BLOODSONG: VALKYRIES OF HEL - Bloodsong returns in 2013!

C. Dean Andersson (a.k.a. Asa Drake) authored an entertaining horror/fantasy trilogy about a heroine called Bloodsong in the 1980's. He has been working on a omnibus reboot and a sequel (Valkyries of Hel). Specific dates not revealed yet. My favorite Sword and Sorcery showcases necromancy; a lot of the weird fiction had this in short stories form. The Bloodsong trilogy struck a nice balance of horror and fantasy in a trilogy of novels.  Here is his synopsis of "The Hel Trilogy":

"The "Hel Trilogy" is the first three Sword and Sorcery books of Bloodsong, a Norse warrior woman fighting to save and protect her daughter and folk from evils and threats in Viking Age Scandinavia. The Bloodsong books were reprinted by Hawk Books in 2000 as WARRIOR WITCH, WARRIOR REBEL, and WARRIOR BEAST, all three under my real name, C. Dean Andersson".

Several years ago Andersson told GW Thomas in an interview (link) that he was working on a sequel featuring Bloodsong; the sequel it has yet to officially emerge but it is nice to know that progress has been made Here is his Sept-2012 announcement on Facebook :

"The first three Norse warrior woman Bloodsong novels, in preparation for their ebook omnibus debut, are being enhanced with new and expanded scenes and revised text. The original stories are unchanged, of course, but time is now being spent on them that was not available under publisher deadlines when they were originally written in the pre-Xena 1980s. The cover painting by Boris Vallejo, created for the second Bloodsong novel, shows Bloodsong and her daughter, Guthrun, fighting together against their enemies, and is being used for the omnibus' cover through a new agreement with the artist. Meanwhile, a new Bloodsong novel, Valkyries of Hel, is being written. Altogether now, on three...BLOODSONG LIVES! BLOODSONG AND FREEDOM!"

I am always excited to be able to touch base directly with authors--in this case, it was Facebook. As a giddy fan, I copy our communications...and invite you to track down your favorite authors!

• September 24, 2012
  
  
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  Seth Lindberg Awesome news. Any idea when Valkyries of Hel will be published?

  13 hours ago · Like
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  Bloodsong Freyadis Guthrun's Daughter Seth Lindberg I'm hoping next year sometime...can't be sure yet...still working on the Omnibus enhancements, then have to finish writing Valkyries...but I'm having a blast doing both!

  7 hours ago · Unlike · 1
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  Seth Lindberg The Bloodsong trilogy exhibited a great blend of horror and fantasy that is seldom approached; I anxiously await the Omnibus and Valkyries. For what a fan's enthusiasm is worth, I'd gladly help plug your work when "Valkries of Hel" is ready to share (ie via Goodreads.com, blog post/interview, etc.). Thanks for the details.

  a few seconds ago · Like 1

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  Bloodsong Freyadis Guthrun's DaughterThanks! As I go back through the trilogy, I am amazed myself (in a generally good way) at some of the stuff I'd forgotten was there. But I am seeing things now, between characters or inside a character, that I feel needs bringing into clearer focus, and a character like Jalna in the first one who ended up being important in the second and third ones, is getting extra attention and added scenes. The enthusiasm of fans is everything! Appreciate the offer to plug it etc...any and all help will be appreciated!

  11 hours ago · Like

  
  

Battlepug Review - Shorty made Battlepuggage

Deliberately Silly, Sword & Sorcery Done Right

Mike Norton's Battlepug by Mike Norton; S.E Lindberg rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a Sword & Sorcery fan and pug owner, I read this with great scrutiny. I love both the genre and breed. Truth is, when it comes to dark fantasy, diehards want it delivered one of two ways: 1) seriously done or 2) professionally campy. Many movies appear neither seriously produced nor well done satire (Conan 2011 for instance). This comic does it right. It delivers an entertaining adventure, a well-designed, cheesy story that is really entertaining. Its appeal should extend beyond that of adolescent teens, aging fantasy folk, and pug owners. There is great fun in this book, and there is more to come with Vol.2 in the works. So inspired, I have already begun calling my snorty, over-excitable, comical ball-of-fur "battlepug" when she begins to show her true powers.

