Barczak 2019

Van's Pig Stand... or Starbucks?

Since 2014, Tom and I have met each November in Norman OK for coffee, and it has always been a blast. Blogging has captured our chats, drawing, and join ups.

Far be it for two writers with similar minds to miscommunicate, but we almost missed our annual connect due to ambiguous messaging.  My agenda included a 6PM connection with OU professors at Van's Pig Stand and (next day) 6AM meeting with Tom... but fate would take him to the BBQ joint in the morning looking for me. 

We overcame the madness, but are now motivated to spice up our routine next year.

2019, S.E. Lindberg and Tom Barczak

Barczak Loot and XP - 2018

"Bakassas The Witch Queen" - 2018 Tom Barczak

As I attended an annual Surfactant Consortium meeting (IASR) in Norman, OK, I swung by Tom Barczak's art show. His Prophecy of Evarun series is emotive dark fantasy. He's working on the next installment now: "Hands of the Dragon".

He had over a dozen sketches and paintings presented at a boardgame boutique called Loot and XP, a comfortable establishment with snacks and hugs tables... and tons of games to play. "Loot" is a good theme for the trip, since I returned with a sketch of the above painting and Prophecy of Evarun coffee mug. If you are a Norman local, check that out that place.

What started as a chance meeting has turned into an annual join up (list below). Every time we share our muses on weird art and writing. 

• 2014 Soap, Disease, & Dragons
• 2015 Celebrating Heroika 
• 2016 Drawing with Tom
• 2017 Surfactant Micelles and Sketching

Reviews by SE of Tom Barczak's works:

• Awakening Evarun - Dark Poetic Adventure like Clark Ashton Smith
• Barczak's Veil of the Dragon - Review by S.E.
• Mouth of the Dragon - Review by SE

My interview with Tom Barzcak on the topic : "Beauty in Weird Fiction"

• 2014 Tom Barczak Interview

SE and Tom with the sketch used for the "Bakassas Witch Queen" painting

We had to meet at 6:45AM prior my work meeting and school, and Tom had some of his boys with him in tow. Coffee helped wake a few. Was nice meeting them all.

That's me, stewing about whether or not I could actually by the Bakassas painting 

A sampling of other Barczak paintings on display at  Loot and XP

Loot: my very own Mouth of the Dragon cup!

Gen Con 51 2018 - Writer's Symposium

Three Part Chronicle of Gen Con 51 2018

1. Writer's Symposium - Volunteering
2. Writer's Symposium - Panels & Selfies <--- You Are Here
3. Vendor Show  

GenCon 51 - Vendor Show

Three Part Chronicle of Gen Con 51 2018

1. Writer's Symposium - Volunteering
2. Writer's Symposium - Panels & Selfies
3. Vendor Show  <--- You Are Here

Beth W. Patterson and S.E. Lindberg, Fellow Couillons?

Beth W. Patterson and S.E. Lindberg (one of these may be a "Couillon").

A family vacation to New Orleans brought me in close proximity to two authors: Charles Allen Gramlich and Beth W. Patterson (fellow Perseid Press "Hellion" and "Heroikan.")

This post focuses on meeting Beth in person, though the night was really about her fiancee Josh Paxton. He was releasing a CD that night as he performed in the Snug Harbor (album called Standard Deviation). Turns out, Josh has roots in Fairfield, OH...a stone's throw away from my home-base in West Chester. I missed hearing Beth's mastery of the bouzouki.  

Beth's Heroika #1: Dragon Eater story "La Bétaille" features Pichou, a young girl, in Cajun country battling snakes, gators, and a dragon! She has a sequel submitted for Heroika #2 which she again weaves a tale based on New Orleanian myths. She indicated that a "Couillon" may be involved. That's French for.... a vulgar word. She is a bit mischievous, so perhaps she was just calling me names :) . 

I have hopes for a submitted sequel to my H1: Dragon Eater's "Legacy of the Great Dragon" called "The Naked Daemon"; it follows the Emerald Tablet (alchemy's philosophers tone) from Ancient Egypt into the Hellenistic Age. Here's hoping for an awesome Heroika #2! 

Standard Deviation

  

Josh Paxton, Snug Harbor NOLA

Charles Allen Gramlich & SE Lindberg - The Beautiful and Repellent

Charles Gramlich the Beautiful (left) and S.E. Lindberg the Repellent (right)

A family vacation to New Orleans brought me in close proximity to two authors: Charles Gramlich (whose works I have reviewed, see links below) and Beth Patterson (fellow Perseid Press "Hellion" and "Heroikan.").

This post captures the Charles & S.E. selfie, the red corona/halo blessing the former. He has been writing adventure fiction for decades, and aims to publish in "every" genre. A sequel to Heroika #1: Dragon Eaters has been incubating for few years (#2 focused on Shieldless/Skirmishers), and if the gods are with us we both will have a contribution.

We discussed everything from  (a) Evolutionary Psychology which he teaches at Xavier University, to (b) GRR Martin's short story "The Sandkings" which inspired the first episode in the The Outer Limits in 1995 (I still have the VHS of that! eh gad, who would imagine that a weird-horror about ants would attract me?), to (c) Beauty in Weird Fiction (Yes, my favorite topic which I interview others on -link), since he recently published an article in WEIRD FICTION REVIEW #7 called "The Beautiful and the Repellent: The Erotic Allure of Death and the Other in the Writers of Weird Tales”. I just ordered my paperback copy, and after I read it... I'll be reconnecting with Charles to see if I can lure him into an interview.

Check out his Razored Zen blog: http://charlesgramlich.blogspot.com/.

__________________________

Links to SE Reviews of Charles Gramlich works:

• Harvest of War - Short Story Review
• Bitter Steel, Sword and Sorcery by Gramlich - Review by S.E.
• Gramlich's Swords of Talera - Review by SE
• Mage Maze Demon - short, pulpy, sword and sorcery
• Skelos Delivers Weird Fiction & Dark Fantasy - Fiction, Essays, Art, and Reviews

Barczak and Lindberg - Storming Norman 2017

Micelles in Evarun!

The last several years I head to Norman Oklahoma to attend the annual Institute for Applied Surfactant Research (IASR) meeting. What else is in Norman? My friend and author Tom Barczak, a fellow Perseid Press contributor with a poetic, dark style.  Barczak is an artist & architect who has a beautiful ability to capture angelic warfare with drawing pencil and keyboard. 

Before the seminars started, I squeezed in another Starbuck's meeting.  This time I got a glimpse into Tom's sketches for his Hands of the Dragon book...and  was allowed to share a bit with you (see below)!  And what out! I think creepy surfactant assemblies are inspiring him!

Tom Barczak holding Helen's Daimones : S E Lindberg with Mouth of The Dragon

Tom Barczak & his notebook

The notes read: "A suitable sacrifice .... A cenotaph of blood..."
[click to expand image]

Barczak's Notebook: Hands of the Dragon

Eh gad, is that a micelle?

Of course my mind is focused on surfactants, and what do I see has Tom's notebook? A micelle? That's a spherical assembly of soap molecules, a key technology for detergency. Well he claims his sketch is his visualization of an epic assembly of people as they execute a divine ritual.  Anyway, I adore micelle formations, having illustrated them for Prof. Steven Abbott's Surfactant Science: Principles and Practice ... with the app Practical Surfactants (available for free).  But they also creepy me out (surfactants can form some scary "living" structures, such as myelins). 

So the moral of this story is:

 Obey your muse... and be wary of self-assembled structures!

Micelle Illustrations By S.E. for Steven Abbott

Surfactant Packing Illustrations - S.E. for Steven Abbott

Previous Barczak Coffee Runs:

• 2016: Drawing Evarun Dragons & Dyscrasia Skeletons
• 2015: Heroika #1: Dragon Eaters
• 2014: "Soap, disease, and dragons"

Interviews and Reviews

• Barczak Interview by SE - 2014  
• Evarun #1: Veil of the Dragon Review
• Evarun #2: Mouth of Dragon Review

GenCon-50yr Anniversary - SEL at Writer Symposium

Summarizing my first GenCon, and I picked a good one. It was the 50th Anniversary! >80,000 attendees over ~5days (though I only had Saturday to explore). In short, I'll be back next year and will spend more time. Three posts cover my experience:

1.  First Impressions 
2.  Tabletop Gaming
3.  Writer's Symposium  <<< You are Here

Writers Symposium

• I got to meet fellow Heroika:Dragon Eaters & Pirates In Hell author Jack William Finley!
• Steve Drew (Reddit Fantasy moderator) moderated all three seminars I attended:

1. SEM17121201 Business of Writing: Hybrid Publishing—Covering All the Bases: From self-pub to large press, they discussed building sustainable writing careers. With Steve Drew, Gail Z. Martin, Linda Robertson, Matt Forbeck.  
2. SEM17121231 Writer's Craft: Drawing from Mythology:  Great topic including an author/editor I follow, Howard Andrew Jones. He introduced me to Black Gate in 2010, so I was thrilled to get him to sign the 2011 Spring edition in which he is featured. He was most passionate about clarifying the loss of character synergy in Star Trek renewals. Cripes, I just saw that artist Donato Giancola was at Gencon (he did the coverart for Black Gate Magazine's last print issue (#15 2011 spring)..ie the one in this image). Gen Con was so big, I never got to the Artist alley; Long live Black Gate! 
3. SEM17121205 Writer's Craft: The Art of Adding Details: How do you add details that enrich your story without going too far and overwhelming the reader? Featuring Steve Drew, Leigh Perry, Mary Robinette Kowal, Kelly McCullough & Richard Lee Byers.

Norman OK - Tom and his Dragon

For the last several years I have made an annual trip to Norman OK to attend a consortium on surfactants (IASR). I've been lucky to sneak a snack in with local friend and author Tom Barzcak. He also writes surreal dark fantasy, and is an artist too. This round we took turns speed-drawing as we talked. I drew a portrait of Tom with a shadowy dragon perched on his shoulders and he drew my lead protagonist, the skeletal warrior Lysis! Woo-hoo fan art of Dyscrasia Fiction!

