What do you think?
Rate this book
Terra Incognita: Lost Worlds of Fantasy and Adventure
terra incognita
: unknown territory:an unexplored country or field of knowledge
—Merriam Webster
You are holding a ticket in your hands. A ticket for a voyage of thrills, wonder, and discovery as seven of today's top fantasists, each one a master of Heroic Fantasy, transport you to lands beyond your imagination. Lands of fantasy and adventure. And the only passport needed is your imagination.
David C. Smith's courageous rebels under the leadership of the undying warrior Akram must form an alliance with an ancient race to overthrow murderous usurpers, along with their necromantic masters, who are hellbent on destroying their kingdom in an insane attempt to conquer the world.
Adrian Cole transports a group of explorers to a Lovecraftian netherworld of no return. Or is there, if one is courageous enough?
S.E. Lindberg gives us a distant world where two alien sisters, who were created in the image of man, wage a war against each other to determine the future of their world.
J. Thomas Howard reveals the harsh realities of ancient Eire, Samhain, and the war between the Fomorians and Tuatha Dé Danann.
Milton J. Davis introduces us to a young man, barely past boyhood, who has to brave great dangers on his own to seek the help of ancient allies who may no longer exist.
John C. Hocking regales with the plight of a young archivist who is forced at swordpoint to travel into a parallel world full of horrors from a time long forgotten.
Howard Andrew Jones sets sail into adventure with a group of sea-going merchants and their passengers. Many of them are not who they seem to be and only reveal their true selves once a sunken kingdom from the bottom of the sea launches an attack against the travelers.
: unknown territory:an unexplored country or field of knowledge
—Merriam Webster
You are holding a ticket in your hands. A ticket for a voyage of thrills, wonder, and discovery as seven of today's top fantasists, each one a master of Heroic Fantasy, transport you to lands beyond your imagination. Lands of fantasy and adventure. And the only passport needed is your imagination.
David C. Smith's courageous rebels under the leadership of the undying warrior Akram must form an alliance with an ancient race to overthrow murderous usurpers, along with their necromantic masters, who are hellbent on destroying their kingdom in an insane attempt to conquer the world.
Adrian Cole transports a group of explorers to a Lovecraftian netherworld of no return. Or is there, if one is courageous enough?
S.E. Lindberg gives us a distant world where two alien sisters, who were created in the image of man, wage a war against each other to determine the future of their world.
J. Thomas Howard reveals the harsh realities of ancient Eire, Samhain, and the war between the Fomorians and Tuatha Dé Danann.
Milton J. Davis introduces us to a young man, barely past boyhood, who has to brave great dangers on his own to seek the help of ancient allies who may no longer exist.
John C. Hocking regales with the plight of a young archivist who is forced at swordpoint to travel into a parallel world full of horrors from a time long forgotten.
Howard Andrew Jones sets sail into adventure with a group of sea-going merchants and their passengers. Many of them are not who they seem to be and only reveal their true selves once a sunken kingdom from the bottom of the sea launches an attack against the travelers.
222 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2022
13 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 10, 2022
What a great collection, solid stories all around that really hit the spot for me. The best of these stay true to the collection's underlying theme, embodying a sense of discovery and adventure among eerie otherworldly landscapes. Standouts for me include The Place of Unutterable Names by Adrian Cole, which starts out like a Lovecraft pastiche but becomes far more exciting as sheer madness descends on pre-diluvian Earth. A great twist in the denouement comes as a shocking final surprise. Warriors of Mogai by Milton Davis and Necropolis Gemstone by John C. Hocking were also outstanding, the latter especially for its cantankerous protagonist who is forcibly brought through an inter-dimensional portal on a treasure hunt to a world with an ancient dead city full of more riches than can be imagined, but also far more deadly.
May 5, 2022
Gas prices may have you sticking close to home this summer, but with this new anthology from DMR Books you can take a trip without leaving the house. Venture into seven distinctly different worlds imagined by some of the best authors working in the field today.
The cover art reminds me of something I would have seen on the shelf of the video store back in the mid 80s. Very nostalgic. The artist is none other than Lauren Gornik, whose art has also graced such DMR releases as Manly Wade Wellman's Cahena: A Dream of the Past, Tanith Lee's Empress of Dreams, and Harry Piper's The Great Die Slow and Other Tales of Dark Adventure. All three titles are still available in digital and print formats directly from DMR or from Amazon and select retailers.
The anthology kicks off with a new story by David C. Smith. Smith is a living legend of sword & sorcery and in this story he revisits his character Akram from the novel The Sorcerer's Shadow. In Shadow of the Serpent Akram is caught in the midst of a coup. Sorceries will clash on the battlefield determining the outcome of the day.
Adrian Cole is the author of the second story, The Place of Unutterable Names. Cole's story features plot device similar to many Edgar Rice Burroughs books. A house is left to a distant relative and leads to the discovery of a journal/notebook. The notebook details the last expedition of the missing relative. The truth is much more terrible than what was glimpsed in the beyond.
One Hive Two Queens, the third story in this collection by S.E. Lindberg, is a tale of two sisters. Even though they were created from the same stock, they are vastly different. The power play between the two will forever change the landscape and their relationship.
Siege of Eire by J. Thomas Howard is perhaps my favorite of the collection. A modern man is transported to another world. Possessing the blood of an ancient warrior, and wielding his fabled blade, he is the Eire's best chance against the Formorians and their headless leader. I'm really curious as to how this particular story didn't end up in DMR's upcoming Samhain anthology. Regardless, I'm glad to see it in print in either place.
Milton J. Davis is an author I feel I should read more of, especially since I enjoyed Saunders works so much. Warriors of Mogai is the first story I've read by him, but it will not be the last. In Milton's story a peerless young hunter is tapped to seek out a fabled ally against the depredations of the desert people. Youthful love, duty, envy, bitter disappointment, and exhilarating triumph are all found here.
Necropolis Gemstone by John C. Hocking features a scholar who is forcibly recruited on a treasure hunt. A missing father, a magical portal, ape-men, and a implacable guardian round out the tale.
I liked the fact that in one world the stones are precious and in the other the stones are used for repairing damage to structures. This idea also appears in The Jade Warrior by Jeffrey Lord—everything was constructed in jade in this alternate reality—jade is so abundant that it was used as a building material. The guardian is pretty fearsome too. It reminded me of the machine-beasts of the early Shannara books by Brooks and Savage Realms published a story by Willard Black, Iron Colossus with another such creature. Very cool stuff.
From the Darkness Beneath by Howard Andrew Jones closes the anthology nicely. The setting is a ship carrying an innocuous cargo with a dark secret. Only two passengers sense this darkness and are prohibited from speaking of it for fear of reprisal. A squad of witch hunters have unwittingly brought aboard a relic that will be the catalyst of evil things to come.
Seven tales of wonder by seven authors you should know, but if not, their combined works will keep you busy for the rest of the year. If that wasn't enough, several of these authors are associated with Tales of the Magicians Skull magazine; something else for you to sink your teeth into. As an added bonus most, if not all, of the authors in this anthology are very active on social media. Affable gentlemen who aren't just authors but fans just like you and me
The cover art reminds me of something I would have seen on the shelf of the video store back in the mid 80s. Very nostalgic. The artist is none other than Lauren Gornik, whose art has also graced such DMR releases as Manly Wade Wellman's Cahena: A Dream of the Past, Tanith Lee's Empress of Dreams, and Harry Piper's The Great Die Slow and Other Tales of Dark Adventure. All three titles are still available in digital and print formats directly from DMR or from Amazon and select retailers.
The anthology kicks off with a new story by David C. Smith. Smith is a living legend of sword & sorcery and in this story he revisits his character Akram from the novel The Sorcerer's Shadow. In Shadow of the Serpent Akram is caught in the midst of a coup. Sorceries will clash on the battlefield determining the outcome of the day.
Adrian Cole is the author of the second story, The Place of Unutterable Names. Cole's story features plot device similar to many Edgar Rice Burroughs books. A house is left to a distant relative and leads to the discovery of a journal/notebook. The notebook details the last expedition of the missing relative. The truth is much more terrible than what was glimpsed in the beyond.
One Hive Two Queens, the third story in this collection by S.E. Lindberg, is a tale of two sisters. Even though they were created from the same stock, they are vastly different. The power play between the two will forever change the landscape and their relationship.
Siege of Eire by J. Thomas Howard is perhaps my favorite of the collection. A modern man is transported to another world. Possessing the blood of an ancient warrior, and wielding his fabled blade, he is the Eire's best chance against the Formorians and their headless leader. I'm really curious as to how this particular story didn't end up in DMR's upcoming Samhain anthology. Regardless, I'm glad to see it in print in either place.
Milton J. Davis is an author I feel I should read more of, especially since I enjoyed Saunders works so much. Warriors of Mogai is the first story I've read by him, but it will not be the last. In Milton's story a peerless young hunter is tapped to seek out a fabled ally against the depredations of the desert people. Youthful love, duty, envy, bitter disappointment, and exhilarating triumph are all found here.
Necropolis Gemstone by John C. Hocking features a scholar who is forcibly recruited on a treasure hunt. A missing father, a magical portal, ape-men, and a implacable guardian round out the tale.
I liked the fact that in one world the stones are precious and in the other the stones are used for repairing damage to structures. This idea also appears in The Jade Warrior by Jeffrey Lord—everything was constructed in jade in this alternate reality—jade is so abundant that it was used as a building material. The guardian is pretty fearsome too. It reminded me of the machine-beasts of the early Shannara books by Brooks and Savage Realms published a story by Willard Black, Iron Colossus with another such creature. Very cool stuff.
From the Darkness Beneath by Howard Andrew Jones closes the anthology nicely. The setting is a ship carrying an innocuous cargo with a dark secret. Only two passengers sense this darkness and are prohibited from speaking of it for fear of reprisal. A squad of witch hunters have unwittingly brought aboard a relic that will be the catalyst of evil things to come.
Seven tales of wonder by seven authors you should know, but if not, their combined works will keep you busy for the rest of the year. If that wasn't enough, several of these authors are associated with Tales of the Magicians Skull magazine; something else for you to sink your teeth into. As an added bonus most, if not all, of the authors in this anthology are very active on social media. Affable gentlemen who aren't just authors but fans just like you and me
May 5, 2022
The last book I reviewed, published by DMR, was Renegade Swords III. In that review, I mentioned that some books highlight the classic writers of sword & sorcery fiction, and others bring new writers of the genre to the forefront. Renegade Swords III fell into the first category; Terra Incognita: Lost Worlds of Fantasy and Adventure, is solidly in the second.
Emphasis on the word “SOLID”. I will say this upfront, over the past two years, I devoured every DMR book I could lay hands and eyeballs upon. I have not read them all, but I have read a strong percentage. This is my favorite DMR book so far. There are some authors that are well known to the modern sword & sorcery reader: David C. Smith, Adrian Cole, John C. Hocking and Howard Andrew Jones; and there are some names that will be, my prediction, well known: S.E. Lindberg, J. Thomas Howard and Milton Davis.
David C. Smith's opening story is set in his world of Attluma. A few decades back, Mr. Smith wrote a series of books about the hero Oron of Attluma. Recently, his Attluma stories are making a comeback with new stories. “Shadow of the Serpent” features the protagonist Akram. I first read Akram in the 1978 novel The Sorcerer’s Shadow. Rollicking great tale. I get excited every time I see David C. Smith in an anthology. I have read much of his newer, and older, work in the past two years and have enjoyed each read.
“The Place of the Unutterable Names” by Adrian Cole feels like a homage to H.P. Lovecraft with its plot device of a discovered notebook. Clues are followed and a gruesome demise is discovered. That may seem slightly spoiler-ish; to some extent, the statement is, but it is a fun, almost, pastiche of a story.
“One Hive Two Queens” by S.E. Lindberg is a story of two sisters. I have read one other story by S.E. Lindberg in the online magazine Whetstone. Lindberg has created his own unique world that is a blend of Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. The two stories I have read by him are convincingly good. I will seek out more of his writing. In mention, Mr. Lindberg is a sometimes contributor to Black Gate. His fiction is as well done as his non-fiction.
“Siege of Fire” by J. Thomas Howard is a Burroughs inspired story of a modern age man transported to another, more primitive world. It was a fun read. I have encountered Mr. Howard in Whetstone before. I will seek out more by him as well.
“Warriors of Mogol” by Milton Davis. Milton Davis is an author I am peripherally familiar with and I am grateful I received the chance to sample his writing. Mogol is a story of a young hunter set upon a mission to rescue his people. It meanders a bit in an episodic way. My favorite part was his confrontation with his older, bully of a brother.
“Necropolis Gem Stone” by John C. Hocking. I first encountered JCH with his Tornan (Conan novels published by Tor Books) novel Conan and the Emerald Lotus; since then, I have been enjoying his Benhus stories in Tales From the Magician’s Skull. Hocking’s Benhus stories have appeared off and on, mostly on, from issue #1 forward. They are always a favorite of mine, and I look forward to them. “Necropolis” does not feature Benhus, but it is in the same world. I enjoyed reading a tale from Hocking’s world that does not feature his usual character.
“From the Darkness Beneath” by Howard Andrew Jones finishes the volume and it finishes it with a dazzling last shot fireworks display. “Darkness Beneath” is another crossover usual from Tales from the Magician’s Skull from the editor of said magazine. This is a Hanuvar tale and an interesting one with a nice twist on common folklore. I am thrilled to see crossover between Tales from the Magician’s Skull and DMR books, not to mention at least two authors formally featured in Whetstone.
Too often, I see the question on social media platforms, “are there any authors producing stories like the sword and sorcery tales of old”? The answer is resoundingly YES! However, not enough folks know where to look. DMR books is one of the first three stops I recommend to them on their journey, and I would position Terra Incognita as a fine place to get a fantastic sampling of newer authors, and older treasured authors that are still putting out the stories I crave.
Bluntly: if you enjoy sword and sorcery and want more of it, buy this book and enjoy.
Emphasis on the word “SOLID”. I will say this upfront, over the past two years, I devoured every DMR book I could lay hands and eyeballs upon. I have not read them all, but I have read a strong percentage. This is my favorite DMR book so far. There are some authors that are well known to the modern sword & sorcery reader: David C. Smith, Adrian Cole, John C. Hocking and Howard Andrew Jones; and there are some names that will be, my prediction, well known: S.E. Lindberg, J. Thomas Howard and Milton Davis.
David C. Smith's opening story is set in his world of Attluma. A few decades back, Mr. Smith wrote a series of books about the hero Oron of Attluma. Recently, his Attluma stories are making a comeback with new stories. “Shadow of the Serpent” features the protagonist Akram. I first read Akram in the 1978 novel The Sorcerer’s Shadow. Rollicking great tale. I get excited every time I see David C. Smith in an anthology. I have read much of his newer, and older, work in the past two years and have enjoyed each read.
“The Place of the Unutterable Names” by Adrian Cole feels like a homage to H.P. Lovecraft with its plot device of a discovered notebook. Clues are followed and a gruesome demise is discovered. That may seem slightly spoiler-ish; to some extent, the statement is, but it is a fun, almost, pastiche of a story.
“One Hive Two Queens” by S.E. Lindberg is a story of two sisters. I have read one other story by S.E. Lindberg in the online magazine Whetstone. Lindberg has created his own unique world that is a blend of Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. The two stories I have read by him are convincingly good. I will seek out more of his writing. In mention, Mr. Lindberg is a sometimes contributor to Black Gate. His fiction is as well done as his non-fiction.
