tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57230772289484475282024-03-18T19:26:45.870-04:00The Silver Key"Wonder had gone away, and he had forgotten that all life is only a set of pictures in the brain, among which there is no difference betwixt those born of real things and those born of inward dreamings, and no cause to value the one above the other."
--H.P. Lovecraft, The Silver Key
Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.comBlogger828125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-61329447825676941142024-03-17T19:45:00.001-04:002024-03-17T20:02:56.408-04:0050 years of Dungeons and Dragons<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi7dKQtrv5OAXIwsydSgXHEw6pVI81MZlKxc12Adqu3655pXmb0qqCTQPu-bm1K4rdt9VIWTx61-0woHpoiTg-SjrC1IlIDBwMdxIJq5hEhmKMC4FhR1yS8brQjr9qud2QPqXSiQslc0q2sFvQs2mT58vMrCPGWknP457vW_kh50mitCsQhWJxWaPN8es" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="640" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi7dKQtrv5OAXIwsydSgXHEw6pVI81MZlKxc12Adqu3655pXmb0qqCTQPu-bm1K4rdt9VIWTx61-0woHpoiTg-SjrC1IlIDBwMdxIJq5hEhmKMC4FhR1yS8brQjr9qud2QPqXSiQslc0q2sFvQs2mT58vMrCPGWknP457vW_kh50mitCsQhWJxWaPN8es=w400-h229" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No save... but lots of fun.</td></tr></tbody></table>This is the year of golden anniversaries. On the heels of 50 years of <i>Savage Sword of Conan</i> comes a half century of a game that meant and still means a hell of a lot to me. It’s a game in my past, but I might play it again. Hell, I bought my first comic book/illustrated magazine in 33 years, Stranger Things could happen (<=intentional D&D reference inserted here).</div><div><br /></div><div>I can’t begin to tell you how much fun I had with Dungeons and Dragons and other role playing games. But mostly, with D&D.</div><div><br /></div><div>I still have all my old core materials. All/most of the AD&D 1E, 2E, and 3.5 hardbacks, plus Moldvay/Cook B/X and the Mentzer sets through Immortals. Approximately 60 modules, and at least 100 issues of Dragon and Dungeon. Once in a while I take them off the shelf, thumb through for the illustrations and the quirky and rich Gygaxian prose.</div><div><br /></div><div>D&D was my gateway to the RPG hobby. I don’t know the precise year I began but it was definitely in elementary school in the early 80s. <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2008/06/magic-of-moldvay.html" target="_blank">The Tom Moldvay basic set was the first RPG I ever owned</a>. I still own those same battered, careworn books.</div><div><br /></div><div>I remember playing Traveler in elementary school with the black books during lunch. I was fascinated by the crunchiness of the game and the fact that you could die(?) with a series of unfortunate rolls during character creation. I went on to play other RPGs as well, but always came back to Dungeons and Dragons.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3RBNxHMJpldLEQnVfDjTxGt4W_Z_p_m7RV41mtE0Bq22IYoD04zmaFFAQKNwfWXvC0ITPApY_7a54xitKlIU5bpcI3ggo7s545egc-CEG64D4lL_pZgo7ZmfIgqNfQjs7QHhZSWGs2mlNCHrCBt05DbCRDiTS5Utj8uDz4qQo4_VOClrd7lKdp3TUnTM" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3RBNxHMJpldLEQnVfDjTxGt4W_Z_p_m7RV41mtE0Bq22IYoD04zmaFFAQKNwfWXvC0ITPApY_7a54xitKlIU5bpcI3ggo7s545egc-CEG64D4lL_pZgo7ZmfIgqNfQjs7QHhZSWGs2mlNCHrCBt05DbCRDiTS5Utj8uDz4qQo4_VOClrd7lKdp3TUnTM=w297-h400" width="297" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture paints a thousand words.</td></tr></tbody></table>We spent many years not playing “right,” misinterpreting rules and playing Monty Haul ultralevel characters that slew demons and devils and collected artifacts and relics like I collect battered S&S paperbacks. Murder-hoboing our way through The Keep on the Borderlands. But having a blast all the while. I remember the excitement when a magic-user would level up, unlock a new spell level, and spend hours agonizing over whether to memorize “Polymorph Self” or “Wall of Ice.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Eventually our games got more refined as our grasp of the rules improved. Middle school was a step up. Some of my fondest memories of those awkward years were walking home from school with a few friends where an afternoon of adventure awaited: A ping-pong table with hundreds of painted lead miniatures. I was obsessed with the game at this time, carting off piles of books on family camping trips, vacations, and Boy Scout retreats. I created worlds on lined notebook and graph paper in three-ring binders. I painted miniatures, including a skeleton army. I vividly remember the blast I had running a group through A4, In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords, in which the party starts out as loinclothed prisoners deep in the caverns of the wicked slavers and must rely on their wits and pluck to escape to the surface. </div><div><br /></div><div>I even got to play D&D during school, during a Friday afternoon 7th period elective in eighth grade. How cool is that?</div><div><br /></div><div>As an adult I returned to the game I loved, <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2011/05/celebrating-ten-years-of-slaying.html" target="_blank">and played for more than 10 years with a new group of friends </a> made while rolling D20s together. <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2020/05/remembering-my-friend-and-dungeon.html " target="_blank">And lost one of those friends, far too early.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I once wrote to Gary Gygax, <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2008/03/legend-is-gone.html" target="_blank">and to my eternal amazement he wrote me back</a>. I remain indebted to Gary’s work co-founding TSR and am inspired to pick up a good general history of the hobby, possibly <i>Game Wizards</i> or <i>Slaying the Dragon</i>. If you have any recommendations let me know.</div><div><br /></div><div>For a while I thought computer RPGs would kill off this great old game. Back in the day I loved games like Wizard’s Crown and Ultima and Phantasie and The Bard’s Tale, but these were in the end fairly primitive graphics-wise, a little clunky in their execution, and most of all greatly limited compared to what you could do at the game table. Which was (and is) essentially, limitless, contained only by the imagination of the players and DM. CRPGs have gotten far better, richer, and freeform since, but that hasn’t seemed to hamper the growth of traditional tabletop RPGs. They seem as healthy or perhaps even healthier than ever, at least from my vantagepoint as a casual observer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today (and despite some recent missteps by Hasbro) I don’t believe D&D will ever die. It fulfills a need all humans have, for good company and shared storytelling around the table. 50 years ago D&D was created by enthusiasts who recognized this need and married it to their joint love of wargaming and fantasy fiction. The result was magic. I remain forever grateful.</div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-7450794516586237412024-03-09T16:02:00.012-05:002024-03-10T08:58:03.496-04:00The Savage Sword of Conan no. 1, Titan Comics: A review<p>I haven’t bought a new comic book in 33 years, when I purchased the April 1991 Savage Sword of Conan as a high school senior. The venerable magazine ended its long run four years later. I was in college in these waning days of SSOC and so had no spending money for comics; what little funds I had went toward beer. </p><p>I've purchased a handful of back issues of SSOC since, but that’s it. And had no intention of ever buying a new comic again … until now. The hype around the relaunch of SSOC by Titan Comics piqued my interest and I decided to give it a go.</p><p>Before I get to the contents I have to say the packaging/mailing is a 10/10. I have never ordered a comic book by mail and dreaded it would arrive mangled by the postal service, but it was secured with cardboard backing in a plastic sheath and packaged in a rigid cardboard flat. The magazine arrived in wonderful shape.</p><p>I opened it up and immediately thought, <i>this is what I wanted it to be.</i></p><p>Black and white interior art on newsprint pages, just like the old magazine. Savage and sexy with beheadings and nudity. Pinup art, text articles. The cover callback to the classic Frazetta Conan the Adventurer, featuring Conan astride a mound of corpses with a woman clutching his knee. A shot of nostalgia.</p><p>It checked all the boxes.</p><p>Yes, it has some well-documented issues with the art being too dark. Not every panel, and the Solomon Kane story does not suffer from this problem. The Hyborian Age map suffers the most, as does a pinup image of Belit. Equally annoying was the lack of page numbers; there is a TOC with page numbers cited but no corresponding numbers on the pages themselves. These were either forgotten or cut off during the printing.</p><p>I’m sure these glitches will be fixed.</p><p>On to the contents.</p><p>I loved opening the issue and seeing an introduction by the legendary Roy Thomas. As if the iconic cover drawn by SSOC veteran Joe Jusko wasn’t enough, Thomas’ recap of the magazine’s history was a perfect way to kick off the issue. Thomas also alluded to having “a story or three” planned for future issues, which would be a very welcome development.</p><p>I enjoyed the main feature, “Conan and the Dragon Horde” by writer John Arcudi and artist Man von Fafner. I appreciated it being self-contained to the issue, a big plus for me. The story kept me interested, with enough twists and turns and no lulls. Conan was well-drawn, especially his savage facial expressions. It features a couple well-done “boss fights” with dragon-like dinosaurs and two hulking bodyguards, and a necropolis. The story is quite gritty and has no overt sorcery, even the monsters could be atavistic survivors of a pre-Hyborian/prehistoric age. I perhaps raised an eyebrow at the accuracy of the siege engines (they accurately target moving people, one is used to drop a noose around a man in a melee?) but otherwise was on board with what I was reading.</p><p>That said I thought the second-tier Solomon Kane story “Master of the Hunt” was even better. A historical curse laid on a medieval Welsh Lord gives rise to a vengeful demon, and the horror atmosphere is palpable (it reminded me a bit of the beginning of <i>An American Werewolf in London</i>—<i>keep off the moors!</i>). The story ends on a cliffhanger which makes issue #2 a must-buy. The art in this story was perfectly clear and non-murky, and it’s good. Kane is well-rendered.</p><p>I’m not sure why the need for the prose Jim Zub story “Sacrifice in the Sand,” other than it pairs with the cover. I would have preferred to see a photo essay like we had in the old SSOC days, perhaps a recap of Howard Days or the like. I hope Titan brings those back. Zub did a nice job writing this short two-pager, and I found his prose atmospheric and poetic. It could have made for a nice 6-8 page illustrated short.</p><p>I enjoyed Jeff Shanks’ Solomon Kane essay, which paired well with the story. Shanks is a first-rate Howard scholar whom I met at last year’s Howard Days. His “Hyborian Age Archeology” is a must-read, and I relied upon and cited his essay “History, Horror, and Heroic Fantasy: Robert E. Howard and the Creation of Sword and Sorcery” in <i>Flame and Crimson</i>. In comparison to his academic work this Kane essay is sleight, but that’s what you’d expect in a comic magazine. I found it to be a good overview for a new reader of Kane’s publishing history and the character himself.</p><p>Oh and REH himself makes an appearance with a reprint of his poem "The Road of Kings."</p><p>I thought the riskiest move was the dead horse on the cover; these days people seem OK with every manner of violence inflicted on humans but revolt at the sight of dead animals. Unfortunately corpses of horses littered the battlefields of every historical engagement, well into the 20th century. I have no problem with it, I’m sure some will.</p><p>Overall I’m quite happy with issue #1. If you’re a Conan fan you should be too. SSOC is back.</p>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-88549386741378322024-03-08T19:59:00.001-05:002024-03-08T19:59:25.773-05:00Look what came in the mail<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawQY4QaeMWYVZyyVD1lMc1Fnkldt9JEVZ4d_9qhKENmXur7OU6movbTv1WbBNqMkUKz_JnocXy3bguxPZdu5L4BmRs-ixzUC-fQ6E9Z9eCoWmYA5vkoFKTHOYHmHk_vA5RIxQN98VKxLfFFkBStfEetTRlW04a9V6NQjaNCRqy8Aa3St0VKMKgOOx_dw/s4032/IMG_0649.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawQY4QaeMWYVZyyVD1lMc1Fnkldt9JEVZ4d_9qhKENmXur7OU6movbTv1WbBNqMkUKz_JnocXy3bguxPZdu5L4BmRs-ixzUC-fQ6E9Z9eCoWmYA5vkoFKTHOYHmHk_vA5RIxQN98VKxLfFFkBStfEetTRlW04a9V6NQjaNCRqy8Aa3St0VKMKgOOx_dw/w300-h400/IMG_0649.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Looking forward to reading this. It’s the first new comic book/illustrated magazine I’ve purchased since 1991.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIByXl3upjQkM8QpoZ55wbg1cULhKgZhyYLhYx5Fno8HCGaetIb9ae6NlNxm7Nk4AvQgXdQyiFDw7aatvfNierm_XSBUTS2vplQVTeWSJkvNua3Gz93N5gVSajjr0P0GJzeOHbW1EWmzXRwqycWJwfJF9SaESrU8G5UjnwjGFZcIMdkeQPCbiUl0TGBoU/s4032/IMG_0654.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIByXl3upjQkM8QpoZ55wbg1cULhKgZhyYLhYx5Fno8HCGaetIb9ae6NlNxm7Nk4AvQgXdQyiFDw7aatvfNierm_XSBUTS2vplQVTeWSJkvNua3Gz93N5gVSajjr0P0GJzeOHbW1EWmzXRwqycWJwfJF9SaESrU8G5UjnwjGFZcIMdkeQPCbiUl0TGBoU/w400-h300/IMG_0654.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br />Feeling optimistic after reading the introduction by none other than Roy Thomas, who appears to be “writing a story or three” for the relaunch. </p><p><br /></p>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-70182432946277538912024-03-04T20:29:00.000-05:002024-03-04T20:29:39.985-05:00Our modern problems with reading<p>We don’t have infinite time. The amount of reading attention any new book must compete with is getting progressively smaller. So we have to be selective.</p><p>It’s basic math.</p><p>Robert E. Howard read Edgar Rice Burroughs and Jack London and H. Rider Haggard (and many, many authors besides, but bear with me as I make this point).</p><p>Michael Moorcock read Howard and his contemporaries C.L. Moore and Clark Ashton Smith… but is obligated to read ERB and London and Haggard.</p><p>Writers today read Moorcock and his contemporaries Karl Edward Wagner and Jack Vance and Poul Anderson. But also should read Howard and Moore and Smith … and ERB and London and Haggard.</p><p>The demands on new generations of readers multiply. What about readers and writers three generations from now?</p><p>Oh, and we all must read the classics. Shakespeare and Milton and Homer and Hemingway.</p><p>Make sure you read outside your genre. One should read history, too. </p><p>The accumulated reading, generation on generation, cannot continue. The math doesn’t add up. How many books can anyone read in a lifetime?</p><p>Some books must fall by the wayside.</p><p>This is just the beginning of the problem. We have many more demands on our attention than previous generations. Movies, TV, video games, TTRPGs, YouTube, doom scrolling, etc., all compete for our attention during “free” time. And despite all the breathless predictions of the techno utopians, we don’t seem to be working any fewer hours.</p><p>That means we’ve got choices to make. As you get older, you realize you cannot fritter your time away. It’s far too precious.</p><p>So, what are we to do?</p><p>My advice: Read what you want. Just read, as long as its not Reddit forums or Twitter threads.</p><p>Read new sword-and-sorcery or read the classics. Read comic books, or graphic novels. Just make sure it’s something someone has created, with care. </p><p>Don’t listen to what other people think. I don’t. Because I’ve read enough to spot illogic and ad hominem and the rest. </p><p>Just because a book is old, published 60 or 80 or 400 years ago, does not render it out of date. C.S. Lewis tells us to rid yourself of “the uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate common to our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that account discredited. You must find out why it went out of date. Was it ever refuted (and if so by whom, where, and how conclusively) or did it merely die away as fashions do? If the latter, this tells us nothing about its truth or falsehood.”