from author James Enge at his Ambrose & Elsewhere site.  He examines the place of and motives behind negative reviewing.  He also states what he seems to consider the minimum requirement for honest reviewing: if you want to make a claim about a piece of art, back it up with real examples from the work.

   The second was an article from the British GK.com site by disgraced Independent writer, Johann Hari.  His piece is about the decline of serious reviewing and its replacement by shorter and inherently less insightful reviews.  He was spurred by the replacement of much of its longer album reviews with Twitter posts by Spin magazine.  He makes claims to the value of criticism I heartily agree with though others about its importance I'm less inclined to.  

   Finally, Michal Wojcik, author, artist and creator of the excellent One Last Sketch blog, had two related posts.  The  first is on the poor quality of much of what passes for reviewing on the 'net, and the second on why he limits what he chooses to review himself as well as pointing to more of the deficiencies he encounters in far too many reviews.  The primary one he describes is the highlighting of a sentence pulled from here or there in a book as examples of the author's supposedly poor writing instead of examining the writing, etc. of the entire work.  

   Wojcik's words had the most immediate effect and got me thinking again about what I'm doing and why I'm bothering with this site at all.  Does anyone really need to read another article about swords & sorcery?  Will I ever have an insight into Howard/Leiber/Moorcock that hasn't been written better by others?  Also, who am I to even be doing this.  Stuff like that started buzzing around in my head.  Slowly some answers did gurgle up.

   I don't know if there's any value to the reviews I've written but I want to make sure they're honest and my stands adequately argued.  When it comes to something I dislike I need to be able to pull it apart and understand what components don't work for me and why as well as where and if its larger elements (plot, allusions, etc.) fail.  I've been doing this for about a year now and I'm only just starting to reach a point where I think I might not miss these goals one day.  There's just a lot of work ahead.

   Looking back all the way to April of this year, I presented my longest and most negative review.  It was for the collected Simon of Gitta stories by Richard L. Tierney.  Returning to it I'm disappointed by the vagueness of much of it.  There was so much about the book I didn't enjoy.  Way too many of the stories were just too long and too boring.  Unfortunately, I never actually explained how Tierney failed to capture or maintain my interest in Simon's escapades.

   Part of my problem is I don't want to reveal too much about plot specifics in my reviews.  I'm writing a lot about short stories.  There's often not that much to say without giving away the whole enterprise.  Even in the cases of stories I dislike I don't want to ruin them for potential readers (I haven't encountered anything yet so exceedingly awful readers need to waved away from like a toxic spill).   If I want to be more substantive I need to give a little more evidence and grounds for my opinions.

   Most of what I'm doing qualifies proudly as consumer advice as described in the Hari article.  I've read something and I want to let you know if it's worth investing your time in.  I love reviews and lists because there's just too much stuff out there to sift through.  Always has been and there's only going to be more.  By doing what I'm doing I'm hoping to help to provide some focus in the specific genre of S&S for current and potential readers.  As such many of my reviews don't need to do much more than hip readers to some new (to them) writing I found worth my time and think others might as well.

   Sometimes, though, there's a little more going on and that's what I need to work on.  Nothing written by any of the three folks above is new or astounding.  However, it's all information I need to digest and remember much better than I think I have to date.  A big reason for this blog's creation was to force myself to write and learn how to discipline myself and work on those self editing skills I possess at far too an undeveloped level.

   Even this post is too diffuse (but I'm going to post it anyway).  For those of you who read my blather and keep coming back, thank you very much.  That's a big incentive to take the time and make the effort to become better at doing this blogging business.  It's rewarding to put something out there and have people read it.  Readers' time is the payment made for my posts and I don't want to put shoddy goods on the shelf.

   With some luck and more work than I'm too often willing to undertake, I hope to write reviews that provide a reasonable amount of insight into what makes a particular story work for me.  When I find an author who knocks my socks off (like James Enge) I hope to be able to impart a bit of the excitement I got when I first encountered his/her work.  When it isn't successful I want to be able to be able to dissect it and point out where it went wrong.  Here's hoping I get there someday.