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Tales from the Magician's Skull #1
Tales From The Magician's Skull #1
Tales From the Magician's Skull is a printed fantasy magazine dedicated to presenting all-new sword-and-sorcery fiction by the finest modern crafters in the genre. These stories are the real thing, crammed with sword-swinging action, dark sorceries, dread, and ferocious monsters -- and they hurtle forward at a headlong pace.
84 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
10 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Howard Andrew Jones
68 books370 followersHoward Andrew Jones was an American speculative fiction and fantasy author and editor, known for The Chronicles of Hanuvar series, The Chronicles of Sword and Sand series and The Ring-Sworn trilogy. He had also written Pathfinder Tales, tie-in fiction novels in the world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, published by Paizo. He was the editor of Tales from the Magician's Skull and had served as a Managing Editor at Black Gate since 2004. He assembled and edited a series of eight volumes of the short fiction of Harold Lamb for publication by Bison Books.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 27, 2018
"Behold! I have fashioned a magazine like those from fabled days of yore. It overflows with thrilling adventures. There are swords, and there is sorcery. There are dark deeds and daring rescues. There are lands where heroes fear to tread." - The Magician's Skull speaks on Kickstarter
Should you trust a talking skull? Well, no sane person would, but I attest this Skull does not lie. Tales from the Magician's Skull #1 spawned from a successful 2017 Kickstarter Campaign in which Howard Andrew Jones (Sword & Sorcery guru, author, and RPGer) teamed up with Joseph Goodman of Goodman Games, publisher of Dungeon Crawl Classics. The resulting magazine reflects this partnership, marrying great stories with suggested RPG game items. As a backer and enthusiast of fantasy fiction, I couldn’t be more pleased.
QUALITY: The quality is great (the artwork, editing, illustrations, paper-feel etc.); this magazine is just fun to hold.
APPENDIX: The Appendix! What a great design idea! To drive home the RPG elements of the stories, these guys created items and rules related to each story for the Dungeon Crawl Classic RPG. This is really cool. read the stories...then go play them.
ILLUSTRATIONS: Ooh, the illustrations are nice and varied. For Enge’s story, Russ Nicholson drew a full page, very reminiscent of his drawings for the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks. Many full page, detailed illustrations decorate the interior (by artists: Jennell Jaquays, Doug Kovacs, William McAusland, Brad McDevitt, Ian Miller, Russ Nicholson, Stefan Poag, and Chuck Whelon).
STORIES
1) "What Lies in Ice" A Gaunt and Bone story by Chris Willrich - For me this was 3-stars, but I think YA-adult and lit-RPG (literary RPG) readers will enjoy it more. For a short story, this has a huge party of protagonists (>6), heavy doses of comic relief, and an overabundance of fast-paced story telling that shoots for ADHD action scenes rather than elements-that-build-on-each other. It reminds me of a Marvel Avengers movie. It has too much in it to allow an old fogie like myself enough to grasp on to, but it does have a lot of neat things going on (as disjointed as they are). My favorite concept/creature: Hands of the Sea (which is the first item in the Appendix!).
Sharing my thoughts on Goodreads prompted the Sword & Sorcery crowd assured me that followers of Gaunt and Bone will enjoy this since it ties together other G&B yarns.
2) James Enge's "The Guild of Silent Men : A Story of Morlock Ambrosius". 5-star! Although less action than the previous story, this fantasy-murder mystery delivers more than enough swords-n-sorcery while fleshing out Thain Morlock's background and motivations. A fun read that also serves to make me want to learn more. Perhaps I should go get Blood of Ambrose right now.
3) Bill Ward's "Beneath the Bay of Black Waters” A Tale of Shan Spirit Slayer and the Banner General Bao" - 4-stars. I'm a big Bill Ward fan (i.e., his anthologies like
Mightier than the Sword and Last of His Kind). This Asian/Orient adventure is led by an entertaining duo tracking a drug trade (of Black Pearls, being mysterious narcotics) from the Fish-Gutter gang. Death escapes the protagonists more than it should, but the story is great.