Disclosure: As revealed in a previous blog post- (Sword & Sorcery & Pugs link) I own a funny looking pug named Shorty.  Taken by the allure of this book, I submitted a picture of shorty sitting on her sister (cat Sweetie) and was pleased to see that Shorty made Mike Norton's Oct-19-2012's Battlepuggage Post (link).  Here she is, surveying the family room for the cat, unaware that Sweetie is under her!  How better to demonstrate the awesome powers of a Battlepug?

McCrone Group - Micrographia and Holiday Cards

This month (Oct 2012) I had the privilege of touring and speaking at the McCrone Group in Chicago (thanks to Chuck Zona and Kathy Cyr, Hooke College of Applied Sciences Dean and Director of Program Development respectively). Their educational/training branch is aptly named Hooke College in honor of Robert Hooke, the pioneer of mechanics (Hooke's Law) and the "Father of microscopy" (being the author of Micrographia, 1665) .

The visit was an exchange where I discussed "Microrheology of Formulated Consumer Products",  which shares a different perspective on microstructure since their expertise is largely focused on solid, dry particle analysis rather than wet mixtures (lotions, cosmetics, detergents).  Conversely, I was investigating how their services, training, and tools (i.e the McCrone Particle Atlas) could help P&G.

They are setting up a microscope museum and I was able to have a peak at a First Edition, 1665 printing of Micrographia (link is to the interactive online version) being stored in a vault until its case is ready. Don Brooks (CEO) graciously donned white gloves and opened it up for me...even unfolded the "flea" panel. Sweet. As a nerdy microscopist, this was exhilarating. Like looking into the lost ark :) ... but I didn't melt. 

The Group also shares a passion for creating Holiday Cards. Thanks to Christine Gorman (Admissions @ Hooke College) who tracked some of their historic cards down (see below).  I  will have to work microstructure / micrographs into my cards sometime, but not for 2012; this round I stuck to digital painting again.  Keep an eye our for it: this year's theme is faeries.    

All my cards can be found at S E Lindberg - Card Link.  I will again document the design process as I had for the 2011 cherub card.

Historic McCrone Group 

Season's Greetings Cards:

1973: Snowflakes?

Or... Polarized Light of Sodium Bicarbonate?










1988: Christmas Trees?

Or... Rheinburg Illumination of Ammonium Chloride in Water?







1993: Ornamented Pine Boughs?

Or... Fluorescein Crystals?

Ancient Ohio Trail - Real and Virtual Visits of Earthworks

Seip mound Ohio - For scale, see children

Explore Ancient Ohio

Ancient, Native American Indian architecture, made of earth, saturates the Ohio Valley.  Much of it was obliterated by settlers (admittedly, many of the earth mounds were covered in trees and were overlooked; others were removed without respect unfortunately).  That said, much remains. My family visits these sites ~annually; I and wanted to share some of the resources we use to plan day trips for: hiking, exploration, appreciation of past cultures, and inspiration...at places like:

• The stone henge-like Sunwatch Village near Dayton.
• The Great Serpent Mound
• Mound City near Chillicothe
• Fort Ancient.... and many more... 

Ancient Ohio Trail - Online Travel Guide (click!) 

Interactive Tour Guides Link

Many sites have small museums associated with them (Sun Watch and Fort Ancient have very nice ones).  Many others have been incorporated into rest stops (i.e. Seip Mound), parks, or are hidden in plain site within our cities.

Planning a trip was once complex, but now online mapping and conservation efforts have provided interactive tools.  The Ancient Ohio trail tool works great.  Follow the link and select a city or road you want to travel and it will mark out the earthworks and museums. Not sure which ones to go to?  Then check out the below virtual tours enabled in part by the CERHAS (The Center for the Electronic Reconstruction of Historical and Archaeological Sites (CERHAS), part of the University of Cincinnati's Design and Archictecture program.  These are beautiful, realistic tours that have been integrated into the museums.  Check portions of them from their YouTube.com channel:

Youtube Channel Ancient Ohio Trail (click!) 

