Blogging Kull: Two Fragments

Kull:  Exile of Atlantis
Robert E. Howard
Del Rey, 317 p., $17 

In this post we'll look at the last of the Kull fragments, with a close examination of the racial attitudes displayed in one of them.  After that there are three lengthy and well known stories left to examine.

The first tale, although barely started (incomplete hardly comes close to describing this piece), has a title, "The Black City."  It takes place in the city Kamula, which seems from what few details are given to be something of a resort, to use modern terminology.  It's a place of art, music, and poetry.

Kull is in the throne room, wishing he could get some rest when Brule bursts in, vowing to tear the entire city apart.  He and two other Picts, Grogar and Monaro, are hanging out when Grogar leans against a half column.  The column shifts back into the wall, Grogar falls into the darkness behind it, and the column begins to shut.  Monaro is able to get his sword in the crevice to prevent the hidden door from closing completely, but he and Brule are unable to open it again.

Memorial Day

I was going to post something appropriate for Memorial Day.  Then I read this post by Scott Oden.  I can't improve on that.

Status Report and Thank You's

Good afternoon (or whatever time it is when and where you're reading this).

For those of you either living in the States or US citizens living abroad, allow me to wish you a happy and safe Memorial Day.  If you are in the armed forces, allow me to offer my thanks and gratitude.  Your service and sacrifice is appreciated.

Hopefully your weekend will be restful and enjoyable and will include reflection on what and why we're celebrating.  Here on the South Plains, it's hot.  The record temperature for this day is 102 degrees Fahrenheit, and the thermometer in the car at 1:00 p.m. read 103.

Anyway, I haven't posted for a few days.  Not because I'm slacking off.  I've been reading an anthology that will premier in two weeks in order to have a review ready to go up the weekend the book launches along with an interview with the editor.  That will be the same weekend as Howard Days in Cross Plains, which I'm also trying to prepare for.  I've been trying to make progress in a novel I'll be reviewing.  My son completed the Third Grade this week (Yay!), so I've been celebrating that accomplish with him as well as just spending a little time with him before our regular summer schedule starts next week. Finally, I've got some projects in development, some of which involve Adventures Fantastic.  It might be another day or two before any new content goes live.  I've posted a list of links to some of my favorite posts at the bottom of the page in case you missed some of them.

May has been the best month I've had since I started the blog.  I've had a record amount of traffic and have picked up some new followers.  I want to thank everyone who has taken time to visit, share comments, post links, or otherwise been supportive. Stay with me.  I'm just getting started.

Here are some selected posts:

I've been blogging about Kull, one story at a time.  Here's the first post.

In my opinion, Henry Kuttner, while acknowledged for his science fiction, did help keep sword and sorcery alive after Robert E. Howard's death.  Here's my look at the four stories in his Elak of Atlantis series.

My analysis of  Robert E. Howard's "Skull-Face" was one of my earliest posts, and one of the most popular.

Besides fantasy, this blog also looks at historical adventure.  Here's a look at the first in a series I intend to return to later in the summer.

Finally, some of my opinions.

Some Thoughts on the Occasion of Oprah Winfrey's Final Show

For some, today is a day of great sadness.  Oprah Winfrey, mogul, talk show hostess, would be kingmaker, and self-appointed arbiter of what we should all be reading, is closing out her show with its final broadcast.  And while it's sure to be a sobfest with a lot of celebrities giving testimonials about how Oprah has changed their lives, given them meaning, and cured them of rickets, it truly marks the end of an era. 

About time, I say.

Now maybe we can get someone to step into the vacuum and start a book club to promote what we should really be reading.  Fantasy (especially sword and sorcery), historical adventure, science fiction, and noir.  Can you imagine what publishing would be like if someone with as many sheep minions followers as Oprah has were to get on national television and promote Robert E. Howard?  Or Jack McDevitt?  Or Harold Lamb?  How about Rafael Sabatini?  Michael Koryta?  Or, to be really radical, the poster child for all that's wrong in fantasy, Joe Abercrombie?  I could go on.

Can you just imagine it?  The shelves in bookstores, Wal-Marts, and supermarkets would be packed with great stuff to read rather than, well, the stuff they're packed with now.

Of course, those writers appeal to people who aren't cattle who can actually think for themselves, rather than having someone on TV tell them what to read, so that would probably never work.

A Summary of Grand Masters

Christopher Heath has written a great post over at Home of Heroics about heroic fantasy grand masters and who they've influenced him.  His assessment is insightful and informative.  Check it out.  The only one I'd add (at least off the top of my head) would be C. L. Moore.  Her Jirel of Joiry series, while barely enough to fill a book, are powerful and eerie.  Jirel was one of the first warrior women, and created in a time when science fiction and fantasy was a male dominated field.  Moore's stories brought an emotional depth to the field that had been lacking in the bulk of the work published up to that point.  Heath credits Lovecraft for atmosphere.  While Moore's writing was certainly atmospheric, I would have to say one of the techniques at which Moore excelled was imagery.  I've been wanting to take a detailed look at her Northwest Smith series, which is really fantasy in a science fictional setting, for a while now. Imagery will be one of the things that series will focus on.  Hopefully those will start appearing by the end of the summer.

Long Looks at Short Fiction: "Travelers' Rest" by James Enge

"Traveler's Rest"
James Enge
Pyr Books
free download

The first installment of Long Looks at Short Fiction, back in the early days of this blog, was an examination of "Destroyer" by James Enge.  It's been in the top ten posts ever since it went live.

When I recently came across this short story on the Pyr website, I knew I had to write an LLaSF column about it.   It's just taken me a while to get to it.  Pyr has made this story available to celebrate the publication of its 100th title, The Wolf Age by, who else, James Enge. It's set before the events of Blood of Ambrose and is self contained.  If you're not familiar with Enge's alcoholic swordsman/sorcerer Morlock, this story provides a good introduction.

There's an old saying that something is worth what you pay for it.  In this case, it's definitely not true.

Congratulations to the Nebula Award Winners

The winners of this year's Nebula Awards were announced yesterday in Washington, D.C.  They are

Novel:  Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis

Novella:  "The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers Beneath the Queen's Window" by Rachel Swirksky (Subterranean Summer 2010)

Novelette:  "That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made" by Eric James Stone (Analog 9/10)

Short Story  (tie):  "Ponies" by Kij Johnson  (Tor.com, 1/17/10)
                             "How Interesting:  A Tiny Man" by Harlan Ellison (Realms of Fantasy 2/10)

Adventures Fantastic would like to congratulate all the nominees and especially the winners.  A complete list of the nominees as well as winners of associated awards can be found here.