Archive for the "Fantasy" Category

Swords and Sorceries #3 Tales of Heroic Fantasy

This is the third anthology in the series dedicated to the memory of the wonderful Charles Black. He would have loved this. Swords and Sorceries #3 has a themed feel with a strong cast throwing in lots of great stories. I’m happy to have made the cut but not ashamed to say that I appear […]

Carnacki The Ghost Finder Wiliam Hope Hogdson The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult

Introduction by Wheatley outlining the short life and tragic ending of Hodgson. He did his bit in WW1 and was killed going back for more, despite being badly wounded and having a good excuse for passing the baton. Wheatley doesn’t mention that, like R E Howard, Hodgson was a bodybuilder. Wheatley does draw attention to […]

Phantasmagoria issue #17 2020/21

Speaking as something of a hermit who knows very little about the world beyond my immediate bubble I was somewhat stunned by Phantasmagoria. I’ll dive right in. A well balanced and empathetic editorial from Trever Kennedy presages a cornucopia of stuff. So much stuff I have to bunch the original artwork into one comment – […]

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy presented by David A. Riley. Illustrated by Jim Pitts

A good buffet has something for everyone. Similarly, a good anthology treads the delicate balance of achieving a consistent feel while rewarding the reader with a mix of tales. “Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy” achieves this balance as one would expect from a veteran editor. David Riley has previously expressed his fondness for […]

Childe Rolande by Samantha Lee

I can only find one review for Samantha Lee’s Science Fiction novel ‘Childe Rolande’, which is surprising as it is astonishingly good on many levels. The accomplished Ursula K. Le Guin first broached the theme of androgyny in 1969 in The Left Hand of Darkness, a fascinating effort, instrumental in popularizing feminist fiction. The fact […]

School: The Seventh Silence republished

  The second edition of “School: The Seventh Silence” has been published by Evertype in a beautiful little paperback with Illustrations by Mathew Staunton and Aoife Staunton and is available directly from here http://www.evertype.com/books/school-7.html

School: The Seventh Silence to be republished

Well, that’s it. Still don’t know when but it is getting closer and closer. It will be followed by the sequel. Don’t know when though.

Best British Horror 2015 Editor Johnny Mains

After previous success fans of horror shorts will be delighted to hear of a new work streaming in the Mains Laboratory. A lot of people has been visiting this website recently thanks to this important source. Stories by among others jane jakeman, rosalie parker, conrad williams my pet favourite john llewellyn probert, sara pascoe and […]

E.R.Burroughs, R.E. Howard, Leigh Brackett, Lin Carter or George R.R. Martin and a bit of pseudo sexism?

The winners are in each category: Story teller E.R.Burrroughs R.E. Howard Leigh Brackett Lin Carter George R.R. Martin (modern) Ability to inspire, to thrill and excite R.E. Howard E.R.Burrroughs Leigh Brackett Lin Carter George R.R. Martin (modern) Consistency in plot, writing Leigh Brackett George R.R. Martin R.E. Howard Lin Carter E.R.Burrroughs (modern) I don’t want […]

Jack Vance

I have just read that Jack Vance has passed away – one of the greatest Science Fiction and fantasy writers of this and perhaps any century.  A terribly sad loss