Ohio Renaissance Fair 2012

Finally attended the Ohio Renaissance Festival (~45min north of Cincinnati), which has been a big hit for many years.  It lived up to its hype.  Tons of crafts, hecklers, music, entertainment…turkey legs being eaten.  And live jousting, of course! In fact, there is a show on the History Channel called "Full Metal Jousting" and many of the participants have roots to Monroe OH and appear here.  Very family friendly, yet still welcomed the die-hard fans who were compelled to dress in full-plate armor, pirate gear, or druid capes.

Their Entertainment Schedule was buried on their site (linked here) and is useful to plan a visit; the schedule is available at the front gate but it is nice to plan your route first. We were particularly interested the crafts and enjoyed watching one blacksmith and glassblower (images below).  Great place to have your fortune read, purchase armor, or buy a nice leather artifacts (leather bound tomes, capes,etc.).

You can even ride camels, horses, get trapped in a maze, throw knives, shoot bows, and even mud wrestle…I think.  See my daughter and wife below pretend to be the archer Katniss from the Hunger Games (image).  Highly recommended autumn fun.

The Godling Chronicles Book One: The Sword of Truth - Review by SE

The Godling Chronicles by Brian D. Anderson
S.E. Lindberg rates it : 4 of 5 stars

This review posts at the same time the author (Brian Anderson) tours the blog-o-sphere (this blog today). His topic: CHARACTER PERSONALITIES AND HOW THEY WERE CREATED.

“I still don’t understand,” said Gewey. “If I’m a god, then why do I seem so human?”

This young-adult novel presents the coming of age of Gewey Stedding. Young readers new to the fantasy genre will enjoy the exploits and growth of his character; these "human" readers may even question whether or not they have their own hidden potential (and awesome mentors ready to help them).

Anderson's emphasis on character development keeps this interesting. The pacing is appropriately fast for the intended audience, and readers will experience what has become standard fare in the genre (elves, lots of travelling and inns, spooky forests, etc.).

Veteran readers will shrug at the lack of originality, but the storytelling is done well. The foreshadowing of the Dark Knight’s power is effective though sparse; being biased toward liking horror elements, I was left hungry for more raising of the dead! Plenty of conflict keeps Gewey and his party busy, but most is not from the antagonist; with peril at every turn, the primary destination of their travel and the conflict gets obscured. Ultimately, the conflict remains “Gewey vs. Peril.” As a leading book in a series, it successfully gets the reader attached to Gewey and anxious to delve into the sequel.

CHARACTER PERSONALITIES AND HOW THEY WERE CREATED (BY BRIAN D. ANDERSON)

GUEST POST BY BRIAN D. ANDERSON

As a lifelong fan of the fantasy genre, it was important to me while writing The Godling Chronicles-BookOne: The Sword of Truth, to stay true to the style. However, I have noticed over the years, that far too many fantasy novels concentrated more on the fantastical aspects, and ignored proper character development. I did not want this to be reflected in my work, and endeavored to write a cast of characters that the reader could relate to, sympathize with, love, hate, but most of all believe. I wanted to create people that behaved and grew as they would in real life. Often this led the story into unexpected and exciting directions, and found that at times, the characters would over shadow the concept...but I didn't mind. It is what I had intended in the first place.

In any genre, when a person with a given personality is in a situation that forces him/her to be in the company of someone with an opposing personality, it can be assumed that there will be a natural conflict. However, as they navigate through trials and tribulations, feelings and personalities change; sometimes for the better, sometimes not. The reality of relationships should always be a part of an authors thinking when throwing different characters together; and in fantasy, there can be nothing more important than this. It doesn't matter who good the plot is, if the characters cannot drive it forward. Magic and power isn't enough; not if you want to captivate the reader.

Also, I wanted to be certain that the female characters were not your stereotypical damsel's in distress. I have always felt that weak female characters have been largely responsible for driving women away from reading fantasy. And who can blame them? It is uninteresting, unrealistic, and frankly, offensive. Luckily, I am not the only fantasy writer who has clued in to this, and it has caused a massive influx of female fantasy lovers. My own fan base is more than fifty percent female...a fact I would like to attribute to characters such and Kaylia, Celandine, Maybell, and even Salmitaya.

Over the past year inhabitants of The Godling Chronicles have become a vital part of me in ways that I had never anticipated. Each character is like a member of my family, and I love them dearly. It has been a tremendous honor to be able to share them with others, and it is my greatest hope that my work may inspire, in some small way, the same love of the genre that has been a part of my life for so long.

