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Sword & Mythos
The blades of heroes clash against the darkest sorcery.
Aztec warriors ready for battle, intent on conquering a neighboring tribe, but different gods protect the Matlazinca.
For Arthur Pendragon, the dream of Camelot has ended. What remains is a nightmarish battle against his own son, who is not quite human.
Master Yue, the great swordsman, sets off to discover what happened to a hamlet that was mysteriously abandoned. He finds evil.
Sunsorrow, the ancient dreaming sword, pried from the heart of the glass god, yearns for Carcosa.
Fifteen writers, drawing inspiration from the pulp sub-genres of sword and sorcery and the Cthulhu Mythos, seed stories of adventure, of darkness, of magic and monstrosities. From Africa to realms of neverwhere, here is heroic fantasy with a twist.
Aztec warriors ready for battle, intent on conquering a neighboring tribe, but different gods protect the Matlazinca.
For Arthur Pendragon, the dream of Camelot has ended. What remains is a nightmarish battle against his own son, who is not quite human.
Master Yue, the great swordsman, sets off to discover what happened to a hamlet that was mysteriously abandoned. He finds evil.
Sunsorrow, the ancient dreaming sword, pried from the heart of the glass god, yearns for Carcosa.
Fifteen writers, drawing inspiration from the pulp sub-genres of sword and sorcery and the Cthulhu Mythos, seed stories of adventure, of darkness, of magic and monstrosities. From Africa to realms of neverwhere, here is heroic fantasy with a twist.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 16, 2021
"Fifteen writers, drawing inspiration from the pulp sub-genres of sword and sorcery and the Cthulhu Mythos, seed stories of adventure, of darkness, of magic and monstrosities. From Africa to realms of neverwhere, here is heroic fantasy with a twist."
This quote in the back cover and the amazing cover art made me buy this book, being a great fan of lovecraftian and sword & sorcery fiction and expecting to read stories about barbarians, warriors (chainmail bikini clad she-devils with a sword in the worst case...), wizards, sorcerers and tentacled cthuloid abominations.
Sadly the tales here are more historical than fantasy and some of them seem really out of place, not being lovecraftian neither sword & sorcery fantasy at all.
Besides that, there are real gems in this anthology and made me found out a few new authors I wanna read more in the future.
My most favourite ones are the following:
The Wood of Ephraim by Edward M Erdelac: soldiers in the time of King David fighting against Shub-Niggurath's Dark Youngs, Elder Signs... This really seems an adventure out of Call Of Cthulhu RPG.
Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth by Nadia Bulkin: is a beautiful "The Shadow over Innsmouth" style oriental tale.
The Serpents of Albion by Adrian Chamberlin: best tale in the anthology where "Le Morte d'Arthur" meets the Cthulhu Mythos.
No Sleep for the Just by William Meikle: maybe the only real pure sword & sorcery tale in the anthology, where an immortal warrior with a sentient sword fight against the Deep Ones Dagon worshippers of a cursed abbey...
In Xochitl in Cuicatl in Shub-Niggurath by Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas (translated from the Spanish by Silvia Moreno-Garcia): best one after "The Serpents of Albion", a fantastic short tale about ancient Aztec Elder Gods and their blood summoning rituals...
So, not a bad read at all and the informative essays at the end were interesting, just not what I was expecting for.
This quote in the back cover and the amazing cover art made me buy this book, being a great fan of lovecraftian and sword & sorcery fiction and expecting to read stories about barbarians, warriors (chainmail bikini clad she-devils with a sword in the worst case...), wizards, sorcerers and tentacled cthuloid abominations.
Sadly the tales here are more historical than fantasy and some of them seem really out of place, not being lovecraftian neither sword & sorcery fantasy at all.
Besides that, there are real gems in this anthology and made me found out a few new authors I wanna read more in the future.
My most favourite ones are the following:
The Wood of Ephraim by Edward M Erdelac: soldiers in the time of King David fighting against Shub-Niggurath's Dark Youngs, Elder Signs... This really seems an adventure out of Call Of Cthulhu RPG.
Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth by Nadia Bulkin: is a beautiful "The Shadow over Innsmouth" style oriental tale.
The Serpents of Albion by Adrian Chamberlin: best tale in the anthology where "Le Morte d'Arthur" meets the Cthulhu Mythos.
No Sleep for the Just by William Meikle: maybe the only real pure sword & sorcery tale in the anthology, where an immortal warrior with a sentient sword fight against the Deep Ones Dagon worshippers of a cursed abbey...
In Xochitl in Cuicatl in Shub-Niggurath by Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas (translated from the Spanish by Silvia Moreno-Garcia): best one after "The Serpents of Albion", a fantastic short tale about ancient Aztec Elder Gods and their blood summoning rituals...
So, not a bad read at all and the informative essays at the end were interesting, just not what I was expecting for.
November 6, 2015
More charitably, probably closer to a 3.5.
I admit this wasn't quite what I was expecting -- based on the title, I was hoping it was going to be a mixture of full-on sword & sorcery and Cthulhoid horrors -- sandals grinding jeweled thrones, tentacled monstrosities that may be rugose and/or scaly, the whole nine yards. Instead, I think the stories in this book would have been better described as historical Cthulhoid adventure fiction.
Which isn't to say they weren't enjoyable. The settings ranged from ancient Africa to the Indonesian archipelago to, of all places, Arthur's Camelot; the Cthulhoid elements ranged from tenuous to integral. Possibly my favorite story was Nadia Bulkin's "Truth is Order and Order is Truth", which was sort of a counterpoint to Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth".
And the book closes with a collection of essays about various topics -- Sword & Planet, whether the Conan stories are part of the Cthulhu Mythos, etc.
Definitely worth checking out; just calibrate your expectations accordingly.
I admit this wasn't quite what I was expecting -- based on the title, I was hoping it was going to be a mixture of full-on sword & sorcery and Cthulhoid horrors -- sandals grinding jeweled thrones, tentacled monstrosities that may be rugose and/or scaly, the whole nine yards. Instead, I think the stories in this book would have been better described as historical Cthulhoid adventure fiction.
Which isn't to say they weren't enjoyable. The settings ranged from ancient Africa to the Indonesian archipelago to, of all places, Arthur's Camelot; the Cthulhoid elements ranged from tenuous to integral. Possibly my favorite story was Nadia Bulkin's "Truth is Order and Order is Truth", which was sort of a counterpoint to Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth".
And the book closes with a collection of essays about various topics -- Sword & Planet, whether the Conan stories are part of the Cthulhu Mythos, etc.
Definitely worth checking out; just calibrate your expectations accordingly.
June 20, 2014
4.5 stars
In this vibrant anthology, horizons shift at the turn of a page. I loved the variety of locales and cultures. As I read, I found myself sorting the stories into two categories: romps and plots. The "romps" were episodes of discovery or battle, whereas the "plots" told fuller stories. (since I'm not well-versed in sword & sorcery or mythos, this categorization is definitely a YMMV thing)
Among the romps, "Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises" by Balogun Ojetade was easily my favorite, a thrilling combination of what the author calls steamfunk and sword & soul. A black superhero, his adoring warrior wife, their supernaturally precocious baby girl, top-hatted robots...this story had everything I didn't know I wanted. Other standouts are Graham Darling's "Jon Carver of Barzoon, You Misunderstood" and "The Bones of Heroes" by Orrin Grey, both of which, in just a few pages, completely subvert their source material.
