tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post6538897581639997072..comments2024-03-27T19:07:19.133-04:00Comments on The Silver Key: Top 10 fantasy fiction battles: CamlannBrian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-36300652710098895782022-07-11T21:43:13.173-04:002022-07-11T21:43:13.173-04:00I would add the Siege of Dros Delnoch (Legend / Da...I would add the Siege of Dros Delnoch (Legend / David Gemmell) There is an epic quality to the writing of that battle culminating in a pyrrhic victory spelling out the cost of war so well.ORLAC PRESShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06069818954224435165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-81370257857050722672021-12-31T14:57:28.076-05:002021-12-31T14:57:28.076-05:00Searching for information of "Hrolf Krali'...Searching for information of "Hrolf Krali's saga" I found your blog and articles about you top ten fantasy fiction battles.<br />Svipdag's combat against the berserkers inspired me to start a YouTube Chanel about "literature" combats and battles:<br />https://youtube.com/user/moguefmr<br />Reading again Anderson's masterpiece and your comments make me post new videos in 2022.<br />Thanksmoguefmrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05089455447208794279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-65984773952056281202010-07-09T09:07:04.085-04:002010-07-09T09:07:04.085-04:00Hi Ben, I did? You're certainly welcome. The W...Hi Ben, I did? You're certainly welcome. The Warlord Trilogy is a great series that I try to push on everyone I know.<br /><br />Eric: Yeah, Excalibur was a great film but the final battle could have been better. I thought it hit the right notes in terms of pathos (Lancelot's return was touching, the Arthur and Mordred duel was a satisfying, bloody finish), but the size and scope were lost.<br /><br />I would love to see a real Arthurian film with the care and dedication of the LOTR films.Brian Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-62085548720062601052010-06-28T10:22:17.819-04:002010-06-28T10:22:17.819-04:00I'm still waiting for someone to do this battl...I'm still waiting for someone to do this battle right on film.<br /><br />Boorman's Excalibur had great moments throughout, but this battle was limited by his budget. And the others just don't have the mythic resonance. Someone needs to do the Arthur cycle in multiple films the way LOTR was done. 12+ hours or more MIGHT be enough to do some justice to the Arthurian legends.Eric D. Lehmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06463816538253906019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-75279646856508762062010-06-26T21:12:12.518-04:002010-06-26T21:12:12.518-04:00Great list! I couldn't guess what your number ...Great list! I couldn't guess what your number one would be before hand, but Camlann is a natural choice. It's the only one I've used in a D&D campaign! Great series (and thanks for turning me on to the Warlord Chronicles, by the way).Ben Grunzelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-36263279690632365252010-06-25T23:53:19.436-04:002010-06-25T23:53:19.436-04:00To me there's a distinction between fantasy an...To me there's a distinction between fantasy and mythology/folkore, mostly since a number of mythologies were religions back in the day, and weren't considered to be fantasy so much as supernatural explanations for the natural world. Thus I don't have a problem with your choosing of the Battle of Troy in The Illiad (and the more I think about it, *maybe* Camlann), but I do for Ragnarok. My opinion (and everyone's free to their own, naturally) is that fantasy fiction has to be intended as fiction from the beginning. This can include mythical beings and 'real people', but the story at least has to be original.<br /><br />Oh, and I certainly wasn't questioning your Howard fandom at all: I wouldn't advocating anyone including Howard in a list for some sense of mandatory placement. It just seemed strange since his battles are among my favourite things in his stories: the Battle of Shamla Pass is one of the best I've read.Taranaichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02176999342965850175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-68126480253419153712010-06-25T23:12:54.811-04:002010-06-25T23:12:54.811-04:00Taranich: No problem, I'm glad you liked the s...Taranich: No problem, I'm glad you liked the series, and I do welcome the dissent. I'd rather have disagreements than no comments at all (I know people are reading!)<br /><br />My definition of fantasy is just broader, I guess. I see modern works of fantasy (and by modern, I mean works that extend back to the end of the 19th/turn of the 20th century, like Lord Dunsany's writings and William Morris' <i>The Well at the World's End</i>) as outgrowths of older stories like Gilgamesh, Beowulf, the Arthurian myths, and even The Iliad and The Odyssey. When stories contain elements like swords that confer a divine kingship, or a grail with the miraculous power to heal, a cyclops, or a man-eating monster from the marshes, to me that's fantasy, regardless of its age or form. <br /><br />In hindsight, Thermopylae and Cynuit really don't belong on this list, even with my caveat that I would be including ancient but reimagined historic battles. But nevertheless, I had my reasons and in the end I found them too good to leave out.<br /><br />I knew you wouldn't like the omission of Howard but that's no intentional slight; I simply prefer his smaller pitched battles of fewer combatants. For the record he's my second favorite fantasy author behind Tolkien.Brian Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-27653080737923519512010-06-25T21:29:39.303-04:002010-06-25T21:29:39.303-04:00To be frank, if I were making my list, I wouldn...To be frank, if I were making my list, I wouldn't have included anything from mythology or history that has multiple iterations. I just think including the likes of Camlann, the Illiad, Thermopylae and especially Ragnarök means leaving out a lot of great stuff, and really pushes the boundary of what "battles in fantasy fiction" means.<br /><br />Plus the idea of having two Tolkien battles, but not a single Robert E. Howard one is... well, I hesitate to say blasphemy, but I'm still pretty taken aback, even if you include the Aquilonian/Nemedian battles in "honourable mentions."<br /><br />Only one thing for it: I'll have to do my own Top Ten! And this one'll have no mythological battles! And it'll have blackjack! And hookers! In fact... forget the Top Ten!<br /><br />Still, even though I have my strong misgivings regarding your choices, I still immensely enjoyed reading about them. If nothing else, it was a good read, and I hope you do other top tens in the future (even if I disagree with them!)Taranaichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02176999342965850175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-71818012413900994122010-06-25T07:59:07.297-04:002010-06-25T07:59:07.297-04:00Argh, how could I forget Darkness Weaves? I read i...Argh, how could I forget Darkness Weaves? I read it long ago and wish I still had my copy, which somehow disappeared during a move.Brian Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-47348908651019678872010-06-25T01:56:13.746-04:002010-06-25T01:56:13.746-04:00Excellent Brian-I should have seen that coming.
Lo...Excellent Brian-I should have seen that coming.<br />Love Excalibur and I plan on reading Cornwell's version soon.<br /><br />Honorable mentions for me would include the climactic end of Joe Abercrombies Last Argument of Kings, Karl Edward Wagners Battle for Empire in Darkness Weaves, and to add in Robert E. Howard-Kings of the Night!nephite blood spartan hearthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-61006219446139886222010-06-25T01:23:25.162-04:002010-06-25T01:23:25.162-04:00Well done! And I agree with your number 1; I think...Well done! And I agree with your number 1; I think about both Boorman's and Cornwell's versions often.brandykrusehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00188759625786631969noreply@blogger.com