4) Aeryn Rudel's “Beyond the Block” - 5 stars. A first-person perspective was perfect for this undead horror. Another duo stars, this time its Lucinda and her brother Matthais (the narrator). Matthais is a blacksmith who seeks to defend Lucinda from Lord Magister Vyard (a sorcerer who wants something of Lucinda’s magical potential).
5) Howard Andrew Jones’s “Crypt of Stars, From the Chronicles of Hanuvar Cabera" has one primary hero: Hanuvar of the Volani. It's him against the invading Dervani who are out to raid his ancestral cemeteries. I am a big HAJ fan, having followed his blogs and Black Gate articles and enjoyed his fiction (i.e., The Bones of the Old Ones). He never disappoints. 5-stars.
6) C.L. Werner's "There Was an Old Fat Spider” offers a biased protagonist, Karl, who may be an anti-hero. A knight and civil protector Rudolf Goettinger tracks Karl down in this Germanic/Gothic tale that reminded me of Werner's Warhammer tales. Lots of gray areas here. Good grimness. 4-stars.
7) John C. Hocking’s “The Crystal Sickle’s Harvest. From the World of the Archivist." Another police-like duo lead this mystery: Thratos (mentor Hand of the King sorcerer) and Benhus (young mentee, warrior sorcerer). Thieves are breaking into royal crypts, but not necessarily to steal. Why? Some neat Magical Weapons are presented, i.e., the Nobleman's Comfort (magical wand, and its in the Appendix). Best of all, this story has a talking skull! But is it THE skull? 5-stars.
VOLUME #2 promises more of the great quality, and it is nearing publication (June 15th 2018). I suggest you join the Legion of the Skull, whether you like to read, play RPGs, or both.
November 27, 2020
I thought I would give this new magazine a try and see how some of the new writers were treating short stories. Well I wasn't impressed. Some good ideas but they just never seemed to go anywhere. maybe they should have been novellas, I don't know. Not a good read so I am gonna say not recommended
April 21, 2021
My friends have been recommending this magazine to me ever since its Kickstarter a few years ago. I regret that I put off reading this because I mistakenly thought it was something like a *Dungeons and Dragons* or *Warhammer* anthology. While I enjoy this kind of setting-specific, game tie-in fiction, I made a huge mistake in assuming *Tales from the Magician's Skull* was this kind of fantasy. It isn't at all. Instead, *The Skull* is probably best described as a sincere and entertaining love letter to a specific tradition of fantasy fiction that has been making a comeback recently: the "sword and sorcery" tradition (which is often connected to the famous "Appendix N" of Gary E. Gygax, i.e. the authoritative bibliography of mostly pulp works--e.g. Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber, etc.--that influenced the creation of fantasy RPGs). Every element of this magazine production seems to have been thought out, from the textured paper, to the two-columned pulp text layout design, to the late-70s/early-80s high contrast black and white illustrations. Even though each story is adventure fantasy, there is a diversity of tone and style that really satisfies. The first story, "What Lies in Ice," by Chris Willrich, is a dungeon crawl about a group of adventurers raiding a sorcerer's shadowy tower. "The Guild of Silent Men," by James Enge, is a pulp fantasy murder mystery that incorporates skulduggery and dark conspiracy. "Beneath the Bay of Black Waters," by Bill Ward, takes place in a fantasy setting inspired by Chinese myth. "Crypt of Stars," by Editor Howard Andrew Jones, is a heroic tale featuring the haunted Hanuvar, a sword and sorcery version of an avenging Hannibal of Carthage (there is a historicity to this one). "There Was an Old Fat Spider," by C.L. Werner, is a Poe-esque revenge story set in a rustic hamlet haunted by murder. Finally, John C. Hocking's "The Crystal Sickle's Harvest" features a group of grave robbers plundering a sorcerer's tomb plagued by fell magical devices. All of these stories were a pleasure to read; read together, the spirit of old school fantasy RPG atmospherics rose again! The combination of great fiction, great art, and great production created... how can I put this right? ... a kind of "time-traveling hypnotic effect": reading this transported me to a warm summer night in 1991, Rush's *2112* on the turn-table, listening to the voice of my best friend describe the mossy dungeon, the darkness within, the scintillate treasure waiting, and the lurking, half-seen threats with lamplight eyes... Can't wait to read Issue 2.
February 1, 2025
I've read a lot of magazines that purport to capture the spirit of the old pulps or to be the second coming of Weird Tales. The thing is, not even Weird Tales comes close to capturing the magic of Weird Tales in its heyday. In fact, it doesn't come within a tortured-Turanian-mile of being a shadow of its former self.
Ron Fortier of Pulp Fiction Review has a generous estimation for anthologies and magazines that if half the stories are good then it deserves a thumbs-up. That's generous but reasonably fair because most of the time I'm lucky to find one or two stories in a collection that work for me.
Tales from the Magician's Skull justifies its rather steep price with great cover art and high-quality paper stock which far transcends anything the original pulps were printed on. Also, six out of the seven stories are well worth reading. The seventh was by no means horrible, but just didn't gel for me--and I won't specify which one it was, because your tortured-Turanian-mile might vary.
If this is any indication of the quality of future issues then count me in. However, in perusing Amazon to pick up the next issue, I found that issues 2 and 3 were no longer available. I guess that's what happens when you're late to the (adventuring) party.
The magazine includes a section at the back where creatures from various tales have been given game statistics so they might be used in your own D&D campaign. These aren't highly useful for me, but it seems to me that any monster manual worth its salt should have an illustration accompanying each creature.
Ron Fortier of Pulp Fiction Review has a generous estimation for anthologies and magazines that if half the stories are good then it deserves a thumbs-up. That's generous but reasonably fair because most of the time I'm lucky to find one or two stories in a collection that work for me.
Tales from the Magician's Skull justifies its rather steep price with great cover art and high-quality paper stock which far transcends anything the original pulps were printed on. Also, six out of the seven stories are well worth reading. The seventh was by no means horrible, but just didn't gel for me--and I won't specify which one it was, because your tortured-Turanian-mile might vary.
If this is any indication of the quality of future issues then count me in. However, in perusing Amazon to pick up the next issue, I found that issues 2 and 3 were no longer available. I guess that's what happens when you're late to the (adventuring) party.
The magazine includes a section at the back where creatures from various tales have been given game statistics so they might be used in your own D&D campaign. These aren't highly useful for me, but it seems to me that any monster manual worth its salt should have an illustration accompanying each creature.
April 5, 2021
4 great tales, 3 okay storytellings. As a Werner and Hocking fan, it pains me to say these felt like lesser fare from both authors. Overall a great start to this new zine and a wonderful new addition to my library.
January 7, 2019
Tales From The Magician’s Skull is a magazine of sword and sorcery fiction drawing deep from the vein of classic pulps like Weird Tales and Amazing Stories. For those unfamiliar with the term, sword and sorcery is a darker, more personal brand of fantasy. In contrast to Tolkien-inspired high fantasy with its epic heroes performing feats of great magic amid world-shaking plots, Sword and Sorcery concerns heroes of often gray morality just trying to survive in a dangerous world where magic, if it exists, is usually dangerous and mistrusted. This is not to say there is no heroism in sword and sorcery, just that it is on a smaller, individual scale.
In addition to classic pulps, Tales From The Magician’s Skull (or just The Magician’s Skull for short) also takes artistic and literary influence from mass-market paperback fantasies of the 70s and 80s, and also with that most quintessential of fantasy creations- Dungeons and Dragons (and other role-playing games of a similar theme). The magazine fully embraces this connection by providing gaming statistics for monsters, spells and magical items featured in each story, all of them formatted for Dungeon Crawl Classics, the flagship RPG from the magazine’s publisher, Goodman Games. DCC, as it’s abbreviated, emulates the style of classic 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons from the late 70s and early 80s.
D&D itself was heavily by influenced sword and sorcery fiction. The original edition of the game included Appendix N, a list of the literary works that had inspired its main creator, Gary Gygax. Appendix N includes most of the classic authors you’d expect, such as Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, J. R. R. Tolkien, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Michael Moorcock. But there are also more diverse and unusual writers such as Fletcher Pratt, Sterling Lanier, and John Belloir. The Magician’s Skull reprints this short but seminal list at the back of the magazine so readers can follow their own literary journeys.
Another excellent inclusion in The Magician’s Skull is an extensive appendix of used bookstores from all over the US where readers can find those Appendix N classics along with other bibliophilic treasures. I’m pleased to see that the Dawn Treader from my own hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan is in there. Though, sadly, no sign of the Book Barn from Niantic in my current state of Connecticut (I’ll have to have them rectify that in a future issue).
Lastly, The Magician’s Skull also features a directory of “Kindred Souls”- groups, gaming and otherwise, from around the world who share the editors’ tastes in classic sword and sorcery.
The authors featured in this first outing are all old hands at sword and sorcery. Several of the stories are but single episodes in the long careers of established characters, though you don’t need to have read their other adventures to enjoy these tales.
The magazine is abundantly illustrated throughout with full-page drawings for each tale along with architectural plans for some of the tombs, towers, and other buildings.
As to the stories themselves:
What Lies in Ice
By Chris Willrich
A tale in the long-running adventures of Willrich’s rogues Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone. Whilst on a ship sailing through ice-choked polar waters, the heroes and their shipmates find themselves trapped behind a cursed black tower sealed in an iceberg. Deciding they should meet the tower’s horrors head on rather than wait to be their prey, the crew enters the structure to uncover its secrets.
The Guild of Silent Men
By James Enge
A murder mystery featuring Enge’s crooked-backed wanderer and master of strange magicks, Morlock Ambrosius.
The Silent Men is a guild for those who have no friends. A place of belonging for those who do not belong. Naturally, of course, they’re hated and mistrusted by all the other city guilds and treated little better than vermin. So when the dual leaders of the Silent Men are murdered, no one outside the guild is interested in investigating. No one except Morlock, who knows what it is like to be hated and mistrusted.
Beneath the Bay of Black Waters
By Bill Ward
The Fish-Gutter Gang has been spreading their deadly drug, Black Pearl, throughout the city of Long He. After an extensive investigation, Imperial Commissioner Shan Wu-Tsi and General Bai Guan have finally tracked down the source of this man-made plague. A source that is far worse than they expected, for rooting out this evil will lead them to the lair of the demonic fish-beings hiding beneath the surface of the city’s harbor.
Beyond the Block
By Aeryn Rudel
This story begins with the death of the protagonist. But as you’ll find in many tales of sword and sorcery, death is far from the end.
Crypt of Stars
By Howard Andrew Jones
The war is over and the Volani people have lost, crushed under the expanding onslaught of the Dervani. Now the conquerors ransack the ancient island-tombs of the Volani, determined to uncover the riches they believe lie within. To this end they have tortured and enslaved the Volani, forcing them to hunt for the resting places of their honored dead. The captured people have little hope of escape, until the day a hero whom every thought dead turns up unexpectedly alive.
There Was An Old Fat Spider
By C.L. Werner
Karl Rohlfs has been shunned and brutalized by everyone in town. Just to survive he must debase and degrade himself daily. Then comes the day he enters the twisted, dark woods on the king’s land and finds the spider. It is old, weak and barely surviving. But it is enormous, and- when it actually does manage to catch prey- it is deadly. In this creature, Karl finds a kindred spirit. And a way to avenge himself on his tormentors
The Crystal Sickle’s Harvest
By John C. Hocking
Someone has been robbing royal tombs and Benhus- who some call the King’s Hand- along with his assistant Thratos have been ordered to investigate. It does not take them long to find the culprits, but in the process they also discover that aristocratic tombs are sometimes guarded by far worse than mundane locks and magical wards.
In addition to classic pulps, Tales From The Magician’s Skull (or just The Magician’s Skull for short) also takes artistic and literary influence from mass-market paperback fantasies of the 70s and 80s, and also with that most quintessential of fantasy creations- Dungeons and Dragons (and other role-playing games of a similar theme). The magazine fully embraces this connection by providing gaming statistics for monsters, spells and magical items featured in each story, all of them formatted for Dungeon Crawl Classics, the flagship RPG from the magazine’s publisher, Goodman Games. DCC, as it’s abbreviated, emulates the style of classic 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons from the late 70s and early 80s.