</p><p>And our age is prone to its own illusions.</p><p>Anything still in print 60 years after it was published is probably worth your time. Because it survived the test of time. The books that influenced your favorite author(s) are probably worth reading too, even if out of print. </p><p>But don’t feel obligated to plow through classics that are going to kill your love of reading, either. </p><p>Read what interests you, and carry that fire against public opinion. Which is often shit.</p><p>That’s another benefit of reading widely and deeply—read enough good stuff and you’ll develop a sensitive and accurate bullshit detection meter.</p>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-63442305034792905022024-02-28T20:26:00.001-05:002024-03-05T07:31:03.491-05:0050 years of Savage Sword of Conan, and beyond<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiwCaewJwi181PBYRAuo_NnA0lL3ew_ga-q8xf5SayUrro6WTfQCDa4eWxsK78v9MA6EsVPIJw7b8KpHd1Vc233vwTFEwDm_OWOMiGV-pHt6ZDMa5oa-8MR4gFbyd7R-cR0HyHvB-wpLAzk366N_UvQN-WGjvggDwxhqbmu3koZEu4FWKDR--BUun1KdY" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiwCaewJwi181PBYRAuo_NnA0lL3ew_ga-q8xf5SayUrro6WTfQCDa4eWxsK78v9MA6EsVPIJw7b8KpHd1Vc233vwTFEwDm_OWOMiGV-pHt6ZDMa5oa-8MR4gFbyd7R-cR0HyHvB-wpLAzk366N_UvQN-WGjvggDwxhqbmu3koZEu4FWKDR--BUun1KdY=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahh, no. 29, I love you. Love them all...</td></tr></tbody></table>Savage Sword of Conan debuted August 1974. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was just one year old. Probably a little young to be reading this great old magazine. But looking back, I love the thought that when I was born, it existed. Imagine a not yet two-year -old me toddling over and placing a chubby hand on Conan nailed to the tree of death, a grinning skull leering in the distance. Boris Vallejo’s stunning artwork gracing the cover of issue #5, which I proudly own.</div><div><br /></div><div>SSOC changed me. It was my gateway to Robert E. Howard, and to sword-and-sorcery. It introduced me to a darker, more brutal, savage, and sexy brand of fantasy than I was used to from the Chronicles of Prydain and The Hobbit, books I was first encountering around that same time. </div><div><br /></div><div>I might not be here blogging were it not for SSOC.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve recounted this story a few times now. <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2008/05/glory-that-was-savage-sword-of-conan.html" target="_blank">Here on the blog</a>, in the foreword to <i>Flame and Crimson</i>, possibly on a podcast or two. But I still remember that initial shock upon finding a horde of back issues of the magazine circa 1984-85. Some of the fondest memories I have in my life are buying a couple at a time as I could afford them, bringing them home, leaning back in my second-hand split leather desk chair, putting my feet up on my desk. Sipping a cold Pepsi and eating a candy bar bought at a local drugstore. And getting utterly lost in the Hyborian Age. I was gripped in the potent spell of a necromancer.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I write this essay an overflowing comic box sits to my left. The same ones I bought back in the mid-80s, with a couple issues added here and there over the years. One day I will probably finish my collection.</div><div><br /></div><div>SSOC had it all. Great art of course, which goes without saying. Considerable diversity in its artists, but with some powerhouses to anchor the title, big names with which I’d become familiar—Adams, Vallejo, Norem, Buscema, Alcala, Chan. And others.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the art, the terrific map of the Hyborian Age topped by an excerpt from the Nemedian Chronicles. Opening SSOC and seeing this splash page made it feel as though I was being guided into a lost world--perhaps due to the way it presented a lost text disclosing an even deeper layer of history (<a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-silmarillion-thirty-years-on-review.html#more" target="_blank">a layering technique J.R.R. Tolkien used in his works, to great effect</a>). It felt real, lived in, once upon a time, impossibly dim and remote, but possibly our own, historical earth before the time when the oceans drank Atlantis.</div><div><br /></div><div>Beyond that, SSOC featured stories about other Howardian characters, like Red Sonja or Solomon Kane (whom I did not know at all at the time). Beautiful art portfolios. Letters columns. Prose articles. I even loved the ads, pointing to treasures that I hoped I might one day acquire.</div><div><br /></div><div>I just pulled out no. 29 at random (see above). And it’s just as awesome as I remember. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKJMmlbHyHfGA93uoR_l6RGRkAebypt26a-dZkbFyM3664fyEwe7avbdUlEmVxoj8iG1lBvEBTvO_xqTzqzeJq-9LX27DK1Em2CYPshcWSaH4JjpURJ0thaDNfxlbrVnPgwPgDpG0jh9fedkQ5316tm-U8cIvZOYmfVKUGRVxX7OMFPaG83DR72vmimc0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKJMmlbHyHfGA93uoR_l6RGRkAebypt26a-dZkbFyM3664fyEwe7avbdUlEmVxoj8iG1lBvEBTvO_xqTzqzeJq-9LX27DK1Em2CYPshcWSaH4JjpURJ0thaDNfxlbrVnPgwPgDpG0jh9fedkQ5316tm-U8cIvZOYmfVKUGRVxX7OMFPaG83DR72vmimc0=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Issue 29 TOC.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiky-5JBGhbjARwCw7e83mq5CZI0UwhcDaUe2oqV0QArUmPt-QWERD5qerwfeKuttCtYy6kQGVPdVssPeb1XfIygZ7kP6RsvivGYBPHkzW9I5yCmlHhsu8NX9Ppy57eVowLIxjAHAjSrIOPNSIXMVT27Seqb5xyuJYBuvKrBTkFLbFY8wjCqwUM7s-hqQs" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiky-5JBGhbjARwCw7e83mq5CZI0UwhcDaUe2oqV0QArUmPt-QWERD5qerwfeKuttCtYy6kQGVPdVssPeb1XfIygZ7kP6RsvivGYBPHkzW9I5yCmlHhsu8NX9Ppy57eVowLIxjAHAjSrIOPNSIXMVT27Seqb5xyuJYBuvKrBTkFLbFY8wjCqwUM7s-hqQs=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That map made me a child of sorcery...<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiz_C3WZoIRh8iobOz_3QY80ysriFzv8Tt4tt7tewLy_Ldo4wi8McpUegkxLLJmrwXVCGVvaf15iJCgYHaQI6bNVnj10NMbPogSbaEi_BTRS2nob1pCBef94A7Ethb4BMOIiI9FObvq2Cp_PT_6lITiO41WWVfYJRRaAdY0bVzS18y7w4zjNMm5f35ieK4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiz_C3WZoIRh8iobOz_3QY80ysriFzv8Tt4tt7tewLy_Ldo4wi8McpUegkxLLJmrwXVCGVvaf15iJCgYHaQI6bNVnj10NMbPogSbaEi_BTRS2nob1pCBef94A7Ethb4BMOIiI9FObvq2Cp_PT_6lITiO41WWVfYJRRaAdY0bVzS18y7w4zjNMm5f35ieK4=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conan's Ladies... easy on the eye.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl-wU1uzyxgm3xwRPHZ9NRUrCKXwxHPCpCsjaHSoaJUpF2yyuqw6ehNiLmOfIxfsR1GfYKWOkW9foz4Ib1wuKby7WrINFIwnbw5JJ2kvTEu97YhEiIuunXpLKUZeZTHzB7nV-JXY6ZGGkcRbzyUiTHruCIrbmNzVG4eSKORB3QxjWO2P5qgt-ADjCFZZo" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl-wU1uzyxgm3xwRPHZ9NRUrCKXwxHPCpCsjaHSoaJUpF2yyuqw6ehNiLmOfIxfsR1GfYKWOkW9foz4Ib1wuKby7WrINFIwnbw5JJ2kvTEu97YhEiIuunXpLKUZeZTHzB7nV-JXY6ZGGkcRbzyUiTHruCIrbmNzVG4eSKORB3QxjWO2P5qgt-ADjCFZZo=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holy balls that's some good artwork... Almuric at left (Tim Conrad)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWv_yZHd2lTehCe4_ZxYxXlAE1RBj3036_sb8kMrxg4kqdQBLEv9IWdIOUYZbsXnzAOaKUXE1rzTHzU4E7PhpLCV86EFw655zGZerosa8arp5XGCD86qM_lUBfAePqqhpwH0zBx_h9idk_0zvfD6tIzrkC9AUnI6QgMmRxrJtTXhTPflZEa8m3uTxoov4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWv_yZHd2lTehCe4_ZxYxXlAE1RBj3036_sb8kMrxg4kqdQBLEv9IWdIOUYZbsXnzAOaKUXE1rzTHzU4E7PhpLCV86EFw655zGZerosa8arp5XGCD86qM_lUBfAePqqhpwH0zBx_h9idk_0zvfD6tIzrkC9AUnI6QgMmRxrJtTXhTPflZEa8m3uTxoov4=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I desperately wanted to participate.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbVKmKoI4yJSm-Buj6394q3_rcKVfBF-2e3RlgqCVDbrf0ksGn_lNR-kc4R3ImS3FSYNrWXTMrvt8rTQwbKhvyssYNaOV0eRrx-roHVt7ThxpWLwrqmq60Al5-gEbet2-TwSkKK5wldblWR8QVKKVneE7xwuYuT0jvVyTsUazszDG6c_75TgpRK0szaWg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbVKmKoI4yJSm-Buj6394q3_rcKVfBF-2e3RlgqCVDbrf0ksGn_lNR-kc4R3ImS3FSYNrWXTMrvt8rTQwbKhvyssYNaOV0eRrx-roHVt7ThxpWLwrqmq60Al5-gEbet2-TwSkKK5wldblWR8QVKKVneE7xwuYuT0jvVyTsUazszDG6c_75TgpRK0szaWg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Would they still honor these prices?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSxFtQwjcEfIyqPib0B3mUTth0TjpSeMpJzQ0B6LIFDzLZT7NvOSQyDG1wO6ja0UmARpIyN1n7VDJXgyrSZsv6T0C8k6OEHCG0v5jfF5DG2ytbYfsgjb1AttYFfI6WzFilXuVVdvi6f9mErycJejPWLeVYxhHeLfDkFQUfa0V-pqfMxRkDrnSwBHykfc8" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSxFtQwjcEfIyqPib0B3mUTth0TjpSeMpJzQ0B6LIFDzLZT7NvOSQyDG1wO6ja0UmARpIyN1n7VDJXgyrSZsv6T0C8k6OEHCG0v5jfF5DG2ytbYfsgjb1AttYFfI6WzFilXuVVdvi6f9mErycJejPWLeVYxhHeLfDkFQUfa0V-pqfMxRkDrnSwBHykfc8=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RIP John Verpoorten. I'd read every article, regardless of subject matter.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgv5TqYYzpqY_770GVDU2RWoyvFPNrUGKbTiLx9MQM6lcUUmu0b-7dHyIA2TjwKZmFyXOGV1kGiOaQmXYqh9oR7lCX1Pruj0BnLuNdc5aNFrAaJRSGW3IkC-evbIbOHpoFSokS0p-Y9-lic4b4jfTWGleBuZhXJ7JKVCW5V7u55oZA9sjWCulgeetNueeE" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgv5TqYYzpqY_770GVDU2RWoyvFPNrUGKbTiLx9MQM6lcUUmu0b-7dHyIA2TjwKZmFyXOGV1kGiOaQmXYqh9oR7lCX1Pruj0BnLuNdc5aNFrAaJRSGW3IkC-evbIbOHpoFSokS0p-Y9-lic4b4jfTWGleBuZhXJ7JKVCW5V7u55oZA9sjWCulgeetNueeE=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swords and Scrolls... first letter by one Andrew J. Offutt. With praise for issue #24 and "Tower of the Elephant."</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Listening to an interview with Jim Zub on The Rogues in the House podcast got me interested in subscribing to the new incarnation of the magazine, published by Titan. Which is a bit surprising, I suppose, as I’m no longer a comic book guy (or even an illustrated magazine guy). I’m not opposed to them by any means, but they’re just not in my wheelhouse anymore. </div><div><br /></div><div>But with the new SSOC the urge is deeper. It’s tapping into my nostalgia, sure, and that’s a potent vein. But it’s also akin to paying my respects. And seeing what new hands and minds might bring to this beloved old character.</div><div><br /></div><div>OK, I did it. I ordered issue no. 1. It’s been so long since I bought a comic that I’ve never bought one online. I’m nearly certain the last SSOC I bought was issue 184 (April 1991), featuring “An All New Epic Adventure! Disciple!” I hadn’t yet graduated high school. There was no internet.</div><div><br /></div><div>I thought I might be prompted to subscribe, but instead I purchased the issue as a standalone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here we go again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here’s to 50 years of this wonderful old magazine, and for what the future may yet bring.</div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-7549022191198550632024-02-12T19:47:00.003-05:002024-02-12T19:47:43.242-05:00A few updates and a space Viking<div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11Ax1bTJXQniGnhAwvpiNgejkrgnhczOPq0ucUYFWjqjq1XHHa0zKdcLLTmrSSG34Y1F4YAcjZ8pE2Igmgd6DXoVUsFwbqq7qPV7Yy78K3pilzlSXWPfzhM0kapESc-naGkaNU4FqmBtnkAX6V5uFRZbcNyOB8SOR76Tb-zXc0LxoGq7893FkjTFGH5c/s640/IMAG0027.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="459" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11Ax1bTJXQniGnhAwvpiNgejkrgnhczOPq0ucUYFWjqjq1XHHa0zKdcLLTmrSSG34Y1F4YAcjZ8pE2Igmgd6DXoVUsFwbqq7qPV7Yy78K3pilzlSXWPfzhM0kapESc-naGkaNU4FqmBtnkAX6V5uFRZbcNyOB8SOR76Tb-zXc0LxoGq7893FkjTFGH5c/w288-h400/IMAG0027.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div>My friend Tom Barber bought a machine that transfers 35mm slides onto his computer, allowing him to convert his artwork to a digital format.</b> “Kind of like going up in the attic on a rainy day and rummaging through old memories,” he described the project. Tom sent me a really cool pic of a Viking in space done when he was first trying to break into the field in the 70s. This is the first time I’ve seen this one. Here’s what he had to say about it:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>I don’t remember where I got the idea for the space-Viking, but after I ran away to Arizona, my agent (without telling me) got it on a cover. And for some reason, they decided to reproduce it in black & white. Lost its punch. Ah well…</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>I will not be going to Karl Edward Wagner Day. </b>It’s for the best of reasons, attending a Parents Weekend at my daughter’s college which happens to fall on the same day. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m really bummed about this. <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/karl-edward-wagner-day/schedule" target="_blank">I mean, it’s KEW fans hanging out in a beer garden</a>. I had hoped to participate on a Kane panel. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The heavy metal memoir continues apace</b>. I believe I have come to a natural stopping point of the first draft, and feel good about what I’ve written. We’ll see what happens when I read it in the clear light of day. Next will come a heavy revision, making sure it tells a coherent story.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally here’s one more Tom sent me, I have seen this one but here’s a full, uncropped version.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0IIhsfv8MvSDVwc5ZL6ekiY_oivAr24XV7wz5W6bI9vAzbIE-QzrMPOIHI0X2V4FClfjwNvsS6339YQl8Mx2girlzjs96dABpwGXPbMmQ94K4LlGOzMi19IUntnBjlPjBrabsPGpqCrZqXsmskGp2NwH5zJFUrNlak3XMCcNY731kg5TM9cypPcVoAI/s640/IMAG0020.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="474" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0IIhsfv8MvSDVwc5ZL6ekiY_oivAr24XV7wz5W6bI9vAzbIE-QzrMPOIHI0X2V4FClfjwNvsS6339YQl8Mx2girlzjs96dABpwGXPbMmQ94K4LlGOzMi19IUntnBjlPjBrabsPGpqCrZqXsmskGp2NwH5zJFUrNlak3XMCcNY731kg5TM9cypPcVoAI/w474-h640/IMAG0020.jpeg" width="474" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-84250578972707134692024-02-07T06:46:00.005-05:002024-02-07T07:04:27.991-05:00Ruminations on subversive and restorative impulses, and conservative and liberal modes of fantasy fiction<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweJ9GUggXKOAydIO8WxIVepa64H8UUzbiYj_Zx-sNhQpTx_R9oHoBFiGuc8MfG74Wk0UcFmpiO5hnoJlGkgG0ys9Wy6cVMYpomCTDNil66PrcqnukOFBVjyBO9HaUQyyuqfTkP6ZO1YJEXPPOoszucz_EOQN_rPRgx93zLk6_dkOySSTzfJxgTWMHIO8/s732/thetwotowersfeatured.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="732" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweJ9GUggXKOAydIO8WxIVepa64H8UUzbiYj_Zx-sNhQpTx_R9oHoBFiGuc8MfG74Wk0UcFmpiO5hnoJlGkgG0ys9Wy6cVMYpomCTDNil66PrcqnukOFBVjyBO9HaUQyyuqfTkP6ZO1YJEXPPOoszucz_EOQN_rPRgx93zLk6_dkOySSTzfJxgTWMHIO8/w400-h271/thetwotowersfeatured.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two towers, old and new.</td></tr></tbody></table>Liberalism seeks to make anew. Conservatism desires to preserve the time-tested. <p></p><p>The former represents the creative forces of chaos. The latter the ordered forces of law.</p><p>It’s a very yin-yang, or Moorcockian, way of looking at things. </p><p>The older I get I see the need for both. For tradition, and for change. Both in life, and in art. Perhaps you’ll find this a milquetoast viewpoint, and want more <i>sturm un drang</i>. But not today. I’m feeling reflective.</p><p>Defenders of the old see what the masters have done and want that to stand, immobile and fixed, like some mountain. It was great, it still is, why change it?</p><p>Proponents of the new see old art and admire some aspects of it, but believe that it no longer reflects present realities. And wish to carve new stone out of the existing material, or make something else alongside it.</p><p>I see a lot of angst over this divide, but believe these seemingly opposing forces can be reconciled. Because we need both.