Of the plots, my favorite was "Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth" by Nadia Bulkin, a shrewdly told-tale of contested royalty and empire building where the power is not at all where it appears to be. I loved that the narrator, a deposed princess, endures a grueling trek with her devoted followers, sharing their trials but keeping her own counsel. Other standouts were "And After the Fire, A Still Small Voice" by E. Catherine Tobler and "Spirit Forms of the Sea" by Bogi Takács. Both featured a complicated relationship between an older and younger main character, as well as a strong sense of the narrator's history as only one of many cultures in flux.
The one sour note for me was "The Call of the Dreaming Moon" by Thana Niveau. I couldn't tell if the setting was supposed to be Southwest Native American or Andean. A certain lack of specificity (and the repeated use of the word "tribe") made me think these were generic "Indians" that the story idea--a good one--had been grafted onto.
Also included are several essays regarding connections between sword and sorcery and other genres, as well as S&S in Mexican pop culture. These were a very welcome bonus for a newbie to the genre like me.
I backed the Indiegogo for this anthology, and I'm so glad I did.
In this vibrant anthology, horizons shift at the turn of a page. I loved the variety of locales and cultures. As I read, I found myself sorting the stories into two categories: romps and plots. The "romps" were episodes of discovery or battle, whereas the "plots" told fuller stories. (since I'm not well-versed in sword & sorcery or mythos, this categorization is definitely a YMMV thing)
Among the romps, "Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises" by Balogun Ojetade was easily my favorite, a thrilling combination of what the author calls steamfunk and sword & soul. A black superhero, his adoring warrior wife, their supernaturally precocious baby girl, top-hatted robots...this story had everything I didn't know I wanted. Other standouts are Graham Darling's "Jon Carver of Barzoon, You Misunderstood" and "The Bones of Heroes" by Orrin Grey, both of which, in just a few pages, completely subvert their source material.
Of the plots, my favorite was "Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth" by Nadia Bulkin, a shrewdly told-tale of contested royalty and empire building where the power is not at all where it appears to be. I loved that the narrator, a deposed princess, endures a grueling trek with her devoted followers, sharing their trials but keeping her own counsel. Other standouts were "And After the Fire, A Still Small Voice" by E. Catherine Tobler and "Spirit Forms of the Sea" by Bogi Takács. Both featured a complicated relationship between an older and younger main character, as well as a strong sense of the narrator's history as only one of many cultures in flux.
The one sour note for me was "The Call of the Dreaming Moon" by Thana Niveau. I couldn't tell if the setting was supposed to be Southwest Native American or Andean. A certain lack of specificity (and the repeated use of the word "tribe") made me think these were generic "Indians" that the story idea--a good one--had been grafted onto.
Also included are several essays regarding connections between sword and sorcery and other genres, as well as S&S in Mexican pop culture. These were a very welcome bonus for a newbie to the genre like me.
I backed the Indiegogo for this anthology, and I'm so glad I did.
July 1, 2014
SWORDS AND MYTHOS is the latest anthology from Innsmouth Free Press, combining tropes of heroic sword and sorcery with classic Cthulhu Mythos elements. I'd been looking forward to reading this since I first heard of it's coming out and was pleased to be able to include it in my "Year In Weird". It is a very strong collection of stories and essays that excels in not only paying homage to the classic sword and sorcery genre but also explores the Mythos in new and original ways; many of the stories include non-traditional protagonists and take place in unusual settings. For me, themed anthologies are normally a mixed bag but with SWORD AND MYTHOS I was reading gem after gem and it was hard to pick out my favorites. Here are the stories that stayed with me:
Jon Carver of Barzoon, You Misunderstood by Graham Darling is a powerful prose poem that brilliantly brings to life a faraway world with vivid, alien imagery...
The Wood of Ephraim by Edward M Erdelac is for me the stand out piece in the collection. Erdelac firmly places his tale in the time of King David and writes the creepiest, most gruesome of the entries here that kept me turning page after page to get to the end, only to turn around and start it over again...
Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth by Nadia Bulkin is a beautifully written tale that incorporates Father Dagon and Mother Hydra into the story of Princess Dhani and her search for the land of her dead mother, fabled Jungkuno...
The Bones of Heroes by Orrin Grey is a short, dark tale the real horror hiding behind the story of a child abducting witch...
The Serpents of Albion by Adrian Chamberlin brings the Cthulhu and Arthurian mythologies together in a wonderful mash up that cleverly reimagines the fall of King Arthur to Mordred...
In Xochitl in Cuicatl in Shub-Niggurath by Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas (translated from the Spanish by Silvia Moreno-Garcia) is exotic tale of warriors, blood sacrifice and ancient gods. I should definitely look for more from this author...
The collection is rounded out by informative essays from G W Thomas, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R Stiles that detail how, in many cultures and media, "sword and mythos" has really been around for awhile.
SWORD AND MYTHOS is a great collection of stories that answers the question "What if..." by blending the Cthulhu Mythos throughout history, across the oceans and on other worlds, taking the beloved Mythos in new, wonderful directions. I cannot recommend it enough; it's a must read for lovers of weird fiction and disciples of Cthulhu both!
Happy reading!
Jon Carver of Barzoon, You Misunderstood by Graham Darling is a powerful prose poem that brilliantly brings to life a faraway world with vivid, alien imagery...
The Wood of Ephraim by Edward M Erdelac is for me the stand out piece in the collection. Erdelac firmly places his tale in the time of King David and writes the creepiest, most gruesome of the entries here that kept me turning page after page to get to the end, only to turn around and start it over again...
Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth by Nadia Bulkin is a beautifully written tale that incorporates Father Dagon and Mother Hydra into the story of Princess Dhani and her search for the land of her dead mother, fabled Jungkuno...
The Bones of Heroes by Orrin Grey is a short, dark tale the real horror hiding behind the story of a child abducting witch...
The Serpents of Albion by Adrian Chamberlin brings the Cthulhu and Arthurian mythologies together in a wonderful mash up that cleverly reimagines the fall of King Arthur to Mordred...
In Xochitl in Cuicatl in Shub-Niggurath by Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas (translated from the Spanish by Silvia Moreno-Garcia) is exotic tale of warriors, blood sacrifice and ancient gods. I should definitely look for more from this author...
The collection is rounded out by informative essays from G W Thomas, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R Stiles that detail how, in many cultures and media, "sword and mythos" has really been around for awhile.
SWORD AND MYTHOS is a great collection of stories that answers the question "What if..." by blending the Cthulhu Mythos throughout history, across the oceans and on other worlds, taking the beloved Mythos in new, wonderful directions. I cannot recommend it enough; it's a must read for lovers of weird fiction and disciples of Cthulhu both!
Happy reading!