D&D itself was heavily by influenced sword and sorcery fiction. The original edition of the game included Appendix N, a list of the literary works that had inspired its main creator, Gary Gygax. Appendix N includes most of the classic authors you’d expect, such as Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, J. R. R. Tolkien, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Michael Moorcock. But there are also more diverse and unusual writers such as Fletcher Pratt, Sterling Lanier, and John Belloir. The Magician’s Skull reprints this short but seminal list at the back of the magazine so readers can follow their own literary journeys.
Another excellent inclusion in The Magician’s Skull is an extensive appendix of used bookstores from all over the US where readers can find those Appendix N classics along with other bibliophilic treasures. I’m pleased to see that the Dawn Treader from my own hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan is in there. Though, sadly, no sign of the Book Barn from Niantic in my current state of Connecticut (I’ll have to have them rectify that in a future issue).
Lastly, The Magician’s Skull also features a directory of “Kindred Souls”- groups, gaming and otherwise, from around the world who share the editors’ tastes in classic sword and sorcery.
The authors featured in this first outing are all old hands at sword and sorcery. Several of the stories are but single episodes in the long careers of established characters, though you don’t need to have read their other adventures to enjoy these tales.
The magazine is abundantly illustrated throughout with full-page drawings for each tale along with architectural plans for some of the tombs, towers, and other buildings.
As to the stories themselves:
What Lies in Ice
By Chris Willrich
A tale in the long-running adventures of Willrich’s rogues Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone. Whilst on a ship sailing through ice-choked polar waters, the heroes and their shipmates find themselves trapped behind a cursed black tower sealed in an iceberg. Deciding they should meet the tower’s horrors head on rather than wait to be their prey, the crew enters the structure to uncover its secrets.
The Guild of Silent Men
By James Enge
A murder mystery featuring Enge’s crooked-backed wanderer and master of strange magicks, Morlock Ambrosius.
The Silent Men is a guild for those who have no friends. A place of belonging for those who do not belong. Naturally, of course, they’re hated and mistrusted by all the other city guilds and treated little better than vermin. So when the dual leaders of the Silent Men are murdered, no one outside the guild is interested in investigating. No one except Morlock, who knows what it is like to be hated and mistrusted.
Beneath the Bay of Black Waters
By Bill Ward
The Fish-Gutter Gang has been spreading their deadly drug, Black Pearl, throughout the city of Long He. After an extensive investigation, Imperial Commissioner Shan Wu-Tsi and General Bai Guan have finally tracked down the source of this man-made plague. A source that is far worse than they expected, for rooting out this evil will lead them to the lair of the demonic fish-beings hiding beneath the surface of the city’s harbor.
Beyond the Block
By Aeryn Rudel
This story begins with the death of the protagonist. But as you’ll find in many tales of sword and sorcery, death is far from the end.
Crypt of Stars
By Howard Andrew Jones
The war is over and the Volani people have lost, crushed under the expanding onslaught of the Dervani. Now the conquerors ransack the ancient island-tombs of the Volani, determined to uncover the riches they believe lie within. To this end they have tortured and enslaved the Volani, forcing them to hunt for the resting places of their honored dead. The captured people have little hope of escape, until the day a hero whom every thought dead turns up unexpectedly alive.
There Was An Old Fat Spider
By C.L. Werner
Karl Rohlfs has been shunned and brutalized by everyone in town. Just to survive he must debase and degrade himself daily. Then comes the day he enters the twisted, dark woods on the king’s land and finds the spider. It is old, weak and barely surviving. But it is enormous, and- when it actually does manage to catch prey- it is deadly. In this creature, Karl finds a kindred spirit. And a way to avenge himself on his tormentors
The Crystal Sickle’s Harvest
By John C. Hocking
Someone has been robbing royal tombs and Benhus- who some call the King’s Hand- along with his assistant Thratos have been ordered to investigate. It does not take them long to find the culprits, but in the process they also discover that aristocratic tombs are sometimes guarded by far worse than mundane locks and magical wards.
April 11, 2018
A great throwback anthology to the original Weird Tales, but with modern sensibilities. The stories by Jones and Hocking are particularly strong.
January 12, 2020
I've been dying for a new sword-and-sorcery magazine for a long time, and it's finally here. Thanks Howard Andrew Jones and Goodman Games. This is a real treat and I'm looking forward to the next issue.