</p><p>I believe our present culture is entirely too much focused on the new and shiny. And not enough on learning from the brilliant minds who have come before us and did some things better than we do. There is so much to be gleaned from history. Much of what we think of as new has been done before. So don’t confuse looking backwards with a backwards mindset. </p><p>But I also recognize change as inevitable, and often results in forward progress. Doing the same thing over and over again results in staleness and conformity. S&S grew moribund in the latter 70s and collapsed in the 80s. The New Wave of SF and its dangerous visions broke away from the hard SF that was itself popular and groundbreaking in the early 20th century, but had become fixed and rigid. And the 60s and 70s saw amazing new works created.</p><p>Change is inevitable. It’s always been with us. If you don’t believe so, you might look at H.P. Lovecraft, who broke from the old gothics and ghost stories with his radical new extradimensional horror, or Steven King, who added a blue-collar pop sensibility and more humanity to Lovecraft.</p><p>Of course, merely because something is new or subversive doesn’t make it good. Nor does critique of your subversive project mean a bunch of old farts “just can’t handle it.” It just might mean the art was poorly executed. There was a lot of bad old art in the past that was once new, but has been forgotten and discarded. No one remembers most of the authors working in Weird Tales. But those that have lasted have much to teach us.</p><p>It’s cool to make new stuff by recombining old things.</p><p>It’s OK to love old school stuff, even to repeat or pastiche its forms. </p><p>We can have it all. No one is getting hurt by the conservative impulse to preserve, or the liberal urge to subvert. </p><p>Where do I fall, preferentially, on this spectrum?</p><p>To no one’s surprise I’m a small c conservative when it comes to art. I enjoy some subversive art, and admire the creators who challenge the status quo with potent new visions. Though I find myself preferring subversive material that is old enough to have passed into acceptable territory again. See Elric, or bits of <i>The Once and Future King. </i></p><p>But my deepest sympathies lie with <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2021/02/some-ramblings-on-old-school-tastes-in.html" target="_blank">old fiction</a>. Robert E. Howard and J.R.R. Tolkien remain two of my literary lodestars, and always will. I don’t see them as old. I still see them as innovators who broke new ground from old sources, who had their influences but took them and made something wholly original. Powerful enough to spawn imitators, and genres. </p><p>In “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics,” Tolkien chided the literary critics who sought to study Beowulf by reducing it to its component parts, and in so doing, broke it. Pulled down the old tower turning over stones, not realizing from the top you could see the sea.</p><p>But if Tolkien had only looked at and admired the past we wouldn’t have <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>. He also made something new from old legends, and broke new ground, though his own powerful creative impulse.</p>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-30368352501964750902024-02-03T09:14:00.002-05:002024-02-03T10:22:45.248-05:00The Shadow of Vengeance by Scott Oden, a review<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisXKf-5um3jHd-bMKbpSEFUjsuzKkrF5bs5OSa7Te0H3EpID_DEXF6YgiKVf3O35TKmGe_Ye0M6lFBS1seaYy-v466pnhaZ3K5ATGVSf1djC5xWAuijgY6-wdp9Zmb-mgabknvSI9VXZytQfG3gq_ZQXIiwJfdDTUGyVyN4EGZrcYd-bTR5pQKlwK-2pU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="295" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisXKf-5um3jHd-bMKbpSEFUjsuzKkrF5bs5OSa7Te0H3EpID_DEXF6YgiKVf3O35TKmGe_Ye0M6lFBS1seaYy-v466pnhaZ3K5ATGVSf1djC5xWAuijgY6-wdp9Zmb-mgabknvSI9VXZytQfG3gq_ZQXIiwJfdDTUGyVyN4EGZrcYd-bTR5pQKlwK-2pU=w262-h400" width="262" /></a></div>Some would say there is no good Conan pastiche*, that the only stories of the Cimmerian worth reading are the 21 originals by Robert E. Howard. If that’s you, I get it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Me? I have no problem with pastiche, because I can differentiate new takes on the character from canon. They are something apart. That’s why <a href="https://dmrbooks.com/test-blog/2022/5/18/conan-the-barbarian-at-40" target="_blank">I am able to enjoy the 1982 film</a>, and <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2008/05/glory-that-was-savage-sword-of-conan.html" target="_blank">Savage Sword of Conan</a> and Conan the Barbarian the comic, even (gasp) the Lancer paperbacks with the L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter additions.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you’re in the latter camp it does beg the question: What makes good Conan pastiche? Is it getting the character right? The setting, a convincing Hyborian Age verisimilitude? Or is it the style in which the story is told? Should it/must it “feel” Howard-esque?</div><div><br /></div><div>“The Shadow of Vengeance” by Scott Oden checks all these boxes, but above all else nails Howard’s style.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is I believe the fifth prose release from Titan, which began with "Conan: Lord of the Mount" by Stephen Graham Jones and includes one Solomon Kane story and the rest Conan. It’s a novella, some 18K words, about 60 pages, and like the rest of the line it is available as an e-book only. </div><div><br /></div><div>I, being a transported relic from 1984, don’t possess an e-reader, but Scott was generous enough to send me a word doc.</div><div><br /></div><div>It’s also apparently the second time the story has been published, the first in Savage Sword of Conan volume 2, in monthly installments across issues #1 – 12. But not having read the Dark Horse or Marvel Comics relaunch of SSOC it was a first read for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is not the next great Conan story … but that’s an impossible standard. As Karl Edward Wagner said, there was only one Robert E. Howard, and we’ve had him. But, it’s terrific pastiche, and can stand alongside much of what Roy Thomas and others were doing during the classic run of Savage Sword I so loved, after Howard’s adapted originals were exhausted.</div><div><br /></div><div>If it lacks the great pathos of “The Tower of the Elephant,” or the unsettling insights into barbarism vs. civilization like we see in “Beyond the Black River,” that’s OK. Howard’s Conan stories themselves did not all rise to that highest of his own high standards, but instead were what we have here: A very fine adventure story, soaked in blood and the weird.</div><div><br /></div><div>“The Shadow of Vengeance” follows on the heels of the events of “The Devil in Iron,” which if not accorded one of Howard’s best is still a good, entertaining Conan story. It’s a tale of vengeance, with the vengeance directed at Conan himself by Ghaznavi, regent of Khawarizm.</div><div><br /></div><div>Big mistake, Ghaznavi. </div><div><br /></div><div>Howard fans will recognize these names from “The Devil in Iron” and why the events of that tale would lead to Ghaznavi seeking vengeance for his dead lord, Jehungir Agha.</div><div><br /></div><div>What makes this story different from the likes of Robert Jordan, John Maddox Roberts and Steve Perry (not the one that sang “Open Arms”) et. al is Oden’s mimicry of Howard’s prose—check that, his near mastery of Howard’s style.</div><div><br /></div><div>I read <a href="https://dmrbooks.com/test-blog/2023/1/23/a-review-of-titan-books-blood-of-the-serpent-is-the-new-conan-novel-really-conan" target="_blank">Blood of the Serpent last year</a> and while I liked it well enough, it was not Howard-esque, though it was recognizably Conan’s character. Oden’s style is ridiculously like Howard, ripped from the pages of Weird Tales in the mid-1930s. Its uncanny. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are some Howard-esque passages I really enjoyed:</div><div><blockquote>Karash Khan left but a single watcher to mind the Cimmerian. This thankless task fell to the youngest of the nine Sicari, a quick-eyed Turanian not much older than twenty. No one knew his given name, but his brothers called him Badish Khan. Bred in the alleys of Sultanapur, when the Master found him he was already a hired knife at fourteen with more kills than throat-slitters thrice his age. He was like an ingot of iron, crude and without form; while Karash Khan was the hammer, it was dark Erlik who provided the flame.</blockquote></div><div>And this, too.</div><div><blockquote>Even so, the Sicari could not withstand the Cimmerian’s berserk fury. Death might have been their master, but neither god nor man could master this wolf of the North. His god was Crom, grim and savage, who gave a man the power to strive and slay and little else. And when he called upon Crom, it was not in prayer or benediction . . . it was so the dark lord of the mound might bear witness.</blockquote></div><div>It all seemed like I was reading something Howard would have written in 1934. Awesome stuff… “dark lord of the mound” induces chills. </div><div><br /></div><div>Oden does insert the word “fey” at least twice in the novella, a very old Northern term which I don’t know if Howard ever used in a Conan story, though he may have in “The Grey God Passes” or elsewhere (“It was Dragutin, fey and terrible as he rose up from behind the wagon, who reminded them. He jabbed an accusing finger at the Cimmerian and yelled: “Kill them!”). It doesn’t matter anyway; I love the term and it works, and is placed here deliberately by Oden, author of The Grimnir Saga, who like me is also possessed of “the Northern Thing.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Oden also builds the gloomy Cimmerian culture with a few choice passages, as here:</div><div><blockquote>Among southern nations, Conan had seen madness dismissed: a disease physicians sought to cure, a weakness learned philosophers debated in shaded courts. Madmen were broken men, they said, who could hope for no better than a quick and quiet death. Among the barbarians of the north, however, madness was something else – a thinning of the veil between worlds, a harbinger of doom, or the curse-gift of that fey and feral goddess, Morrigan. The Cimmerians held madmen apart from others, their ramblings fraught with the truths of a perilous world.</blockquote></div><div>That’s some fine Hyborian Age goodness there.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a great final fight, a terrific desperate melee, and a cool monster too. If that’s what you’re after, you get it here.</div><div><br /></div><div>If I had any critique, the story perhaps takes a bit too long to get going, with a bit too much up front info. But once it properly starts it doesn’t let up until its savage ending.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you can’t get enough Conan, start with Scott Oden and “The Shadow of Vengeance.”</div><div><br /></div><div><i>*I am aware that pastiche has <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2022/09/fantastic-and-thoughts-on-pastiches.html" target="_blank">varied meanings</a>; some say pastiche is a deliberate homage to an author’s style, not a new story of an existing character as I’m using it here. </i></div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-21925541741148913642024-01-30T09:30:00.004-05:002024-01-30T10:01:04.520-05:00Authenticity, Inward and Outward<div><i>The third in a series about <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/03/my-values.html" target="_blank">my personal values</a>. Part 1 <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2022/11/truth.html" target="_blank">here</a>, Part 2 <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/12/integrity.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I lived a big chunk of my life like a chameleon, changing who I was depending on the person I happened to be with. This behavior began when I was young, unformed, and figuring things out, so I give myself a little grace. I was a wanna be nerd… a wanna be jock… a wanna be metalhead, never going all in on anything, including myself.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I allowed it to persist, for too long. </div><div><br /></div><div>Why? Out of fear. That I would not be accepted, or that I would be judged, and rejected. Mocked, and humiliated.</div><div><br /></div><div>The inauthentic life is a terrible one to live. I can tell you from experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>That’s why my third value is <b>authenticity, inward and outward.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Humans crave authenticity. Today more than ever, we need it. Not posturing on social media with false humility or false bravado. But people being who they are in the real world, living their inner lives outwards. </div><div><br /></div><div>People are a miracle, each unique and irreplaceable. So why not embrace who you are?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yet we often don’t. Because of social pressures, the feeling we should conform with the herd. Authenticity can come with a cost. It’s not always easy, and not always acceptable. </div><div><br /></div><div>Many of these pressures are self-imposed. The result of self-shaming, or lack of confidence. Occasionally, they’re external.</div><div><br /></div><div>I believe we have made progress as a society here. For example, “nerds” aren’t as picked upon, or mocked, as they once were. D&D players have even figured out a way to monetize the hobby and achieve celebrity status, for example (if someone can let this D&D player know how that’s done, let me know). Being gay is not the same stigma it once was, in most circles (I’m aware in some backward places and in some misguided hearts, it is. We’ll always have bigots, unfortunately). </div><div><br /></div><div>Today harassment and bullying is rightly considered a toxic behavior, and tolerance and acceptance of others, virtues. </div><div><br /></div><div>But even if the real fight is not from without, authenticity still takes bravery. It must start from within. To be truly authentic I believe you have to recognize that you are worthy of love. Easier said than done.</div><div><br /></div><div>But it’s worth leaning into. You’ll lead a better life.</div><div><br /></div><div>When you stop worrying what others think about you, you free up huge amounts of headspace. It is liberating and empowering. It might cost you some friends, but they were never your friends to begin with. Mature human beings don’t feel the need to hang out with people who are exactly the same as them, and accept differences. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here’s a strategy for living your life more authentically.</div><div><br /></div><div>Take your sense of self-worth down a peg. Recognize that no one sits around thinking about you—they’re too busy thinking about themselves. At least outside of your immediate family. Your spouse thinks about you, from time to time, and I’m sure your children do too. And vice-versa.</div><div><br /></div><div>But for the most part everyone is walking around absorbed in their own problems, occupying their own headspace.</div><div><br /></div><div>So stop caring so much what others think about you, because they’re actually not. If they do, it’s a passing thought, then they’re back to worrying about their own shit.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve chosen to be me, not someone else. </div><div><br /></div><div>Be true within; project that truth out. Live authentically. </div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-2590402684047853102024-01-23T21:03:00.007-05:002024-01-24T08:36:56.660-05:00Death Dealer 3: Semi-enjoyable (?) train-wreck<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQo_BJdCerx5oefytTeb2PbXhCSVck8pFQTRe2muKx-SF4q7L_XnEqL9pEoiVwpK1BODPMAYbVfZczQyngQndcSH30qY70ivWlzvLZQoBVpTNjFwQMo_4NERrstpt9DbdWImmZFFD11qBIX7IoI7qT2YqMMbF0B__Q7NScMCCmPvavAXcTmzJc1A4X968/s500/s-l960.