Saturday, February 5, 2022

Richard Tierney, 1936-2022

Richard Tierney has died. I can't say much more than what is expressed in this fine post by Deuce Richardson over at DMR Books. Peace be with his friends and family.

Tierney was, as the article states, one of a thin line carrying on the sword-and-sorcery tradition with good new material in the 1970s, alongside the likes of Karl Edward Wagner and Charles Saunders. I very much enjoyed his Simon of Gitta stories, as found in the classic Swords Against Darkness anthologies, his pastiche work/posthumous REH collaborations in Tigers of the Sea, and his Red Sonja collaborations with David C. Smith. He was also highly regarded as a poet, and that bit of verse published on DMR confirms his skill.

It's sad to see these old S&S veterans go. But when you keep reading them, you keep the flame burning.

6 comments:

Narmer said...

This is sad news. I actually just discovered him last year and received Sorcery Against Caesar for Christmas. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to start reading it yet.

Brian Murphy said...

Yeah, I've got some catching up to do with Tierney's work as well. I feel badly for writers of his era; I feel like he was just getting started as S&S was on its way out.

John E. Boyle said...

Sad news indeed but he lived a full life. As our host points out, if we read his work and encourage others to do the same, we can keep that flame burning.

RIP, Mr. Tierney.

Brian Murphy said...

Thanks John. Yeah, he had a pretty good run of years.

Deuce said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Brian! Basically, we have Keith Taylor and Adrian Cole left. Adrian really came into his own, S&S-wise, AFTER the '70s. Keith is basically the last man standing. I guess you could count David C. Smith as well. I'm looking forward to Keith's UPCOMING work. A true storyteller. He can't stop.

Brian Murphy said...

Thanks for stopping by Deuce, and the great piece. Agreed on Keith, can't wait to see his latest. I was very grateful Dave/DMR published a couple of his stories in Renegade Swords II which I had not read prior. Both excellent.