Friday, May 13, 2016

Weird Fiction Journal Skelos - Ready for Backing

I just backed Skelos - Journal of Weird Fiction

You can too!
Skelos Press is proud to announce the launch of its new flagship journal with a Kickstarter campaign that will begin on Tuesday May 10th. The first issue of SKELOS: THE JOURNAL OF WEIRD FICTION AND DARK FANTASY will feature a never-before-published fantasy piece by Robert E. Howard (Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane) illustrated by the legendary Mark Schultz (Xenozoic Tales, Coming of Conan, Prince Valiant). Also featured is a new sword and sorcery novelette by Keith Taylor (Bard series, Cormac Mac Art), a long-awaited sequel to his classic tale "Men from the Plain of Lir" originally published in WEIRD TALES. This story will be illustrated by the fantastic Tomás Giorello (Dark Horse King Conan). Another highlight of the issue will be a tale of dark fantasy from World Fantasy Award nominee and John W. Campbell Award nominee Scott A. Cupp,

SKELOS is edited by Mark Finn, author of the World Fantasy Award-nominated BLOOD AND THUNDER; Chris Gruber, editor of Robert E. Howard's BOXING STORIES from the University of Nebraska Press; and Jeffrey Shanks, co-editor of the Bram Stoker Award-nominated UNIQUE LEGACY OF WEIRD TALES.
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Sunday, May 8, 2016

Emery's Shadow Cycle - Weird Sword-and-Sorcery Review by SE

The Shadow CyclesThe Shadow Cycles by Philip Emery
S.E. rating: 3 of 5 stars

"To write sword-&-sorcery in the twenty-first century, it seemed to me, required a redefinition of the form. ‘The Shadow Cycles’ is my attempt at that redefinition – in effect, the formulation and deployment of a tarot." – Philip Emery

Emery’s Sword & Sorcery and Weird Works : I first learned of his work via the Demons: A Clash of Steel Anthology, in which his "Fifteen Breaths" appealed to me; it had a poetic, dreamy-weird style to it. Crossed his work again in Return of the Sword and was completely taken with his "The Last Scream of Carnage" (notably the editor's pick). It was again poetic, and pushed the bounds of the genre. His gothic, steampunk novel Necromantra was very enjoyable. His experimental The Shadow Cycles continues to push the weird/S&S genre, and I am glad to have read it. The book features an essay which details the history of the Sword & Sorcery genre and the author’s motivations to expand it in new ways.

The Shadow Cycles draws more upon Clark Ashton Smith’s poetic style than it does Robert E. Howard’s clear cut action. The pacing and scope match Michael Moorcock’s eternal champion series. In short, The Shadow Cycles is weird, dense narrative. Reading takes focus since scarce dialogue, obtuse descriptions, a completely foreign fantasy world, and repeated stanzas make this disorienting.

Milieu & Style: The milieu containing the Uroboros event is featured over character development. There is a universe in which all the suns/planets were flooded/swallowed by a tangible shadow, and magical forces allow limited teleportation from other realms to steer the fate of two remaining serpents which serve as vessels for humanoids: one, a petrified, floating dragon; and two, a leviathan on life-support. The latter is a wondrous, horrific landscape in which humans live in arteries filled with “tallow warts” and resonating with “meat echoes.” Clive Barker fans would devour this stuff (excerpts below):

The interior:
“Again there is a different cold. Bleak. Vast. Filled with moans. The chamber stretches into the distance, and throughout that length, hanging from the vaulty ceiling, are the same fleshy stalactites that strew the labyrinths. Except these are longer. And from them hang bare bodies. Men. Women. Children. Moaning.

The tendril-things curl around their necks, holding them just above the floor. Others meander among them. Gazing up at them. Nudging them so that they turn slightly. Pinching them. Considering. Because these tendrils, unlike human umbilical cords, not only nourish but leach. They give life to the suspended ones but at the same time soften tissue, suck bone brittle – until the time is right.”