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="327" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQo_BJdCerx5oefytTeb2PbXhCSVck8pFQTRe2muKx-SF4q7L_XnEqL9pEoiVwpK1BODPMAYbVfZczQyngQndcSH30qY70ivWlzvLZQoBVpTNjFwQMo_4NERrstpt9DbdWImmZFFD11qBIX7IoI7qT2YqMMbF0B__Q7NScMCCmPvavAXcTmzJc1A4X968/w261-h400/s-l960.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>I’m back at it again, with a long-awaited review of <i>Death Dealer 3: Tooth and Claw</i>. Check out my reviews of <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2019/10/sword-and-sorcerys-endgame-james-silkes.html" target="_blank">book 1</a> and <a href="https://dmrbooks.com/test-blog/2022/7/11/this-goes-to-11-a-review-of-death-dealer-book-2-lords-of-destruction?" target="_blank">book 2</a> of this four-part sword-and-sorcery epic by James Silke.<p></p><p>Short, negative review: <i>Tooth and Claw</i> ranks among the worst books I’ve read in the last decade. The series keeps going downhill (and book 1 was not even that good).</p><p>Longer and slightly more positive review: <i>Tooth and Claw</i> is bad enough to cross over into <i>WTF I can’t believe I just read that</i> territory, and so stands out as more memorable trash than many of the boring Conan clones and generic S&S offerings I’ve read over the years.</p><p>But it’s still awful. And awful crazy.</p><p>How crazy?</p><p>Well there’s this bit:</p><p></p><blockquote><i>He was the size of a tree. He was indomitable. He was immaculate. He urinated white wine, his feces were soft gold, and he ejaculated lightning.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>Would I be surprised to learn the author typed the manuscript while snorting coke off a hooker’s ass? No, not really.</p><p>I’m not making any accusations here, I don’t know Silke personally, but <i>Death Dealer 3</i> was published in 1989 and possessed of a crazy, whacked out Wolf of Wall Street vibe I recognize. There’s so much nonsensical, bonkers stuff in here, told wildly and with intense energy and conviction, but with sloppy execution and abysmal, eye-gouging turns of phrase.</p><p>This is basically man romance. Romance for a certain kind of man, who like their women stunningly hot, offer them few words before and after the deed but possess the skill to play them like a medieval instrument:</p><p></p><blockquote><i>Tonight he would tie her down in his hide-up and play upon her like a lyre, arouse her untamed passions until she could not resist him. </i></blockquote><p></p><p>Or this bit of late-night Cinemax magic:</p><p></p><blockquote><i>Gath stepped out of the concealing shadow for a clearer look. His eyes moved down the deep shadowed curve of her back to the cleft in her hard buttocks, then back up again, painting her pale flesh with his dark hot glance…. A stimulating animal pleasure rose into his groin. Heat played across his cheeks.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>The plot of <i>Death Dealer 3</i> hinges on the flimsiest of hooks—a disreputable bounty hunter named Gazul (with the incredibly stupid nickname “Big Hands”) wants to capture the cat-queen, Noon. Gazul offers Gath the chance to fight Noon’s guardian, the giant saber-toothed tiger Chyak, because it’s more challenge-worthy than any other fight anyone else could ever have. Which appeals to Gath, who otherwise is wandering around without purpose.</p><p>That’s the entire setup for the remainder of the book. </p><p>This wouldn’t stand up as a plot for the weakest episode of Thundarr, yet here we are. Gath accepts the offer and we’re off, fighting lyncanthropic beast-men, lions, crocodiles and all manner of beasts of the jungle before the final confrontation with Chyak and Gazul.</p><p>The Death Dealer books stand at the far end of the barbarian archetype/stereotype, not the apex but the nadir of this type of fiction. How do you distinguish yet another barbarian from the countless others that have gone before? Make yours bigger, stronger, more barbaric. Gath is a brute force of wild nature, so deep into barbarism that at one point he strips naked, eats raw animal flesh and fails to recognize familiar faces, even losing his ability to speak (he’s channeling his animal “kaa,” you see). You can’t get more raving barbarian than this dude. He’s not a character, but a caricature. </p><p>Silke attempts something of an origin story for Gath in this volume but it comes across as uninspired Tarzan pastiche. He also attempts to bring some level of introspection to the story with a muted/equivocal ending, some regret and “who is the real monster” angle to the proceedings. I won’t spoil it here, in case you want to seek this out. I read <i>Tooth and Claw </i>through to the end, groaning the whole way except when I was laughing. There is some entertainment value here; I’d probably watch a movie made out of this mess. The problem is, what works in a low-budget beer-swilling 90 minute film is not optimal for a 342 page book treatment. It sags, and there are all sorts of problems with the pacing, authorial emphasis, and cringe-worthy dialogue. Like this:</p><p></p><blockquote><i>“Think of it this way, sweethips,” Gazul said callously. “Fear is a marvelous cosmetic. It puts real color in your cheeks.”</i></blockquote><p></p><p>And this:</p><p></p><blockquote><i>“Barbarian, I understand why you are upset. In my drunken rage at you for running off, I used Fleka wrongly. She is yours, and I should not have used her as a lure without your permission. But now that your fist has rewarded me for that mistake, we are even.”</i></blockquote><p></p><p>Silke loves writing wildly indulgent and floridly descriptive paragraphs punctuated by two words. Like this:</p><p></p><blockquote><i>Gnarled hands gripped the bars, appendages of the lurking darkness bent within, a wounded, scabbed darkness with hard gray eyes. Hot. Relentless. </i></blockquote><p></p><p>And this:</p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>Lowering to hands and knees, she crawled closer to the cage, and hesitated abruptly. The bars were the colors of flowers, a dazzle of pinks and reds and scarlets. Enchanting. Compelling.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>In and amongst the cringe there is entertainment value to be had, including a 12-page fight between Gath and Chyak. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAgmFX9KfEuznqF5tX8xO3xNtSeoPuxChA6ZoXQvvAraOXFg3rUpWy8o4xqfkmIbhQpf_32PkMYr-BrGnShaTsG1LHVcoZ7ZvQ8YvYeor9iVcDwiUImlmoc_qeNVRlpwCtF4WrlD2GvpixY71P1Aw2-FeT-2XMmKuBjYZEyAh85omyFglDdHPD3vSpOc/s1000/Tufnel.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAgmFX9KfEuznqF5tX8xO3xNtSeoPuxChA6ZoXQvvAraOXFg3rUpWy8o4xqfkmIbhQpf_32PkMYr-BrGnShaTsG1LHVcoZ7ZvQ8YvYeor9iVcDwiUImlmoc_qeNVRlpwCtF4WrlD2GvpixY71P1Aw2-FeT-2XMmKuBjYZEyAh85omyFglDdHPD3vSpOc/w400-h225/Tufnel.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Death Dealer goes to 11... 12 for sabertooth tiger fights</td></tr></tbody></table>A 12 page tiger fight. Cuz 11 is not enough.<p></p><p>Is this bad trash or glorious trash? Your mileage will vary, hard. Personally I need never read this series again. But Death Dealer is an interesting historical artifact and probably worth it if you’re after the terrific Frank Frazetta cover art, or a fearless S&S diehard junky who can’t get enough of the subgenre—good, bad, and ugly. </p><p>And there’s still more to come with Death Dealer 4. The story continues…whenever I get around to it.</p><div><br /></div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-58050322347129697512024-01-16T20:04:00.003-05:002024-01-18T07:10:55.414-05:00Organizing my bookshelves: How I do it (YMMV—no hate)<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7byhCabxhMxLGGCfSDnTrd0h0b3r8Zo70krZOhWPOmBdzBoMBKlJENfr3q-X8qY49bvnUVcnVLK7PoHDw_SzskgrNdn9W_cf-3ID-H7q6VSG70RX_4_jbhj50F5WQO0Id2UT-XTDcbfXwq0mpPy7XOe9V_OPYm1fd25L3HRaZlPeMW8tiSgyBb9PHR0/s4032/IMG_0369.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7byhCabxhMxLGGCfSDnTrd0h0b3r8Zo70krZOhWPOmBdzBoMBKlJENfr3q-X8qY49bvnUVcnVLK7PoHDw_SzskgrNdn9W_cf-3ID-H7q6VSG70RX_4_jbhj50F5WQO0Id2UT-XTDcbfXwq0mpPy7XOe9V_OPYm1fd25L3HRaZlPeMW8tiSgyBb9PHR0/w400-h300/IMG_0369.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tor Conan, ERB, CAS, Moorcock... and more.</td></tr></tbody></table>It’s time to weigh in on a topic so contentious, so divided, so fraught with the potential for incendiary and orgiastic violence, that to even conceive a post on it risks burning the entire internet to the ground.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’m talking about how to organize your bookshelves.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know, take a breath. Let’s review. </div><div><br /></div><div>We have options.</div><div><br /></div><div>Alphabetical by author, or title. By genre. Year of publication. </div><div><br /></div><div>Do you put your favorite books on a shelf nearest to hand? Your rares and antiques behind glass or in some other high, unassailable place? </div><div><br /></div><div>What do you put on your shelves (besides books, of course)? For example, comic books? Role-playing game books? What are your thoughts on knick-knacks or action figures, to break things up?</div><div><br /></div><div>The possibilities are endless. </div><div><br /></div><div>Despite my considerable misgivings I’ll tell you how I do it, and then you tell me yours. But no outrage. We can be civil about this.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzoubficyAx-F44qdXRgzgOb1qRIWQZy8MY5CJ5mzEEfbn611uR_g9y0XCgIxWWVGfmm75-5aT_XEcyOyXBh9ZQLBEHVE63UE5gIvSKlP-ro6Yt7MIcEOv2RpWUnCGgpSya-F64AGgdrqefrjWWHH-iItqYaXwJf4uGIC_B29s8PZEuI_IV4uhmouiZk/s4032/IMG_0371.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzoubficyAx-F44qdXRgzgOb1qRIWQZy8MY5CJ5mzEEfbn611uR_g9y0XCgIxWWVGfmm75-5aT_XEcyOyXBh9ZQLBEHVE63UE5gIvSKlP-ro6Yt7MIcEOv2RpWUnCGgpSya-F64AGgdrqefrjWWHH-iItqYaXwJf4uGIC_B29s8PZEuI_IV4uhmouiZk/w400-h300/IMG_0371.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahh, love that Nasmith-illustrated Silmarillion.</td></tr></tbody></table>This holiday I got myself a bookcase—six feet high, 37 inches wide, five shelves. It is my fifth bookcase, and possibly my last. At least that’s what I told my wife. She doesn’t read this blog, BTW.</div><div><br /></div><div>The purchase gave me the opportunity to reorganize my books, an activity I find immensely relaxing and gratifying. I go into a state of flow as I do this, or perhaps active catatonia. It’s like a simultaneous mental game of Jenga (where can I fit all my Edgar Rice Burroughs books together) while remembering there are so many books I need to read, or re-read. Plus I’m reminded how glad I am to have a Ted Nasmith-illustrated copy of The Silmarillion. I need to stop now and admire The Kinslaying at Alqualondë.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a lot of fun. I recommend it, if you haven’t done it in a while.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here’s how I do it.</div><div><br /></div><div>By genre, subcategorized by author.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLirOy0UNFS17t82CMYFn4fDJpU6YwnRdDJbi1ap0AM9SGxV0wLLwBQ4d3CBySmjhTifhhv3049Ii6SqJ2k0NGIdx7aO2YRdstlooUFo8dyJ2axvcAWKDU2uZdXv-TH080yl8Qr2vVkBWs80fH9HJ9s_GTXR757p7nO5-mxTiJbTwzWXRtn-alIIR9ghQ/s4032/IMG_0368.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLirOy0UNFS17t82CMYFn4fDJpU6YwnRdDJbi1ap0AM9SGxV0wLLwBQ4d3CBySmjhTifhhv3049Ii6SqJ2k0NGIdx7aO2YRdstlooUFo8dyJ2axvcAWKDU2uZdXv-TH080yl8Qr2vVkBWs80fH9HJ9s_GTXR757p7nO5-mxTiJbTwzWXRtn-alIIR9ghQ/w400-h300/IMG_0368.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of my S&S bookcase... lots of REH, KEW, Anderson.</td></tr></tbody></table>I have my sword-and-sorcery on one seven-shelf bookcase by itself, spilling on to a second. </div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve got almost two complete shelves of Tolkien. One is on my lone upstairs bookcase, alongside my more literary collection of books.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve got about two complete shelves of horror. A World War II shelf. A shelf of biographies and non-fiction. One of mostly sword-and-planet. You get the point.</div><div><br /></div><div>Within those genres I then subcategorize, by author. So on my sword-and-sorcery shelf I’ve got about two shelves of Robert E. Howard. In general fantasy, I group all my C.S. Lewis together, next to a group of Ursula Le Guin and E.R. Eddison.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are caveats. Many of them.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’m forced to break my rule when the books are too large to fit on a shelf. Conan the Phenomenon by Paul Sammon resides on an unrelated shelf because it’s oversized, and won’t fit next to my other Conan books which are mostly pocket sized paperbacks. Damnit!</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YbnGyEo8hVzaoKtjwTfXlHK5sqFmzVmoVSdm4qLpCqNKPdCrxFJcUuDOQNzNrSkGWt3RiR2BYTZQziHYVoZbs2nFnIKs7pX1gGADpyXaa6LMfSQHoJEngrJ51wyWSJXUbCos6P9pD8yfsr8q1V6EEV7CuveNuWvrUxWGt5A85f8EZLaDRo3DLlx-lOA/s4032/IMG_0370.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YbnGyEo8hVzaoKtjwTfXlHK5sqFmzVmoVSdm4qLpCqNKPdCrxFJcUuDOQNzNrSkGWt3RiR2BYTZQziHYVoZbs2nFnIKs7pX1gGADpyXaa6LMfSQHoJEngrJ51wyWSJXUbCos6P9pD8yfsr8q1V6EEV7CuveNuWvrUxWGt5A85f8EZLaDRo3DLlx-lOA/w400-h300/IMG_0370.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The horror! Is that a figurine in there?</td></tr></tbody></table>Sometimes I break my genre rule for the sake of author solidarity. For example I’m not going to put Stephen King’s Eyes of the Dragon on the fantasy shelf. It goes on the horror shelf, next to the rest of my King books. Even though it is fantasy I can’t bear to have one Stephen King book in another random place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes I do break the author rule, for my own utterly singular purposes. I stuck the Chronicles of Narnia and the Space Trilogy apart from my other Lewis because I didn’t want to surrender that much shelf space to titles I’m not sure I will ever read again.</div><div><br /></div><div>I do have a shelf of classic RPGs, and with the purchase of the new bookshelf I now have a comic box of Savage Sword of Conan on that. I am thinking about digging back into these after some time in storage and wanted them close at hand.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, I am aware that these are not technically “books” so I may be committing sacrilege.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is there a better way to do all this? Almost certainly yes. It’s weird and contradictory. But it works for me. My friends are always impressed by how I can lay my hand on a given title almost immediately, without thinking.</div><div><br /></div><div>How do you shelf your books? Do you wish to inflict harm on me for my idiosyncratic choices? Leave a comment below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6ihll89hTT-Q3Bo9M-H1ffOEXpW5ihVjVc_lTS6HG6f5V3O54QqgljZj6D0c21IojS10cOqyFSGEwu4LL7O05YjYtdhv1ObXTJd0r1CZ8zberw5iWQkmJivxW_4yPRpSawUCu9JJjSJRwO6x3gXrcfPEQiQPXE_BRlWecKIjcGZd_rUZoM9N_27RvxM/s4032/IMG_0366.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6ihll89hTT-Q3Bo9M-H1ffOEXpW5ihVjVc_lTS6HG6f5V3O54QqgljZj6D0c21IojS10cOqyFSGEwu4LL7O05YjYtdhv1ObXTJd0r1CZ8zberw5iWQkmJivxW_4yPRpSawUCu9JJjSJRwO6x3gXrcfPEQiQPXE_BRlWecKIjcGZd_rUZoM9N_27RvxM/w400-h300/IMG_0366.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More books...<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-61698374653122021222024-01-12T16:29:00.003-05:002024-01-12T16:29:58.734-05:00Going Viking at DMR Books<p>No, not looting and plundering Dave Ritzlin's book hoard, but do have a new post up on his blog: <a href="https://dmrbooks.com/test-blog/2024/1/10/a-deep-cut-of-adventure-the-saga-of-swain-the-viking-vol-1-swains-vengeance" target="_blank">A Deep Cut of Adventure: The Saga of Swain the Viking, Vol. 1: Swain’s Vengeance</a>. </p><p>This was a fun read with a lot of viking goodness and other badassery. While writing the review I took a worthwhile detour into the history of <i>Adventure,</i> the magazine in which the Swain stories first appeared back in the 1920s. Some interesting history to that long-running pulp. I recommend checking out the article linked at the bottom.