“Siege of Fire” by J. Thomas Howard is a Burroughs inspired story of a modern age man transported to another, more primitive world. It was a fun read. I have encountered Mr. Howard in Whetstone before. I will seek out more by him as well.
“Warriors of Mogol” by Milton Davis. Milton Davis is an author I am peripherally familiar with and I am grateful I received the chance to sample his writing. Mogol is a story of a young hunter set upon a mission to rescue his people. It meanders a bit in an episodic way. My favorite part was his confrontation with his older, bully of a brother.
“Necropolis Gem Stone” by John C. Hocking. I first encountered JCH with his Tornan (Conan novels published by Tor Books) novel Conan and the Emerald Lotus; since then, I have been enjoying his Benhus stories in Tales From the Magician’s Skull. Hocking’s Benhus stories have appeared off and on, mostly on, from issue #1 forward. They are always a favorite of mine, and I look forward to them. “Necropolis” does not feature Benhus, but it is in the same world. I enjoyed reading a tale from Hocking’s world that does not feature his usual character.
“From the Darkness Beneath” by Howard Andrew Jones finishes the volume and it finishes it with a dazzling last shot fireworks display. “Darkness Beneath” is another crossover usual from Tales from the Magician’s Skull from the editor of said magazine. This is a Hanuvar tale and an interesting one with a nice twist on common folklore. I am thrilled to see crossover between Tales from the Magician’s Skull and DMR books, not to mention at least two authors formally featured in Whetstone.
Too often, I see the question on social media platforms, “are there any authors producing stories like the sword and sorcery tales of old”? The answer is resoundingly YES! However, not enough folks know where to look. DMR books is one of the first three stops I recommend to them on their journey, and I would position Terra Incognita as a fine place to get a fantastic sampling of newer authors, and older treasured authors that are still putting out the stories I crave.
Bluntly: if you enjoy sword and sorcery and want more of it, buy this book and enjoy.
January 15, 2025
This anthology is excellent--every story delivers. It begins with “Shadow of the Serpent” by David C. Smith, a brutal and compelling tale of revolution, violence, sorcery, and vengeance. It’s an intense opening that sets the tone for the anthology.
Next is Adrian Cole’s “The Place of Unutterable Names,” a cosmic horror gateway fantasy that immediately brought to mind Clark Ashton Smith’s “City of the Singing Flame.” This story blends unease and wonder seamlessly.
S.E. Lindberg’s “One Hive, Two Queens” follows, a beautifully crafted, lushly written tale about a golem goddess and the flaming of her molten heart. The prose is rich and vivid--phantasmagoric, almost overwhelmingly strange, like plucked sitar mixed with weird synth warbling layered with distorted sampling of mating lyrebirds.
J. Thomas Howard’s “The Siege of Fire” offers a gripping gateway sword and sorcery adventure, where a modern protagonist finds himself battling Fomorians in ancient Ireland. It’s a fascinating blend of time periods and mythologies and reminded me, albeit vaguely, of Thomas Covenant.
Milton Davis’ “Warriors of Mogai” brings an African-themed sword and soul story to the collection, filled with mythological and quest-driven elements. It’s refreshing and bold, adding psychological depth to the anthology. Someone could read this through a Jungian lens and find some cool stuff lurking beneath the surface.
John C. Hocking’s “Necropolis Gemstone” has a wonderfully lost-world feel, balanced with classic fantasy adventure. The monster haunting the tale should have been a sympathetic Harryhausen creation. The story’s characters have depth and the headlong pacing keep the reader hooked.
The anthology concludes with Howard Andrew Jones’ tale, a Hanuvar story that is atmospheric, tense, and a slow-building blend of quiet fantasy and creeping horror. It’s a fitting and memorable finale to the collection. I love Howard's writing. Obviously this is influenced by the Doomed Demeter.
I truly loved this anthology and found every story engaging. There wasn’t a single miss for me, and it’s hard to even pick a favorite--picking one would be like choosing pizza, wings, or beer. It can't be done.
More readers should discover this gem (or pouch of gems, I should say). If not for the challenges of the sword and sorcery niche (too many writers, not enough readers), this collection could have / should have garnered an achievement award.
Next is Adrian Cole’s “The Place of Unutterable Names,” a cosmic horror gateway fantasy that immediately brought to mind Clark Ashton Smith’s “City of the Singing Flame.” This story blends unease and wonder seamlessly.
S.E. Lindberg’s “One Hive, Two Queens” follows, a beautifully crafted, lushly written tale about a golem goddess and the flaming of her molten heart. The prose is rich and vivid--phantasmagoric, almost overwhelmingly strange, like plucked sitar mixed with weird synth warbling layered with distorted sampling of mating lyrebirds.
J. Thomas Howard’s “The Siege of Fire” offers a gripping gateway sword and sorcery adventure, where a modern protagonist finds himself battling Fomorians in ancient Ireland. It’s a fascinating blend of time periods and mythologies and reminded me, albeit vaguely, of Thomas Covenant.
Milton Davis’ “Warriors of Mogai” brings an African-themed sword and soul story to the collection, filled with mythological and quest-driven elements. It’s refreshing and bold, adding psychological depth to the anthology. Someone could read this through a Jungian lens and find some cool stuff lurking beneath the surface.
John C. Hocking’s “Necropolis Gemstone” has a wonderfully lost-world feel, balanced with classic fantasy adventure. The monster haunting the tale should have been a sympathetic Harryhausen creation. The story’s characters have depth and the headlong pacing keep the reader hooked.
The anthology concludes with Howard Andrew Jones’ tale, a Hanuvar story that is atmospheric, tense, and a slow-building blend of quiet fantasy and creeping horror. It’s a fitting and memorable finale to the collection. I love Howard's writing. Obviously this is influenced by the Doomed Demeter.
I truly loved this anthology and found every story engaging. There wasn’t a single miss for me, and it’s hard to even pick a favorite--picking one would be like choosing pizza, wings, or beer. It can't be done.
More readers should discover this gem (or pouch of gems, I should say). If not for the challenges of the sword and sorcery niche (too many writers, not enough readers), this collection could have / should have garnered an achievement award.
Read
May 23, 2022This post also available on: https://www.selindberg.com/2022/05/te...
Since I am a contributing author, I will bypass any rating and just provide a perspective that readers may appreciate.
Readers of Black Gate will be familiar with D.M. Ritzlin (champion of DMR books) and Doug Draa (editor of Weirdbook Magazine and Startling Stories). For this, they gathered seven authors, including many Black Gate veterans (contributors or featured in the articles): David C. Smith, Adrian Cole, S.E. Lindberg, J. Thomas Howard, Milton Davis, John C. Hocking, & Howard Andrew Jones. Expect trips into lost worlds…but expect them with a fantasy, Sword & Sorcery bias. Each story presents different storytelling styles in varied milieus, from Cosmic Horror, Irish and African mythologies, to complete fantasy worlds on land and sea.
TERRA INCOGNITA:
Cover Art
The cover by Laura Gornik is splendidly appropriate for lost world travel/adventure. I adore the apparent phase-inversion of the space (i.e., dark objects dispersed in white fog …that get flipped into white bubbles in dark tentacles/beams). It calls to mind M.C. Escher’s famous tiling (i.e. Sky and Water) and it represents the travel the reader will experience going from reality into seamless other-worlds.
Table of Contents with Personal Notes
1 "Shadow of the Serpent" - David C. Smith’s courageous rebels under the leadership of the undying warrior Akram must form an alliance with an ancient race to overthrow murderous usurpers, along with their necromantic masters, who are hellbent on destroying their kingdom in an insane attempt to conquer the world.
