Wednesday, March 30, 2022

S&S updates: Thune's Vision kickstarter, new Conan novel

A couple items of interest to report on in the world of sword-and-sorcery:

Author Schuyler Hernstrom recently launched a kickstarter in conjunction with a new publishing outfit, Pilum Press. The project is for a new version of his out-of-print Thune's Vision, with a couple original stories added to the collection. I threw in my pledge for a $35 hardcover; I was pleased to receive notification this AM that the kickstarter met its modest funding goal of $5,000 and the project will proceed. I greatly enjoyed Hernstrom's The Eye of Sounnu (DMR Books), which to me successfully captured an old school S&S vibe while managing to avoid the slavish pastiche trap. Hernstrom has a compelling writing style and tells good stories. I had been thinking of tracking down a used copy of Thune's Vision until I heard about this upcoming project a few months ago. Glad to see it has come to fruition and met its initial goal, but please consider getting in on it. 

Conan Returns! Yes, the mighty-thewed barbarian is getting an fully authorized novel treatment by author S.M. Stirling. Conan: Blood of the Serpent is slated to publish in October. I have not read anything by Stirling but I'm sure I will pick this up. It will I believe be the first authorized Conan novel since 2003's Conan of Venarium (TOR), not counting film adaptations/gaming material and the like. It sounds interesting enough; from the Conan.com website: "We wanted to place the adventure within the timeline of Howard’s tales, and over the course of several outlines determined that it would lead into one of [Stirling's] personal favorites, “Red Nails.” Thus it would feature other elements Conan fans will find familiar, while being entirely accessible to readers who may come to the genre via A Game of Thrones,  The Witcher, or works by authors like Jay Kristoff or Mark Lawrence." I will admit that I'm not much of a pastiche Conan fan, with a few exceptions. I hope Stirling can capture even some of Howard's original magic. You can pre-order a hardcover copy from Titan Books now at the link above.

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