And the exterior Shrike Wall:
“Leviathan moves on through the wakeless sea and the dragonreme slips down its flank. Across its leagues of back a spine of bony spikes stab out. One each spike is impaled a torn, livid body, and oriflamme of skin and sinew. The spike bores through the small of the back and up through the belly, bowing the body. Arms and legs loll down but not their heads. There are no heads.”

Undeveloped Characters and Muddled Conflict: Despite the book blurb, the book is not about Rorn. Nor is it about the first hero introduced, Gemmored… first of the mysterious party of five called the Phoenix Prey. Here's the book description:
With four others, all of different realms, Rorn is transported to a new world. The last magician of a race of magicians; another possessing and possessed by a vampiric labrys; a towering swordsman whose blade sucks out the evil of those it slays; an assassin shape-shedder. All five are plunged into a strangely black sea which ships sail across like dreams across obsidian - a sea of shadow. They find themselves in the midst of an uncanny war fought over generations but approaching a final apocalyptic battle where victory is to be won not by strength or strategy but by something far stranger.

The Phoenix Prey are collected across a multiverse by an omnipotent force; this party comprises:
1. Gemmored of Darkling Realm, a warrior with his Doom Sword
2. Gel of Gnomon Realm, a warrior with his labrys ax Bloodbane
3. Zantalliz of Voyage Realm, a librarian wizard
4. Harnak of Aftermath Realm – a shapeshifter
5. Rorn of Nightwake Realm – a ranger

These are mired in a conflict between the two serpent city-states at war, led by Sstheness (Leviathan Leader) and Phariane (Archivist of Dragon Keep). The cultures of Dragon Keep and Leviathan are bizarre but compelling. The characters, who have loads of potential, remain emotionally distant and their story arcs half developed. Plenty of potential epic threads are left incomplete and conflict obscured. It was difficult to know if enemies really posed a threat as main characters walk thru battles untouched at times and were occasionally teleported to other realms for unclear purposes; there are many sorties that seemed to have an imbalance enemy resistance (sometimes too little, sometimes way-too-much). The fate of the Phoenix Prey remained unfinished. A climax that promised betrayal and tension between the Prey was unfulfilled. Ultimately the cosmic “world” was awesomely weird but still not developed clearly enough to emotionally engage the reader. Fans of soap-opera, high fantasy will likely be disengaged.

A Worthy Experiment: The experimental The Shadow Cycles was a compelling read written by a passionate author. It will be enjoyed by aficionados of weird fiction, but will be inaccessible for the common fantasy reader. I will jump at the chance to read more of Emery’s works since I enjoy being pushed passed boundaries and he excels at that. I end with a snipet from his essay:
"… I hope ‘The Shadow Cycles; is at least a new version of the Howardian tarot that redefines the combination of blood and darkness and fear at the heart of sword-&-sorcery. – Philip Emery"

Major Arcana = Violence and the Numinous

Motifs:
1. S&S is intense. All else is subjugated to this effect.
2. S&S is potentially amoral.
3. S&S is the combination of violence and the numinous
4. S&S eschews explicit development of milieu or character or concept
5. S&S is naturally a short story form.
6. S&S contains an element of deathwish in its sensibility
7. S&S has a Chthonic sensibility
8. S&S has a potential element of tragedy in its sensibility
9. S&S combines explicit and implicit horror
10. The S&S protagonist is a loner
11. S&S addresses the irrational 
12. S&S is about power
13. S&S is highly ‘visual’












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Saturday, April 23, 2016

Alchemical Rules in Dyscrasia Fiction

Doctor Grave Flays Ante Lysis

Doctor Grave’s Arcane Axioms (Dyscrasia Fiction)

Literally, dyscrasia means “a bad mixture of liquids.”  Historically, dyscrasia referred to any imbalance of the four medicinal humors professed by the ancient Greeks to sustain life (phlegm, blood, black and yellow bile).  Artisans, anatomists, and chemists of the Renaissance expressed shared interest in the humors; accordingly, the scope of humorism evolved to include aspects of the four alchemical elements (water, air, earth and fire) and psychological temperaments (phlegmatic, sanguine, melancholic and choleric).  In short, the humors are mystical media of color, energy, and emotion; Dyscrasia Fiction presents them as spiritual muses for artisans, sources of magical power, and contagions of a deadly disease; the books explore the choices humans and their gods make as a disease corrupts their souls, shared blood and creative energies.

Rule  of  Animating the Dead
“Possess the blood of a corpse to regulate its body; control its heart to direct its mind”
Rule of Blood and Ether

“Blood is the medium bridging the physical world with the ethereal, connecting soul to body”
Rule of Matching Hue

“The souls of the healthy living exhibit the same color in the astral realm as their oxygen-enriched blood does in the corporeal realm; mismatched hues indicate departure from homeostasis: illness”
Rule of Muses
“Artists are inspired by the emotive ether, as they craft, they consume that which ignited their creativity”
Rule of Relics
“Souls remain attached to their master’s bones; emotions of artists remain with their art; memories adhere to their place of origin”
Rule of Sight

“Ethereal memories, emotions, and souls remain invisible to those who see the physical world in color; those who can see the colors of ether, see the tangible world in gray”

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Sapkowski's Witcher and Review-Starved Books - Groupreads for May June


Sword & Sorcery fans, please join us this May-June as the Sword & Sorcery Group on Goodreads tackle the Groupreads topics:
1) Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher Series. Read the series that spawned a video game.

2) Review-Starved Books: Spread the good word about under appreciated Sword & Sorcery books by writing and sharing reviews.

Masthead Banner Credits:
Author: Andrzej Sapkowski  / Cover art by Alejandro Colucci for the Spanish edition of The Last Wish and Time of Contempt.

Alejandro Colucci's website

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Serpent Goddess Katrina Sisowath - Interview by S.E.


The series of "Art & Beauty in Weird/Fantasy Fiction" interviews engage contemporary authors & artists to reveal their muses; this one features Katrina Sisowath, contributing author at Ancient-Origins.net. The Doom of Undal is a beautiful blend historical fiction and alchemical fantasy (Doom-S.E. review and Fall of Undal -S.E. review). The Dragon Court series continues with the recently released Fall of Undal. Let's learn about the author’s muses. Thanks to Katrina Sisowath for sharing her weird attraction to serpents, mythology, and sacred pregnancies!


About Katrina Sisowath

Katrina Sisowath, (1979--) British-American, born in Frankfurt, Germany. Grew up in South-east Asia and Europe, now lives in England. Mother of 2.5 children (dog thinks he's human), experienced in making brownies.

On a personal level, Katrina is an avid book reader and loves mythology, history, ancient civilizations and anything to do with occult ideologies and practices. Mages, Serpent Priestesses and the 'real' Gods, aka the ANNUNAKI (the prototypes for those we know today in the form of Greek, Roman, Indian and even the Biblical characters) are all addressed on her website, with descriptions of Dragons, consciousness altering drinks and powders and what the scarlet clad priestesses really got up to in their sacred chamber. She also is a guest writer on Ancient Origins, writing about the Serpent Cult, Mystery Schools and their politico-military branches. 'Serpent Priestess of the Annunaki' (Dragon Court Series #1), published by 5 Prince Publishing was released June 19, 2014, quickly rising up the Mythology charts, becoming a best-seller. This was followed by Doom of Undal (#2, 2015), and now Fall of Undal (#3, 2016).

1) SE: The Dragon Court series seems to be both alternate history and mythology. The Annunaki deities in your books appeared based on a variety of ancient cultures (Greek, Roman, Indian and even Biblical characters). Can you reveal inspirations, both real and fantastical? Likewise, are there some design aspects, such as associating certain fictional-characters with particular real-cultures?

KS: The Dragon Court is based on the ancient Serpent Cult, which seems to have originated in Sumer and spread to Cambodia, China, India, Egypt and eventually Europe. I’ve studied the works of authors such as Arthur Waite, Dr Waddell, Laurence Gardner, Gerald Gardner, Philip Gardiner and Gary Osborn, who have researched various aspects and written very interesting books. My inspiration comes from their research as well as mythology, the occult and even the Bible (which has a lot to say about Serpents).

I’ve found that there are a lot of correlating accounts between the various mythologies, so that the same stories are told in many countries, with the gods and goddesses given different names. The fact that many of them are tied in some way with the dragon or serpent mythology led me to create a world in which figures like Innana were real and the Serpent Cult was a powerful entity of kingdoms devoted to the religion. It may have been the first advanced civilization which kept its power through sending emissaries to newly developing kingdoms, offering wealth and knowledge in return for fealty, with a marriage cementing the deal. This may be why most of the Royal Families of today claim descent from a Serpent Prince or Princess who had come from over the seas. What’s interesting is that it’s through that marriage the Royal Family was able to claim divinity.

It is this idea that the Serpent Cult existed and was focused on protecting its bloodline that sparked the story in my head. In some accounts they were wise and noble, in others they were a danger to humanity. I hope to be able to balance both accounts in the Dragon Court series, showing those involved to be fallible and thus capable of being good or evil.
 

2) Are you afraid of snakes in real life (or serpents in your dreams)? If so, is it therapeutic to create art (i.e.,write) about your fears? Did you ever have a nightmare about giving birth to a serpent?

KS: I'm not actually scared of snakes, I once thought a wire in our garden in Indonesia was a snake and my mom caught me pulling it out of the ground (luckily in time). I'm more likely to scream when I see a mouse than a snake.Inline image 1I do find these images disturbing, though, and I wonder if they spark the same response in others. So if there is therapy in my writing, it's trying to come to terms with the emotions I feel when I see these images and balance the stories about them with the writings of David Icke and Graham Hancock. I still don't know what to make of them.
 I think I find the legacy of family, beliefs and expectations to be quite terrifying and restrictive (descendant of Jewish Huguenots, have traced our ancestry back far enough to learn the names of those sent to the stake) in terms of how others view you and how you view yourself and your family tree.

 I've never dreamt of giving birth to a serpent, but I have worried about passing on my fears, faults, and foibles to my children.


3) "The Doom of Undal" had an interesting blend of young female protagonists involved with some fairly dark rituals, especially with pregnancy. What is your take on balancing the "beauty" many associate with woman & birth against "darkness"? 

KS: I know that in many stories, particularly romance tales, the idea that a man and woman fall in love and pregnancy is the result is treated as the most wondrous moment of their lives. And it can be, but there is also the issue of arranged marriages, difficult pregnancies and traumatic childbirths, and I think in the ancient world the news that you were about to be married would have been terrifying for a lot of girls.

(Ecce Ancilla Domini (1850),
Tate Britain, London, D. G Rossetti)
I think the expression on Mary’s face in this painting sums it all up (see inset).

With Serpent Priestess of the Annunaki, I focussed on the beginning of a bloodline and the rituals, beliefs and procedures fomented to protect it. With The Doom of Undal, a lot of time has passed and the children born into the Dragon Court have their paths set out for them almost from birth. Yet the question is what happens when they choose their own path? What are the consequences?

For women, in particular, when the emphasis is on maintaining a bloodline, there is perhaps no greater act of rebellion than in choosing to have a child ‘without permission’. The Undal books look at the weakening of the bloodline through inbreeding, the old guard still maintaining strict control on each generation and follow three sisters from childhood into adulthood.  The eldest does as is expected, while the two younger deviate from the norm. But only one causes a great schism and worldwide war.

Although the Dragon Court series is fantasy, I still try to maintain a sense of realism in the storyline and the characters themselves.

4) What are your artistic muses?

KS: I seem to be drawn to the Pre-Raphaelite artists and so William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John William Waterhouse and the other members of the Brotherhood have created my favourite paintings.

5) Besides writing, do you practice other art? If so, please share which media.

KS: I wish. My mother is a fantastic artist, as are my grandfather, my cousins and my eldest daughter. It seems to have by-passed me entirely. My grandmother and uncle were incredible musicians, but I do not possess a musical bone in my body. My father’s side is fonder of putting words to paper, so I seem to have inherited that trait. I do appreciate music and art, though.

6) Any inspirational fine art to share? 

K.S. Happily. These are some of my favourites and there is a lot of symbolism contained in these images, while telling stories that are familiar to us.

 

The Fall of Undal is out now via Amazon website globally (US centric link provided).

The lines are drawn between the Royal House of Undal and the Dragon Court, led by the Royal House of Magan. Cronous and Rhea have gathered to their side ten nations, forming their own empire, one great enough to confront their former friends and allies. Yet victory is not assured. The Annunaki have their own plans on how to deal with the upstart King and Queen and they keep their own counsel, leaving those that serve them uncertain of what is to come.  
With both sides forced to seek out new allies, to make and carry out plans never before conceived in order to win the war, who will go too far? At what point will one side tip the balance in war and unleash devastation upon the entire planet?  


Drawing upon accounts of devastation and global war from ancient texts (including the Bible) and exploring the concept of ‘passing through fire’ and the Baal rites, The Fall of Undal is the thrilling conclusion to The Doom of Undal. 

Friday, April 1, 2016

Tales of Direk - Lord of Vengeance - Review by S.E.

Vengeance is My Lord's: Tales of Direk, Lord of VengeanceVengeance is My Lord's: Tales of Direk, Lord of Vengeance by Jason M. Waltz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“There is a monster for each of us to face. Some we conquer; some we flee; some we negotiate with; some we suffer; some we… become.” editor Jason M. Waltz.
So opens Jason M. Waltz's introduction to Rage of the Behemoth--it is appropriate to quote it in this review of Vengeance is My Lord's: Tales of Direk, Lord of Vengeance for two reasons: (1) the hero Direk is tasked with serving the King and is granted magical/god-like powers to deliver vengeance; each instance he calls upon his shadow powers to perform a killing he is consumed a little bit more, and transforms from a human into a monster; (2) Jason Waltz is transforming himself too, in a great way, from editor to author, so noting his past achievements and trajectory in heroic fiction is a must.

Under the banner of Rogue Blade Entertainment, Jason edited the above mentioned Rage of the Behemoth which was a superb thematic anthology following the landmark 2008 Return of the Sword (a must read for heroic fiction fans). Demons: A Clash of Steel Anthology was a fair third in the series. Jason Waltz then delivered his first nonfiction collection Writing Fantasy Heroes, with insights from a panel of notable authors (Orson Scott Card, Brian Sanderson, Steve Erikson, Glen Cook, Janet & Chris Morris, Ian Esslemont, Paul Kearney, Howard Andrew Jones...etc.). In all these books, he always provided awesome introductions which were as compelling as any of the stories.

With Vengeance is My Lord's: Tales of Direk, Lord of Vengeance, he introduces us to his own dark hero. In addition to being cursed/empowered by dark powers, he also carries a sword named Retribution. There are other swords in existence i.e., Justice which are bound to the avatar wielding it. It's a simple but awesome premise delivered excellently.

Any criticism of this would be that it is very short, just two stories...one of which has been published already ("As Retribution Falls, so too Truth" which had appeared in Tales of the Black Arts: A Sword and Sorcery Anthology, and "Collecting Vengeance". That said, it was very affordable and marks the beginning of what promises to be an awesome series (note that the book is labelled Volume 1). I am anxious to learn more of Direk's plight, why he became a servant of the Kind Wincuff and the gods Otuus & Ez-Wrayal... and what will become of his as he transforms completely into a demon. Jason Waltz is dedicated to the Sword & Sorcery / Heroic Fiction genre, and witnessing the birth of his inner-monsters is a pleasure.

The artist of the cover is noteworthy. Didier Normand provided coverart and interior illustrations for Rage of the Behemoth and has established relationship with Rogue Blade authors such as Jason Thummel to provide cover art.

Vengeance is My Lord's Tales of Direk, Lord of Vengeance by Jason M. Waltz Writing Fantasy Heroes by Jason M. Waltz Rage of the Behemoth by Jason M. Waltz Return of the Sword by Jason M. Waltz, Demons A Clash of Steel Anthology by Jason M. Waltz

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Thursday, March 31, 2016

A Sinner's Prayer is a Beautiful Intro to a Dark Asunda - S.E. Review

Untamed-GNThe Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer by Sebastian A. Jones
S.E. rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic Introduction to Asunda’s Beautiful-Dark World: I learned about Stranger Comic’s The Untamed: Sinner’s Prayer while browsing Kickstarter. The art and story were captivating and the campaign organized well, so I backed a reward that was essentially a pre-order. This served as my introduction to the World of Asunda and Stranger Comics (led in part by Sebastian A. Jones). In short, the hardcover exceeded my expectations: for $30USD we get 260pages of great story telling and art. This work serves as an outstanding introduction to deep, fantastic world that will appeal to dark fantasy fans (from Spawn to Conan to all those Grimdark folk).

Contents: The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer is an omnibus that contains all seven comic book issues of the Stranger’s journey back from Hell (one issue for each day the Stranger has to complete his tasks)…plus tons of bonus content on “the making-of” in the appendix.
The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer #1
The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer #2
The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer #3
The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer #4
The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer #5
The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer #6
The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer #7

Premise and Milieu : This is for mature readers. The publisher’s summary is concise and true:
A cloaked Stranger slips into the rustic Town of Oasis, changing things forever. Ten years it has been since he ran this town with malice and harshness. Even then, there was hope for his soul. His wife and daughter were on the verge of turning him from wickedness. But they were murdered, and so was he. Now he has returned, hell-bent on killing. Written by Sebastian A. Jones; Art by Peter Bergting; Layouts by Darrell May
Without spoiling, readers should know that this work focuses on the titular character (the sinner/stranger) but has abundant background for Niobe (a female heroine with her own set of comics). The unnamed stranger starts his journey leaving Hell to complete a deal: 7 days to return 7 souls and redeem himself. On the surface, the town of Oasis in Asunda presents many fantasy tropes (elves, humans, dwarves) with a fresh spin (unique names and twists in culture… i.e., it is not as European-Medieval centric as one may expect) and beautifully presented art that is both angelic and brutal. The attention to detail as in the cover (red had embracing the stranger) is presented throughout. The covers of the series represent the art within:
Untamed-GNuntamed-1untamed-2 untamed-3 untamed-4 untamed-5 untamed-6 untamed-7
The Untamed A Sinner's Prayer #1 by Sebastian A. Jones The Untamed A Sinner's Prayer #2 by Sebastian A. Jones The Untamed A Sinner's Prayer #3 by Sebastian A. Jones The Untamed A Sinner's Prayer #4 by Sebastian A. Jones The Untamed A Sinner's Prayer #5 by Sebastian A. Jones The Untamed A Sinner's Prayer #6 by Sebastian A. Jones The Untamed A Sinner's Prayer #7 by Sebastian A. Jones

Other World of Asunda Works: As this moment (Spring 2016) the other Asunda works are not compiled in an omnibus yet. There are novellas and more comics that promise to be equally compelling, such as NIOBE: She is Life, Issue One; Niobe: She Is Life #2 and Dusu: Path of the Ancient #1.




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