Akram is a cursed immortal who is featured in the novel The Sorcerer’s Shadow: 1982 (original title: The Shadow of Sorcery). It is part of the author’s ongoing stories of Attluma, which is Atlantean-inspired, horror S&S,; Akram can be considered a character akin to Karl Wagner’s Kane. This reads like a legend and might be most appreciated by readers already familiar with the cursed protagonist. I highly recommend Tales of Attluma and checking out this tour guide: https://www.blackgate.com/2020/08/04/.... It is an honor to share a TOC with David, and bring Dr. Grave and Akram one more step closer to rubbing shoulders.
2 "The Place of Unutterable Names" - Adrian Cole transports a group of explorers to a Lovecraftian netherworld of no return. Or is there, if one is courageous enough?
This is one of my favorites of the collection since it wholeheartedly embraces the lost-world theme. It is a superbly executed homage to Howard Phillip’s Lovecraft work (arguably easier to read than most of HPL actually). Cole invites the reader to leave reality in HPL style: from the framing of the story to the call-outs to the elder god Nyarlathotep, the landscapes of Kadath like the Plateau of Leng, and the exploratory expedition akin to At the Mountains of Madness. The pacing and wonder are spot-on. Its placement before my story is fortuitous. This builds the Eldritch culture vs human civilization, and has strong does of fungal body horror & Insect-men (that echo my One Hive. Two Queens.)
Fungus Excerpt:
Insect-Humans:
3 "One Hive Two Queens" - S.E. Lindberg gives us a distant world where two alien sisters, who were created in the image of man, wage a war against each other to determine the future of their world.
This presents a “weird fiction” take on the civilization-vs-barbarism trope. Here, the colonization of a lost land pits civilized humanity vs. eldritch natives. Spearheading the conflict are two sisters, humanoid golem maidens, who vie for control over an abandoned, eldritch hive (their birthplace). These golems are hybrids by nature, humans shaped from the earth. Melanie leans toward her earthy constitution; deemed a child-eating, bog-loving lamia by occupying humans, she aims to protect nature and the land’s past, going so far as to nurture neglected nests of larvalwyrmen. Her sister, Ember, embraces human proclivities; she leads the colonialization of the hive and aims to erase all eldritch history. One hive cannot accommodate multiple queens. Witness the battle that will decide nature’s owner.
This tale features two golem daughters of Dr. Grave, who is prominent in my Dyscrasia Fiction (http://www.selindberg.com/p/about-s-e... a few other short stories about Gave’s golem family have appeared online and can be read now for free:
Raising Daughters (2020) - appears in Whetstone #2 S&S Magazine
Forging Independence (2021) Swords & Sorcery Mag. Issue 114, July 2021
All my writing is based on alchemy and is designed to feel bizarrely unique (i.e. “weird). BTW a key scene was catalyzed by Peter Jackson’s 2001 adaptation of Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring, the Flight to the Ford scene specifically. Of course, one must replace [the angelic Arwen and the ailing Frodo] with a dark goddess saving giant larvae, to better envision the inspiration.
4"The Siege of Eire" - J. Thomas Howard reveals the harsh realities of ancient Eire, Samhain, and the war between the Fomorians and Tuatha Dé Danann.
This is another favorite of mine since it resonates the theme of lost worlds, an escape from modernity and civilization with glorious battle in the Irish-inspired underworld. Stylistically, it feels lyrical like Dunsany, but it is so action-heavy that REH fans will devour the melee. Here’s an excerpt:
5 "Warriors of Mogai"- Milton Davis introduces us to a young man, barely past boyhood, who has to brave great dangers on his own to seek the help of ancient allies who may no longer exist.
Ostensibly the conflict is against desert people invading, but this story highlights the prelude to battle. The hero Koboye seeks out help from the lost city of Mogai. It felt more like a chapter than it did a stand-alone tale. Slower-paced than the preceding stories, this African-inspired fantasy is a welcome shift in variety. Milton is known for being a champion of Sword & Soul, writing his own characters (i.e., Changa, Omari) and spearheading MLVmedia (publishers of frofuturism, Sword and Soul, Steamfunk and more!).
6 "Necropolis Gemstone" John C. Hocking regales with the plight of a young archivist who is forced at swordpoint to travel into a parallel world full of horrors from a time long forgotten
Many will know Hocking from his Conan pastiche (https://www.blackgate.com/2021/12/23/... ). Of course, he also has his Archivist series (check out that tour guide here: https://goodman-games.com/blog/2022/0...). Including an archivist character in Terra Incognita to document the otherworld makes complete sense! As with Hocking’s short stories that have appeared in many venues, including a bunch on Tales from the Magician’s Skull, he lays out a plot that ramps up continuously and delivers with some wild creative creature. Classic Hocking here.
7 "From the Darkness Beneath" Howard Andrew Jones sets sail into adventure with a group of sea-going merchants and their passengers. Many of them are not who they seem to be and only reveal their true selves once a sunken kingdom from the bottom of the sea launches an attack against the travelers.
Fantasy readers will likely recognize Howard Andrew Jones who recently finished his Oathsworn Trilogy and has been a long-time contributor to Pathfinder novels; he also is the editor for Tales From the Magician's Skull Magazine and his interns carefully obey his every command lest they be immolated. HAJ has several sets of characters he likes to write about, like his Asim and Dabir Sword & Sandal stories; without spoiling much, this story occurs in Howard’s Hanuvar universe (inspired by Hannibal the Carthaginian). This episode occurs on the high seas and has long-dead sorcerers crawling back to life.
Since I am a contributing author, I will bypass any rating and just provide a perspective that readers may appreciate.
Readers of Black Gate will be familiar with D.M. Ritzlin (champion of DMR books) and Doug Draa (editor of Weirdbook Magazine and Startling Stories). For this, they gathered seven authors, including many Black Gate veterans (contributors or featured in the articles): David C. Smith, Adrian Cole, S.E. Lindberg, J. Thomas Howard, Milton Davis, John C. Hocking, & Howard Andrew Jones. Expect trips into lost worlds…but expect them with a fantasy, Sword & Sorcery bias. Each story presents different storytelling styles in varied milieus, from Cosmic Horror, Irish and African mythologies, to complete fantasy worlds on land and sea.
TERRA INCOGNITA:
Unknown territory: An unexplored country or field of knowledge — Merriam Webster
“Does that sound exciting and dangerous? I hope so. We never know what’s over the hill or ahead of us up around the bend. It might be something exciting and dangerous. Or simply wondrous and surprising. Perhaps even a mixture of all these. We never know though, until we take that final step into the unknown. The blank areas on old maps were labeled hic sunt dracones, here there be dragons. As frightening and as daunting as that sounds, it’s also a siren’s call to the adventurous among us.
… Looking back now, it’s clear to see that a large portion of genre literature dealt directly with this theme. Writers such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, and Abraham Merritt devoted a large portion of their work to stories about exploring the unknown.
… For this collection we are sticking to the realms of fantasy in order to see what is out there, lost and lurking. I envy every one of you. I do. Truly! You are getting to read these marvelous tales of adventure for the very first time. And this is one of those things in life that you can only experience once.” – snippets from Doug Draa’s introduction
Terra Incognita: Lost Worlds of Fantasy and Adventure
You are holding a ticket in your hands. A ticket for a voyage of thrills, wonder, and discovery as seven of today’s top fantasists, each one a master of Heroic Fantasy, transport you to lands beyond your imagination. Lands of fantasy and adventure. And the only passport needed is your imagination.
Cover Art
The cover by Laura Gornik is splendidly appropriate for lost world travel/adventure. I adore the apparent phase-inversion of the space (i.e., dark objects dispersed in white fog …that get flipped into white bubbles in dark tentacles/beams). It calls to mind M.C. Escher’s famous tiling (i.e. Sky and Water) and it represents the travel the reader will experience going from reality into seamless other-worlds.
Table of Contents with Personal Notes
1 "Shadow of the Serpent" - David C. Smith’s courageous rebels under the leadership of the undying warrior Akram must form an alliance with an ancient race to overthrow murderous usurpers, along with their necromantic masters, who are hellbent on destroying their kingdom in an insane attempt to conquer the world.
Akram is a cursed immortal who is featured in the novel The Sorcerer’s Shadow: 1982 (original title: The Shadow of Sorcery). It is part of the author’s ongoing stories of Attluma, which is Atlantean-inspired, horror S&S,; Akram can be considered a character akin to Karl Wagner’s Kane. This reads like a legend and might be most appreciated by readers already familiar with the cursed protagonist. I highly recommend Tales of Attluma and checking out this tour guide: https://www.blackgate.com/2020/08/04/.... It is an honor to share a TOC with David, and bring Dr. Grave and Akram one more step closer to rubbing shoulders.
2 "The Place of Unutterable Names" - Adrian Cole transports a group of explorers to a Lovecraftian netherworld of no return. Or is there, if one is courageous enough?
This is one of my favorites of the collection since it wholeheartedly embraces the lost-world theme. It is a superbly executed homage to Howard Phillip’s Lovecraft work (arguably easier to read than most of HPL actually). Cole invites the reader to leave reality in HPL style: from the framing of the story to the call-outs to the elder god Nyarlathotep, the landscapes of Kadath like the Plateau of Leng, and the exploratory expedition akin to At the Mountains of Madness. The pacing and wonder are spot-on. Its placement before my story is fortuitous. This builds the Eldritch culture vs human civilization, and has strong does of fungal body horror & Insect-men (that echo my One Hive. Two Queens.)
Fungus Excerpt:
"When we reached the cavern, we rested. What a place that was! Gouged out of the naked rock, certainly by prediluvian hands, it reared up to an invisible ceiling and spread out on all sides, unfathomable without stronger light. There were countless rocks and heaps of stone debris, but it was clear even in the murk that some of these blocks and monoliths had been deliberately cut and shaped. Intelligent beings had once lived here, though how long ago that had been was impossible to calculate…. The fungi seemed to be burying into the rock, as though feeding from it. It seemed to be in varying degrees of development: there were grouped globules of sickly white, criss-crossed with purple veins, while stacked above these were layer upon layer of broad mushrooms, some of which had opened up to release, I assumed, countless spores. Their colours varied from livid yellow to soiled brown, and higher still up the cavern walls, the thread-like mycelia spread like a colossal spider’s web, ever probing for cracks and crevices, anchoring further colonization."
Insect-Humans:
"I saw, too, insectoid, human-sized beings with exoskeletons, living in fantastically complex nest networks, protected by their warrior armies, always striving to expand their empire, adding to the wars and tribulations of a world in turmoil. It was no surprise to me to see the extent to which dinosaurs roamed, some wild and terrible, feared and avoided by lesser creatures, man included, others living in a kind of harmony with man, used as cavalry in his armies, a formidable fighting force."
3 "One Hive Two Queens" - S.E. Lindberg gives us a distant world where two alien sisters, who were created in the image of man, wage a war against each other to determine the future of their world.
This presents a “weird fiction” take on the civilization-vs-barbarism trope. Here, the colonization of a lost land pits civilized humanity vs. eldritch natives. Spearheading the conflict are two sisters, humanoid golem maidens, who vie for control over an abandoned, eldritch hive (their birthplace). These golems are hybrids by nature, humans shaped from the earth. Melanie leans toward her earthy constitution; deemed a child-eating, bog-loving lamia by occupying humans, she aims to protect nature and the land’s past, going so far as to nurture neglected nests of larvalwyrmen. Her sister, Ember, embraces human proclivities; she leads the colonialization of the hive and aims to erase all eldritch history. One hive cannot accommodate multiple queens. Witness the battle that will decide nature’s owner.
This tale features two golem daughters of Dr. Grave, who is prominent in my Dyscrasia Fiction (http://www.selindberg.com/p/about-s-e... a few other short stories about Gave’s golem family have appeared online and can be read now for free:
Raising Daughters (2020) - appears in Whetstone #2 S&S Magazine
Forging Independence (2021) Swords & Sorcery Mag. Issue 114, July 2021
All my writing is based on alchemy and is designed to feel bizarrely unique (i.e. “weird). BTW a key scene was catalyzed by Peter Jackson’s 2001 adaptation of Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring, the Flight to the Ford scene specifically. Of course, one must replace [the angelic Arwen and the ailing Frodo] with a dark goddess saving giant larvae, to better envision the inspiration.
4"The Siege of Eire" - J. Thomas Howard reveals the harsh realities of ancient Eire, Samhain, and the war between the Fomorians and Tuatha Dé Danann.
This is another favorite of mine since it resonates the theme of lost worlds, an escape from modernity and civilization with glorious battle in the Irish-inspired underworld. Stylistically, it feels lyrical like Dunsany, but it is so action-heavy that REH fans will devour the melee. Here’s an excerpt:
"He drew his runic blade. The combatants circled. The Dullahan’s range gave him advantage, and Reglin knew it and was eager to close the distance. Thrice the whip kept him at bay, but at last he gained an opening. He dove in, driving his sword towards the armored chest. The markings on the blade became luminous. But the Dullahan brought round his other weapon, his very head, and it crashed into the lunging Fomorian’s face. The boney jaws clenched, tearing into the blue skin and red flesh. Blood ran down the ivory teeth. Reglin faltered and the whip came roaring round. But even blinded by his pain the admiral caught the skeletal weapon with his sword. Viridian flames erupted where the two artifacts met, but Reglin’s free hand still clutched his bleeding face, and the Dullahan struck once more with his head, and his jaws latched onto Reglin’s throat. They tore, and blood erupted high into the air. The Fomorian slumped down to the beach, his sanguine ruin profaning the white shore."
5 "Warriors of Mogai"- Milton Davis introduces us to a young man, barely past boyhood, who has to brave great dangers on his own to seek the help of ancient allies who may no longer exist.
Ostensibly the conflict is against desert people invading, but this story highlights the prelude to battle. The hero Koboye seeks out help from the lost city of Mogai. It felt more like a chapter than it did a stand-alone tale. Slower-paced than the preceding stories, this African-inspired fantasy is a welcome shift in variety. Milton is known for being a champion of Sword & Soul, writing his own characters (i.e., Changa, Omari) and spearheading MLVmedia (publishers of frofuturism, Sword and Soul, Steamfunk and more!).
6 "Necropolis Gemstone" John C. Hocking regales with the plight of a young archivist who is forced at swordpoint to travel into a parallel world full of horrors from a time long forgotten
Many will know Hocking from his Conan pastiche (https://www.blackgate.com/2021/12/23/... ). Of course, he also has his Archivist series (check out that tour guide here: https://goodman-games.com/blog/2022/0...). Including an archivist character in Terra Incognita to document the otherworld makes complete sense! As with Hocking’s short stories that have appeared in many venues, including a bunch on Tales from the Magician’s Skull, he lays out a plot that ramps up continuously and delivers with some wild creative creature. Classic Hocking here.
7 "From the Darkness Beneath" Howard Andrew Jones sets sail into adventure with a group of sea-going merchants and their passengers. Many of them are not who they seem to be and only reveal their true selves once a sunken kingdom from the bottom of the sea launches an attack against the travelers.
Fantasy readers will likely recognize Howard Andrew Jones who recently finished his Oathsworn Trilogy and has been a long-time contributor to Pathfinder novels; he also is the editor for Tales From the Magician's Skull Magazine and his interns carefully obey his every command lest they be immolated. HAJ has several sets of characters he likes to write about, like his Asim and Dabir Sword & Sandal stories; without spoiling much, this story occurs in Howard’s Hanuvar universe (inspired by Hannibal the Carthaginian). This episode occurs on the high seas and has long-dead sorcerers crawling back to life.
