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Whetstone #3
Whetstone: Amateur Magazine of Sword and Sorcery Issue Three
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, 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" and other worlds liberated from the necessity of historical accuracy.
- GenresSword and Sorcery
111 pages, PDF
First published June 11, 2021
15 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 10, 2022
Spiral Tower Press continues to turn fans into authors with the third issue of their ongoing anthology series Whetstone. And the best part? It's still free! Whetstone: Amateur Magazine of Pulp Sword and Sorcery: Whetstone Issue 3 Now Available! (whetstonemag.blogspot.com)
The length of the stories is perfect for short moments of inactivity or waiting. I find the length perfect for when I'm out and about and I have a small wait ahead of me. Although, some stories seem to be hindered by this restriction. Some just feel like patches from a larger tapestry.
Only a few really stuck with me.
The Spirit of the Hill by Michael Burke
Classic and traditional. Treasure seeker discovers a monster hungrier than his own avarice. Nice ending.
The Rite by Jace Phelps
A father will do anything to protect his offspring. Tentacles be damned!
Shades of Ruin by Scott Schmidt
An unnamed journeyman happens upon some ruins in which the past is still very much alive.
Dead Man's Curse by T. A. Markitan
Spooky cool! You cannot kill the dead; at least not permanently.
The Servant of Qos by B. Harlan Crawford
Sigyn returns! A soldier returns home, but where has everyone gone?
The Den of the Last Dragon by Dimitar Dakovski
A would-be dragon slayer and his just rewards.
As a final note, there were two stories that stood out for other reasons. I prefer my sword and sorcery fiction to be of a more traditional bend like Howard, Wagner, Offutt, etc. One story adds a modernity that I do not welcome.
The Tavern Keepers' Secret by Rob Graham
An ambiguously gendered innkeeper keeps a dark secret in the basement, a hungry secret.
The pronoun usage alone made this all but unreadable to me. Not a fan.
The Gate of Mist by Cora Buhlert
A young man joins a monastic order protecting the world from monsters not of this world.
Relationships like this are common in fact and fiction throughout history, especially in environments like this. I just felt like the ending was tacked on and that it outshines the actual story itself. Like this story will be remembered for that one moment, and not the cool setting or the constant threat.
I am late to read and review this anthology. I've begun issue four and hope to get it read and reviewed in a timelier fashion.
Spiral Tower Press continues to shine a light on sword and sorcery fiction. Enabling new fledgling authors to spread their wings.
To the folks at Spiral Tower: you're doing an amazing job, keep it up!
The length of the stories is perfect for short moments of inactivity or waiting. I find the length perfect for when I'm out and about and I have a small wait ahead of me. Although, some stories seem to be hindered by this restriction. Some just feel like patches from a larger tapestry.
Only a few really stuck with me.
The Spirit of the Hill by Michael Burke
Classic and traditional. Treasure seeker discovers a monster hungrier than his own avarice. Nice ending.
The Rite by Jace Phelps
A father will do anything to protect his offspring. Tentacles be damned!
Shades of Ruin by Scott Schmidt
An unnamed journeyman happens upon some ruins in which the past is still very much alive.
Dead Man's Curse by T. A. Markitan
Spooky cool! You cannot kill the dead; at least not permanently.
The Servant of Qos by B. Harlan Crawford
Sigyn returns! A soldier returns home, but where has everyone gone?
The Den of the Last Dragon by Dimitar Dakovski
A would-be dragon slayer and his just rewards.
As a final note, there were two stories that stood out for other reasons. I prefer my sword and sorcery fiction to be of a more traditional bend like Howard, Wagner, Offutt, etc. One story adds a modernity that I do not welcome.
The Tavern Keepers' Secret by Rob Graham
An ambiguously gendered innkeeper keeps a dark secret in the basement, a hungry secret.
The pronoun usage alone made this all but unreadable to me. Not a fan.
The Gate of Mist by Cora Buhlert
A young man joins a monastic order protecting the world from monsters not of this world.
Relationships like this are common in fact and fiction throughout history, especially in environments like this. I just felt like the ending was tacked on and that it outshines the actual story itself. Like this story will be remembered for that one moment, and not the cool setting or the constant threat.
I am late to read and review this anthology. I've begun issue four and hope to get it read and reviewed in a timelier fashion.
Spiral Tower Press continues to shine a light on sword and sorcery fiction. Enabling new fledgling authors to spread their wings.
To the folks at Spiral Tower: you're doing an amazing job, keep it up!
June 12, 2021
The amateur in the title really belies the quality of what’s in here. Don’t be fooled by it. This is the third and best issue of the magazine to date. It really is on par with any of the paid for Sword & Sorcery stuff out there today. DMR, Savage Realms, Tales from the Magician’s Skull come to mind, but a few others are doing S&S again. This free webzine is just as good, if not better than anything you can get from those indie publishers. (Not that you shouldn’t get their stuff also.)
Both the volume of stories and diversity of styles here has increased since the first two issues. So you’re getting even more bang for your non existent buck!
I’m really impressed, as a diehard fan of the genre I hope these webzines get printed some day. I would love to have this on my bookshelf some day. Everything here is worthy of print. Honestly, there are too many great stories for me to pick a favorite. Just read and enjoy!
Both the volume of stories and diversity of styles here has increased since the first two issues. So you’re getting even more bang for your non existent buck!
I’m really impressed, as a diehard fan of the genre I hope these webzines get printed some day. I would love to have this on my bookshelf some day. Everything here is worthy of print. Honestly, there are too many great stories for me to pick a favorite. Just read and enjoy!
April 16, 2025
A couple of duds, but most of these short stories were fun. A nice collection of styles and settings. And , of course, it’s free!
December 24, 2021
What began slow and unpromising, even after a handful of stories, turned into a rollicking ride. Despite more of a rollercoaster ride then normal, I'm going with 4 stars due to the quantity of strong/good tales and the two that were dynamite for this reader: Scott Schmidt's "Shades of Ruin" and L.D. Whitney's "Rogues in the Vale of Time"! If you enjoy S&S and lots of deadly blades facing off against lots of demonic foes, read this; if pressed for time, at least read those two tales listed above - they rock!
August 19, 2023
Issue three of Whetstone has sixteen sword and sorcery stories. As with most anthologies, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but I got something from all of them.
Read
August 29, 2022A good mix of settings and styles.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews