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Chess in Sword & Planet Fiction, Part II: Dray Prescot and Gor
Dray Prescot 20: A Sword for Kregen (DAW, August 1979) and Players of Gor (DAW Books, March 1984). Covers by Richard Hescox and Ken Kelly My second exposure to Sword & Planet chess came in one of...
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G.W. Thomas on Science Fiction of the 30s by Damon Knight
Conan the Barbarian: Archie Style! From Everything Archie #111 (May 1984). Art by Stan Goldberg and Larry Lapick. G.W. Thomas has gradually become my favorite genre blogger. Not just because of his...
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Enter the Prince of Darkness:Dracula by Bram Stoker
“Listen to them—the children of the night. What music they make!” Dracula to Jonathan Harker I’ve heard tell my generation had nightmares about nuclear war, worried someone was going to press the big...
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Chess in Sword & Planet Fiction, Part III: From Zelazny to Infinity
Pawn to Infinity, edited by Fred Saberhagen with Joan Saberhagen (Ace Books, June 1982), and Unicorn Variations by Roger Zelazny (Timescape Books, February 1984). Cover artists: unknown, and Gerry...
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Gothic Noir: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Shadow of the Wind (Penguin Books, February 1, 2005). Cover by Tal Goretsky Shadow of the Wind is the English rendering of La sombra del viento, the 2001 novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and the first...
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Robert Adams was a Master of Narrative Drive
The first ten novels in the Horseclans series by Robert Adams (Signet/ New American Library editions, 1979-1983). Cover art by Ken Kelly Franklin Robert Adams (1933 – 1990) only used his middle and...
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G.W. Thomas on Fred Saberhagen’s Berserkers
Three collections in Fred Saberhagen’s Berserker Saga: Berserker, Brother Assassin, and The Ultimate Enemy(Ace Books, September 1978, December 1978, and September 1979). Covers: Boris Vallejo and...
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Lyrical, Mysterious, and Ingenious: The Tales and Poems of Clark Ashton Smith
The Last Oblivion: Best Fantastic Poems of Clark Ashton Smith (Hippocampus Press, January 13, 2021) January 13 will mark the 132nd natal anniversary of the great Clark Ashton Smith, accomplished...
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Two Classic Fantasy Anthologies: Barbarians and Barbarians II, edited by...
Barbarians, edited by Robert Adams and Martin H. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh, and Barbarians II, edited by Pamela Crippen Adams, Robert Adams, and Martin H. Greenberg (Signet New American Library,...
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Ladybug Private Detectives, Living Ponds, and Robot Owls: The Owlstone Crown...
The Owlstone Crown (Margaret K. McElderry/Atheneum, October 1983). Illustrated by Michele Chessare The latest in my series of reviews of mostly forgotten SF/F from the 1970s and 1980s is a fairly...
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Chess in Sword & Planet Fiction, Part IV: Lin Carter’s Callisto
The 8-volume Callisto series by Lin Carter (Dell, 1972-1978). Covers by Vincent DiFate and Ken Kelly After Burroughs worked chess — in its Martian version of Jetan — into his John Carter series with...
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The Sword & Planet Fiction of Robert Moore Williams: Zanthar
Jongar Fights Back (Popular Library, 1970). Cover by Frank Frazetta Robert Moore Williams (1907 – 1977) wrote a lot of books, over 100. I’ve read two of them and that means there’s a 100 or so more...
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A to Z Reviews: “Wasted Potential,” by David Lee Zweifler
Over the past several years, I’ve embarked on a series of year-long review cycles at Black Gate. In 2018, I reviewed a story-a-day to coincide with an author whose birthday it was. In 2022, I selected...
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Hal Clement Helped Launch My Writing Career
Novels by Hal Clement: Cycle of Fire (Del Rey, February 1975), Iceworld (Del Rey, October 1977), and The Nitrogen Fix (Ace Books, September 1980). Covers by Gray Morrow, H. R. Van Dongen, and David B....
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Action, Intrigue, and Glorious Battles: William R. Forstchen’s The Lost Regiment
The Lost Regiment, by William R. Forstchen (Roc Books, 1990-99). Covers by Sanjulian William R. Forstchen was born on October 11th, 1950, eight years and three days before my birthday. He earned a...
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You Will Know—Singularity! Singularity Sky by Charles Stross
Singularity Sky UK edition (Orbit, 2005). Cover by Lee Gibbons There’s a backstory to my reviewing Singularity Sky. Its 2003 publication date made it chronologically eligible for the 2004 Prometheus...
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The Masters of Narrative Drive
The Outlaw of Torn and The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Ace Books, January 1973 and February 1979). Covers by Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo An author friend of 70+ books told me that a novel is...
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The Sword and Planet of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Part I
Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom novels: A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars and The Warlord of Mars, and Thuvia, Maid of Mars and The Chessmen of Mars (Science Fiction Books Club, July 1970, January...
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An Eternal Champion’s Legacy: 64 Years After his Debut, Fantasy’s Original...
Paperback editions of the first six Elric books (DAW Books, 1972 – 1977). Covers by Michael Whelan It may not seem like it, but this winter has given fans of fantasy plenty to celebrate. Less than a...
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The Intersection of Hobbies: Dungeons & Dragons, John Eric Holmes, and Tarzan
Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set by John Eric Holmes, based on Dungeons & Dragons by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson (TSR Games, 1977). Cover by David Sutherland There are many intersections between my...
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