THE GODLING CHRONICLES (BOOK ONE): THE SWORD OF TRUTH

It has been five hundred years since the Great War between Elf and Human ripped the world apart, and the Dark Knight of Angrääl has stolen the Sword of Truth. With it, he has trapped the Gods in heaven. If left unchallenged he will kill the Gods and reshape the world into an unimaginable hell. The only hope for all of creation is a boy named Gewey Stedding, the only being born from the union of two Gods. Aided by Lee Starfinder, the son of Saraf, God of the Sea, and a mortal woman, he must discover the true nature of his power. However, this will not be easy. He is bound to the earth a mortal man, and in many ways is very human. When Kaylia, a young elf woman, joins their party, Gewey discovers that perils of the heart can be as treacherous as any sword. Gewey, Lee, Kaylia and other friends they meet on their journey, must battle the Dark Knight, find a way to heal the hatred between elf and man, and restore heaven itself.

AUTHOR BIO’S

Brian D. Anderson was born in 1971, and grew up in the small town of Spanish Fort, A. He attended Fairhope High, then later Springhill College where his love for fantasy grew into a lifelong obsession. His hobbies include chess, history, and spending time with his son.

Jonathan Anderson was born in March of 2003. His creative spirit became evident by the age of three when he told his first original story. In 2010 he came up with the concept for The Godling Chronicles that grew into an exciting collaboration between father and son. Jonathan enjoys sports, chess, music, games, and of course, telling stories.

“THE GODLING CHRONICLES (BOOK ONE)” BUY LINKS:

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/The-Godling-Chronicles-Sword-ebook/dp/B008WA4ZQA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1344718323&sr=8-3&keywords=the+godling+chronicles

CREATESPACE: https://www.createspace.com/3960958

BRIAN D. ANDERSON’S LINKS:

Brian’s Author Page: http://www.greatmindsindependentpublishing.com/#/brian-anderson/4566993174

Brian’s Blog: http://briandanderson.blogspot.com/

Brian’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/brian.anderson.39750

Brian’s Twitter:  @GodlingChron

Brian’s Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/TheGodlingChronicles

Solomon Kane - Movie Review

Solomon Kane Movie  - 5/5 stars!

Distribution nightmare: This was made for non-USA markets in 2009, not shared in the States until now, Aug 2012, via Video On Demand-iTunes. A complex distribution has it rentable via Amazon Instant Video (Watch Before it's in Theatres) for a limited time (perhaps only before it hits theaters?) ... and intermittently available for purchase/rental from iTunes. US Region 1 DVDs have not been released yet.  It is due it theaters in select US locations this Sept. 2012.

A new Kane: This Solomon Kane is not R.E. Howard’s hero (Howard being the originator of the character with his ~1930’s pulp fiction), but the movie remains true to the core elements that made the Solomon Kane stories so appealing for Howard fans: dark adventure, witches and witchcraft, puritan vs. devil conflict, cool creatures, and emotive imagery.  Rather than a puritan hunting Satan’s devil with immeasurable passion, Michael Bassett portrays Solomon Kane as a rebellious royal avoiding the devil claiming his sinful soul.  

Ultimately the conflict is still “Solomon Kane vs. Devil”, but rather than Howard’s paranoid crusader who was ostensibly “good” (motivated by his perception of God to confront evil), we get treated to an anti-hero who avoids being dragged to hell. This Kane tries to renounce violence, joins a ministry, and eventually gets paired with some Puritans—so he still wears the Puritan hat and fights devils.  Sparse guns exist, but this is best classified as Sword & Sorcery. Those disappointed in the 2011 movies of the same genre (Season of the Witch 2011 and Conan the Barbarian 2011) should be very excited to see horror-fantasy done professionally.  With the mix of adventure and spiritual horror, expect a blend of the infamous Exorcist (1973) with Jackson’s famous Lords of the Rings movie trilogy.   

As captured in an earlier post, Michael Bassett will be delivering the Silent Hill sequel!  

  

Reader Reviews for Lords of Dyscrasia - 2012

2011 reader reviews were captured in a previous post, while the Review Tab (link) attempts to share all reviews. This post consolidates reviews for 2012 (so far) being posted on many disparate websites. The highlights are lines that I considered being particularly helpful.