January 11, 2019
We’re going through a mini-short pulp SF revolution right now, and I’m missing out on it because Tales from the Magician’s Skull is only the third different magazine I’ve picked up. I place it firmly between Skelos and Cirsova. It is not as depressing as Skelos, but without the spark of Cirsova. But, to a certain extent, that is a matter of taste.
Pulpy stories make for good game grist, but thinking too much about gameability when writing is dangerous. Tales from the Magician has a gaming focus that I do think holds the stories back somewhat. Heavily inspired by Appendix N, the magazine includes game stats for the stories.
Many of the characters are featured elsewhere. I might have enjoyed the stories more had I walked in with some familiarity, but none of them required it.
Tales from the Magician’s Skull—at least volume one—is all fantasy, no science fiction. It’s not exactly genre bending in the pulp fashion. But then I’m an old fantasy fan, so that is hardly a bug.
The contents are below. Beneath the Bay of Black Waters and the fairy tale-esque There Was An Old Fat Spider are rivals for my favorite story from the magazine. Beyond the Block is my third favorite. The Guild of Silent Men has a neat bit of worldbuilding. The area it is set in is ruled by no king or lord or even council. Absent a hierarchy, the residents rely heavily on voluntary associations. Even men who are not members of a voluntary association have a voluntary association: the Guild of Silent Men. But the worldbuilding isn’t developed enough to truly enhance the story.
Stories:
What Lies in Ice by Chris Willich
The Guild of Silent Men by Jame Enge
Beneath the Bay of Black Waters by Bill Ward
Beyond the Block by Aeryn Rudel
Crypt of Stars by Howard Andrew Jones
There Was An Old Fat Spider by C.L. Werner
The Crystal Sickle’s Harvest by John C. Hocking
Pulpy stories make for good game grist, but thinking too much about gameability when writing is dangerous. Tales from the Magician has a gaming focus that I do think holds the stories back somewhat. Heavily inspired by Appendix N, the magazine includes game stats for the stories.
Many of the characters are featured elsewhere. I might have enjoyed the stories more had I walked in with some familiarity, but none of them required it.
Tales from the Magician’s Skull—at least volume one—is all fantasy, no science fiction. It’s not exactly genre bending in the pulp fashion. But then I’m an old fantasy fan, so that is hardly a bug.
The contents are below. Beneath the Bay of Black Waters and the fairy tale-esque There Was An Old Fat Spider are rivals for my favorite story from the magazine. Beyond the Block is my third favorite. The Guild of Silent Men has a neat bit of worldbuilding. The area it is set in is ruled by no king or lord or even council. Absent a hierarchy, the residents rely heavily on voluntary associations. Even men who are not members of a voluntary association have a voluntary association: the Guild of Silent Men. But the worldbuilding isn’t developed enough to truly enhance the story.
Stories:
What Lies in Ice by Chris Willich
The Guild of Silent Men by Jame Enge
Beneath the Bay of Black Waters by Bill Ward
Beyond the Block by Aeryn Rudel
Crypt of Stars by Howard Andrew Jones
There Was An Old Fat Spider by C.L. Werner
The Crystal Sickle’s Harvest by John C. Hocking
November 22, 2019
Entertaining first issue of a magazine dedicated to sword-and-sorcery/high fantasy/whatever you choose to call the genre.
Good stories with solid storytelling. The keen editorial eye of Howard Andrew Jones is clearly at work here. I'm not a gamer, but those who enjoy gaming will certainly appreciate the gaming stats associated with the stories in this issue.
I have the second and third issues and look forward to adventuring into their pages!
Good stories with solid storytelling. The keen editorial eye of Howard Andrew Jones is clearly at work here. I'm not a gamer, but those who enjoy gaming will certainly appreciate the gaming stats associated with the stories in this issue.
I have the second and third issues and look forward to adventuring into their pages!
December 30, 2019
A really interesting collection of new Sword and Sorcery stories. I was a bit wary that this could be a purely nostalgic affair, especially with it coming from Goodman Games, a decidedly old school publisher, which - to my knowledge - never really published anything like this.
But this was a delight - surely, not every story is a new classic, but each one was fun to read for me. Some authors use previously introduced characters, but every story stands for itself. There are some great ideas in this and if you are fan of pen and paper gaming, you'll be delighted to see some of the ideas from the stories adapted for role playing (DCC rules system).
Bonus points for truly excellent production values - that thick paper could well be hand-made - and fantastic black and white illustrations.
But this was a delight - surely, not every story is a new classic, but each one was fun to read for me. Some authors use previously introduced characters, but every story stands for itself. There are some great ideas in this and if you are fan of pen and paper gaming, you'll be delighted to see some of the ideas from the stories adapted for role playing (DCC rules system).
Bonus points for truly excellent production values - that thick paper could well be hand-made - and fantastic black and white illustrations.
July 20, 2018
I've been picking up a few of the newer sword & sorcery magazines and anthologies, and this one has been the best so far.
Sure, not every story is a my new favorite, but overall these are great adventure stories with great pulp sword & sorcery protagonists. While they have a old school vibe, they're not feeling outdated or overly nostaligic (I'm looking at you Cirsova). Great artwork, that reminds me of the old artwork in (A)D&D gaming books. Retro, but fresh.
My main gripe is the fact that the only digital version is in the pdf format which is hard to read on an e-reader. That's the main reason it took me so long to finish: I only read it on my laptop in small portions.
Sure, not every story is a my new favorite, but overall these are great adventure stories with great pulp sword & sorcery protagonists. While they have a old school vibe, they're not feeling outdated or overly nostaligic (I'm looking at you Cirsova). Great artwork, that reminds me of the old artwork in (A)D&D gaming books. Retro, but fresh.
My main gripe is the fact that the only digital version is in the pdf format which is hard to read on an e-reader. That's the main reason it took me so long to finish: I only read it on my laptop in small portions.
December 30, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed every story included and I'm super excited that more follows! I'm on board through #6 at this time. I even love the adverts and would say there is room for more. Thank you Skull!
April 20, 2018
Great first issue... looking forward to many more!
May 17, 2018
A Cool Pulp Magazine of Cool Short Stories! Which also has RPG gaming statistics for magic items and monsters found in those stories!
July 25, 2023
Tales from the Magician's Skull is a great Sword & Sorcery anthology in the tradition of Swords Against Darkness and Flashing Swords! A collection of 7 tales of good length and pacing. There are some particularly good creatures in this issue which I appreciate.
The book has excellent production values with a gorgeous cover and fantastic old-school fantasy styled illustrations.
What Lies in Ice
There's a LOT going on in this story. It's hard to get invested in all of it. The main characters of Gaunt and Bone seem to have history that I was not attuned to so I found them less interesting than the supporting cast, the highlight of which is the ostensible northern barbarian Viken who has more to him than the seemingly endless supply axes he carries and worships an enigmatic Swan Goddess that I learned just enough about to be intrigued by. Also includes an interesting take on mermaids, and a thrilling gory solution to how one might dispose of a giant tentacled abomination.
The Guild of Silent Men
The highlight of the issue for me. It's a Sword & Sorcery murder mystery and I love murder mysteries in S&S settings.
I dig the worldbuilding in this. The niche of the Guild of Silent Men as a collection of the dregs of a land where familial and guild cliques rule is interesting.
I'm also a fan of the protagonist Morlock Ambrosius. His tick of just saying "Then," to press others into elaboration or action is endearing. I'd like to read more of his tales.
Beneath the Bay of the Black Waters
Sword & Sorcery in analog of Imperial China which one doesn't see too often. I wasn't particularly attached to the characters but the conflict of Imperial Officers taking down a Drug Dealing gang backed by a variant of Deep Ones called Guai leads to the heroes concocting creative alchemical solutions to eldritch problems leading to explosive action. The Shadow over Innsmouth by way of Shaw Brothers.
Beyond the Block
Spooky and simple with some grim ideas and a devious ending. Not much to say about it, it's a straightforward and enjoyable tale. Didn't wow me but I liked it.
Crypt of Stars
This story feels like it's part of a larger tale so it took a little while to get situated with the status quo but once I did I found myself enjoying the character of Hanuvar. An aged Spartacus-like hero to an oppressed people thought dead comes back to save them with wits more than brawn. Hanuvar utilizes keen stratagems in order to take on a force of greater numbers and power. This story ends in a satisfying victory for Hanuvar and his people but outlines the larger scale conflict ahead that has me invested in reading more of his story. I enjoyed the vicious gatzi birds and also the priests' nasty little familiar, my only complaint is neither of these beasties feature in the story's illustration!!
There Was an Old Fat Spider
There is indeed an old fat spider and I like that spider a lot. The story has a villain with a wicked scheme and twisted motivation but doesn't do enough with them as it gets a bit sidetracked by a hero character I didn't care for. The hero doesn't add much to the story and I think it would have been stronger overall if it focused more deeply on the other characters.
The Crystal Sickle’s Harvest
Another pretty straightforward story enhanced by the bastardry from the heroes who use some cruel magic in the form of wands called Nobleman's Comforts with some pretty vicious effects, and take some pretty selfish actions to achieve their goals. I didn't really like them but I suppose that's the point. Seems like a cruel world I'd like to learn more about.
I'll be picking up more issues of Tales from the Magician's Skull for sure.
The book has excellent production values with a gorgeous cover and fantastic old-school fantasy styled illustrations.
What Lies in Ice
There's a LOT going on in this story. It's hard to get invested in all of it. The main characters of Gaunt and Bone seem to have history that I was not attuned to so I found them less interesting than the supporting cast, the highlight of which is the ostensible northern barbarian Viken who has more to him than the seemingly endless supply axes he carries and worships an enigmatic Swan Goddess that I learned just enough about to be intrigued by. Also includes an interesting take on mermaids, and a thrilling gory solution to how one might dispose of a giant tentacled abomination.
The Guild of Silent Men
The highlight of the issue for me. It's a Sword & Sorcery murder mystery and I love murder mysteries in S&S settings.
I dig the worldbuilding in this. The niche of the Guild of Silent Men as a collection of the dregs of a land where familial and guild cliques rule is interesting.
I'm also a fan of the protagonist Morlock Ambrosius. His tick of just saying "Then," to press others into elaboration or action is endearing. I'd like to read more of his tales.
Beneath the Bay of the Black Waters
Sword & Sorcery in analog of Imperial China which one doesn't see too often. I wasn't particularly attached to the characters but the conflict of Imperial Officers taking down a Drug Dealing gang backed by a variant of Deep Ones called Guai leads to the heroes concocting creative alchemical solutions to eldritch problems leading to explosive action. The Shadow over Innsmouth by way of Shaw Brothers.
Beyond the Block
Spooky and simple with some grim ideas and a devious ending. Not much to say about it, it's a straightforward and enjoyable tale. Didn't wow me but I liked it.
Crypt of Stars
This story feels like it's part of a larger tale so it took a little while to get situated with the status quo but once I did I found myself enjoying the character of Hanuvar. An aged Spartacus-like hero to an oppressed people thought dead comes back to save them with wits more than brawn. Hanuvar utilizes keen stratagems in order to take on a force of greater numbers and power. This story ends in a satisfying victory for Hanuvar and his people but outlines the larger scale conflict ahead that has me invested in reading more of his story. I enjoyed the vicious gatzi birds and also the priests' nasty little familiar, my only complaint is neither of these beasties feature in the story's illustration!!
There Was an Old Fat Spider
There is indeed an old fat spider and I like that spider a lot. The story has a villain with a wicked scheme and twisted motivation but doesn't do enough with them as it gets a bit sidetracked by a hero character I didn't care for. The hero doesn't add much to the story and I think it would have been stronger overall if it focused more deeply on the other characters.
The Crystal Sickle’s Harvest
Another pretty straightforward story enhanced by the bastardry from the heroes who use some cruel magic in the form of wands called Nobleman's Comforts with some pretty vicious effects, and take some pretty selfish actions to achieve their goals. I didn't really like them but I suppose that's the point. Seems like a cruel world I'd like to learn more about.
I'll be picking up more issues of Tales from the Magician's Skull for sure.
April 15, 2021
The best word I can find to describe this collection of pulp fiction is “uneven.” The writing is spotty...never great, but in a couple of instances downright bad. Story plots are the same way. Just an overall unsatisfying 70 pages of content.
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