We both contribute to Perseid Press's Heroika and Heroes in Hell series. Always enjoy discussing art and writing with Tom. Below is table of contents of my posts on his work and a great interview about his inspirations. 

S E Lindberg: Latte with Tom Barczak - Norman Oklahoma 2015 Nov 21, 2015 ... Last year I took the opportunity to track down Tom Barczak whom I interviewed in 2014 and happens to live there. He has a similar poetic/dark ... www.selindberg.com

S E Lindberg: Tom Barczak Interview Jun 12, 2014 ... Tom Barczak Interview. This continues the interviews of weird/speculative fiction authors on the themes of Art & Beauty in Fiction. Tom Barczak ... www.selindberg.com

S E Lindberg: Barczak's Veil of the Dragon - Review by S.E. May 9, 2014 ... Veil of the Dragon by Tom Barczak S.E. rating: 4 of 5 stars “…all seemed like a ghost that he could scarcely remember…” There is a lot to like in ... www.selindberg.com

S E Lindberg: Awakening Evarun - Dark Poetic Adventure like Clark ... Aug 19, 2016 ... Awakening Evarun by Tom Barczak S.E. rating: 5 of 5 stars. Thaumaturgy is associated with deep incantation of magic, and Tom Barczak is an ... www.selind

World Fantasy Convention 2016 Wrap Up - My One True Love - BLACK GATE and DYSCRASIA

World Fantasy Convention 2016 - S. E. Lindberg Summaries:

• Author Readings
• Weird Fiction - Darrell Schweitzer and Book Haul

• The Eternally Difficult (but Fascinating) Writers Panel

• Sword and Sorcery Panel
• John O'Neill: "My one true love" Black Gate, Dyscrasia, & Sword-n-Sorcery <== you are here
• Writer-Artist Panel

To John O'Neill: "My one true love"

Black Gate, Dyscrasia, & Sword-n-Sorcery

2010: I discovered the Black Gate print magazine by attending a panel at the 2010 World Fantasy Convention and listening to Howard Andrew Jones advocate for the adventure-fiction magazine. I subscribed immediately and got #15, the last print issue. The website for Black Gate (led by John O'Neill) has persisted and remains an outstanding resource for book reviews & perspectives on contemporary and historic dark fantasy. 

2015: Author Joe Bonadonna reviewed Lords of Dyscrasia on Black Gate, which was a milestone for me. Authors thrive on recognition and visibility. I adore Joe's weird fiction and Black Gate, so getting acknowledged there, by Joe, was awesome. Scroll down for an excerpt.

2016: At the 2016 WFC, I got to meet John O'Neill, help save his marriage... right before he won a WFC award for Black Gate! Not only did I get a chance to meet John O'Neill, he bought a copy of Lords of Dyscrasia, but I was encourage to sign it "to my one true love."  John’s explained on Facebook: 

"Thanks for helping save my marriage, Seth!" - John O'Neill 2016

“It's not silly. Years ago my wife Alice asked why Catherynne Valente had autographed a book to me with "To My One True Love" (because she'd asked me what she should write, and that was the first thing that came to mind).  I hastily told Alice, "Oh, that's just how everybody signs autographs these days." And so, for the last 15 years I've been begging writers to sign books with "To my one True Love, John."  I have hundreds of them, which I strategically leave open around our house.  Oh what a tangled web we weave....

Thanks for helping save my marriage, Seth!" - John O'Neill 2016

The following day, Black Gate/John O'Neill won a WFC 2016 award! Read John's kind words on Black Gate. 

Black Gate review, 2015 Joe Bonadonna

Seeking Revenge Against the Shades of the Dead: S.E. Lindberg’s Lords of Dyscrasia 

"S.E. Lindberg is an original voice in fantasy. His prose is lush and colorful, and his style leans toward that of classic literature, without being stilted, self-conscious or pretentious. He has a gift for putting words “down on paper” and constructing sentences that flow with a poetic nuance. 

Lords of Dyscrasia (an abnormal or disordered state of the body or of a bodily part) is touted as “Graphic Sword and Sorcery,” but to me it has more in common with the dark fantasy of Clark Ashton Smith and the gothic tones of Mervyn Peake’s first two Gormenghast books. There is some nice Lovecraftian shading to this novel, as well, with a touch of Edgar Allen Poe to lend it a feverishness of tone, and even a psychedelic flavor in style.

While Lindberg channels his influences with a deft hand, he has mapped out a beautifully grotesque world that is truly his own unique creation. This book was described to me as being part of the Grimdark subgenre of dark fantasy, and it is indeed a grim, dark tale. 

Lindberg’s “dyscrasia” is a really nasty plague — a disease of the blood that has infected the insectoid and avian elder lords of the Underworld. The disease also affects pregnant human women, who give birth to mutants — hybrids of human and elders — if they don’t die during pregnancy, that is..."