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Whetstone #2
Whetstone: Amateur Magazine of Sword and Sorcery Issue Two
WHETSTONE is an amateur magazine that seeks to discover, inspire, and publish emerging authors who are enthusiastic about the tradition of "pulp sword and sorcery." Writers in this tradition include (but are not limited to) the following: Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, Michael Moorcock, Karl Edward Wagner, David C. Smith, and many more. "Pulp sword and sorcery" emphasizes active protagonists, supernatural menaces, and preindustrial (mostly ancient and medieval) settings. Some "pulp sword and sorcery" straddles the line between historical and fantasy fiction; at WHETSTONE, however, we prefer "secondary world settings" other worlds liberated from the necessity of historical accuracy.
- GenresFantasySword and Sorcery
78 pages, PDF
Published December 4, 2020
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Jason Ray Carney
40 books78 followersJason Ray Carney, Ph.D. is a lecturer in popular literature and creative writing at Christopher Newport University; he is the author of the academic book, *Weird Tales of Modernity: The Ephemerality of the Ordinary in the Stories of Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and H.P. Lovecraft* (McFarland 2019) and the sword and sorcery collection, *Rakefire and Other Stories* (Pulp Hero Press 2020). He co-edits the academic journal, *The Dark Man: The Journal of Robert E. Howard and Pulp Studies* and is the editor of *Whetstone: Amateur Magazine of Pulp Sword and Sorcery.* He is the area chair of the "Pulp Studies" section of the Popular Culture Association.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 5, 2020
Some really good “amateur” sword & sorcery. A lot of stand out new talent, many with their own unique approach. My personal favorite was Chuck Clark’s “Hounds.” I really love the Turkael character. I hope DMR or someone offers him a deal for a full novel or short story compilation.
December 28, 2020
Another interesting mix of sword and sorcerous storytelling, with plenty of battle-hardened warriors and diabolical spell-slingers to please most anyone. There's a range of material covering the gambits of the S&S genre's style and content. Quality is nicely surprisingly consistently high, even in tales not quite fit to my bent. Very nice inclusion of Frank Coffman's Irish lay at the close.
May 11, 2024
Most of this issue can’t be classified as sword and sorcery. I would say it’s more weird or dark fantasy. I like about half of the stories. About what you would expect from emerging authors.
December 23, 2020
The second issue of this free amateur magazine doesn't disappoint. With twelve stories, one poem and awesome cover art by Rick McCollum. A veritable baker's dozen of fiction. A few names may stand out because of their previous works.
With this issue 'weird' was brought to the forefront. Several feature a dungeon crawl. Others provide dark sorcery.
The City of Tombs by George Jacobs
Yolandi seems to be a Jill of All Trades. Retrieving a staff from a tomb should be easy pickings.
The dead are not always as quiet as the tomb would imply.
An Unforgivable Interruption by D.M. Ritzlin
Xaarxool the Necromancer from Necromancy in Nilztiria is back! Interrupting a religious ritual
he is threatened with the wrath of the Order to which he simply replies, "I know who you are. I
do not fear you." Bold, assertive and badass.
The Stain on the Skull by Simon Ruleman
A curse, the restless dead, and the three adventurers seeking a skull.
The Augur of Khoalse by Corey Graham
Pithar seeks his fortune from the Augur of Khoalse. Beware of Serpents!
Dark Meditations by J. Thomas Howard
Modern Problems. What is real and what is imagined? "'How can you have forgotten me?' She
pleaded in a voice that would have driven even the most pious man to the gates of sin." This
particular line struck me. Reminds me of something you would read in noir fiction. Love it.
The Mortal Essence by Ulysses Maurner
A dying world, dark and ominous. Flagellant monks. The Crimson Mist.
Hounds by Chuck Clark
Turkael is back from issue one. Exiled he wanders near death. Given much needed water by a
benefactor that is anything but benevolent. Turkael is again on the run, but stumbles upon
something even worse.
Mother of Malevolence by Chase A. Folmar
Avyanthe and her siblings are to bring down the sorceress Delaphyne, Queen Empyreal. The
horror they confront is newly born.
Raising Daughters by S.E. Lindberg
Return to the world of Dyscrasia. A Father will do anything for his offspring, but you have to
learn to let go sometimes too.
The Slain of Talhn by R. Sagus.
Weird. A dying world. A hunt for an unknown creature.
Under the Oak by Zack Taylor
A strange chase through the roots of a tree. Our protagonist must face his restless past.
Best Left to Processionals by Jace Phelps
As with any profession, there is a period of learning or training you must endure. Shortcuts
often lead to problems. If you are summoning otherworldly beings, it can be unhealthy.
Rolf's Ride by Frank Coffman
Prose in the style of an Irish lay.
A good anthology. Not a lot to my tastes in the lot, but I still enjoyed reading it. I look forward to Issue Three.
With this issue 'weird' was brought to the forefront. Several feature a dungeon crawl. Others provide dark sorcery.
The City of Tombs by George Jacobs
Yolandi seems to be a Jill of All Trades. Retrieving a staff from a tomb should be easy pickings.
The dead are not always as quiet as the tomb would imply.
An Unforgivable Interruption by D.M. Ritzlin
Xaarxool the Necromancer from Necromancy in Nilztiria is back! Interrupting a religious ritual
he is threatened with the wrath of the Order to which he simply replies, "I know who you are. I
do not fear you." Bold, assertive and badass.
The Stain on the Skull by Simon Ruleman
A curse, the restless dead, and the three adventurers seeking a skull.
The Augur of Khoalse by Corey Graham
Pithar seeks his fortune from the Augur of Khoalse. Beware of Serpents!
Dark Meditations by J. Thomas Howard
Modern Problems. What is real and what is imagined? "'How can you have forgotten me?' She
pleaded in a voice that would have driven even the most pious man to the gates of sin." This
particular line struck me. Reminds me of something you would read in noir fiction. Love it.
The Mortal Essence by Ulysses Maurner
A dying world, dark and ominous. Flagellant monks. The Crimson Mist.
Hounds by Chuck Clark
Turkael is back from issue one. Exiled he wanders near death. Given much needed water by a
benefactor that is anything but benevolent. Turkael is again on the run, but stumbles upon
something even worse.
Mother of Malevolence by Chase A. Folmar
Avyanthe and her siblings are to bring down the sorceress Delaphyne, Queen Empyreal. The
horror they confront is newly born.
Raising Daughters by S.E. Lindberg
Return to the world of Dyscrasia. A Father will do anything for his offspring, but you have to
learn to let go sometimes too.
The Slain of Talhn by R. Sagus.
Weird. A dying world. A hunt for an unknown creature.
Under the Oak by Zack Taylor
A strange chase through the roots of a tree. Our protagonist must face his restless past.
Best Left to Processionals by Jace Phelps
As with any profession, there is a period of learning or training you must endure. Shortcuts
often lead to problems. If you are summoning otherworldly beings, it can be unhealthy.
Rolf's Ride by Frank Coffman
Prose in the style of an Irish lay.
A good anthology. Not a lot to my tastes in the lot, but I still enjoyed reading it. I look forward to Issue Three.
January 14, 2021
I love that this magazine exists. It is a great outlet for amateurs writing swords and sorcery; however, I think it is important to point out that the chafe isn’t accepted. Review of Whetstone’s submission page gives the advice of “save your best work for higher pay markets”, but that is copy right stuff, and really meant congenially. My experience, while not everything included is to my taste, there are a good many selections that are.
I put Whetstone on the same plane of importance to the health of my favorite genre as Tales From the Magician’s Skull and DMR books.
A plea: If you enjoy swords and sorcery, support this. The price is free. The only investment is your time. You will find reward for your effort.
I put Whetstone on the same plane of importance to the health of my favorite genre as Tales From the Magician’s Skull and DMR books.
A plea: If you enjoy swords and sorcery, support this. The price is free. The only investment is your time. You will find reward for your effort.
December 23, 2020
Very happy to have my story included in this book under Corey Graham.
As with the first one, the story of Turkael was gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat. All the stories in this grouping were absolutely fantastic, and I hope to read more by many of the same authors in edition 3.
As with the first one, the story of Turkael was gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat. All the stories in this grouping were absolutely fantastic, and I hope to read more by many of the same authors in edition 3.
July 20, 2022
This second issue of Whetstone, like the premier, was pretty good. Enjoyed quite a few of the stories. Some were not my mug of mead, but the zine runs the gamut of storytelling styles which is definitely cool. Something for everyone.
A few of my favorites include...
The Augur of Khoalse by Corey Graham
Raising Daughters by S.E. Lindberg
Under the Oak by Zack Taylor
The Stain on the Skull by Simon Ruleman
Also enjoyed...
The City of Tombs by George Jacobs
An Unforgiveable Interruption by D.M. Ritzlin
Dark Meditations by J. Thomas Howard
Hounds by Chuck Clark
Best Left to Professionals by Jace Phelps
A few of my favorites include...
The Augur of Khoalse by Corey Graham
Raising Daughters by S.E. Lindberg
Under the Oak by Zack Taylor
The Stain on the Skull by Simon Ruleman
Also enjoyed...
The City of Tombs by George Jacobs
An Unforgiveable Interruption by D.M. Ritzlin
Dark Meditations by J. Thomas Howard
Hounds by Chuck Clark
Best Left to Professionals by Jace Phelps
August 19, 2023
Another interesting variety of sword and sorcery stories. This issue has thirteen tales.
December 23, 2020
Enjoyed specifically the Augur of Khloalse. Fun read to get back into the Sword and Board style of fantasy.
January 30, 2024
Like issue one, this has more interesting vignettes. Less action-oriented this time although there is still plenty of action. Issue Two has more of an exploration focus. And some things should not be explored.
June 4, 2022
A really cool collection of stories!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews