order99
7th Level Troll
Coffee-fueled Carrion That Walks Like a Man
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Post by order99 on Jan 26, 2008 3:04:28 GMT -5
Well Fenris, the Liavek Series (three books so far, as far as I know) are all short story collections. Stories run the gamut from Humorous Yarns to High Adventure to Personal Stories to Intrigue...pretty much whatever that author wanted to cover.
Never been able to finish a Lankhmar novel because it wasn't grim enough? Fair enough. Some of the short stories get very grim indeed ( losing lovers to the Thieves' Guild, battling Black Hounds in someone else's dream, waking the Dead Gods of the city) but they tend to alternate with the lighthearted ones in the collections.
Hmmm....you love Grim Stories and thrill to Conan? Sounds like a Solomon Kane fan to me! I think most of Howard's tales of that dour Puritan Adventurer are still in print, too.
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uburoi
4th Level Troll
Rarr 'n' stuff.
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Post by uburoi on Jan 26, 2008 8:47:13 GMT -5
Hey, Fenris - don't know if you've gotten around to googling yet but here's the Wiki page for Liavek - it's FIVE books (whee!) and the authors who have worked on it include John M. Ford (who's done stuff for Traveller), Walter John Williams, Patricia C. Wrede, Charles de Lint, Gene Wolfe, and Barry Longyear. Not too shabby a list, there! And the list of recurring characters DEFINITELY sounds interesting: Rikiki, the chipmunk god of the S'Rians Count Dashif The Magician Kaloo Granny Carry, who is the Ka'Riatha Snake, owner of the Tiger's Eye Aritoli ola Silba Nerissa Benedicti
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Fenris
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Post by Fenris on Jan 26, 2008 9:59:26 GMT -5
the authors who have worked on it include John M. Ford (who's done stuff for Traveller), Walter John Williams, Patricia C. Wrede, Charles de Lint, Gene Wolfe, and Barry Longyear. Not too shabby a list, there! Rikiki, the chipmunk god of the S'Rians Hey, thanks! You're right, that's a helluva author list... I used to love Walter John Williams, and have Hardwired in both hard and softcover (did you know that he helped playtest Cyberpunk 1e?). I've also read some Wolfe (go figure! ) and de Lint. Have you read any of these yourself? I'm still curious about the tone. S'Ria, huh? Given the basic rundown, it sounds to me like it still might be worth looking over just for assimilation purposes. If I created my own, I could give it the tone I want.
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Fenris
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Post by Fenris on Jan 26, 2008 10:03:38 GMT -5
Hmmm....you love Grim Stories and thrill to Conan? Sounds like a Solomon Kane fan to me! I think most of Howard's tales of that dour Puritan Adventurer are still in print, too. Really? I've seen Solomon Kane around (and there's a great collected edition that would go perfectly with my Conan collected edition), but, having no knowledge of the character or his stories, I haven't yet read any. I do know there's another author with a grim adventurer that I used to love, unfortunately, the name of both (writer and character) escapes me at the moment... once I remember I'll post it. If you like that kind of stuff, too, you'll love this guy. (Sorry I don't have any more than that... how embarrasing! All I can remember is he's a huge guy with a big red beard... not very helpful, huh?). EDIT: Got it! The character and writer in question is Kane, by Karl Edward Wagner. Some really great stuff! Kind of odd I couldn't think of the name "Kane" when we were writing about Solomon Kane, huh? Talk about your blind spots...! I'll google Solomon Kane sometime soon, too. Any story titles you'd suggest and good "jumping on" points? I've always loved Leiber in concept, but the stories never reflect my own tastes (which is due to my tunnel vision, no pun intended, than to his writing skill). In my youth I had a much greater range of tastes, but as I've gotten older and have less time to spend on hobbies and interests, paring down to the core has become more of a necessity than a preference. Most of my Leiber has been from anthologies with many different authors, and for some reason they always want to include his more goofy stuff. If you have some of the heavier Lahnkmar story titles, please share!
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order99
7th Level Troll
Coffee-fueled Carrion That Walks Like a Man
Posts: 1,039
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Post by order99 on Jan 26, 2008 11:17:24 GMT -5
There's FIVE books in the Liavek series? Whee, more reading material! RE: Lieber from anthologies-the one problem with that is that you're at the mercy of the Editor's tastes-and the more light-hearted fare goes down easier with mainstream audiences. For most of the great Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, you should try: Swords and Deviltry Swords Against Wizardry Swords against Death Swords in the Mist And skip the lighthearted ones. Of course, Lieber wrote far more than the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series, he's done tons of Sci-fi and Horror (A Specter is Haunting Texas, Our Lady of Darkness, Conjure Wife et al)-not Sword & Sorcery but worth a read or two. As far as Solomon Kane goes, the stories (like Conan's tales) are in no particular order-just jump into the first one you can find, i've yet to find a bad one!
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Post by gamepunk26 on Jan 26, 2008 13:31:51 GMT -5
IF you like your fantasy dark and pulpy try any of the Warhammer novels from Games Workshop. Warhammer is very dark and keeps the good guys on their toes.
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Fenris
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Post by Fenris on Jan 26, 2008 13:49:23 GMT -5
IF you like your fantasy dark and pulpy try any of the Warhammer novels from Games Workshop. Warhammer is very dark and keeps the good guys on their toes. If by "keeps the good guys on their toes" you mean because that's the only part still touching the floor while they are suspended from the ceiling, then I'm there, dude!
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order99
7th Level Troll
Coffee-fueled Carrion That Walks Like a Man
Posts: 1,039
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Post by order99 on Jan 27, 2008 2:24:53 GMT -5
Just in passing, Fenris, I think I figured out your "blind spot". Not only does Kane sound like Solomon Kane, but Karl Edward Wagner got to do some of the "aftermarket" Conan novels for a time! While I normally loathe such heresies, i'm told that Mr. Wagner actually did the late REH justice! He packs a mean Cthulu Mythos too, right up there with Ramsey Campbell and T.E.D Klein...
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uburoi
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Rarr 'n' stuff.
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Post by uburoi on Jan 27, 2008 9:11:39 GMT -5
Got my copy of "Mage's Blood" yesterday! Whee! Now of course I don't want to read it 'cause then I'll have read it and it'll be over and that'll be it... bleh! Picked up an anthology yesterday of Robert Aspirin's "Thieve's World" stories - I'm familiar with the title, know there was an RPG adaptation awhile back, never read any of them that I can recall, but it's a BIG anthology and was a whole $.50 at the library sale, so I figured what the hey. (Partial additional swag: a Lone Wolf RPG book I didn't have, an etymological dictionary, "Skinny Dip" by Carl Hiaasen, and a copy of "Charlie And The Great Glass Elevator"! Double Whee!
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horsa
2nd Level Troll
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Post by horsa on Jan 29, 2008 8:19:11 GMT -5
For those who like Howard the "Death Dealer" series by frank Frazetta and James Silke aren't bad.
And for a sly take on Adventurer culture, dungeon crawling etc try Jim C. Hines "Goblin Quest" if the sequels are anything like as funny these will become classics. Jig the goblin is the best unlikely hero since Bilbo wazzizname.
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Fenris
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Post by Fenris on Jan 29, 2008 9:34:42 GMT -5
For those who like Howard the "Death Dealer" series by frank Frazetta and James Silke aren't bad. Death Dealer novels? I am intrigued! I have some Death Dealer comics which were written by the great Glenn Danzig... which just goes to show that he can write some top-notch music and he's got style to spare... but he can't write a comic worth a hoot! They just weren't good at all. That was disappointing, as I'm a hardcore Danzig nut, but, eh, oh well. Anyway, yeah, if Death Dealer stories are in novel form, yeah, I would really like to try one of those! Is it correct that you are talking about novels?
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horsa
2nd Level Troll
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Post by horsa on Jan 29, 2008 10:10:22 GMT -5
Yes, they are novels. Prisoner of the Horned Helmet, Tooth and Claw, and two others.
They are OOP, but a search of the usual suspects should turn them up among the used book sellers.
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Fenris
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Post by Fenris on Jan 29, 2008 10:14:37 GMT -5
Yes, they are novels. Prisoner of the Horned Helmet, Tooth and Claw, and two others. They are OOP, but a search of the usual suspects should turn them up among the used book sellers. Kewl, thanks. Yeah, I'll look 'em up. We also have some pretty decent used bookstores around here that might have 'em. Muchly appreciated!
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Post by zanshin on Jan 30, 2008 5:27:21 GMT -5
I'm a big fan of David Gemmell, especially his Drenai series, and Knights of Dark Renown - great heroic fantasy - a bit less magical then Trollworld, but the concept of specialist magicians would fit perfectly into his settings.
Hes not big on non human races - the closest fit are 'Joinings' a meld of a human and a beast, with the characteristics of both. Demons do make regular appearances though.
Particularly recommend Legend, the Chronicles of Druss the Legend, Waylander, and the Swords of Light and Shadow. But they are all good.
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Fenris
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Post by Fenris on Jan 30, 2008 21:20:21 GMT -5
"New Adventures of Flash Gordon" is on YouTube? ... Welp, there goes MY weekend. It's amazing, to be sure. It's not without it's faults Having learned my lesson from the Buck Rogers TV Series DVD set, I'm watching the inferior 2nd season (of Flash Gordon) first. A word of warning: It is putrid.I haven't seen first season yet, other than what's been on YouTube (which has been awesome), but if I had just bought Season 2 only, I would be mad as hell. I do NOT recommend this show, based on what I'm watching now. Stick to the YouTube first seasons and enjoy it for free.
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