GOODREADS.COM REVIEWS

• DC Goodreads.com  Read in August, 2012,   Recommended for: lovers of gore, dark fantasy enthusiasts 

"Just be mindful to sacrifice your dark emotions whence you arrive. Your soul will pale. The hue of your memories will desaturate. You will be cleansed. Protected."

This is a story of a man who worked to free himself from a lineage of bondage. He starts with simply denying the Rite of Inheritance of his forefathers, and soon finds himself undead and clothed in the skin of his enemies. For this is the land of the Lords of Dyscrasia, a land where blood and ichor color the landscape.
Reanimation, specters and murderers are ever-present here, as are the traces of insectan elders and terrible harpies. They battle for the supremacy of their masters, fueled by contempt and guilty memories. They fill your senses with sanguine touches, and they haunt your soul with unforgiving murmurs. I would definitely say that this is unique. I haven't read a lot of this genre, of speculative/horror/gore, but I must say that I had quite an enjoyable ramble as I walked through a world where I could sink my feet in bloodied pools or rotten corpses.
While this is not a book for the sick of heart, it is a fairly great story told by quite a technical hand. You have to be rather good at context clues (but it wouldn't be a problem if you're paying enough attention), but the details are consistent, surprising, shocking. I had some problems with the storytelling (rather confusing at times), but I'm sure that some details may be bypassed while still enjoying the story. The unraveling of the plot itself, however, was pretty good. The little details were significant too, which surprised me as I went along.
(Oh, and just to add: I absolutely loved Dey's parts. I liked this young artist of a man, with his sketches and searches for pigment. Bonus points for Dey!) If you have no qualms reading dark fantasy (and feeling as if you've bathed in blood), pick up this book and enjoy. Come, the Lords of Dyscrasia are beckoning, calling you to claim your nightmares. 

• Sherri's review Aug 24, 12   If you like horror, fantasy and mythology, this is your book! I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. It was a little slow – and at times a little confusing – toward the beginning, but the story picked up by the second chapter and delivered everything I wanted in a horror story: decapitation, disembowelment, cannibalism, castration (my personal favorite), rape, incest, mythological Gods, insects, birds…the list goes on. It was very disturbing, but that’s what I like. I want a story that shocks the conscious and this story delivered! Bravo, Mr. Lindberg, for a job well done! The story was unusual and your artwork was phenomenal. I look forward to reading your future novels. 

• Chris Einhaus's review Feb 24, 12   This book has some curious ideas and strong characterization. The main characters go through many trials and the will of their souls are challanged on every page. The loss that the main characters go through is heartbreakening and yet they carry on. The last 30 pages were harder to read through and I almost gave up but I skipped over a couple of pages so that I would not miss the ending. If Lindberg could shorten the book a little then the story would be tighter and feel less sometimes like a long journey but a great adventure.  This is also the first book I have read on the Nook Color.

Beauty in Ruins - Blog 

Review by Bob Milne, Friday, January 20, 2012

I don't generally read a lot of small-press or self-published books, but when one snags my attention, I'm more than willing to give it a shot. Lords of Dyscrasia is one of those books where everything fell into place - the cover caught my eye; the review blurb comparing it to "the works of Poe and Lovecraft" made me curious; and the concept of infected bloodlines, diseased souls, and necromancy assured it a spot on my shelf.

Stylistically, this was a very interesting read, with a mix of high fantasy, pulp adventure, and visceral horror that worked as well as I could have hoped. Elements of it did indeed remind me, at different times, of H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe, but I also detected the flavour of Robert E. Howard, and even some early Books of Blood era Clive Barker.  The storyline here is interesting, and the investment in the mythology is quite impressive. It's definitely one of the more unique concepts I've come across in a long while, taking a very Cthulhu-like approach to an otherwise standard fantasy trope of interracial breeding and the mingling of mortal & immortal races. The world-building doesn't quite live up to the mythology, but only because we don't get explore enough of it.

This is a very intense, very frantic, very driven read that leaps from scene to scene. The action and the tension is relentless, which has a definite appeal for some readers, but I felt it suffered somewhat because of it. I think one more pass at the story to build some narrative bridges between the scenes, and to pad out the intensity with some subtler moments of reflection could have really served the book well. It's not very often that I put down a book wishing it had been just a bit longer, but her I would have welcome some fluff to round things out.  That said, what's on the page works very well. Doctor Grave is a fantastic character, secretive and manipulative, but driven by an honest purpose. His ethereal assistant is definitely a nice touch, and the ways in which she is used outside the Doctor's environment were a very pleasant surprise. Lysis, unfortunately, came across as a bit one-dimensional for me. I would have like to see some more vulnerability in him, some lighter emotions, but I suspect that lack is due more to the unrelenting intensity of his quest than to any failings on the part of the book.

Other reviewers have said this is a very dark book, and they're right. This is pulp fantasy for the horror fan (not the other way around), and it is wonderfully grotesque. There's a very clinical detachment from much of the horror, which actually serves to elevate the monstrosities to a higher level. Like I said earlier, this reminds me of Books of Blood era Clive Barker on the page, or original Hellraiser era Clive Barker on the screen, and I delighted in that visceral element.  By no means a perfect book, but one that manages to offer something new, and which does an admirable job of bringing it all together. I look forward to seeing what Lindberg produces next, and would even be up for a reread were he to expand the text here . . . an author's preferred edition, if you will.

Amazon Reviews

Mixed feelings about this one, June 13, 2012; By K. Sozaeva "Obsessive bibliophile"
Disclosure: I received a free ebook copy of this text from the LibraryThing Members Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review.

Dyscrasia is a terrible disease in this book - one affecting mainly pregnant women who, if they survive their pregnancy, give birth to mutated creatures half-way between human and elder. The elders are either avian or insectile and they themselves are becoming extinct, leaving only a few, lesser members behind. The cult of people who worship the elders are called Picti, and Lord Endenken is the last of the Lysis clan, the only ones who can handle the power that is transmitted through their blood, only able to mate with those of the same blood or the dyscrasia takes them. It's quite a dilemma, and Endenken wants nothing to do with it - he wants to make his own way.

Lindberg has a real way with words - the language washes over the reader, completely immersing one within the world being created. But this is a very dark world that has been created - while many scenes occur in the daylight, everything I see in my mind is dark - there is no light anywhere. Also the scope is very large - there are scenes, of course, but overall it feels like everything is taking place at a distance. Analyzing my reaction, I think the reason I felt this way is that there are no "good" sides; everyone is really sort of evil, and there is no hero - or antihero - for which to root. Endenken is the main focus of the story, and he started with good intentions, but he's really not a nice man at all. Without someone to root for, I was left feeling sort of unmoored in the story. Dey was the only one I really felt any sympathy toward, and I much preferred Cypria and her quest for freedom over Haemarr.

All the art in this book - cover image and illustrations - are also done by the author. Amazing the amount of talent in one person! Also, amazing how much he overuses exclamation points... Every sentence that could possibly be emphatic ends with an exclamation point! I didn't notice it at first, but eventually I started to see that there was indeed exclamation point abuse occurring. There was also a lot of very awkward and ungrammatical phrasing throughout the book, although since this was an ARC, that might have been corrected before the final publication.

So, I have mixed feelings about this book. The language is lovely and it is beautifully written in many ways, but there is an excess of exclamation points and awkward/ungrammatical phrasing. There is no real hero/antihero for whom to cheer - or at least there were none for whom I felt any connection - and the scope is so large it is sometimes hard to keep track of it. I am sure there are some fans of high fantasy, especially dark fantasy, who will quite enjoy this tale, but it really wasn't for me.

LibraryThing Reader Reviews

(  )twlite | Apr 4, 2012 | 
I won this book from a Library Thing giveaway

This book is a Fantasy/Horror novel. It's very vivid and has many dark and graphic scenes, so it's not for everyone. That being said, this book is a very intense, but moves along fairly quickly. It will keep you turning pages all the way through.

There is a blood disease that is plaguing the elder of the Underworld. Doctor Grave tries to save them by placing the soul of dying Queen into the blood of Lord Ante Lysis. The soul then passes to his descendants until Doctor Grave can resurrect her again. Edenken Lysis journeys to the Underworld to try to get rid of the plague from his soul. He must fight his own battles though, his past and the Doctor's minions.

It's very fast past and very vivid. This book is very gory, but if you like that, it's a great read and you will highly enjoy it. I haven't read a book quite like this one before, so it was a surprise. The characters are great and well rounded. They aren't just good and bad but a mix of both that makes them much more interesting. I don't normally read this graffic of a novel. There are a lot of very evil subjects in the book that may be very difficult to read, so please by warned. This book wasn't my "type" of novel, but it was well written by the Author and could be a very good read for someone who doesn't mind the gore and some of the stuff they do. Although this book wasn't my kind of thing, I gave it 4 stars because the book was well written and may be to the next persons liking. 

Solomon Kane AND Silent Hill - Michael Bassett Movie Updates

Michael Bassett is director and writer of two movies on my annual Sword & Sorcery film queue (see post: 2012 movie queue), and this month two important updates were announced:

1) Solomon Kane

After three years, Solomon Kane has finally made it across the pond to the US; it is due out Aug 24 (video-on-demand, iTunes) and then select theaters Sept..  Granted Kane uses guns on occasion, but no one denies that R.E. Howard's dark hero is firmly in the Sword & Sorcery genre.  Here is the US trailer:

 

2) Silent Hill Revelations 3D

The sequel is coming to US Halloween 2012!   As I have conceded previously, Silent Hill is not 100% Sword and Sorcery, but it is a mix of Horror-Fantasy and Pyramid Head does have a large sword.   It certainly appeals to the same crowd that enjoys the weird "pulp" style fantasy that included supernatural horror (i.e. original Conan).  I have my doubts regarding the 3D hype since dark imagery does not usually lend itself to clear 3D viewing. 


The yahoo embedded player  crashes in the Chrome Browser, so here is the yahoo movie link: http://yhoo.it/OTKSuY

The Swords of Night and Day - Review of D. Gemmell's Book

The Swords of Night and Day by David Gemmell
S.E. Lindberg's rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Swords of Night and Day is just okay. Given the amount of material Gemmell had to work with, this book falls flat but is still somewhat enjoyable. It merely recaps events explained in the previous books, but in a confusing way. Having read and enjoyed Gemmell's books (i.e. Legend, White Wolf, The King Beyond the Gate) I was anxious to delve into another. However, it does not add much to the series.  Fans of the series will enjoy it, otherwise it is not highly recommended.

- The Drenai series spans eleven books, though it really is several mini-series with connections to the same land. In this case, "Swords of Night and Day" is a sequel to "White Wolf" in which Skilganon was introduced; this book explores the magic/technology of resurrecting him (and other heros and villains). Although the magic/technology of resurrection is loosely explored, it is done inconsistently. One moment, these powers are causing everyone to have cancer and become mutated, the next moment the powers are healing people and allowing them to live indefinitely. I am okay with unharnessed powers doing uncontrollable things, but here the powers are told to be controlled… then shown to be uncontrolled for select people.

- Despite their rebirth, the characters and motivations are not developed what so ever. I would have hoped to learn more about Skilganon, Jianna, etc.

- The book has nothing to do with the titular “Swords of Night and Day”, other than the fact that their owner is a key character; nothing about the demons inside the blade, the weapon's history, its creation, etc. are explored. In fact, the book has several cool powerful items re-emerge from ancient history, but then they are not really used. Seriously, the Armor of Bronze marks a guy as a leader, which elevates his power over a regiment of humans, but it really doesn't do much. One may expect that the armor be magically protective, or impart some supernatural strength to those who wear it--not here.

- Many contrived scenes exist that just appear odd. These instances fail to ratchet up the tension and could have been handled much more smoothly and convincingly.
(1) In one case, the hero mysteriously detects “undetectable” wraiths approaching...has 30min or so to prepare for the fight???...decides to leave the group he is supposed to protect so he can fight the wraiths… but he doesn't actually know where the enemy is (even though he could detect them???) so he goes to a random location to get ready (so the weaker folk are now vulnerable)...then the shadow creatures find him... but our invincible hero begins to lose the battle… until his less-capable party finds and rescue him???. Why not have the wraiths just attack the group directly?
(2) In another case, a women Askari learns her village has been destroyed, and her response is to do nothing emotional... but immediately seduce the man who failed to protect it (and the language is lighthearted…the man calling his wolf-like friends silly rascals as they try to watch).
(3) Stavi spends 250pages building a special pack of warrior creatures, helps them join ranks with the human Legion who is afraid of said creatures (they all join a single “pack” and have a mini ceremony), drags his land-lubber pack many miles on barges to do battle because “the creatures want to fight with him”... then when the battle starts, he dismisses them, commanding them to "go hunt and be free" ??? ... so his pack does leave … but guess what? surprise … they come back to fight.


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Inspiring Natural Sculptures: Beautiful, Scary, Sentient?

Dark Beauty

First let us calibrate our expectations when it comes to the face of evil.  We expect scary, bad things to be ugly, right?  Devils are rarely depicted as pleasing to look at.  Conversely, good things, like angels, are beautiful.  Viewer's perception of art is influenced by these expectations.  For instance, many believe that Frazetta's dark fantasy illustrations are full of gore (despite the lack of blood... see Weird, Dark Art Design: Implicit vs. Explicit Gore and Horror). So if your intention is create dark art, then how do you approach the design?  Should your devils appear ugly?  Does the horror have to be embodied in a devil?  What inspires your art (your muse), and how will you choose to represent it?

Weird fiction masters (Poe, Lovecraft, Smith...) documented their intense philosophies about instilling beauty in their weird works (see prior blog post: Dark Muses I: The undercurrent of "Art" in Weird literature).  They viewed their horror works as beautiful art. Can horrific things, evil enemies or works of art, really be full of beauty?  Certainly fantasy fiction requires some type of monstrous element, usually the antagonist force is sentient and ugly (mythological beasts, aliens, orcs, devils, etc.).  Consider the horror otherwise. What if a terrible threat emerged from something we thought of as inanimate and beautiful?

The Terrible Beauty of Kudzu, a Dark Muse

I discovered my favorite beautiful horror ~20yrs ago on a road trip to Georgia (on Route 75); conveying my awe at the yet-to-be-identified vine sculptures I saw en route, my cousins corrected my enthusiasm for the beauty I had witnessed and educated me on the horrors of "kudzu." Imported to increase ground cover in the Southeast, this uncontrollable, evil vine now extends into Ohio.  However, to the ignorant, the sculptures appear as beautiful, continuous green blankets. The ability to create art is considered a critical point in the evolution of man's intelligence. Usually artificial things (items made by man) are discernible from natural ones, and we gain some sense of security knowing the difference.  But what horrors await us if brainless things like vines begin making large-scale sculptures?  If art self-assembles from chaos, should we be awed or terrified?

Here is recent photo of Kudzu I took while my wife took a turn driving on our trek from Cincinnati, Ohio to Charleston, South Carolina (again on Route 75, image taken in southern KY...okay, a confession is in order, since I took not one...but hundreds of pictures, being so mesmerized, and distracted her driving).  Not shown here, is the imminent devastation of all the growth serving as a template; in other words, all the hidden trees beneath are being smothered. This beauty is terrible!  My fascination remains solid however.  Kudzu has become one of my dark muses.

For more images formed by Kudzu, I recommend touring JJ Anthony’s site:

Natural Beauty

Incidentally, right before vacation, I finally joined the social community for artists, DeviantArt.com (please visit: http://selindberg.deviantart.com/ :) ). The kudzu imagery is reminiscent of ice sculptures captured by Niccolo Bonfadini, a photographer I "watch/subscribe to" (check his work out (link)...actually, I highly recommend browsing DA if you have not already, it is a great wealth of inspiration and talent).  These ice sculptures are another example of natural elements templating trees, however I believe the vegetation in Finland survives the winter.  Regardless, the apparent self assembly of monoliths is ominous.  They evoke Arthur Clarke's strange monoliths: nicely carved, inanimate, intelligent.  

©2012 *niccolobonfadini 

Finnish Landscape by *niccolobonfadini His caption: During winter, with temperatures ranging from -40 to -15, the trees in some areas of the Finnish Lapland get completely covered by snow and ice. This makes for a unique landscape, where everything is white and frozen as far as the eyes can see. That morning I slept in my tent to watch the sun rise from the top of a hill.