October 17, 2014
Sword & Mythos
Edited by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R. Stiles
Cover illustration: Nacho Molina Parra
Sword & Mythos is a brilliant anthology exploring the intersection between the Cthulhu mythos of H.P. Lovecraft and the Sword and Sorcery genre of Robert E. Howard and C.L. Moore.
I’ve had trouble with Lovecraft. I loved his stories when I was younger, although I read a few too many at once and started laughing every time another nameless horror would show up. I mean, yes, horror is better implied than described, but still.
When I was reading his stories, I didn’t realize how deeply they were based in and on his virulent racism. Phenderson Djeli Clark has an excellent article on it, “The ‘N’ Word Through The Ages: The ‘Madness’ Of HP Lovecraft”. Since then, I find myself unable to re-read his works, although I still love the feeling they gave me back when I was a kid.
These genres have been inherited by writers who don’t build their fiction on fear of other races, who are themselves diverse, and who view women very differently. As the Introduction says, “we are not the same writers they were.” This book has redeemed genres that I loved but which felt so tainted by their forbears that I had trouble reading them. From Iceland to Indonesia, Mexico to China, these stories lit up my imagination.
Stories which stood out for me included “Jon Carver of Barzoon, You Misunderstood” by Graham J. Darling. This is the shortest story in the collection, but beautiful in its simplicity. “Truth is Order and Order is Truth” by Nadia Bulkin tells the heart-wrenching story of the royal princess, forced from her kingdom and leading the people to her mother’s homeland. “The Bones of Heroes” by Orrin Grey is cunning and perfect. “Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises” by Balogun Ojetade centers on a whole family fighting together – fifteen generations of warriors.
I even loved the essays at the end of the book – they gave me a lot more understanding of the crossovers between Howard and Lovecraft. Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s essay about Manos: Guerrero Indomito was fantastic, parts of his story being echoed in the Witcher stories that I love – the monsters are not the ones who are truly monstrous.
The only thing I really didn’t like about the anthology? The descriptions of jaws being cracked apart. Everything else, I can deal with – that just makes me twitch. Which… is probably what they were going for, of course. So, well done! But aaaaaargh.
I unreservedly recommend this book. It’s fantastic, a wide range of stories that will capture your imagination. Perhaps they will not all hit home for you, but there will be several in there for everyone that will connect perfectly.
Stories and Essays included:
The Iron Hut by Maurice Broaddus
Jon Carver of Barzoon, You Misunderstood by Graham J. Darling
Sun Sorrow by Paul Jessup
The Wood Of Ephraim by Edward M. Erdelac
Truth is Order and Order is Truth by Nadia Bulkin
Spirit Forms of the Sea by Bogi Takács
The Bones of Heroes by Orrin Grey
Light by Diana L. Paxson
The Serpents of Albion by Adrian Chamberlin
The Call of the Dreaming Moon by Thana Niveau
Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises by Balogun Ojetade
And After the Fire, A Still Small Voice by Catherine Tobler
No Sleep For the Just by William Meikle
In Xochitl In Cuicatl In Shub-Niggurath by Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas
The Sorrow of Qingfeng by Grey Yuen
Conan and the Cthulhu Mythos by G.W. Thomas
Sword of Cthulhu by G.W. Thomas
What’s So Great About Sword and Planet? by Paula R. Stiles
Spanish Conan: Manos, Guerrero Indomito by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Mexican Belit: Conan Goes Viking by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Full review (with handy links) at http://sepiidae.wordpress.com/2014/10...
Edited by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R. Stiles
Cover illustration: Nacho Molina Parra
Sword & Mythos is a brilliant anthology exploring the intersection between the Cthulhu mythos of H.P. Lovecraft and the Sword and Sorcery genre of Robert E. Howard and C.L. Moore.
I’ve had trouble with Lovecraft. I loved his stories when I was younger, although I read a few too many at once and started laughing every time another nameless horror would show up. I mean, yes, horror is better implied than described, but still.
When I was reading his stories, I didn’t realize how deeply they were based in and on his virulent racism. Phenderson Djeli Clark has an excellent article on it, “The ‘N’ Word Through The Ages: The ‘Madness’ Of HP Lovecraft”. Since then, I find myself unable to re-read his works, although I still love the feeling they gave me back when I was a kid.
These genres have been inherited by writers who don’t build their fiction on fear of other races, who are themselves diverse, and who view women very differently. As the Introduction says, “we are not the same writers they were.” This book has redeemed genres that I loved but which felt so tainted by their forbears that I had trouble reading them. From Iceland to Indonesia, Mexico to China, these stories lit up my imagination.
Stories which stood out for me included “Jon Carver of Barzoon, You Misunderstood” by Graham J. Darling. This is the shortest story in the collection, but beautiful in its simplicity. “Truth is Order and Order is Truth” by Nadia Bulkin tells the heart-wrenching story of the royal princess, forced from her kingdom and leading the people to her mother’s homeland. “The Bones of Heroes” by Orrin Grey is cunning and perfect. “Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises” by Balogun Ojetade centers on a whole family fighting together – fifteen generations of warriors.
I even loved the essays at the end of the book – they gave me a lot more understanding of the crossovers between Howard and Lovecraft. Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s essay about Manos: Guerrero Indomito was fantastic, parts of his story being echoed in the Witcher stories that I love – the monsters are not the ones who are truly monstrous.
The only thing I really didn’t like about the anthology? The descriptions of jaws being cracked apart. Everything else, I can deal with – that just makes me twitch. Which… is probably what they were going for, of course. So, well done! But aaaaaargh.
I unreservedly recommend this book. It’s fantastic, a wide range of stories that will capture your imagination. Perhaps they will not all hit home for you, but there will be several in there for everyone that will connect perfectly.
Stories and Essays included:
The Iron Hut by Maurice Broaddus
Jon Carver of Barzoon, You Misunderstood by Graham J. Darling
Sun Sorrow by Paul Jessup
The Wood Of Ephraim by Edward M. Erdelac
Truth is Order and Order is Truth by Nadia Bulkin
Spirit Forms of the Sea by Bogi Takács
The Bones of Heroes by Orrin Grey
Light by Diana L. Paxson
The Serpents of Albion by Adrian Chamberlin
The Call of the Dreaming Moon by Thana Niveau
Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises by Balogun Ojetade
And After the Fire, A Still Small Voice by Catherine Tobler
No Sleep For the Just by William Meikle
In Xochitl In Cuicatl In Shub-Niggurath by Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas
The Sorrow of Qingfeng by Grey Yuen
Conan and the Cthulhu Mythos by G.W. Thomas
Sword of Cthulhu by G.W. Thomas
What’s So Great About Sword and Planet? by Paula R. Stiles
Spanish Conan: Manos, Guerrero Indomito by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Mexican Belit: Conan Goes Viking by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Full review (with handy links) at http://sepiidae.wordpress.com/2014/10...
June 23, 2014
This is one of the stronger anthologies I've encountered for a while, and if you're at all fond of Lovecraftian stories, this should have plenty of appeal for you. There are a few pieces that feel slight, and I wasn't as impressed by the essays. The variety of tales partake of many different cultures while leaving behind the rampant racism and sexism of Lovecraft's own stories. Those I particularly enjoyed included Nadia Bulkin's "Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth," "The Iron Hut," by Maurice Broaddus, "Spirit Forms of the Sea," by Bogi Takacs, and Paul Jessup's elegiac "Sun Sorrow" is the most poetic of the stories. Adrian Chamberlin's "The Serpents of Albion" offers a fresh take on the fall of King Arthur, and I hope to find more of Balogun Ojetade's Black Caesar stories.
June 23, 2014
An astounding look at all the nooks and crannies around the world where the dark magics of the Cthulhu mythos could have slipped into our world. From Africa, China, Arthurian Camelot, Biblical Israel, Mars and many more.
The authors have all use their stories to explore human cultures and the Cthulhu mythos. Recasting the Deep Ones as heroic creatures. Re-imaging John Carter's Mars as expansive body horror. Taking Biblical battles and entwining monsters within it.
Overall a wonderful read and a series of worthy stories to the vague canon of the mythos.
The authors have all use their stories to explore human cultures and the Cthulhu mythos. Recasting the Deep Ones as heroic creatures. Re-imaging John Carter's Mars as expansive body horror. Taking Biblical battles and entwining monsters within it.
Overall a wonderful read and a series of worthy stories to the vague canon of the mythos.
June 15, 2014
The 140 character review:
Sword & Mythos: everything you want from Robert E. Howard, minus the questionable race and gender views.
(Or at least an entirely different and self-aware set of views.) If you like sword and sorcery stories, there's something in here for you. If you like your fantasy creatures to be born of nightmare, there's something in here for you.
LIGHT by Diana L. Paxson is my favorite of the anthology by a safe margin. It is the perfect mix of AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS and THE CAIRN ON THE HEADLAND that sprouted from the seed of a nested story in the CALL OF CTHULHU. It also included solid details about the Society for Creative Anachronism, providing a plausible mechanism for the protagonist to have training with medieval weapons. I just wish she had more opportunities to show off her knightly skills.
THE BONES OF HEROES by Orrin Grey comes in second. This little flash piece is beautifully chilling in its simplicity.
In SUN SORROW by Paul Jessup we get to see the world from the perspective of one who has read The King in Yellow. The reader is led to wonder what is real and what is a haunting delusion.
TRUTH IS ORDER AND ORDER IS TRUTH by Nadia Bulkin does a very nice job establishing the society that Obed Marsh meets on his expeditions.
IN XOCHITL IN CUICATL IN SHUB-NIGGURATH by Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas drenches the blood sacrifices of the Incas in the trappings of the Elder Gods. There's some gorgeous gore and imagery in this one.
THE SERPENTS OF ALBION by Adrian Chamberlin take on the Arthurian legend has some of the most gorgeously drawn and florid gore that I have ever read.
THE SORROW OF QINGFENG by Grey Yuen has the sword & sorcery element firmly lodged in a fantastical kung-fu movie. You can't even see the wires.
Sword & Mythos: everything you want from Robert E. Howard, minus the questionable race and gender views.
(Or at least an entirely different and self-aware set of views.) If you like sword and sorcery stories, there's something in here for you. If you like your fantasy creatures to be born of nightmare, there's something in here for you.
LIGHT by Diana L. Paxson is my favorite of the anthology by a safe margin. It is the perfect mix of AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS and THE CAIRN ON THE HEADLAND that sprouted from the seed of a nested story in the CALL OF CTHULHU. It also included solid details about the Society for Creative Anachronism, providing a plausible mechanism for the protagonist to have training with medieval weapons. I just wish she had more opportunities to show off her knightly skills.
THE BONES OF HEROES by Orrin Grey comes in second. This little flash piece is beautifully chilling in its simplicity.
In SUN SORROW by Paul Jessup we get to see the world from the perspective of one who has read The King in Yellow. The reader is led to wonder what is real and what is a haunting delusion.
TRUTH IS ORDER AND ORDER IS TRUTH by Nadia Bulkin does a very nice job establishing the society that Obed Marsh meets on his expeditions.
IN XOCHITL IN CUICATL IN SHUB-NIGGURATH by Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas drenches the blood sacrifices of the Incas in the trappings of the Elder Gods. There's some gorgeous gore and imagery in this one.
THE SERPENTS OF ALBION by Adrian Chamberlin take on the Arthurian legend has some of the most gorgeously drawn and florid gore that I have ever read.
THE SORROW OF QINGFENG by Grey Yuen has the sword & sorcery element firmly lodged in a fantastical kung-fu movie. You can't even see the wires.
April 24, 2014
Have you never wondered how things would be if they weren't set in Arkham? Here are stories about the Great Old Ones in settings not often used. Find out what manner of evil Master Yue found...
February 17, 2015
I had seen the call to submissions for this anthology, and was very excited to see it come about. I had always had an interest in the mythos direction some Conan stories took, as well as later writer's take on that subject. Even the description of the book had me interested: "Fifteen writers, drawing inspiration from the pulp sub-genres of sword and sorcery and the Cthulhu Mythos, seed stories of adventure, of darkness, of magic and monstrosities."
What I got when I picked this anthology up was not what I expected by the call for submissions, or the books blurb. Instead, it is something different. Not bad per say, but not what it promised to deliver, at least not totally. I'm going to talk about a few of the stories that stuck with me.
The Iron Hut by Maurice Broaddus: This story reminded me a lot of a Robert E. Howard story, though at points felt very disconnected and hard to follow due to the jumps in time in the historical part of the story.
Sun Sorry by Paul Jessup: This story was easily one of my favorite stories. The style of Jessup's writing for this story takes a bit to get used to, but once you do it fits completely with Beyla's character and the way the story plays out. The fantasy aspect to this story was well done, and all in all this was a fantastic story and well worth reading.
Truth is Order and Order is Truth by Nadia Bulkin: Bulkin has crafted an entertaining story here. The premise is handled well, the protagonist has understandable motives, and the Lovecraftian element plays out nicely. This was another favorite of mine in this anthology and a pleasure to read.
Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises by Balogun Ojetade: Mostly battle scenes, next to no character development, and a protagonist that is essentially a Mary Sue, this story feels shoehorned into this anthology. Fitting perfectly well in a steampunk anthology (given that it's a steamfunk story), in this collection it sticks out like a sore thumb and feels completely off. Though the combat scenes are handled well (a given, with the author's writing history) it's just not enough to save this story.
In Xochitl In Cuicatl in Shub-Niggurath by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Taking place in a unique setting, this story brings a lot of separate elements into this story that all work beautifully together. The handling of Shub-Niggurath by another culture was both engaging and fresh, and I really enjoyed how this story panned out.
The essays in this anthology were a nice touch, though I found them to be a bit repetitious, especially the two on Conan and Lovecraft's mythos. Still, they did point out some interesting facts, and seeing one on Sword & Planets was a pleasant surprise as that genre tends to get next to no lime light.
All in all, this collection contained some very good stories, and I did enjoy most of it. Many I felt didn't fit into the Sword & Sorcery theme and belonged more in Historical Fantasy, but that could very well be just my own experience within the genre. If you go into this anthology expecting a general fantasy theme mixed with mythos elements, you will greatly enjoy this collection. If you expect something more akin to the Conan stories of old, only a couple seem to hit close to that mark.
I highly recommend this anthology to anyone who loves mythos elements presented in unique ways, and to any historical fantasy lover.
What I got when I picked this anthology up was not what I expected by the call for submissions, or the books blurb. Instead, it is something different. Not bad per say, but not what it promised to deliver, at least not totally. I'm going to talk about a few of the stories that stuck with me.
The Iron Hut by Maurice Broaddus: This story reminded me a lot of a Robert E. Howard story, though at points felt very disconnected and hard to follow due to the jumps in time in the historical part of the story.
Sun Sorry by Paul Jessup: This story was easily one of my favorite stories. The style of Jessup's writing for this story takes a bit to get used to, but once you do it fits completely with Beyla's character and the way the story plays out. The fantasy aspect to this story was well done, and all in all this was a fantastic story and well worth reading.
Truth is Order and Order is Truth by Nadia Bulkin: Bulkin has crafted an entertaining story here. The premise is handled well, the protagonist has understandable motives, and the Lovecraftian element plays out nicely. This was another favorite of mine in this anthology and a pleasure to read.
Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises by Balogun Ojetade: Mostly battle scenes, next to no character development, and a protagonist that is essentially a Mary Sue, this story feels shoehorned into this anthology. Fitting perfectly well in a steampunk anthology (given that it's a steamfunk story), in this collection it sticks out like a sore thumb and feels completely off. Though the combat scenes are handled well (a given, with the author's writing history) it's just not enough to save this story.
In Xochitl In Cuicatl in Shub-Niggurath by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Taking place in a unique setting, this story brings a lot of separate elements into this story that all work beautifully together. The handling of Shub-Niggurath by another culture was both engaging and fresh, and I really enjoyed how this story panned out.
The essays in this anthology were a nice touch, though I found them to be a bit repetitious, especially the two on Conan and Lovecraft's mythos. Still, they did point out some interesting facts, and seeing one on Sword & Planets was a pleasant surprise as that genre tends to get next to no lime light.
All in all, this collection contained some very good stories, and I did enjoy most of it. Many I felt didn't fit into the Sword & Sorcery theme and belonged more in Historical Fantasy, but that could very well be just my own experience within the genre. If you go into this anthology expecting a general fantasy theme mixed with mythos elements, you will greatly enjoy this collection. If you expect something more akin to the Conan stories of old, only a couple seem to hit close to that mark.
I highly recommend this anthology to anyone who loves mythos elements presented in unique ways, and to any historical fantasy lover.
August 31, 2014
3.5 of 5 stars – Good Sample of Stories for Dark Fantasy Fans.
(I'm excited to have won this as part of a Goodreads Giveaway – so thanks!)
This anthology will be much appreciated by imaginative readers more familiar with the mythos and this type of dark fantasy/horror, as well as those who like fantasy in general (like me), supernatural and horror and are willing to further explore dark weird fiction.
As is the benefit of anthologies, I was interested in further exploring a genre that I like (fantasy, sword and sorcery) as well as learn more about a sub-genre (Cthulhu mythos) – this indeed served that purpose well. Indeed, I had not read any of these authors before, so it was a treat to see who I might like to pursue further.
But first, it was nice and helpful that a few brief essays were included, which I read first to better acquaint myself with the subgenre. By quoting the original masters (in G.W. Thomas’ first essay), it also gave me something to compare the present authors to. Based on this limited sample, I generally found the present selections to be not as descriptive and colorful in their language in picturing the characters, action, monsters and environs, especially the first and last few (but not last one). Maybe it’s my preference for novels, which I find bring more depth, development, complexity and level of engagement. But I did enjoy the middle pieces, with my favorite 2 being:
The Serpents of Albion (Adrian Chamberlin), Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises (Balogun Ojetade)
I also liked: The Wood of Ephraim (Edward M. Erdelac), Truth is Order and Order is Truth (Nadia Bulkin), Light (Diana L. Paxson)
I found the good stories were more straightforward (versus some being too abstruse, confusing or undefined) with descriptive language that made for better developed and interesting characters, understandable and engaging plot, well-pictured surroundings, and tension that drew me in.
I myself don’t read or prefer many anthologies, but I can‘t fault this for being what it is; so I rounded up to 4 – there were indeed some good stories that captured my imagination.
(I'm excited to have won this as part of a Goodreads Giveaway – so thanks!)
This anthology will be much appreciated by imaginative readers more familiar with the mythos and this type of dark fantasy/horror, as well as those who like fantasy in general (like me), supernatural and horror and are willing to further explore dark weird fiction.
As is the benefit of anthologies, I was interested in further exploring a genre that I like (fantasy, sword and sorcery) as well as learn more about a sub-genre (Cthulhu mythos) – this indeed served that purpose well. Indeed, I had not read any of these authors before, so it was a treat to see who I might like to pursue further.
But first, it was nice and helpful that a few brief essays were included, which I read first to better acquaint myself with the subgenre. By quoting the original masters (in G.W. Thomas’ first essay), it also gave me something to compare the present authors to. Based on this limited sample, I generally found the present selections to be not as descriptive and colorful in their language in picturing the characters, action, monsters and environs, especially the first and last few (but not last one). Maybe it’s my preference for novels, which I find bring more depth, development, complexity and level of engagement. But I did enjoy the middle pieces, with my favorite 2 being:
The Serpents of Albion (Adrian Chamberlin), Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises (Balogun Ojetade)
I also liked: The Wood of Ephraim (Edward M. Erdelac), Truth is Order and Order is Truth (Nadia Bulkin), Light (Diana L. Paxson)
I found the good stories were more straightforward (versus some being too abstruse, confusing or undefined) with descriptive language that made for better developed and interesting characters, understandable and engaging plot, well-pictured surroundings, and tension that drew me in.
I myself don’t read or prefer many anthologies, but I can‘t fault this for being what it is; so I rounded up to 4 – there were indeed some good stories that captured my imagination.
February 4, 2016
The premise of this collection sounds awesome. Unfortunately it fails to deliver almost completely. While the stories included are not necessarily bad, almost all of them seem to have been written who know neither what Sword & Sorcery is nor Lovecraftian horror.
The one shining exception is the last story of the book and if you give it a try but want to put it down and stop, read at least this one! The guy who wrote this clearly is a huge Lovecraft fan, which immediately becomes noticable when it starts as the report of a Chinese magistrate who is send to investigate accusations about a rural village and he teams up with a dashing young swordsman from the local aristocracy to be his guide and bodyguard. This is the classic Lovecraft setup transfered into Imperial China and it only gets better from there. This is how the whole book should have been.
But sadly, it is not. The other stories almost all lack both action or horror, which makes the book fail as either a Lovecraft Horror book or a Sword & Sorcery book.
The one shining exception is the last story of the book and if you give it a try but want to put it down and stop, read at least this one! The guy who wrote this clearly is a huge Lovecraft fan, which immediately becomes noticable when it starts as the report of a Chinese magistrate who is send to investigate accusations about a rural village and he teams up with a dashing young swordsman from the local aristocracy to be his guide and bodyguard. This is the classic Lovecraft setup transfered into Imperial China and it only gets better from there. This is how the whole book should have been.
But sadly, it is not. The other stories almost all lack both action or horror, which makes the book fail as either a Lovecraft Horror book or a Sword & Sorcery book.
May 30, 2017
This anthology just really wasn't enjoyable to me. I've enjoyed other Mythos based on Lovecraft's tales, but none of these captured me. Others may enjoy them more than I did...
September 1, 2016
I'm not sure the title "Sword & Mythos" is really the best fit for this book. Because of it, I went in expecting a lot of stories of mighty thews and flashing swords and the clash of civilization vs. barbarism within the tiny pool of light cast by humanity, outside of which is the outer dark. Instead, I got a lot of historically-inspired adventure stories with some mythos tinges and a few stories that were definitely mythos stories, much like Historical Lovecraft. And now that I'm writing the review and looking at both of them, they were both edited by the same people, so that's not surprising. It does mean that I wasn't particularly enamored with most of the stories, though.
My favorite was probably "The Wood of Ephraim," based on
"The Sorrow of Qingfeng" is probably the most successful at combining the two halves of the title. A mighty warrior, schooled in swordplay and the martial arts, takes up the sword against forces inimical to humanity and is victorious, but pays a heavy price for his victory. It even ends with the classic Lovecraftism of the protagonist wondering how much the encounter changed him and if he will ever be the same again.
"The Call of the Dreaming Moon" is about a woman in the Americas who has dreams of a lake and a strange monster, and the shaman of her tribe says she's been called by the Dreaming Moon and must answer the call. But he's wrong. This story comes out entirely in the implications, but there were some of the same parts I liked as in "The Wood of Ephraim," with a shaman whose powers turn out to be entirely inadequate against the true nature of the universe and who actually causes a disaster with his half-understood attempts to protect his charges.
I liked "Black Caesar: the Stone Ship Rises" even though it wasn't a horror story or a sword and sorcery story in the least. It has steampunk robot pirates, a magical pirate crew, a husband and wife and toddler trio who all fight in battle together, and, well
Most of the other stories didn't really do anything for me. Either they weren't enough mythos for my taste, like "Light" which has Odin vs. the mythos, or they weren't sword and sorcery enough, like "Truth is Order and Order is Truth," which is an interesting story of Deep Ones in Java that would have been a much better fit for Historical Lovecraft than "Pralaya: the Disaster" was. There's one story that will remain nameless where the only notes I took for it were, "This is stupid." I kept hoping for something that would live up to the best of Lovecraft or Howard, but none of the stories did. Especially not to Howard--while some stories did a pretty good job of capturing Lovecraft's cosmicism, none of the stories except for "Black Caesar: the Stone Ship Rises" came close to Howard's rollicking adventure tales, and that did it by eschewing cosmicism entirely. "Sword & Mythos" is really not the best name for this book.
The book ends with a few essays about the mythos in Howard's writing, sword and planet stories, and Spanish sword and sorcery comics, which were more interesting to me than most of the stories that preceded them. I think I'd rather read those in translation than almost all of the stories in Sword & Mythos.
My favorite was probably "The Wood of Ephraim," based on
David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men. The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword."The forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword." That's an odd phrasing, isn't it? I mean, if you know anything about Lovecraft you know where the story is going, but the description of the forest is particularly horrific, and I like any story that sticks to the original pure themes of the mythos. The foundation underlying everything is horror. There's no human source of power that's separate from the mythos. David had a dream of the foundation stone and moved it because he thought his dreams came from G-d, but he released something and it took root in the hills of Ephraim, to the doom of his son and the rebel armies. It's great.
-2 Samuel 18:6-8
"The Sorrow of Qingfeng" is probably the most successful at combining the two halves of the title. A mighty warrior, schooled in swordplay and the martial arts, takes up the sword against forces inimical to humanity and is victorious, but pays a heavy price for his victory. It even ends with the classic Lovecraftism of the protagonist wondering how much the encounter changed him and if he will ever be the same again.
"The Call of the Dreaming Moon" is about a woman in the Americas who has dreams of a lake and a strange monster, and the shaman of her tribe says she's been called by the Dreaming Moon and must answer the call. But he's wrong. This story comes out entirely in the implications, but there were some of the same parts I liked as in "The Wood of Ephraim," with a shaman whose powers turn out to be entirely inadequate against the true nature of the universe and who actually causes a disaster with his half-understood attempts to protect his charges.
I liked "Black Caesar: the Stone Ship Rises" even though it wasn't a horror story or a sword and sorcery story in the least. It has steampunk robot pirates, a magical pirate crew, a husband and wife and toddler trio who all fight in battle together, and, well
The rest of the Captain, however, was quite … different. His mid-torso downward was what looked to be a massive squid tentacle. His lean arms were human, but his hands had been replaced by the gaping maws of Great White Sharks.It has a lot of that pulp silliness, or at least our modern version of it, that I found myself liking it in spite of myself. I mean, shark hands? I wanted to get annoyed at its place in this book and I just couldn't, even though I didn't like the writing that much.
Most of the other stories didn't really do anything for me. Either they weren't enough mythos for my taste, like "Light" which has Odin vs. the mythos, or they weren't sword and sorcery enough, like "Truth is Order and Order is Truth," which is an interesting story of Deep Ones in Java that would have been a much better fit for Historical Lovecraft than "Pralaya: the Disaster" was. There's one story that will remain nameless where the only notes I took for it were, "This is stupid." I kept hoping for something that would live up to the best of Lovecraft or Howard, but none of the stories did. Especially not to Howard--while some stories did a pretty good job of capturing Lovecraft's cosmicism, none of the stories except for "Black Caesar: the Stone Ship Rises" came close to Howard's rollicking adventure tales, and that did it by eschewing cosmicism entirely. "Sword & Mythos" is really not the best name for this book.
The book ends with a few essays about the mythos in Howard's writing, sword and planet stories, and Spanish sword and sorcery comics, which were more interesting to me than most of the stories that preceded them. I think I'd rather read those in translation than almost all of the stories in Sword & Mythos.
January 17, 2015
Θα είμαι απολύτως ειλικρινής μαζί σας: Είχα στείλει κι εγώ ένα κείμενο, αρκετά φιλόδοξο, γι' αυτήν την ανθολογία (λιποτάκτης χωροφύλακας+η αποξήρανση της Κωπαϊδας+ελονοσία+Κθούλου) και έφαγα πόρτα. Αγόρασα την ανθολογία, μόνο και μόνο για να δω τι ήταν καλύτερο από μένα (ξέρω, είναι μάλλον κακομοιριά από μέρους μου, αλλά τι αν κάνουμε μμια στο τόσο επιτρέπω στον εαυτό μου και δυο-τρεις κατινιές). Για να πω την αλήθεια κάποια από τα διηγήματα μου φάνηκαν πραγματικά κατώτερα του δικού μου. Αλλά είναι και μερικά που αστράφτουν, λαμποκοπάνε. Sword and Mythos.
~“The Iron Hut” by Maurice Broaddus: Περιπλανώμενος μαύρος πολεμιστής συναντά τον αδελφοποιτό του και για να τον σώσει από τα χέρια ενός χωριού "μάγων" ανεβαίνει στο Κιλιμάντζαρο και πολεμάει προανθρώπινα τέρατα. Καλή ιδέα (πιθανόν μέρος ολόκληρης κοσμοπλασία εκ μέρους του συγγραφέα), αλλά η εκτέλεση μου φάνηκε λίγο λειψή, έχανα πληροφορίες και κίνητρα εδώ κι εκεί. Μέτριο ξεκίνημαγια τη συλλογή.
~“Jon Carver of Barzoon, You Misunderstood” by Graham J. Darling: Απερίγραπτο. Δεν το κατάλαβα, αλλά ευτυχώς ήταν μικρό και πολύ καλογραμμένο.
~“Sunsorrow” by Paul Jessup: Μια γυναίκα περιφέρεται σε μια γυάλινη πόλη, συναντά το κρανίο ενός κουνελιού και σκοτώνει έναν γνωστό τη. Πιο μπερδεμένο απ' ότι ακούγεται, ωστόσο κι αυτό καλογραμμένο. Υποτίθεται ότι η γυναίκα είναι κάποιος που διάβασε το Βασιλιά με τα Κίτρινα και ονειρεύται ή έχει παραισθήσεις σχετικά με την Καρκόσα.
~“The Wood of Ephraim” by Edward M. Erdelac: Η "πραγματική" αφήγηση του θανάτου του Αβεσαλώμ. Όχι ότι καλύτερο έχω διαβάσει ποτέ, αλλά είναι τίμιο και πραγματικά παλπ.
~“Truth is Order and Order is Truth” by Nadia Bulkin: Μια πριγκίπισσα στην Ιάβα μαθαίνει μέσα από περιπέτειες την πραγματική της καταγωγή. Η περιγραφή το αδικεί, είναι ίσως το καλύτερο κείμενο σε όλη τη συλλογή. Με δική του φωνή, με ύφος αξιέπαινο, που σε παρασέρνει, με μια ιστορία πραγματικά σύγχρονη κι όμως πραγματικά κλασσική. Ο Κλαρκ Άστον Σμιθ θα την επαινούσε, το δίχως άλλο. Η αγαπημένη μου.
~“Spirit Forms of the Sea” by Bogi Takács: Ένας Μαγυάρος πολεμιστής ακολουθεί μια κοπέλα της φυλής του ως εκείνη να βρει το ζώο-πνεύμα που θα την κάνει τάλτος (ένα είδος σαμάνου της Κεντρικής Ευρώπης). Απρόσμενα καλή, τυπική περιπέτεια, με εξαιρετικό φολκλόρ.
~“The Bones of Heroes” by Orrin Grey: Μοντέρνα εκδοχή της κακιάς μάγισσας. Χαριτωμένο, αλλά κάτι του έλειπε για να είναι τόσο δραματικό, τόσο τραγικό όσο θα του έπρεπε.
~“Light” by Diana Paxson: Τα Βουνά της Τρέλας με μαύρη πρωταγωνίστρια, στη Γροιλανδία. Είχε κενά στην πλοκή της, αλλά είναι τυπικά λαβκράφτια/χαουαρντική, με υπονοούμενες μετενσαρκώσεις και τέτοια.
~“The Serpents of Albion” by Adrian Chamberlin: Ο θάνατος του Αρθούρου. Γενικά, ο αρθουριανός κύκλος με αφήνει παγερά αδιάφορη, κι αυτό δεν αποτελεί εξαίρεση. Επίσης είναι βαρετό, αναλώνεται σε ένα σωρό περιγραφές που ούτε ατμόσφαιρα φτιάχνουν, ούτε και εξυπηρετούν σε τίποτε την πλοκή.
~“The Call of the Dreaming Moon” by Thana Niveau: Ινδιάνα καλείται από τα πνεύματα. Καλούτσικο, αλλά τίποτε πραγματικά σπουδαίο.
~“Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises” by Balogun Ojetade: Μαύρος πειρατής με υπερφυσική δύναμη. Η γυναίκα του με το μωρό δεμένο στην πλάτη, το οποίο το θηλάζει κατά το δοκούν. Μεταλλικό πλοίο. Πλήρωμα από steampunk ρομπότ. Η κατάρα ενός πλοίου από πέτρα, φτιαγμένο από δαίμονες. Η τύπισσα με το μωρό στην πλάτη και το τρομπόνι (το οποίο παρεμπιπτόντως το γεμίζει το μωρό και τις το δίνει) στο χέρι, να ξεκληρίζει τους ναύτες του Ντέιβι Τζόουνς-wannabe. Εκφράσεις όπως "the ebony collosus", "the black giant" και τέτοια. Ο πρωταγωνιστής πολεμάει και με ένα μαστίγιο που στην άκρη του έχει κεντρί από σελάχι. Υπερβολική προσπάθεια να γίνει κάτι επικό, που καταντάει παραφορτωμένο και κουραστικό.
~“And After the Fire, a Still Small Voice” by E. Catherine Tobler: Ομολογώ ότι δεν το κατάλαβα. Μια γυναίκα περιδιαβαίνει έναν παράδοξο κόσμο που δεν είναι δικός της και πολεμάει, ακούγοντας αγγέλους. Στο τέλος μαθαίνουμε ότι τη λένε Ζαν κι ότι καίγεται/θα καεί στη φωτιά. Δεν το κατάλαβα καθόλου.
~“No Sleep for the Just” by William Meikle: Πολεμιστής πάει να εισπράξει φόρους από ένα μοναστήρι, κάπου στη Μεσαιωνική Δυτική Ευρώπη. Καλούτσικο θα το έλεγα, έχεις δυνατές εικόνες τρόμου. Κάπως "ξεχάσιμο" όμως.
~“In Xochitl in Cuicatl in Shub-Niggurath” by Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas: Μεσοαμερικάνα ιέρεια προσπαθεί να βοηθήσει τους πολεμιστές της φυλής της ενάντια στους Μέξικα. Δυνατή αφήγηση, δυνατό αποτέλεσμα.
~“The Sorrow of Qingfeng” by Grey Yuen: Ο βοηθός ενός δικαστή κι ένας αξιωματικός στην Αυλή της Αυτοκράτειρας της Κίνας μαθαίνουν κάτι ανησυχητικό και ξεκινούν να το εξερευνήσουν. Απωανατολίτικη κομψότητα ενάντια σε πλάσματα ειδεχθή. Άλλο ένα από τα διαμάντια της συλλογής.
~Four essays by G.W. Thomas, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R. Stiles: τα διάβασα και τα τέσσερα με ενδιαφέρον. Δεν είμαι ό,ως σίγουρη ότι βελτίωσαν την ανθολογία με την ύπαρξή τους.
~“The Iron Hut” by Maurice Broaddus: Περιπλανώμενος μαύρος πολεμιστής συναντά τον αδελφοποιτό του και για να τον σώσει από τα χέρια ενός χωριού "μάγων" ανεβαίνει στο Κιλιμάντζαρο και πολεμάει προανθρώπινα τέρατα. Καλή ιδέα (πιθανόν μέρος ολόκληρης κοσμοπλασία εκ μέρους του συγγραφέα), αλλά η εκτέλεση μου φάνηκε λίγο λειψή, έχανα πληροφορίες και κίνητρα εδώ κι εκεί. Μέτριο ξεκίνημαγια τη συλλογή.
~“Jon Carver of Barzoon, You Misunderstood” by Graham J. Darling: Απερίγραπτο. Δεν το κατάλαβα, αλλά ευτυχώς ήταν μικρό και πολύ καλογραμμένο.
~“Sunsorrow” by Paul Jessup: Μια γυναίκα περιφέρεται σε μια γυάλινη πόλη, συναντά το κρανίο ενός κουνελιού και σκοτώνει έναν γνωστό τη. Πιο μπερδεμένο απ' ότι ακούγεται, ωστόσο κι αυτό καλογραμμένο. Υποτίθεται ότι η γυναίκα είναι κάποιος που διάβασε το Βασιλιά με τα Κίτρινα και ονειρεύται ή έχει παραισθήσεις σχετικά με την Καρκόσα.
~“The Wood of Ephraim” by Edward M. Erdelac: Η "πραγματική" αφήγηση του θανάτου του Αβεσαλώμ. Όχι ότι καλύτερο έχω διαβάσει ποτέ, αλλά είναι τίμιο και πραγματικά παλπ.
~“Truth is Order and Order is Truth” by Nadia Bulkin: Μια πριγκίπισσα στην Ιάβα μαθαίνει μέσα από περιπέτειες την πραγματική της καταγωγή. Η περιγραφή το αδικεί, είναι ίσως το καλύτερο κείμενο σε όλη τη συλλογή. Με δική του φωνή, με ύφος αξιέπαινο, που σε παρασέρνει, με μια ιστορία πραγματικά σύγχρονη κι όμως πραγματικά κλασσική. Ο Κλαρκ Άστον Σμιθ θα την επαινούσε, το δίχως άλλο. Η αγαπημένη μου.
~“Spirit Forms of the Sea” by Bogi Takács: Ένας Μαγυάρος πολεμιστής ακολουθεί μια κοπέλα της φυλής του ως εκείνη να βρει το ζώο-πνεύμα που θα την κάνει τάλτος (ένα είδος σαμάνου της Κεντρικής Ευρώπης). Απρόσμενα καλή, τυπική περιπέτεια, με εξαιρετικό φολκλόρ.
~“The Bones of Heroes” by Orrin Grey: Μοντέρνα εκδοχή της κακιάς μάγισσας. Χαριτωμένο, αλλά κάτι του έλειπε για να είναι τόσο δραματικό, τόσο τραγικό όσο θα του έπρεπε.
~“Light” by Diana Paxson: Τα Βουνά της Τρέλας με μαύρη πρωταγωνίστρια, στη Γροιλανδία. Είχε κενά στην πλοκή της, αλλά είναι τυπικά λαβκράφτια/χαουαρντική, με υπονοούμενες μετενσαρκώσεις και τέτοια.
~“The Serpents of Albion” by Adrian Chamberlin: Ο θάνατος του Αρθούρου. Γενικά, ο αρθουριανός κύκλος με αφήνει παγερά αδιάφορη, κι αυτό δεν αποτελεί εξαίρεση. Επίσης είναι βαρετό, αναλώνεται σε ένα σωρό περιγραφές που ούτε ατμόσφαιρα φτιάχνουν, ούτε και εξυπηρετούν σε τίποτε την πλοκή.
~“The Call of the Dreaming Moon” by Thana Niveau: Ινδιάνα καλείται από τα πνεύματα. Καλούτσικο, αλλά τίποτε πραγματικά σπουδαίο.
~“Black Caesar: The Stone Ship Rises” by Balogun Ojetade: Μαύρος πειρατής με υπερφυσική δύναμη. Η γυναίκα του με το μωρό δεμένο στην πλάτη, το οποίο το θηλάζει κατά το δοκούν. Μεταλλικό πλοίο. Πλήρωμα από steampunk ρομπότ. Η κατάρα ενός πλοίου από πέτρα, φτιαγμένο από δαίμονες. Η τύπισσα με το μωρό στην πλάτη και το τρομπόνι (το οποίο παρεμπιπτόντως το γεμίζει το μωρό και τις το δίνει) στο χέρι, να ξεκληρίζει τους ναύτες του Ντέιβι Τζόουνς-wannabe. Εκφράσεις όπως "the ebony collosus", "the black giant" και τέτοια. Ο πρωταγωνιστής πολεμάει και με ένα μαστίγιο που στην άκρη του έχει κεντρί από σελάχι. Υπερβολική προσπάθεια να γίνει κάτι επικό, που καταντάει παραφορτωμένο και κουραστικό.
~“And After the Fire, a Still Small Voice” by E. Catherine Tobler: Ομολογώ ότι δεν το κατάλαβα. Μια γυναίκα περιδιαβαίνει έναν παράδοξο κόσμο που δεν είναι δικός της και πολεμάει, ακούγοντας αγγέλους. Στο τέλος μαθαίνουμε ότι τη λένε Ζαν κι ότι καίγεται/θα καεί στη φωτιά. Δεν το κατάλαβα καθόλου.
~“No Sleep for the Just” by William Meikle: Πολεμιστής πάει να εισπράξει φόρους από ένα μοναστήρι, κάπου στη Μεσαιωνική Δυτική Ευρώπη. Καλούτσικο θα το έλεγα, έχεις δυνατές εικόνες τρόμου. Κάπως "ξεχάσιμο" όμως.
~“In Xochitl in Cuicatl in Shub-Niggurath” by Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas: Μεσοαμερικάνα ιέρεια προσπαθεί να βοηθήσει τους πολεμιστές της φυλής της ενάντια στους Μέξικα. Δυνατή αφήγηση, δυνατό αποτέλεσμα.
~“The Sorrow of Qingfeng” by Grey Yuen: Ο βοηθός ενός δικαστή κι ένας αξιωματικός στην Αυλή της Αυτοκράτειρας της Κίνας μαθαίνουν κάτι ανησυχητικό και ξεκινούν να το εξερευνήσουν. Απωανατολίτικη κομψότητα ενάντια σε πλάσματα ειδεχθή. Άλλο ένα από τα διαμάντια της συλλογής.
~Four essays by G.W. Thomas, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R. Stiles: τα διάβασα και τα τέσσερα με ενδιαφέρον. Δεν είμαι ό,ως σίγουρη ότι βελτίωσαν την ανθολογία με την ύπαρξή τους.
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November 20, 2016I enjoyed many stories from this book. The editorial section was interesting, but it didn't seem like there was a lot to say on the subject. I love how many parts of the world were covered in the different stories and eras of history too!
April 7, 2017
Three and a half stars. Some good stuff in here. Some of them are not what I'd think of as, erm, swordsey, but there you go. The essays in the back were interesting, if brief.
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