</p><p><i>Skål!</i></p>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-42904603305395629882024-01-05T14:26:00.005-05:002024-01-05T14:30:39.520-05:00The Truth of the Matter of BritainSomething about January has been bringing me back to King Arthur.<div><br /></div><div>Maybe it's the promise of renewal, of a hopeful dawn on a new golden age--if only we have the courage and convictions to make it happen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like Arthur did.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U8mJwgPiarg" width="320" youtube-src-id="U8mJwgPiarg"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Last year it was <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-big-excalibur-post.html" target="_blank">The Big Excalibur post </a>at DMR Books, a review of the wondrous 1981 film. This year it's <a href="https://dmrbooks.com/test-blog/2024/1/4/the-truth-of-the-matter-of-britain-some-thoughts-upon-re-reading-bernard-cornwells-warlord-trilogy" target="_blank">The Truth of the Matter of Britain: Some thoughts upon re-reading Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy</a>. Also up on the blog of DMR Books, for which I'm participating in the annual Deuce Richardson spearheaded "<a href="https://dmrbooks.com/test-blog/2023/12/29/the-2024-dmr-books-guest-bloggerama-is-almost-here" target="_blank">January Bloggerama</a>."</div><div><br /></div><div>I last read the Warlord trilogy in 2008, and <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2008/03/bernard-cornwell-mans-writer.html" target="_blank">did a brief review here</a>. I was due for a re-read, and was reminded again how wonderful <i>The Winter King, Enemy of God</i>, and <i>Excalibur</i> are. Easily one of my favorite treatments of the myth, right up there with <i><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2007/10/book-review-all-hail-once-and-future.html" target="_blank">The Once and Future King</a></i>, Excalibur (the film), and the <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2008/07/pendragon-holy-grail-of-rpgs-remains.html" target="_blank">Pendragon RPG</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>This post was inspired by both the re-reading and an off-hand comment in a forum I frequent that "Arthur certainly didn't exist." I disagree. And add two additional thoughts: 1) I acknowledge the highly contentious nature of this topic, and that many scholars far more informed than I claim that Arthur was only a myth, and 2) It really doesn't matter all that much, either way. Because there are great Truths in the story, and these Truths, more than any archeological evidence, are why the stories persist, and matter, and continue to have relevance today.</div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-28340677705122130062023-12-23T09:41:00.001-05:002023-12-23T09:44:17.811-05:00The Silver Key: 2023 in review<div>It’s the tail end of 2023. Another trip round the sun, another year of blogging on The Silver Key.</div><div><br /></div><div>Many things of import happened this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I turned 50, and went places. To Las Vegas and Chicago for business conferences. Cross Plains TX for Robert E. Howard Days, and back to TX (Dripping Springs) for a fun company retreat. And <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/07/a-very-metal-50th-birthday.html" target="_blank">to the Outer Banks, North Carolina</a>, for a multi-family vacation and heavy metal party.</div><div><br /></div><div>I delivered a keynote speech in May at a conference of 1500+ attendees to honor a former coworker and friend who passed away in 2022 at the age of 48 from breast cancer. By far my most meaningful accomplishment in 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>I spent a lot more time <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/09/still-learning-from-my-dad.html" target="_blank">with my old man</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>My wife and I found ourselves empty nesters. I have two daughters and <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/05/a-week-of-endings.html" target="_blank">my youngest went off to college in the fall</a>. My eldest started her senior year in college, leaving us without children at home for the first time since… early 2002. It got oddly quiet all of the sudden, and we adjusted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Life is changing. But I keep plugging away here on the blog.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was making good headway until June, when my posting took a sharp downturn. This was due to my non-fiction heavy metal memoir taking sharp inroads into my free writing time. I went from 101 posts in 2022 to just 64 this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope to have the new book completed in 2024. I haven’t thought about publishing options as I’m focusing all my energy on making it the best book it can be. The first draft is 80-90% done and then comes revisions. But I’m liking how it’s shaping up.</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite my posting falling off in the latter half of the year I passed 1,000,000 views since the blog’s inception. And wrote a few posts that resonated. So without further ado:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Most popular posts of 2023</b></div><div><br /></div><div>1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/07/1979-ken-kelly-heroic-fantasy-calendar.html" target="_blank">1979 Ken Kelly heroic fantasy calendar, month-by-month (231 views).</a> We lost Kelly in 2022, and I covered his passing last year. But in June I gained a terrific Kelly keepsake, a mint condition 1979 calendar purchased at Robert E. Howard Days. It’s now hanging on my wall. The artwork is stunning.</div><div><br /></div><div>2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-big-excalibur-post.html" target="_blank">The Big Excalibur Post (267 views)</a>. I think this was my best essay of 2023, written for the blog of DMR Books. I love Excalibur, I think it is the second or third best fantasy film of all time after The Lord of the Rings and/or CtB 1982. It’s gorgeous, but also literary--every allusion to the Matter of Britain is encompassed in John Boorman’s sprawling technicolor vision. No other film since has covered the Arthur myth with such savage, passionate beauty and intensity.</div><div><br /></div><div>3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/12/rip-david-drake.html" target="_blank">RIP David Drake (280 views)</a>. With every year comes the tolling of the bell for more sword-and-sorcery legends. Last year we lost Kelly, this year David Drake, best known for his Hammers Slammers series and military SF but also an S&S author of note. His “The Barrow Troll” made my top 25 favorite S&S short stories of all time.</div><div><br /></div><div>4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>M<a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-howard-days-2023-haul.html " target="_blank">y Howard Days 2023 Haul (287 views)</a>. People like book porn, and this post on my Howard Days haul was Triple-X. Something snapped inside of me at Cross Plains and I started buying up books with the abandon of a crack addict, taking home a massive glut that threatened to burst the bonds of my suitcase.</div><div><br /></div><div>5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/02/sometime-lofty-towers-david-c-smith.html" target="_blank">Sometime Lofty Towers, David C. Smith (293 views)</a>. An unexpectedly excellent sword-and-sorcery novel from Smith. Not that I don’t like his prior work (Oron, Red Sonja, etc.) but Smith delivered here his best work IMO, covering some thoughtful thematic ground in a fast-paced, bloody S&S novel.</div><div><br /></div><div>6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/06/neither-beg-nor-yield-and-other-s.html" target="_blank">Neither Beg Nor Yield and Other S&S Developments (306 views)</a>. One of a handful of S&S kickstarters I backed this year. This gave me the chance to link to a two-part Keith Taylor interview I did for DMR Books (Taylor will appear in Neither Beg Nor Yield). I’m expecting this book soon and look forward to reading it.</div><div><br /></div><div>7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/02/remembering-cimmerian.html" target="_blank">Remembering The Cimmerian (316 views)</a>. This now defunct print publication edited by Leo Grin was my introduction to Howard scholarship, and as a journal it has yet to be surpassed. I had an essay published in it and wrote for its website until it shuttered its doors in June 2010, an experience that deepened my understanding of all things Howard and heroic fantasy. I looked back on that here.</div><div><br /></div><div>8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/05/there-and-back-again-from-massachusetts.html " target="_blank">There and Back Again from Massachusetts to Cross Plains: A recap of 2023 Robert E. Howard Days (448 views).</a> The full monty recap of my trip to Howard Days. Unforgettable, I can’t recommend this enough to any Howard heads. If you have yet to make the trip to the mecca put it on your bucket list. Somehow I found myself speaking on a pair of panels and working up the courage to recite a poem on Howards front porch, in between drinking Shiner Bock.</div><div><br /></div><div>9.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/04/are-we-in-new-sword-and-sorcery.html" target="_blank">Are We in a New Sword-and-Sorcery Renaissance? Not yet. At least not commercially (795 views)</a>. I’ve enjoyed watching the recent resurgence in interest in sword-and-sorcery fiction (and like to think I played a small part in that, with Flame and Crimson). But I would not call what we’re seeing a third renaissance. There might not ever be one given publishing realities. The days of paperbacks on wire spinners in every drugstore are long gone, our attention fragmented, reading is in decline, and subgenres ever more narrowly and inwardly focused. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t building toward … something. Howard Andrew Jones’ Lord of a Shattered Land—a series of episodic stories that can be read singly but build toward a larger narrative arc—is a promising new title that takes the venerable subgenre in new directions while still very recognizably S&S.</div><div><br /></div><div>10.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/08/assessing-sword-and-sorcery-glut.html" target="_blank">Assessing the sword-and-sorcery glut (836 views)</a>. A polarizing post and these always attract the eyeballs. I piggybacked off an observation from Jason Ray Carney that we’ve gone from an S&S desert to a (relative) glut of new titles, making it hard to keep up as a reader. This topic sparked broad conversation in the S&S community. Some were critical (there can never be enough S&S! non-issue!), but unfortunately the underlying issue remains: Not enough readers to make this a sustainable genre for working authors. See no. 9. Of course given a choice I’d much rather have a glut than no new fiction, and this post was never meant to discourage new authors, just to point out that it was once possible to buy and read every new S&S release, and it’s now a lot more difficult.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>My reading</b></div><div><br /></div><div>This year I’ve read 44 books. I’m currently in a re-read of Bernard Cornwell’s highly recommended Warlord Trilogy, finishing up book two (Enemy of God). My favorite reads included The Silence of the Lambs, <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-goshawk-th-white.html" target="_blank">The Goshawk</a>, The Art of Memoir, Night Shift, and Watership Down.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A personal note</b></div><div><br /></div><div>My life is better than ever, a development tied to a commitment to my mental and physical health. I firmly believe that the more self-responsibility you accept, and the less time you spend doom scrolling on social media, the better your life will be. <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/03/my-values.html" target="_blank">Take the time to discover your values</a>. Make room for exercise. Eat less calories. Practice mindfulness. </div><div><br /></div><div>Yeah, <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/01/railing-against-ai-art.html" target="_blank">I’m not a fan of generative AI</a> as it is applied to art. I’m concerned with political divisions here in the U.S., foreign wars abroad, climate change, the mental health of our youth, etc. These are real problems, possibly existential. But to dwell too long on issues you cannot personally change is not a good use of your time. Start with you, then slowly work outwards. Read more. Write, or create in the way that suits you. Lift more weights. Listen to more heavy metal, and Rush. Rinse and repeat. My advice to you, free of charge.</div><div><br /></div><div>Merry Christmas all, and thanks for reading.</div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-27928226134632821472023-12-21T20:22:00.001-05:002023-12-21T20:22:31.572-05:00Feeling like it's time to watch these again<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaguWta8Kf8z6qgZJDGZxKrZ2SLkV_T3tp2AAS48sSzUr-ItP_zf3cGnZt98FzWA9y1f9SAwM_JCec0k7pt5MX3-XhVzGjIX_mxeOo7ko3Pe7yVw-w3aI20uizWa4w0fkDA2QmSMAEKmYdxB2GTw1vePPoqlApC9ElJ9sKREcGkmLmve7wMVnLjqrdZPQ/s2016/IMG_0202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaguWta8Kf8z6qgZJDGZxKrZ2SLkV_T3tp2AAS48sSzUr-ItP_zf3cGnZt98FzWA9y1f9SAwM_JCec0k7pt5MX3-XhVzGjIX_mxeOo7ko3Pe7yVw-w3aI20uizWa4w0fkDA2QmSMAEKmYdxB2GTw1vePPoqlApC9ElJ9sKREcGkmLmve7wMVnLjqrdZPQ/w400-h300/IMG_0202.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></div><i><br />Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets?</i><p></p><p>I have. <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2008/10/some-final-thoughts-on-lord-of-rings.html" target="_blank">To this book</a>. And to the movies.</p><p>But it's been a while.</p><p>Today was my last day in the office until I return on January 2, 2024. A blessed 11 days of downtime. I think it's time for a rewatch of <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2008/02/lord-of-rings-three-films-to-rule-them.html" target="_blank">one of my favorite films (yes, I consider this one film) of all time</a>. </p><p><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-lord-of-rings-films-work-how-i.html" target="_blank">Great, not unreservedly so, but great.</a></p><p><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2021/12/20-year-anniversary-of-fellowship-of.html" target="_blank">I saw these one by one as they premiered in theaters</a> and still love them. And am pleased to own the extended versions on DVD. Were I to watch them all back-to-back-to-back (which I never have done), Google tells me it's 11 hours and 36 minutes. An investment. </p><p>But it's time.</p>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-77251434788708954652023-12-20T16:14:00.002-05:002023-12-20T16:14:44.191-05:00Integrity<div><i>The second in a series about <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/03/my-values.html" target="_blank">my personal values</a>. <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2022/11/truth.html" target="_blank">Part 1 here</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>The best definition of integrity is, doing the right thing even when no one is watching. A line often attributed to C.S. Lewis, though it seems that may be apocryphal. </div><div><br /></div><div>Integrity is standing for something good and right, and doing that thing even when it’s hard. The trait of trustworthiness. It comes from the soul of an ordered individual, and projects out into his or her actions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Integrity does not mean you stand fixed and immovable in your beliefs forever. We should be learning over our lives. </div><div><br /></div><div>But on certain principles you don’t bend, even if it costs you physical or social capital. Possibly, everything.</div><div><br /></div><div>The same holds true with integrity. You can’t let that go.</div><div><br /></div><div>Integrity is related to truth though it is action oriented. We should <i>do </i>the right thing. Truth acknowledges that the right thing exists; integrity is how we operate with that first principle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Acting with integrity doesn’t mean you must behave in private exactly as you do in public. No one walks around in their underwear in public when doing so in the privacy of your home is (fairly) acceptable. You can behave one way in private, and another way in public. </div><div><br /></div><div>But not on the things that matter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Acting with integrity you don’t cheat others … even if you’re 100% certain you can get away with it. </div><div><br /></div><div>People who screw over others because they can get away with it destroy the fabric of a healthy society. Countries fail because enough people in them lack integrity. Leaders accept bribes and flaunt or bypass the rule of law with selfish, unilateral decisions. The individual at the street level sells rotten product or accepts money for a promised service he doesn’t deliver. </div><div><br /></div><div>Under these conditions life devolves into a squabble over who has more power (physical, or social). Debates are resolved not with reason but naked force. Might equals right. And the right thing becomes not only meaningless, but irrelevant. A nightmare, hell on earth. </div><div><br /></div><div>Integrity is anathema to hypocrites. Nothing is more craven than those who outwardly demand moral purity from others … and then cheat on their spouses, accept bribes, lie to the board of directors, or exploit the weak to line their own pockets. Do these things, and you have no integrity. </div><div><br /></div><div>In healthy societies people who act without integrity are penalized with jail sentences and public shame. Recently the CEO of BP suffered this treatment, deservedly so. Because we have a choice to act with integrity.</div><div><br /></div><div>Free will exists. And because that is the case we can choose to behave with integrity.*</div><div><br /></div><div>Integrity is more important than politics. You cannot have an ordered political system without ethical people operating within it. I vote across both party lines for this reason, because I’m a believer in the person, not the affiliation. </div><div><br /></div><div>Integrity is more important than laws. The law cannot be everywhere, even in a surveillance state. Not to mention that the law must be applied fairly and enforced, which requires men and women of integrity. </div><div><br /></div><div>Imagine if everyone operated with integrity? What would that look like, at the micro and macro levels?</div><div><br /></div><div>But we’re fallen creatures. Imperfect, and I don’t think we’re perfectible. </div><div><br /></div><div>We don’t always operate with integrity. We know what’s right, we know how we should act in accordance with integrity, but pressures make us waver. We succumb to weakness, and act outside the lines. </div><div><br /></div><div>That doesn’t mean we can’t forgive. </div><div><br /></div><div>FYI, I’ve failed. I’ve fallen on my face. I’ve done things that I’m embarrassed by.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I pick myself up. And keep walking on the path of integrity.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is encouraging to believe that the Holy Grail is within our grasp.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>*Even very smart people who claim free will does not exist (i.e., Sam Harris, whose work I enjoy) almost always do not behave in accordance with this outwardly stated belief. </i></div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-28765462434682910412023-12-12T06:33:00.002-05:002023-12-12T06:47:40.971-05:00RIP David Drake<p>David Drake has passed away.</p><p>I’m no Drake scholar and unqualified to evaluate his life and career or the majority of his creative output, including the popular Hammer’s Slammers. I’ll leave all that up to someone else.</p><p>That aside I greatly enjoyed his sword-and-sorcery work wherever I encountered it. I’ve praised his short story “The Barrow Troll” on several occasions and link to the article I wrote for <a href="https://goodman-games.com/tftms/2021/10/26/unearthing-david-drakes-the-barrow-troll/ " target="_blank">Tales from the Magician’s Skull.</a> You can find this story in literally a dozen or more collections at this point, and for a reason: It’s damned good, a wonderful little subversion of S&S and Drake’s take on the dragon sickness, a topic that also interested Tolkien and the unnamed author of Beowulf.</p><p>I’m also a fan of <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2012/06/dragon-lord-by-david-drake-review.html" target="_blank">The Dragon Lord</a>, which, now that I’m re-reading Bernard Cornwell’s <i>Warlord Trilogy</i>, did for King Arthur what Drake already did, two decades prior: Offer up a grim and gritty historical take on the myth.</p><p>In S&S circles his greatest legacy is probably his Vettius stories, published in various venues but collected in <i>Vettius and His Friends. Swords Against Darkness I </i>contains his excellent “Dragon’s Teeth” which I recommend as a good starting place/sampling of that character. DMR Books recently reprinted “Killer” (written in conjunction with Karl Edward Wagner) <a href="https://dmrbooks.com/renegade-swords-ii" target="_blank">in Renegade Swords II</a>, one of Vettius’ “friends” stories featuring the monster hunter Lycon. Also highly recommended; many have described it as “Predator” set in ancient Rome.</p><p>I recently picked up a copy of <i>From the Heart of Darkness </i>at Howard Days and will elevate that up the TBR. Drake wrote a lot of horror and this one looks like a great representative sample.</p><p>Drake was also recently interviewed in the Karl Edward Wagner documentary <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-last-wolf-review.html" target="_blank">The Last Wolf</a>. He knew Wagner as closely as few living people did.</p><p>I would put him up there with Wagner, Charles Saunders, Keith Taylor and maybe 1-2 others as the best new authors working in the 70s S&S revival.</p><p>RIP Mr. Drake. Thanks for the wonderful stories, and for your service and sacrifice to the country.</p><div><br /></div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-74181853356698100012023-12-10T11:05:00.000-05:002023-12-10T11:05:06.204-05:00One million views, and counting<p>I passed a quiet milestone a couple weeks ago, of which I was unaware until a recent look at Google analytics data confirmed it.</p><p>One million views. </p><p>As of this moment in history the creaky old blog has 1,008,307 views, to be exact.</p><p>Not sure what that really means, other than its a big round number. Before you celebrate, this includes bot traffic, one-time visitors that find the blog via image search, etc. Junk traffic.</p><p>But also good traffic, returning visitors who have taken some value in what I have to say.</p><p>1,000,000 views isn't anything worth celebrating for a website that's going on 16 years. I've never made any attempts to optimize it, monetize, etc. I've gone long stretches without posting. </p><p>But I guess if there is anything to celebrate it's the endurance of the thing.</p><p>Of late I haven't been posting nearly as much as I'd like. A long-form non-fiction work in progress has eaten up most of my creative free time. But I have no plans to shutter this bit of cyberspace down, either, unless Google unplugs blogger.</p><p>If you've enjoyed the blog over the years thanks for reading. </p>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-40248778412182781182023-12-07T20:11:00.003-05:002023-12-12T08:12:05.162-05:00The hellscape of KISS avatars and AI art<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxqnXP36f3Ns0HF9eISS9LkSFxzpSk8SCks7DAlApSXKrPoHCLnend0jknkpuKoCxbop_cmW851ahihRZ4XboBKKDIHeP6H-34xbNFOqChtP3-xJYAQe21Ba_FqPBsYZo8KMkT8UGVoUjN74umffMioNAsSKStwNYS2y90iuSm67Zeo0e02XypjJNh6E/s976/KISS%20avatars.webp" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxqnXP36f3Ns0HF9eISS9LkSFxzpSk8SCks7DAlApSXKrPoHCLnend0jknkpuKoCxbop_cmW851ahihRZ4XboBKKDIHeP6H-34xbNFOqChtP3-xJYAQe21Ba_FqPBsYZo8KMkT8UGVoUjN74umffMioNAsSKStwNYS2y90iuSm67Zeo0e02XypjJNh6E/s320/KISS%20avatars.webp" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KISS (holograms) love you!</td></tr></tbody></table>KISS just wrapped up a 50-year career in typical KISS fashion.</div><div><br /></div><div>Selling product.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not content to leave the stage with a remaining shred of dignity intact, KISS left their fans with a message, and a sales pitch: “The new KISS era starts now!” And unveiled the next era of KISS.</div><div><br /></div><div>Digitally created avatars.</div><div><br /></div><div>The new beginning? Artificiality.</div><div><br /></div><div>KISS presumably means to render themselves, and their income streams, immortal. “The band will never stop because the fans own the band,” explained frontman Paul Stanley.</div><div><br /></div><div>Paying fans, with their money going to KISS in perpetuity. </div><div><br /></div><div>Fuck I hate the world right now.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div>Artificial entertainment is not unique to KISS. We’re being increasingly inundated with images spun out of DALL-E, text spit from ChatGPT. Fake videos with AI trained voiceovers are making it increasing harder to tell what is real.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now we’ve got AI KISS. Holograms, programmed to move based on training data, not spontaneity.</div><div><br /></div><div>A nightmare.</div><div><br /></div><div>I ask, with earnestness: What is the point?</div><div><br /></div><div>Before the advent of AI, had you asked me why I liked KISS I would probably have answered “the music."</div><div><br /></div><div>But now I realize, it was also the band members.</div><div><br /></div><div>People made the music. Putting aside debate about their actual talent, Gene, Paul, Peter, and Ace blended their unique backgrounds and experiences to write songs. They had several false starts and tentative steps toward their final brand image. It was a messy path of false starts, playing shows in high school gyms in front of a dozen disinterested fans, before they finally hit it big.</div><div><br /></div><div>The end product was, almost miraculously, pretty awesome, at least from an entertainment perspective. </div><div><br /></div><div>Paul Stanley is a human being possessed of loves and interests, passions, faults, foibles, and flaws. As were the other members of KISS. Together they wrote great songs and terrible songs. Classic albums and awful clunkers. They did some amazing tours, limped through others, and put out some really shitty merchandise.</div><div><br /></div><div>I love it all.</div><div><br /></div><div>I love it because KISS is unique, and every member that served in the band, unique (especially Vinnie Vincent). It’s what makes them entertaining. This humanness is an incalculable part of what makes KISS endearing to its fans. </div><div><br /></div><div>KISS is easy to pick on, and mock. “They were already artificial!” OK, fair enough. But they were and are real people who against long odds, built a career most would envy.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next era is a mockery, and its only just begun.</div><div><br /></div><div>Will AI generated Paul Stanley paint pictures, bang groupies, have children, fight with digital Ace Frehley on Eddie Trunk? Will the band members write ChatGPT generated memoirs about their “tours”? Inspire new AI artists?</div><div><br /></div><div>Are we supposed to go to concerts and cheer on holograms?</div><div><br /></div><div>There is no point to AI generated art. It is soulless in every sense of the term. Because there is no soul behind it, not even a ghost in the machine. Just scraped and aggregated data, vectored and served up.</div><div><br /></div><div>One small bit of good news is that it appears AI generated art is not copyrightable. And it doesn’t deserve to be, because there is nothing worth preserving in it. It is the pinnacle of corporate, Silicon Valley soul-lessness, a golem of circuitry built from the flesh and blood output of real artists.</div><div><br /></div><div>If we had any sense as a species, AI would be put to use solving actual big problems like climate change and nuclear fusion. Detecting cancers unseen to the naked eye. Or automating soulless, mind-crushing tasks.</div><div><br /></div><div>To be fair AI is being used in some of these applications. I hope these succeed. But most of the product development is being applied in the creative industries, and white collar businesses. </div><div><br /></div><div>Why? As with any open question about business, the answer is the same here as with any other: follow the money.</div><div><br /></div><div>Companies are now rapidly training niche AIs and then selling them as subscription products. Businesses are already outsourcing human labor to machines, reducing overhead expense and increasing their profitability to shareholders.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is commerce, not art.</div><div><br /></div><div>Worse, kids are using it to write papers, teachers to grade these fake papers, “creators” to fuel their content pipeline. What are we learning? What is more impressive, a guitar virtuoso who has spent 25 years mastering his craft, a generational talent like Frank Frazetta painting with fire, or some kid putting prompts into DALL-E?</div><div><br /></div><div>People are the losers in the AI race. As are dignity, hard work, effort, and talent.</div><div><br /></div><div>So is the future. We’re sacrificing that, too. And we’re making a mockery of the past.</div><div><br /></div><div>A massive part of the appeal of Conan and Solomon Kane and Kull is its creator, Robert E. Howard. Howard was rooted in Cross Plains, possessed of a voracious reading habit, writing talent, and an imagination as big as Texas. He was complex, contradictory, full of great passions, “giant melancholies and gigantic mirths.” All of it formed the wellspring of his art.</div><div><br /></div><div>AI has none of this. There is no background to excavate, no influences to explore, no literary legacy to debate, no arguments over places in the pantheon. </div><div><br /></div><div>AGIs have no history. They never worked on oil fields, felt the sting of lost loves, experienced the alienation of an artistic soul in a town whose residents despised its craft.</div><div><br /></div><div>AI generated writing is the death knell of literary criticism. How can one say anything about the output of a program, scraping and training itself on massive data sets of already existing content? A hellish, endless loop of sophisticated repetition and large-scale copying, including everything Robert E. Howard ever wrote?</div><div><br /></div><div>To recap: AI generated art, including images and text, but also AI avatars, AI music, all of it, is void of meaning. It is shallow, empty, and purposeless.</div><div><br /></div><div>Inhuman.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will not be part of creating it, or consuming it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Neither should you.</div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-44767642149461644652023-10-09T19:41:00.002-04:002023-10-12T06:34:23.454-04:00October reading update<div>I set an annual reading goal of 52 books. Which I rarely meet, but it gives me a north star to steer toward. To have any shot of reaching that goal I need to have a book going at all times. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes I get stuck in ruts, selecting books based on what I think I should read, rather than what grips me and keeps the pages turning. Earlier this year I found myself burned out on sword-and-sorcery fiction. Not that what I was reading was bad, it was just too much of the same, and I found myself reading it out of some sort of obligation. I was slogging along, and my reading pace was slowing down.</div><div><br /></div><div>So in June I decided to change things up. I put down the S&S (with one exception; see below) and dove headlong into stuff I really wanted to read. Here’s what I’ve read since June:</div><div><br /></div><div>1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>On the Road, Jack Kerouac </div><div>2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Eyes of the Dragon, Stephen King</div><div>3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris</div><div>4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Gov’t Cheese, Steven Pressfield</div><div>5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Watership Down, Richard Adams</div><div>6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Fargo Rock City, Chuck Klosterman</div><div>7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Adventures of a Metalhead Librarian, Anna-Marie O’Brien</div><div>8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Heavy Duty: Days and Nights In Judas Priest, KK Downing</div><div>9.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Night Shift, Stephen King </div><div>10.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Face the Music: A Life Exposed, Paul Stanley </div><div>11.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lord of a Shattered Land, Howard Andrew Jones</div><div>12.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Nothin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the 80s Hard Rock Explosion, Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock</div><div>13.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway</div><div>14.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I Am Ozzy, Ozzy Osbourne </div><div>15.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Red Dragon, Thomas Harris</div><div><br /></div><div>Right now I’m working on two books, Max Brooks’ World War Z, and Ethan Gilsdorf’s Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks, making good progress on both. That will put me at 35 books YTD.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can see a couple clear interests emerging here.</div><div><br /></div><div>One is horror. It’s October and I’ve got the Halloween itch. Stephen King and Thomas Harris at their best are tough to beat for delivering chills. I burned through Night Shift in a couple days, as well as Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs. Harris at his best might be a better writer than King, though the latter has the superior imagination (Harris also only seems able to write about serial killers. Except for Black Sunday, which I mean to pick up one day).</div><div><br /></div><div>I’m also engaged in writing a heavy metal memoir and so have been mainlining memoir and history of that genre. Gov’t Cheese is (non metal) memoir and Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks is also a memoir of sorts, a story of a dude coming to grips with his gaming past and the broader need for escapism. These books have not only gotten me in the mood to write but also provided a template for how I might tackle my own book.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ozzy was an absolute lunatic in the 70s and 80s but you probably already knew that.</div><div><br /></div><div>For Whom the Bell Tolls was a palate cleanser after a steady diet of 80s debauchery, but proved to be a terrific book. </div><div><br /></div><div>A couple of these are re-reads. I read Red Dragon a long time ago, long enough so that much of it feels new to me again. Though I remembered all the broad strokes and how the killer is ultimately caught. Which doesn’t matter—you read a book like this for the journey, not the destination. Harris does a masterful job sketching Dolarhyde’s entire backstory in a gripping 22 page sequence.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2008/01/end-of-world-as-we-know-it-and-i-feel.html" target="_blank">World War Z is also a re-read</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>I recommend everything from the list above.</div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-9228645248983915512023-09-27T14:44:00.002-04:002023-09-29T08:09:41.054-04:00Still learning from my Dad<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgiafuTnrZKgszOdPxrRe7WMi9HqzjJMiOTgFY4bQqmx8V_gMRu8_dDl8DACKt_8gcGCByMT_cedyrCO77Xc1oZbBAlBeNEgup5puDXX8-hdJIbLqVZffJjshs236zoRvfk2jqP0kumC-wT3F7vDGgzRaJttGccY1lG0Qyj6T0icIuR7SKPbWbX1QKIE/s4032/IMG_9474.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgiafuTnrZKgszOdPxrRe7WMi9HqzjJMiOTgFY4bQqmx8V_gMRu8_dDl8DACKt_8gcGCByMT_cedyrCO77Xc1oZbBAlBeNEgup5puDXX8-hdJIbLqVZffJjshs236zoRvfk2jqP0kumC-wT3F7vDGgzRaJttGccY1lG0Qyj6T0icIuR7SKPbWbX1QKIE/w400-h300/IMG_9474.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the old man! At The Barking Dog, Amesbury MA.</td></tr></tbody></table>I’m 50 years old and still learning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still learning from my Dad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dad is 79 and dealing with a host of chronic conditions—name it, he’s probably got it. His mobility is greatly diminished. He needs a cane, sometimes his walker. Most of his friends are gone, so he gets lonely. He has a grumpy, nippy “lovebird” as a companion.</div><div><br /></div><div>I help him out. I pay his bills, help him with medical appointments, because he doesn’t text or email. Run a vacuum around his condo.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last night we had a wonderful little impromptu dinner out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here’s the sad admission: It took some effort on my behalf.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had planned to swing by Dad’s condo, check in on him, and pick up his mail. But he mentioned he wasn’t in the mood to cook and was planning to go out to dinner, alone.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hesitated. I kind of just wanted to go back home. I am trying to eat better—do I really want restaurant food on a Tuesday? All the excuses.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a few seconds of indecision I mentioned I was free, and that I’d go with him.</div><div><br /></div><div>To say it was worth it is an understatement.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dad misses his deceased friends, especially Willie, who he worked with, side-by-side, for the better part of 40 years. I knew the story of Willie’s retirement but asked Dad to retell it anyways. Willie said he’d leave a bottle of Jameson on his desk on his last day. My dad knew the day was coming, but Willie surprised him, sneaking out one day after lunch. But not before leaving the bottle and a few shot glasses.</div><div><br /></div><div>My dad and five other guys spent the afternoon toasting to Willie while his boss looked the other way.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also learned something new: Dad was invited to two weddings of much younger guys he worked with, but never hung out with.</div><div><br /></div><div>Who does this happen to? My dad.</div><div><br /></div><div>He always was charming, and he still has that social fastball. My Dad engaged the bartender far better than I could have yesterday, or any other day. I just needed to get him away from the TV. </div><div><br /></div><div>He had a great time. In turn, he got me out of my ennui.</div><div><br /></div><div>I feel helpless sometimes when I’m around him, watching his slow decline. Yesterday he helped me as much as I helped him.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I’m feeling isolated at work, bleeding into my personal life, it’s always the same cause: A lack of engagement.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know need to spend my time not stewing on my own inadequacies, but helping out others.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some career/life advice:</div><div><br /></div><div>👉 Connect with people. Face to face if you can. If you’re an introvert, push through the resistance.</div><div>👉 Don’t assume; you’ll get burned through lack of communication</div><div>👉 Be clear about what you want. Listen in return.</div><div>👉 Be kind.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to Dad I am reminded of what I need to do. It doesn’t come naturally, but I’ll keep working at it.</div><div><br /></div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-39776551797228020822023-08-27T11:26:00.006-04:002023-08-29T07:33:39.785-04:00Ace Frehley, Nashua Center for the Arts (Aug. 2023)--a review<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrW5PdaT3FlSvzleKzUh0XgIAT9WitD15qJsWaQlBpAZc1YU6w89xLhwQSahywboir8VoxQ9cstCrfgN_bZboJzpzo-2ndj8FWR2iC6EhdQKFJxykea5oNXmCW39Yp8rNxzL6PLuGedDXGXaUXqAaE8nj3455fiyb51JaGBNPtaW7cJklokLwwiV9FOU/s640/Ace%20stage.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrW5PdaT3FlSvzleKzUh0XgIAT9WitD15qJsWaQlBpAZc1YU6w89xLhwQSahywboir8VoxQ9cstCrfgN_bZboJzpzo-2ndj8FWR2iC6EhdQKFJxykea5oNXmCW39Yp8rNxzL6PLuGedDXGXaUXqAaE8nj3455fiyb51JaGBNPtaW7cJklokLwwiV9FOU/w400-h300/Ace%20stage.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had good seats... up close and personal with Ace Frehley.</td></tr></tbody></table>Wildly unexpected: Ace Frehley played a cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Emerald” at the Nashua Center for the Arts last night. But I’ve come to expect the unexpected out of Ace.<p></p><p>The former KISS lead guitarist has always been a loose cannon. That’s what led to his departure from the band; Ace quit in 1982 but his time was coming to an end regardless. He loved booze and drugs too much, lacked discipline and seriousness, and was unreliable. Which of course put him at direct odds with the businessmen and defenders of the KISS brand, Paul and Gene.</p><p>Ace went on to have a moderately successful solo career with Frehley’s Comet, famously reunited with the band for a reunion tour in 1996, and left again in another huff in 2002. In his wild biography No Regrets Ace sends most of his ire in the direction of the controlling, sex-addicted Gene Simmons; today he is openly quarreling with Paul Stanley, who himself stooped to Ace’s level by denigrating Ace’s playing and professionalism (despite the fact that Paul is openly using vocal tracks to cover up his shot voice).</p><p>It's rather pathetic, watching the infighting of 70-year-old men who hit the equivalent of the lottery in the 70s but can’t seem to get beyond their own egos and let the past remain there.</p><p>But to be honest, it’s also fucking fun, in a watching a train wreck from afar, guiltily, kind of way.</p><p>When you’re a deep fan of KISS--the kind who goes beyond the music and explores their crazy history, the rise and fall and glorious return, the nonsense of albums like Unmasked and The Elder and weird transient members like Vinnie Vincent, and all the merchandise spinoffs and now public beefs and shit-stirring—it’s like participating in a reality TV show spanning 50 years, with dozens of spinoffs and subplots. It’s endless and endlessly fascinating.</p><p>There aren’t really a lot of good guys.</p><p>KISS (the current incarnation) does not precisely even play concerts anymore, but put on a highly choreographed performance; everything is calculated and planned. Zero spontaneity. Yeah, Gene/Paul/Tommy/Eric put on a much bigger, brighter, and more colorful show than Ace, and KISS sounds much better, but it’s plastic. For almost 20 years now, perhaps since the “farewell” tour of 2001, it’s been essentially the same thing; the last unique show I remember KISS putting on was Psycho Circus and its ill-conceived 3D effects. </p><p>Ace has slouched along with his own solo career since the mid-80s. He’s never had a good voice, never taken care of himself physically (though he says he’s been sober since 2006), BUT he does his brand of loose, boozy rock well, and has surrounded himself with a talented band including three dudes who can all sing, and share the vocal duties and take the load off what is clearly at this stage a very frail Frehley.</p><p>So KISS isn't great these days, and neither is Ace. But I still love them both.</p><p>Concerts have always for me been about good times with friends, and unique experiences, first, and the music, while important, is second. Last night was a fun experience, and the music was OK too. It checked the boxes for a good time. And it was.</p><p>Ace busted out a lot of old KISS tunes including “Parasite,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Cold Gin,” “Shock Me,” “Deuce” and “Love Gun.” He played many solo hits, including (of course) “New York Groove,” but also “Rip It Out,” “Rock Soldiers,” “Snowblind,” “Speedin’ Back to My Baby” and “Hard Times.”</p><p>I think I got them all, but I wasn’t taking notes, either.</p><p>Oh yeah, <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2022/08/thin-lizzy-emerald.html" target="_blank">and “Emerald,” which was a pleasant surprise</a>. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlyvLIVlx5ShaR3ztARhkDPBJGNyOH6QDE2gcVVB7PPYo9AIkB2U-BYM3ODNFVkWgJom35Vdv98ou9hMx31_mWce3Gm7C4wgEZvBU9sQc_JNA2LDE4woht57p1kxGeua-R5J3GcfMkLzuKm3hVRNSOzPlpHdOIp-9w779fYDUzG_beLWGC6pPEprT9Y3k" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlyvLIVlx5ShaR3ztARhkDPBJGNyOH6QDE2gcVVB7PPYo9AIkB2U-BYM3ODNFVkWgJom35Vdv98ou9hMx31_mWce3Gm7C4wgEZvBU9sQc_JNA2LDE4woht57p1kxGeua-R5J3GcfMkLzuKm3hVRNSOzPlpHdOIp-9w779fYDUzG_beLWGC6pPEprT9Y3k=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wayne and I. </td></tr></tbody></table>The usual weird Ace-ness accompanied all of this. Ace slagged Paul once; Ace admitted he can’t sing Love Gun, “but neither can Paul” before turning over the vocals to his drummer. He told a weirdly placed story about falling down his stairs in his own home in a sort of half apology for not being as spry on stage (he never has been). An odd fedora wearing promoter who resembled a faux pro wrestling manager lurked along the side of the stage taking pictures, and at the end of the show held open a bathrobe for Ace to step into. <p></p><p>Ace shared interesting short anecdotes about old KISS songs (conceiving the riff for Cold Gin on the subway, Gene admitting not knowing what lyrics of Deuce meant, etc.). And of course he played a smoke show solo.</p><p>Nashua is a little rough around the edges but the main drag was loaded with breweries, restaurants, and pubs. We watched one overserved dude make an ass of himself before moving on.</p><p>Fun stuff, quirky, unique. Another one for the record books. </p><p>My friend Wayne and I both remarked that this may be the last time Ace comes this way, based on his condition, but one never knows. He is after all, a wild card, and may yet have an Ace in his deck. OK, that's enough card metaphors for one day.</p>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-67097963875949536972023-08-25T17:13:00.005-04:002023-08-26T06:06:27.446-04:00Watership Down and the importance of stories<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbFOzUyb5nmdnksDvAqmNvSRaAAlclW0jUJ9mO2rcs0u6e-CRZ-UXYQLvyijJRufDNc0ogUnydIdsSOlc8GwYF7oUV4hXfG16OK3EndtQAwkTK0aFWc8waeTvHY-h7wmpGn2NF7ShQfeGVT0eyppOpkrRYU1fmipKzKJwMh6LYjZtAv_tv_Wzl0hxR_WI" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="305" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbFOzUyb5nmdnksDvAqmNvSRaAAlclW0jUJ9mO2rcs0u6e-CRZ-UXYQLvyijJRufDNc0ogUnydIdsSOlc8GwYF7oUV4hXfG16OK3EndtQAwkTK0aFWc8waeTvHY-h7wmpGn2NF7ShQfeGVT0eyppOpkrRYU1fmipKzKJwMh6LYjZtAv_tv_Wzl0hxR_WI=w243-h400" width="243" /></a></div>We tell stories to give life meaning. Stories show us how to behave, and teach us what matters, through the power of narrative.<p></p><p>Stories convey Truth. Lacking a shared set of stories we can believe in, life is cacophonous noise.</p><p>Some stories are hard to hear, or don’t end well. But the same can be said for some aspects of life. I am drawn time and again to stories of heroism, of hard struggle in dark places against long odds. </p><p>I think these are the best stories, and the ones that matter most.</p><p>This is one reason why I keep coming back to <i>Watership Down</i>. I recently completed either a third or fourth re-reading of this 1972 classic by Richard Adams. As with all the great books I’ve read, I learned something new, again, in its familiar pages.</p><p>Great books meet you where you are in life. This time <i>Watership Down</i> met me in a new place, at age 50, with my children now full grown and headed off to college in the fall, leaving my wife and I empty-nesters for the first time. My girls are on their way to building lives, and their story has a lot to unfold. My life is still building, but I’ve shifted, subtly, from chasing a career and building a family, to passing on the wisdom I’ve accumulated. To telling them about my story, in the hopes I can convey a little wisdom and improve their chances of making better choices and building better lives. </p><p>So yes, this re-reading of <i>Watership Down</i> taught me about the power of stories.</p><p>The Rabbits tell each other stories of El-ahrairah, a great hero out of legend. He is the ideal, but because he is a rabbit, not a man, he is the ultimate rabbit ideal. A master thief, because rabbits steal from gardens. A prey item for a thousand hunters, because rabbits are relatively weak. But these deficiencies are offset with his great gifts of cunning, and great speed, driven by the power of his back legs.</p><p>El-ahrariah is a hero. Not without flaw; he sometimes makes poor choices, and suffers the consequences. He often falls victim to his own pride, and overconfidence. But he never gives up, and against every fiber of his being confronts the Black Rabbit of Inle’, and offers up his own life to secure the safety of his people. It’s a lesson in sacrifice for the next generation, which in the end is what being a good parent is all about. </p><p>The Rabbits tell the stories of El-ahrairah again and again, because they give their brief and often terrifying lives meaning. And something to hope for. His stories inspire Hazel, the hero of <i>Watership Down</i> (one among many), to lead his warren on a long journey through many dangers to safety, beyond the reach of the careless destroyer man.</p><p>Eventually El-ahrairah passes on, just as Hazel and Bigwig pass away. But their stories remain, and inspire, if we continue to pass them on. </p><p>Even if El-ahrairah is just a myth, his is a story worth believing in.</p>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-26831516918521538662023-08-22T21:01:00.001-04:002023-08-22T21:03:31.608-04:00Lord of a Shattered Land: A review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijpIT7UVJ7JurCwcOncGQ8BGTDefUY9SSZ6vZCkcIWpmSaXrbmReGbQ0QLxkL3h-TXH9x92R66ykGYkrNO6gLCWt3BtN3eGHJNCXdudlbg-mxcmgXsvkZEpbZBMohg25pSW9YuyHQNJFTkThO1HqDzxpAF8H7EOY09DhXddLyO_n0WBZ-DMUWtL1ci9ec" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="658" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijpIT7UVJ7JurCwcOncGQ8BGTDefUY9SSZ6vZCkcIWpmSaXrbmReGbQ0QLxkL3h-TXH9x92R66ykGYkrNO6gLCWt3BtN3eGHJNCXdudlbg-mxcmgXsvkZEpbZBMohg25pSW9YuyHQNJFTkThO1HqDzxpAF8H7EOY09DhXddLyO_n0WBZ-DMUWtL1ci9ec=w263-h400" width="263" /></a></div>Hanuvar has lost it all—his land, his people, and his family—following a disastrous military defeat. Narrowly escaping his own death and presumed dead by his enemies, the exiled former General vows to find the scattered remnants of his surviving people and set them free. <p></p><p>And kick some ass along the way.</p><p>This is the premise of Howard Andrew Jones’ new sword-and-sorcery novel <i>Lord of a Shattered Land</i> (2023, Baen Books). A novel which is almost a short story collection. In it we follow Hanuvar on a sprawling series of episodic adventures that can be read and enjoyed as standalone tales (several were published as short stories appearing in <i>Tales from the Magician’s Skull</i> and elsewhere), or as a cohesive novel, the disparate adventures following sequentially in service of an overarching plot.</p><p>As with any collection I enjoyed some entries better than others. There are 3-4 terrific “stories” in here that easily stand among the best of the recent explosion of S&S fiction. My favorites included “The Warrior’s Way,” “The Second Death of Hanuvar,” “The Crypt of Stars,” and “An Accident of Blood.” </p><p><i>Lord of a Shattered Land</i> serves as a promising template for how sword-and-sorcery can work in a longer form. Although its sweet spot is the short story and novella, S&S can and has proven adaptable to longer treatments—see the likes of Fritz Leiber’s <i>The Swords of Lankhmar</i>, or Karl Edward Wagner’s <i>Bloodstone.</i> Can it be done in a form familiar to fans of epic fantasy—3 or 5 thick volumes? We’ll see. But <i>Lord of a Shattered Land</i> is a promising start.</p><p>Jones wears some obvious influences on his sleeve. The setting is sword and sandal, as Hanuvar was inspired by the historical general Hannibal and the cultural and technological milieu shares many similarities with ancient Rome. The style evokes Harold Lamb: Briskly paced storytelling, and emphasis on plot over character. The final chapter is an interesting/ambitious look into Hanuvar’s mind, as told through a fever-dream sequence.</p><p>Other influences may be less apparent. Hanuvar’s wistful remembrances of Volanus and its fallen cities of white towers reminded me of Tolkien and the lost cities of the First Age of Middle-Earth.</p><p>Hanuvar is a truly heroic hero, and in this sense strays outside some of the stricter sword and sorcery definitions. He's a patriot, quite willing to sacrifice his own life to rescue the lives of his people. Jones has billed Hanuvar as some combination of Captain America and James Bond. I find him much more Bond; extremely competent but quite ruthless, a thinking man's fighter, aging but still deadly in hand-to-hand combat and very willing to take lives. Not a “hero” in the mold of an unhinged Mad Max, but very much in control, not after bloodthirsty vengeance but liberation. Not fueled by wine, women, and coin, but the hope he may one day find his daughter alive.</p><p>Does this somehow exclude Lord of a Shattered Land from the ranks of sword-and-sorcery? Of course not, unless you’re a pedant. Merely because many historical S&S protagonists were mercenary or self-serving does not mean all were, or that current authors should feel obligated to cleave to someone else’s definition of S&S. Embrace your influences and work unburdened by the past, as Jones does here.</p><p>Back to the review.</p><p>Some will find <i>Lord of a Shattered Land</i> not to their tastes, depending on the flavor of S&S they enjoy reading. For example, it lacks the primal barbaric spirit of Conan, or the otherworldly weirdness of CAS’ slice of S&S. Hanuvar is very much a civilized man and the world of <i>Lord of a Shattered Land </i>feels civilized, albeit with weird incursions and some cool monsters. But always the baseline is familiar, inspired as it is by history. So if you’re after the red-handed barbarism of Conan or Kull, or the weirdness of "The Isle of the Torturers" or the dreamlike underworld of C.L. Moore’s "Black God’s Kiss," you won’t get these here, precisely.</p><p>And in that regard <i>Lord of a Shattered Land</i> did not check all my S&S boxes. Some of the stories don’t match the heightened urgency of others, leading to some unevenness, as you’d expect in any collection. </p><p>But I nevertheless greatly enjoyed it, overall. And what you do get is a well-realized, quasi historical world that feels real, and lived in. <i>Lord of a Shattered Land </i>is very well written, moving in places, even elevated. I have not read widely of HAJ, though I have read some, including <i><a href="http://www.blackgate.com/2011/03/17/the-desert-of-souls-a-review/#more-19156" target="_blank">The Desert of Souls</a></i>, and in this volume it feels like he’s come into his own as a writer. I was impressed by Jones’ authorial range. One chapter is outright humor, brushing up to slapstick (“The Autumn Horse”), while others are dark and violent. Still others are contemplative, and sad. </p><p>This is a journey we’re on, after all, and the figure we’re following has seen a lot, and lost much. But remains unbroken.</p><p>Minor spoiler: <i>Lord of a Shattered Land </i>offers no resolution; Jones has already announced the series will to run to (five!) books, so we can’t and shouldn’t expect Hanuvar to find his people and set them free in his volume. At the end the land is still very much shattered, and the people of Volanus still scattered. It will be interesting to see if Jones can pull off something this ambitious. But he’s well on his way with his most ambitious and successful work to date.</p><p>If you’re a fan of sword-and-sorcery, pick this up. For the sake of supporting the subgenre, but also for supporting tales well-told.</p>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723077228948447528.post-31132881751453029032023-08-01T08:44:00.002-04:002023-08-01T08:53:24.642-04:00Assessing the sword-and-sorcery "glut"<div>Jason Ray Carney recently weighed in on an issue that’s been on my mind, too: <a href="https://spiraltower.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-glut-of-new-sword-and-sorcery.html" target="_blank">The glut of new sword-and-sorcery fiction</a>. Asks Jason:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Because of the glut of new sword and sorcery, I find myself buying new books with a wistful sense of "One day I'll find time to read this." Am I alone?</i></div><div><br /></div><div>No, you’re not alone Jason.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’m feeling a little bloated myself. </div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve recently read <i>A Book of Blades, New Edge #0, Worlds Beyond Worlds</i>, a handful of issues of <i>Tales from the Magician’s Skull</i>, and <i>Sometime Lofty Towers</i>. Not all brand new, but new enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I haven’t made a dent, and the titles just keep coming. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sitting unread in my office are:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Die by the Sword</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Multiple additional copies of <i>Tales from the Magician’s Skull</i></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Lord of a Shattered Land</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>War on Rome</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Not to mention <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-howard-days-2023-haul.html" target="_blank">my Howard Days haul, which includes <i>Kagen the Damned</i></a></div><div><br /></div><div>More are on the way. I participated in the recent kickstarter for <i>Swords from the Shadows,</i> so I expect that anthology in the mail soon. I also backed New Edge and issue no. 1 is well under way. I know I’ll be backing <i>Neither Beg Nor Yield </i>next. Baen is ramping up its act, as is Titan.</div><div><br /></div><div>I feel guilty that I haven’t bought <i>A Book of Blades </i>vol. 2 (yet). I’d like to get more volumes of <i>Swords and Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy</i>, <a href="https://thesilverkey.blogspot.com/2021/03/swords-sorceries-tales-of-heroic-fantasy.html" target="_blank">as I greatly enjoyed vol. 1</a>, but I have to pump the brakes somehow. I’ve got two daughters in college.</div><div><br /></div><div>And on top of everything else I’m way behind on <i>Whetstone. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>It does feel rather like a glut.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is this a bad thing? Again I agree with Jason; while “glut” is not a particularly positive descriptor, it does also mean we have a plethora of choices. </div><div><br /></div><div>Just a few short years ago it was hard to find any new sword-and-sorcery, save for the likes of online stories from <i>Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Swords and Sorcery</i> magazine, and the occasional title from DMR Books. It was a dark time, with glints of light in the stygian gloom. Parched S&S fans were starved for a cool drink.</div><div><br /></div><div>But now the drink feels if not like a firehose, then a 40 oz. big gulp. It seems like new kickstarters are popping up every fortnight, announcing new anthologies and projects.</div><div><br /></div><div>In comparison with trad fantasy, or YA, the number of new titles we’re seeing in S&S would probably not qualify as a blip. But those markets are not S&S. They’re far, far larger, and can bear the output. When you’re playing in a small pool this flood of titles is a lot.</div><div><br /></div><div>Again, I stress that this is so far from a crisis that it’s ridiculous to even think that way. It might not even be a problem. If you have plenty of 1) expendable cash and 2) time, and love to read, it’s great. If you lack either cash, or sufficient time, less so.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you’re a publisher trying to make a living the glut is a problem, unless the market keeps expanding. Because right now we’re short on readers. And that is the real issue.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unless you grow the pool of readers by 20x (or preferably, 200x) no writer or publisher is going to be able to make enough to sustain a full-time living writing S&S. <a href="https://beginselfpublishing.com/authorincome/" target="_blank">Here is an interesting article from 2016 on self-publishing and the kinds of numbers you need to make a middle-class income</a>. I doubt any new anthology is moving these kinds of numbers. </div><div><br /></div><div>The issue is definitely not the passionate community of creators, including writers but also artists and editors. Everyone who wants to write or create, should. But they also should know they are publishing in a very small community.</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps I’m using the wrong barometer for health, and that readership and revenue aren’t the real indicators, but quantity and quality of output, and passion of the community. But again quantity is a problem: when there are this many new titles in such a small community some will go unread. Assessing quality is also difficult: Conversations will be shorter, and shallower, as we quickly switch focus to the next new title. And I’m not sure that’s great for discussion and thoughtful reviews. There isn’t much talk over what makes for good writing in this space.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back to optimism and possibility: One way I can see this evolving is editors raising the bar for the stories they’ll accept, and getting more specific about what types of stories they want, thematically or stylistically. <i>New Edge </i>is doing this with its lean into diversity and inclusiveness; <i>Neither Beg Nor Yield</i> with a never surrender attitude.</div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe one day we’ll see a “Year’s Best” anthology that we can hand to a new reader and say, “start here.”</div><div><br /></div><div>All this is coming at a time where I’m feeling a bit burned out on sword-and-sorcery, and reading horror and memoir at the moment. Make no mistake, I’m a lifelong reader and nothing will extinguish that flame. I’ll be back. But I need a pause to get caught up.</div><div><br /></div><div>Long story short, I’ll eventually get to <i>Lord of a Shattered Land</i>. Soon, I promise.</div>Brian Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05563309422791320114noreply@blogger.com20