May 19, 2022
Terra Incognita ... I liked it. I was generously afforded a free copy for an honest review.
Shadow of the Serpent, by David C. Smith
I found this story interesting but not captivating. As a reader I had trouble engaging due to the weak PoV. We get, "they watched" a lot. It is obvious that Akram is the protagonist, but his presence is diminished by the script-like writing. How did Akram feel when the sorcerers used telekinesis against him? We will never know. On page 13 a PoV finally emerged. We get Akram’s thoughts.
There are no character arcs in this story. In carrying with what seems to be the purist S&S tradition the protagonist is a stagnant outsider. He experiences no growth. The method of his final fight was laid out in advance to the detriment of the story, and though this interlude was indeed tied to the outcome of the story world, it meant little in so far as personal stakes go. Akram is forever just being Akram.
We never really get into his head space. This distances the reader. It remains a span that will NOT be traversed in this story. At times we are reminded bluntly of who is in the group with Akram, this is because it would be easy to forget. The nobles and their retinue offer little in the way of action. It seems they were necessary mostly for the reinstitution of the human kingdom, in order to wrap up the story.
The King usurped and soon after the usurper enslaved by the same sorcery he enlisted in his plotting. This was nice plot element, and an interesting story taken as a whole. However, immersion never happened due to aforementioned PoV. This is the typical S&S antiquated writing style reminiscent of R.E.Howard. It does not add anything new to the genre, however, fans of the bygone era may really appreciate this tale.
###
The Place of Unutterable Names, by Adrian Cole.
Very well written. A story within a story, written like a lot of the 1950's science fiction I read in my youth. This story could be right out of Isaac Asimov’s, Golden Years of science-fiction.
The telling adds to the reader's rising expectations. The fact that a Lost Worlds anthology has a story with our setting in modern times promises adventure from the very beginning, with the notes from his cousin's Himalayan travels, and hints of an ancient scroll.
###
Two Hives, One Queen, by S.E. Lindberg
What a marvelous tale. It's pure science fiction!
Opening sentence is intriguing. And the author managed to insert what i would call a Jedi Mind trick to the opening by including at the close of the second sentence, "… I never understood why she needed their attention.”
Writers need more than anything to snatch the reader's attention. The author stated it right when it matters most. Intuitive on his part, whether intentional or directed by the muse.
Lindberg crafts a bizarre, and foreign world in which prototypical humans are indeed inferior to the polymorphic life which surrounds them.
Our protagonist is neither human nor entirely terrestrial, rather a construct, created by utilizing high science akin to sorcery. There are layers of depth to this story. And things here to ponder which invite the reader to revisit.
I got the distinct sense while reading, that the author had written this with some form of natural authority. An authority which can only be born of experience, perhaps he spent considerable time observing insects or communities of microbes under a microscope. Seemed to me that this story was written by one who makes a living at astute observation. Only later when I read his bio did I indeed find that he is a scientist who spends hours with his eye to the microscope.
Unusual, seldom used words add to the high strangeness. Words like -- amphora, limn, cuprous, hypha, orthogonal, phlogiston, miscible, dyscrasic, and a myriad of others.
This story satisfied, like picking a scab to find new skin underneath. Read it and perhaps you’ll see what I mean.
###
The Siege of Eire, by J. Thomas Howard
In an anthology it’s quite normal to favor the stories which resonate with you, while others may unfortunately fall short of the mark. I’m not sure how this made the cut.
The elements of a good story are here, but were mishandled from the start.
We are given 2 protagonists. The 1st protagonist is a Formorian, a different race, giant-like and blue-skinned. But you don't get those details until late in the story.
There was no attempt at deep PoV. An overabundance of story characters. I found it hard to visualize the action scenes, (How does one leap from a saddle while seated?). Muddled worldbuilding, descriptions of magic use were often missing or not easily visualized. Lots of unnecessary buts, and was's ...
Convenient plot points: Unearned gifts, unrealistic ability. (He finds a sword that can cut through anything, and immediately after we learn he has had fencing classes. A magical horse appears for him to ride, and then we learn he has had equestrian training. Anything fantastic must be woven into the story, not plopped in as a matter of necessity.
Naturally the ending fell flat.
###
Warriors of Mogai, by Milton Davis
Young Adult coming of age tale of Koboye. Has a strong African vibe and setting.
This read like a chapter in a bigger story. PoV was adequate and setting was consistently delightful. World building was thorough. Well written, but not especially gripping or memorable. Very little action.
I would have liked more descriptions of the beasts he encountered.
###
Necropolis Gemstone By John C. Hocking
The story itself was OK. The writing was adequate, with exception to the action. The action is not well envisioned/written.
The characters were somewhat shallow. No real depth to speak of. Also, one or two characters could have been edited out without harming the story, rather it would have made it better.
The time it takes to enter the other world is too long. Making the story seem lopsided. For a short story it took far too long to get to the action.
###
From the Darkness Beneath, by Howard Andrew Jones
All these authors are new to me. Some of them may be established, I don’t know for sure. But Jones was recommended as modern S&S or 'cutting edge'. And I know he is an established author. So, I was kind of expecting to be Wow-ed on one hand, on the other, I remained suspect of someone else's idea of, cutting edge'. I knew ahead of time there was a pretty good chance it differed erroneously from my own. There is really only one way to judge accordingly. And that is to read the thing.... And so I began to scrutinize the story, the writing, and the telling of it. I held it up to the light, and asked myself the same question I always ask myself whenever I read a story. Does this story move me?
Answer: Not as much as I had hoped.
I felt this story could have been executed better. Namely by considering the reader with each line transposed to print. The reader, always to the forefront.
The short paragraphs were a plus. They helped move the story along and carry the reader forward.
I appreciated the candor relating to the vices of men. It does add an element of realism to the tale. And the Father/Captain doing his best to see the journey through. And to keep his people safe. He seems to sense the danger, but from the revenants not the thing below...
Author needs to save the "ing" / present tense for periods of intense focus. -- The "ing" can make the reader feel present if used correctly. It is meant to focus attention and not to be used willy-nilly. Nay! It is to be used like the tool that it is, with purpose and intent. Every word with intent.
I would have liked more depth to all the characters, but especially the father. Through a little girl’s eyes, her father is the world. There is a lot of passive voice in this story.
My benefactor once asked me, "Why do we write?" My response at the time is, was, and ever shall be irrelevant. Once given the correct answer my eyes were open, and now I see.
Why do we write? Answer: "To make the reader feel."
Well into the story we get next to no emotion from the protag. No real attempt at putting us in her shoes. Jones doesn’t commit to her PoV. This is the failure of the S&S sub-genre as a whole. Antiquated writing. Short sighted. Numb. Without urgency.
If this story had a smell, it would be the damp scent of cherry pipe tobacco and polished mahogany.
Deep PoV is the foundation of modern writing. The human brain is hardwired for stories, it’s a fact regardless if it also happens to be a book title.
"Soon after came the bustle of departure, while her father shouted commands and the sailors worked the sheets, then they were gliding out from between the galleys and the larger merchant and transport ships and even a few yachts of the rich men.""
Let's examine the above run-on sentence. It's pretty bad, but how can we make it better? By forming complete thoughts that seem to come from the protagonist.
"Soon after came the bustle of departure. Father shouted commands. The sailors worked the sheets. And the Grey Dove glided out from between the galleys and past the larger merchant ships."
"Father shouted commands," brings us closer to our protag.
With the ending focused on Hanuvar, the world-building could have been stronger in relation to aforementioned character.
Shadow of the Serpent, by David C. Smith
I found this story interesting but not captivating. As a reader I had trouble engaging due to the weak PoV. We get, "they watched" a lot. It is obvious that Akram is the protagonist, but his presence is diminished by the script-like writing. How did Akram feel when the sorcerers used telekinesis against him? We will never know. On page 13 a PoV finally emerged. We get Akram’s thoughts.
There are no character arcs in this story. In carrying with what seems to be the purist S&S tradition the protagonist is a stagnant outsider. He experiences no growth. The method of his final fight was laid out in advance to the detriment of the story, and though this interlude was indeed tied to the outcome of the story world, it meant little in so far as personal stakes go. Akram is forever just being Akram.
We never really get into his head space. This distances the reader. It remains a span that will NOT be traversed in this story. At times we are reminded bluntly of who is in the group with Akram, this is because it would be easy to forget. The nobles and their retinue offer little in the way of action. It seems they were necessary mostly for the reinstitution of the human kingdom, in order to wrap up the story.
The King usurped and soon after the usurper enslaved by the same sorcery he enlisted in his plotting. This was nice plot element, and an interesting story taken as a whole. However, immersion never happened due to aforementioned PoV. This is the typical S&S antiquated writing style reminiscent of R.E.Howard. It does not add anything new to the genre, however, fans of the bygone era may really appreciate this tale.
###
The Place of Unutterable Names, by Adrian Cole.
Very well written. A story within a story, written like a lot of the 1950's science fiction I read in my youth. This story could be right out of Isaac Asimov’s, Golden Years of science-fiction.
The telling adds to the reader's rising expectations. The fact that a Lost Worlds anthology has a story with our setting in modern times promises adventure from the very beginning, with the notes from his cousin's Himalayan travels, and hints of an ancient scroll.
###
Two Hives, One Queen, by S.E. Lindberg
What a marvelous tale. It's pure science fiction!
Opening sentence is intriguing. And the author managed to insert what i would call a Jedi Mind trick to the opening by including at the close of the second sentence, "… I never understood why she needed their attention.”
Writers need more than anything to snatch the reader's attention. The author stated it right when it matters most. Intuitive on his part, whether intentional or directed by the muse.
Lindberg crafts a bizarre, and foreign world in which prototypical humans are indeed inferior to the polymorphic life which surrounds them.
Our protagonist is neither human nor entirely terrestrial, rather a construct, created by utilizing high science akin to sorcery. There are layers of depth to this story. And things here to ponder which invite the reader to revisit.
I got the distinct sense while reading, that the author had written this with some form of natural authority. An authority which can only be born of experience, perhaps he spent considerable time observing insects or communities of microbes under a microscope. Seemed to me that this story was written by one who makes a living at astute observation. Only later when I read his bio did I indeed find that he is a scientist who spends hours with his eye to the microscope.
Unusual, seldom used words add to the high strangeness. Words like -- amphora, limn, cuprous, hypha, orthogonal, phlogiston, miscible, dyscrasic, and a myriad of others.
This story satisfied, like picking a scab to find new skin underneath. Read it and perhaps you’ll see what I mean.
###
The Siege of Eire, by J. Thomas Howard
In an anthology it’s quite normal to favor the stories which resonate with you, while others may unfortunately fall short of the mark. I’m not sure how this made the cut.
The elements of a good story are here, but were mishandled from the start.
We are given 2 protagonists. The 1st protagonist is a Formorian, a different race, giant-like and blue-skinned. But you don't get those details until late in the story.
There was no attempt at deep PoV. An overabundance of story characters. I found it hard to visualize the action scenes, (How does one leap from a saddle while seated?). Muddled worldbuilding, descriptions of magic use were often missing or not easily visualized. Lots of unnecessary buts, and was's ...
Convenient plot points: Unearned gifts, unrealistic ability. (He finds a sword that can cut through anything, and immediately after we learn he has had fencing classes. A magical horse appears for him to ride, and then we learn he has had equestrian training. Anything fantastic must be woven into the story, not plopped in as a matter of necessity.
Naturally the ending fell flat.
###
Warriors of Mogai, by Milton Davis
Young Adult coming of age tale of Koboye. Has a strong African vibe and setting.
This read like a chapter in a bigger story. PoV was adequate and setting was consistently delightful. World building was thorough. Well written, but not especially gripping or memorable. Very little action.
I would have liked more descriptions of the beasts he encountered.
###
Necropolis Gemstone By John C. Hocking
The story itself was OK. The writing was adequate, with exception to the action. The action is not well envisioned/written.
The characters were somewhat shallow. No real depth to speak of. Also, one or two characters could have been edited out without harming the story, rather it would have made it better.
The time it takes to enter the other world is too long. Making the story seem lopsided. For a short story it took far too long to get to the action.
###
From the Darkness Beneath, by Howard Andrew Jones
All these authors are new to me. Some of them may be established, I don’t know for sure. But Jones was recommended as modern S&S or 'cutting edge'. And I know he is an established author. So, I was kind of expecting to be Wow-ed on one hand, on the other, I remained suspect of someone else's idea of, cutting edge'. I knew ahead of time there was a pretty good chance it differed erroneously from my own. There is really only one way to judge accordingly. And that is to read the thing.... And so I began to scrutinize the story, the writing, and the telling of it. I held it up to the light, and asked myself the same question I always ask myself whenever I read a story. Does this story move me?
Answer: Not as much as I had hoped.
I felt this story could have been executed better. Namely by considering the reader with each line transposed to print. The reader, always to the forefront.
The short paragraphs were a plus. They helped move the story along and carry the reader forward.
I appreciated the candor relating to the vices of men. It does add an element of realism to the tale. And the Father/Captain doing his best to see the journey through. And to keep his people safe. He seems to sense the danger, but from the revenants not the thing below...
Author needs to save the "ing" / present tense for periods of intense focus. -- The "ing" can make the reader feel present if used correctly. It is meant to focus attention and not to be used willy-nilly. Nay! It is to be used like the tool that it is, with purpose and intent. Every word with intent.
I would have liked more depth to all the characters, but especially the father. Through a little girl’s eyes, her father is the world. There is a lot of passive voice in this story.
My benefactor once asked me, "Why do we write?" My response at the time is, was, and ever shall be irrelevant. Once given the correct answer my eyes were open, and now I see.
Why do we write? Answer: "To make the reader feel."
Well into the story we get next to no emotion from the protag. No real attempt at putting us in her shoes. Jones doesn’t commit to her PoV. This is the failure of the S&S sub-genre as a whole. Antiquated writing. Short sighted. Numb. Without urgency.
If this story had a smell, it would be the damp scent of cherry pipe tobacco and polished mahogany.
Deep PoV is the foundation of modern writing. The human brain is hardwired for stories, it’s a fact regardless if it also happens to be a book title.
"Soon after came the bustle of departure, while her father shouted commands and the sailors worked the sheets, then they were gliding out from between the galleys and the larger merchant and transport ships and even a few yachts of the rich men.""
Let's examine the above run-on sentence. It's pretty bad, but how can we make it better? By forming complete thoughts that seem to come from the protagonist.
"Soon after came the bustle of departure. Father shouted commands. The sailors worked the sheets. And the Grey Dove glided out from between the galleys and past the larger merchant ships."
"Father shouted commands," brings us closer to our protag.
With the ending focused on Hanuvar, the world-building could have been stronger in relation to aforementioned character.
July 6, 2023
Lived up to its description of lost worlds. David C. Smith opened it strongly and John C. Hocking and Howard Andrew Jones resoundingly closed it with a clash of swords. Jones writes an especially exciting tale filled with danger, mortal and sorcerous, and violent battle. A great conclusion!
May 19, 2022
DMR delivers another solid anthology. This one is composed of contemporary authors all writing around the titular theme. I thought all of the stories were good but S.E. Lindberg and Howard Andrew Jones were my favorite. I'll detail my thoughts below.
DMR always delivers on stellar cover art. I was glad to see some awesome liner art from Jim Pitts too. Both this and Renegade Swords III had interior art. I hope DMR is adding more liner art to their future releases. I think it's elevated the experience of the last two books they put out.
Doug Draa is a heck of a hype man as the forward shows.
Shadow of the Serpent - David C. Smith . Smith's writing has been on my radar but I have yet to check him out. This story is a really clever play on the biblical and spiritual elements of the garden of eden/serpent theme. Its a fun story and interesting to see snake-men as not the villains. I guess you could argue the whole thing felt a tiny but contrived, but I enjoyed it and would like to see more of our tragically immortal protagonist.
The Place of Unutterable Names - Adrian Cole. Adrian Cole is a B tier author from the silver age of sword and sorcery. He's been showing up in a lot of indie contemporary anthologies. He's a solid writer and doesn't get enough recognition. This story is a loving homage to lovercraftian horror. Its solid, and has all the best hallmarks of the style. Very enjoyable - very psychedelic.
One Hive. Two Queens - S.E. Lindberg. I just loved this one. Admittedly, the story is a bit dark for my tastes and the ending maybe a bit harsh, but it doesn't matter it's so stellar. First of all, it's weird with a capital W. The world that's envisioned here is just brilliant. It's so wildly inhuman, and the twisting of certain sci-fi 'tropes' is really clever. The use of language is really evocative of the other worldly. It's just everything stylistically I like in fantasy fiction. It's surreal, dreamlike, even unreal. It's imagination without constraints. It's the first thing I've read by Lindberg but man I adored it and need to check out more of his stuff.
The Siege of Eire - J. Thomas Howard. This one wears its influences pretty heavily on its sleeves. The homage to Amber and the like is pretty apparent. I think it hues closest to that lost sense of 'terra incoginita' that was in the fiction of yesteryear mentioned in the forward, due to the transposed protagonist, for both better or worse depending on how original you want your stories to be.
Warriors of Mogai - Milton Davis. Milton has been on my radar for awhile. I just read his story in Griots. This is the second story I've read by him. It's a classic fantasy coming of age story but richly imbued with the African mythos Davis' 'sword and soul' fiction draws from. It's both familiar and refreshingly new at once. I enjoyed it and need to get around to reading more Milton Davis.
Necropolis Gemstone - John C. Hocking. I've enjoyed what I've read of Hocking's stuff in Tales from the Magicians Skull. This is good too, I think it shares the same world with those stories. It's really digestibly written and just a fun time. Hocking's stuff just feels like it should be an episode of a monster of the week TV show. They always feel like nice bite-sized snacks.
From the Darkness Beneath - Howard Andrew Jones. I loved this story. HAJ short story writing is so polished and meticulous, yet for something so refined it also has the 'greater than the some of its parts' charm that many talented but uneven writers have. It just felt like the best of a honed craft, and raw potential at once. Even if that sounds contradictory. I just loved the tension this story built. It really touched at the core of the horror in sword and sorcery, and it did so by doing something really clever, telling it from the POV of a 12 year old girl. Not your typical POV character in an S&S story. Also, I love nautical tales, and nautical horror definitely works. You just feel so trapped reading this story, like the passengers on the ship. The atmosphere and tension are really oppressive. There was one element I admit I did not like, but I think that comes down to taste. The whole Tavian subplot bothered me. Idk, I've come to the point any element of a story that alludes to sexual violence, or the threat of it, bothers me no matter how good the story is. But that's just my preferences. I really think loved this story and think it is modern S&S at its best. HAJ short fiction is just phenomenal.
If you're familiar with these authors from TftMS or other venues, you won't be disappointed. Nor will you be if you're unfamiliar with this stable of writers, but you're a fan of S&S, Heroic Fantasy, and the pulps of yesteryear. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.
DMR always delivers on stellar cover art. I was glad to see some awesome liner art from Jim Pitts too. Both this and Renegade Swords III had interior art. I hope DMR is adding more liner art to their future releases. I think it's elevated the experience of the last two books they put out.
Doug Draa is a heck of a hype man as the forward shows.
Shadow of the Serpent - David C. Smith . Smith's writing has been on my radar but I have yet to check him out. This story is a really clever play on the biblical and spiritual elements of the garden of eden/serpent theme. Its a fun story and interesting to see snake-men as not the villains. I guess you could argue the whole thing felt a tiny but contrived, but I enjoyed it and would like to see more of our tragically immortal protagonist.
The Place of Unutterable Names - Adrian Cole. Adrian Cole is a B tier author from the silver age of sword and sorcery. He's been showing up in a lot of indie contemporary anthologies. He's a solid writer and doesn't get enough recognition. This story is a loving homage to lovercraftian horror. Its solid, and has all the best hallmarks of the style. Very enjoyable - very psychedelic.
One Hive. Two Queens - S.E. Lindberg. I just loved this one. Admittedly, the story is a bit dark for my tastes and the ending maybe a bit harsh, but it doesn't matter it's so stellar. First of all, it's weird with a capital W. The world that's envisioned here is just brilliant. It's so wildly inhuman, and the twisting of certain sci-fi 'tropes' is really clever. The use of language is really evocative of the other worldly. It's just everything stylistically I like in fantasy fiction. It's surreal, dreamlike, even unreal. It's imagination without constraints. It's the first thing I've read by Lindberg but man I adored it and need to check out more of his stuff.
The Siege of Eire - J. Thomas Howard. This one wears its influences pretty heavily on its sleeves. The homage to Amber and the like is pretty apparent. I think it hues closest to that lost sense of 'terra incoginita' that was in the fiction of yesteryear mentioned in the forward, due to the transposed protagonist, for both better or worse depending on how original you want your stories to be.
Warriors of Mogai - Milton Davis. Milton has been on my radar for awhile. I just read his story in Griots. This is the second story I've read by him. It's a classic fantasy coming of age story but richly imbued with the African mythos Davis' 'sword and soul' fiction draws from. It's both familiar and refreshingly new at once. I enjoyed it and need to get around to reading more Milton Davis.
Necropolis Gemstone - John C. Hocking. I've enjoyed what I've read of Hocking's stuff in Tales from the Magicians Skull. This is good too, I think it shares the same world with those stories. It's really digestibly written and just a fun time. Hocking's stuff just feels like it should be an episode of a monster of the week TV show. They always feel like nice bite-sized snacks.
From the Darkness Beneath - Howard Andrew Jones. I loved this story. HAJ short story writing is so polished and meticulous, yet for something so refined it also has the 'greater than the some of its parts' charm that many talented but uneven writers have. It just felt like the best of a honed craft, and raw potential at once. Even if that sounds contradictory. I just loved the tension this story built. It really touched at the core of the horror in sword and sorcery, and it did so by doing something really clever, telling it from the POV of a 12 year old girl. Not your typical POV character in an S&S story. Also, I love nautical tales, and nautical horror definitely works. You just feel so trapped reading this story, like the passengers on the ship. The atmosphere and tension are really oppressive. There was one element I admit I did not like, but I think that comes down to taste. The whole Tavian subplot bothered me. Idk, I've come to the point any element of a story that alludes to sexual violence, or the threat of it, bothers me no matter how good the story is. But that's just my preferences. I really think loved this story and think it is modern S&S at its best. HAJ short fiction is just phenomenal.
If you're familiar with these authors from TftMS or other venues, you won't be disappointed. Nor will you be if you're unfamiliar with this stable of writers, but you're a fan of S&S, Heroic Fantasy, and the pulps of yesteryear. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.
October 10, 2022
Excellent! Call it Terra Incognita, lands of fantasy and adventure, sword & sorcery, fantasy, heroic fantasy, dark fantasy, and everything in between! Seven authors present seven great short stories. DMR is knocking it out of the park.
June 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. Some really good stories that kept me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews