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| SFReader Forums > Book, Magazine, and eZine Publishers > Flashing Swords > Greatest Authors and Stories of Sword and Sorcery | Forum Quick Jump
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
      
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/6/2005 9:12 AM (GMT -4) |   | Below I have collected a list of the best authors and stories of Sword and Sorcery that I know of. Please help me find the best authors and stories that are missing from the list. Tell me if you disliked any of the Authors or Stories on the list and why? Also which authors would you rate as having written the best Sword & Sorcery/Sword and Planet/Lost Race ect. stories ? Please back up your opinion with the name of the book containing your favorite story.
(Note the authors and stories listed below are not rated in any specific order. Let me know which ones are your favorites!)
A. Merritt's (The Moon Pool, The Ship of Ishtar)
Barry Sadler (Casca)
C. L. Moore (Jiriel of Joiry, Black God's Kiss)
Charles Saunders (Imaro)
Clark Ashton Smith (unsure which of his collections are S&S and which are gothic horror)
David C. Smith (Oron)
David Gemmell (Legend)
E. R. Eddison (The Worm Ouroboros)
Edgar Rice Burroughs (John Carter of Mars / Tarzan)
Fritz Leiber (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser)
Gardner F. Fox (Alan Morgan Of Llarn)
Gardner F. Fox (Kothar—Barbarian Swordsman)
H. Rider Haggard (Eric Brighteyes, She, King Solomon's Mines)
Harold Lamb (Khlit the Cossack)
Henry Kuttner (Elak of Atlantis)
Jack Vance (The Dying Earth)
John C. Hocking (Conan and the Emerald Lotus, Flashing Swords)
John Jakes (Brak: The Barbarian)
John Jakes (The Last Magicians)
Johnston McCulley's (The Mark of Zorro )
Karl Edward Wagner (Kane Novels)
L. Sprague de Camp
Larry Niven (Unsure of book titles)
Lawrence Watt-Evans: Lure of the Basilisk (Lords of Dus) / Misenchanted sword (S&S?)
Leigh Brackett (The Sword of Rhiannon)
Lin Carter (Thongor and the Wizard of Lemuria)
"Lord Dunsany : (Time and the Gods Six Story Anthology (Featuring A Dreamer's Tales, The Gods of Pegana, Time and the Gods, The Book of Wonder, The Sword of Welleran and The Last Book of Wonder)
Michael Crichton (Eaters of the Dead)
Michael Moorcock (Elric of Melniboné)
Michael Shea (Nifft the Lean)
Nietzin Dyalhis (unsure of book titles)
Norvell Page (Prester John)
Otis Adelbert Kline (Robert Grandon of Venus, Book 1 Planet of Peril)
Poul Anderson (The Broken Sword)
R.A. Salvatore (Dark Elf Books)
Robert Asprin (Thieves World)
Robert E. Howard (Kull, Conan, ect)
Sir Richard Francis Burton (The Arabian Nights)
Talbot Mundy (Tros of Samothrace)
William Beckford's (Vathek)
William Morris (Not sure about his best books)
I will add your input to the list above! Thanks for your help!
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chuck g.
Stablehand
Date Joined Oct 2005
Total Posts : 21
| Posted 12/6/2005 9:40 AM (GMT -4) | | I would also add the following:
Leigh Brackett, The Ginger Star Seires: The Ginger Star, Hounds of Skaith, Reavers of Skaith.
Ramsey Campbell, Ryre the Swordsman: The Changer of Names
Lin Carter Lost, World of Time
David Drake Vettius, and his Friends: especially 'The Mantichore' and 'Dragon's Tooth'.
Darrell Schweitzer, the Julian the Apostate stories. The book is entitled We Are All Legends, my favorite stories are 'The Castle of Kites and Crows' and 'Divers Hands'.
I would also recommend Robert E. Howard's 'Sowers of the Thunder' and 'Cormac mac Art'. Not sword and sorcery, but great historical swashbucklers.
I'm sure there are more, but this is all I can think of off the top of my head.
Hope this helps.
Chuck | | Back to Top | | |
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/6/2005 9:44 AM (GMT -4) | | | Thanks Chuck! That is just the type of feedback I was looking for. If you think of anything else please let me know. | | Back to Top | | |
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jonesha
Forum Moderator
Date Joined Jun 2004
Total Posts : 655
| Posted 12/6/2005 10:20 AM (GMT -4) | | Steve, there's a lot on your list I can help with, but I'm working on a term paper this week--I'll try to get to you soon. For instance, nothing Morris wrote reads like sword and sorcery.
best,
Howard
Editor-in-Chief
www.swordandsorcery.org
Flashing Swords E-Zine | | Back to Top | | |
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John Hocking
The Olde Prospector
Date Joined Jun 2004
Total Posts : 144
| Posted 12/6/2005 10:31 AM (GMT -4) | | CRASH!
That's the windows of my study exploding outward, blasted from their frames by my expanding head.
Great to see my name on the list, but it doesn't belong there.
Maybe someday, Steve.
You should probably include...
Andrew Offutt (Cormac Mac Art pastiches-especially WHEN DEATH BIRDS FLY- & the Tiana stories with Richard Lyon)
Eric Van Lustbader (Sunset Warrior Trilogy- actually more Sword & Planet, but fabulous stuff)
John Madox Roberts (KING OF THE WOOD- I haven't read it yet, but if Morgan Holmes says that it's one of the ten best Sword & Sorcery novels of all time, you gotta know it's great)
Richard Tierney (Simon of Gitta stories)
I'll go double check the timeline over on S&S.org.
Bet we still don't have them all.
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/6/2005 10:45 AM (GMT -4) | | Hi John,
Thank you for contributing to this topic. I'm a big fan of your work! I really loved "The night in the archives". All the little details for the observant reader was what made it a great tale in my book and made the twist at the end even better. I think all great stories, S&S and others, should have this hint of a mystery to keep the reader interested and to provide a sense of reward when the plot twist occurs in the direction you suspected.
Thanks from a fan and keeping writing the great stories,
Steve | | Back to Top | | |
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jonesha
Forum Moderator
Date Joined Jun 2004
Total Posts : 655
| Posted 12/6/2005 10:49 AM (GMT -4) | | I knew some folks would chime in. We're actually at work on a master list of anthologies and s and s authors, with some fabulous groundwork layed already by G.W. Thomas. But it takes a while to do this kind of thing properly. By this time next year, and hopefully sooner, there should be a master reference list available at the swordandsorcery.org half of the site. I really don't want to post it until it's complete.
Right, really must get back to work...
Howard
Editor-in-Chief
www.swordandsorcery.org
Flashing Swords E-Zine | | Back to Top | | |
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baritsu6
Neophyte
Date Joined Mar 2005
Total Posts : 122
| Posted 12/6/2005 11:08 AM (GMT -4) | | wan tengri[ prester john] by norvell page, hyperborian tales of clark ashton smith , kardios [ sword and sorcery] and hok[ caveman action] and cahena by manly wade wellman , dragon lord by david drake, kyrick series by gardner fox, brak the barbarian by john jakes, elak of atlantis and prince raynor by henry kuttner.--and many more---ralph g.
ralph grasso | | Back to Top | | |
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/6/2005 11:11 AM (GMT -4) | | Hello Howard,
When you post the master list, do you think you could include some type of rating system to help us newbies start with the better stories first. With the long history of S&S, and the large number of stories, it seems overwhelming to find the creme of the crop.
Thanks | | Back to Top | | |
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/6/2005 11:23 AM (GMT -4) | | Does anyone else think that Nine Princes In Amber by Roger Zelazny could be consider a S&S story? I'm thinking about adding him to the list. I have also read somewhere about Zelazny producing some other S&S books as well. Something about a fellow riding a demon horse? I'll have to look for that.
Does anybody remember Larry Niven's Sword and Sorcery book? I heard good things about it. I know he is mostly a sci-fi writer, but apparently he has dabbled in S&S.
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jonesha
Forum Moderator
Date Joined Jun 2004
Total Posts : 655
| Posted 12/6/2005 1:49 PM (GMT -4) | | Amber yes--kind of. Genre bending, but great reads. Definitely there needs to be a rating system. Maybe 1 to 5 swords or something.
Editor-in-Chief
www.swordandsorcery.org
Flashing Swords E-Zine | | Back to Top | | |
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AndyBow
Acolyte
Date Joined May 2005
Total Posts : 267
| Posted 12/6/2005 2:52 PM (GMT -4) | | quote:
Originally posted by gardnersteve
Below I have collected a list of the best authors and stories of Sword and Sorcery that I know of....
A. Merritt's (The Moon Pool, The Ship of Ishtar)
Andy Beau (Prester John, Elak of Atlantis)
Barry Sadler (Casca)
C. L. Moore (Jiriel of Joiry, Black God's Kiss)
Charles Saunders (Imaro)
Clark Ashton Smith (unsure which of his collections are S&S and which are gothic horror)...
Well, if Hocking's window blew out of his room because he found his name included in your list, just think of what happened to my whole house when I see my name as the author of Elak and Prester John -- and I'm not even an author! I'm just a lil' ol' reviewer with the Forgotten Stories column over at SwordAndSorcery.org. I'm going to have to print this list and frame it! [:D]
I do notice that you did get the right authors of these two series listed further down in your list, so all that needs to be done is to just remove the line with my name in it (wouldn't want to be accused of plagiarism [;)]).
Speaking of the my Forgotten Stories column, this could be considered a list of lesser-known ("Forgotten") stories that I would personally recommend, though not necessarily in the order listed.
If you look in my "Warlocks And Warriors" anthology review in Forgotten Stories, you'll see a review of Zelazny's tale of Dilvish the Damned of Dilfar and his demon-possessed black steel horse.
As L. Sprague de Camp wrote in one of 1960s sword-and-sorcery anthologies: "If you reall like the genre and have only just discovered it, you have years of reading pleasure ahead of you. I envy you."
Andy Beau,
Associate Editor and
Columnist of Forgotten Stories of Fantastic Sword-fighters
@ www.swordandsorcery.org | | Back to Top | | |
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/6/2005 3:24 PM (GMT -4) | | Thanks for the correction Andy,
If anyone else notices an error on the list please let me know. Thanks in advance! | | Back to Top | | |
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trey
Neophyte
Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 72
| Posted 12/6/2005 4:56 PM (GMT -4) | | | Why would Mark of Zorro be considered sword and sorcery? | | Back to Top | | |
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/7/2005 8:36 AM (GMT -4) | | | True, but it definately has the swords part. (Sword & Sorcery/Sword and Planet/Lost Race ect.) Zorro should fit under the ect. part of my original post. I plan on revising the list in the original post and perhaps putting some of the books under subcategories | | Back to Top | | |
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nikolai
Stablehand
Date Joined Jun 2005
Total Posts : 33
| Posted 12/7/2005 8:54 AM (GMT -4) | | Niven's contribution to S&S is two short stories: "Not Long Before the End" and "What Use is a Glass Dagger". They're both humourous, and not really in the tradition of the new edge.
If you include Niven, you should probably include Terry Pratchett. His early stuff is enormously influenced by S&S in general and Leiber in particular, "The Colour of Magic" starts off with Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser looking down on Lankhmar, sorry, I meant Bravd and the Weasel looking down on Ankh-Morpork. | | Back to Top | | |
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AndyBow
Acolyte
Date Joined May 2005
Total Posts : 267
| Posted 12/7/2005 10:40 AM (GMT -4) | | quote:
Originally posted by gardnersteve
True, but it definately has the swords part. (Sword & Sorcery/Sword and Planet/Lost Race ect.) Zorro should fit under the ect. part of my original post. I plan on revising the list in the original post and perhaps putting some of the books under subcategories
Steve, maybe part of your "etc." grouping could be what we call "swashbuckling historicals" over at SwordAndSorcery.org. See our defintion for it, and sword-and-sorcery and sword-and-planet, beginning in the middle of this page. http://www.swordandsorcery.org/guidelines.asp
Depending on the action and excitement of the story itself, Zorro may fit in.
Of course, these are only our particular definitions, others may have different ones that they prefer.
Andy Beau,
Associate Editor and
Columnist of Forgotten Stories of Fantastic Sword-fighters
@ www.swordandsorcery.org | | Back to Top | | |
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/7/2005 11:32 AM (GMT -4) | | Here is a partial update to the list!
Ancient Sword and Sorcery
Author Title
Epic of Gilgamesh
Homer The Iliad
Homer The Odyssey
The Argonautica
Greek Mythology
Beowulf
Volsunga Saga
Sword and Sorcery (Claim to Faim)
Note some of these stories are sword and planet, fantasy, ect)
Anderson, Poul The Broken Sword
Asprin, Robert Thieves World
Beckford, William Vathek
Brackett, Leigh The Sword of Rhiannon, Ginger Star Series
Jakes, John brak the barbarian by john jakes
Burroughs, Edgar Rice John Carter of Mars / Tarzan
Burton, Sir Richard Francis The Arabian Nights
Campbell, Ramsey Ryre the Swordsman: The Changer of Names
Carter, Lin Thongor and the Wizard of Lemuria, Lost, World of Time
Crichton, Michael Eaters of the Dead
de Camp, L. Sprague
Drake, David Vettius, and his Friends: especially 'The Mantichore' and 'Dragon's Tooth'
Drake, David dragon lord
Dunsany (Lord Dunsany) (Time and the Gods Six Story Anthology (Featuring A Dreamer's Tales, The Gods of Pegana, Time and the Gods, The Book of Wonder, The Sword of Welleran and The Last Book of Wonder)
Dyalhis, Nietzin
Eddison, E. R. Worm Ouroboros
Gardner F. Fox Alan Morgan Of Llarn, Kothar—Barbarian Swordsman
Haggad, H. Rider Eric Brighteyes, She, King Solomon's Mines
Harrison, John M. The Pastel City, (Viriconium, Fantasy)
Hocking, John C. Conan and the Emerald Lotus, Flashing Swords (Personal Favorite)
Hodgson, Hope Boats of the Glen Carrig
hok[ caveman action] hok[ caveman action]
Howard, Robert E. Kull, Conan, ect
Howard, Robert E. Sowers of the Thunder, Cormac mac Art
Jakes, John Brak: The Barbarian, The Last Magicians
kardios [ sword and sorcery] kardios [ sword and sorcery]
Kline, Otis, Adelbert Robert Grandon of Venus, Book 1 Planet of Peril
Kuttner, Henry Elak of Atlantis
kuttner, Henry elak of atlantis and prince raynor
kyrick series by gardner fox kyrick series by gardner fox
Lamb, Harold Khlit the Cossack
Leiber, Fritz Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
Lustbader, Eric Van Sunset Warrior Trilogy- actually more Sword & Planet
McCulley, Johnston The Mark of Zorro (Swashbuckling / No Sorcery)
Merritt, A. The Moon Pool, The Ship of Ishtar
Moorcock, Michael Elric of Melnibone, Hawkmoon, Von Bek, Corum, Sojan
Moore, C. L. Jiriel of Joiry, Black God's Kiss
Morris, William
Mundy, Talbot Tros of Samothrace
Niven, Larry Not Long Before the End, Glass Dagger
Offutt, Andrew Cormac Mac Art pastiches, When Death Birds Fly, Tiana stories with Richard Lyon
Page, Norvell Prester John
Roberts, John Madox King of the Wood
Sadler, Barry Casca
Salvatore, R. A. Dark Elf Books
Saunders, Charles Imaro (S&S in africa)
Schweitzer, Darrell Julian the Apostate stories. We Are All
Tolkien, J. R. Hobbit, LoTR, ect (High Fantasy)
Legends, 'The Castle of Kites and Crows' and 'Divers Hands'.
Shea, Michael Nifft the Lean
Smith, Clark Ashton hyperborian tales
Smith, David Gemmell
Terry Pratchett The Colour of Magic/ Bravd and the Weasel
Tierney, Richard Simon of Gitta stories
Vance, Jack The Dying Earth, Eyes of the Overworld
Wagner, Karl Edward Kane Novels
wan tengri[ prester john]? wan tengri[ prester john]?
Watt-Evans, Lawrence Lure of the Basilisk (Lords of Dus) / Misenchanted sword (S&S?)
Wellman , Manly Wade cahena
Zelazny, Roger Nine Princes In Amber, Dilvish the Damned of Dilfar
(Please be patient. I am still adding names of authors/books/and making decisions on scoring. Thank you.)
Gothic Horror
(Why? Because of some of the great beasties)
Dunsany
Biss, Gerald
Blackwood
Chambers
Dereth Lovecraftian
Hodgson, Hope
Kline, Leonard
Ligotti, Thomas
Lovecraft H. P.
Lumley Necroscope, Lovecraftian
Machen, James
Merritt, A.
Reousseau, Victor
Rohmer, Sax
Smith, Clark Ashton
Wanderlai
Wellman. Wade
(Still a Work in Progress)
Other Pulp
(Why? Because I like it to!)
The Shadow
Fu Manchu
Doc Savage
Various Weird Tales
(Still a Work in Progress)
I will add your input to the list above! Thanks for your help!
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Jay Stevol
Neophyte
Date Joined May 2005
Total Posts : 154
| Posted 12/8/2005 1:57 PM (GMT -4) | | You might like to add Hope Hodgson's "Boats of the Glen Carrig" to S&S, or at least prototype S&S. It has sailors, monsters, swashbuckling, damsels in distress, the whole gamut. He wrote some other nautical tales, including the similarly action-packed and more tightly-plotted "Ghost Pirates" but I haven't read enough of the others to comment.
M John Harrison's "The Pastel City" I would term S&S, though not the rest of his Viriconium tales, which are rather more surreal, though worth reading. Michael Moorcock wrote several other S&S tales beyond Elric: Hawkmoon, Von Bek, Corum, Sojan (S&P).
Also, why no Tolkien? Considering some of the names on that list, I'd definitely include LOTR there. | | Back to Top | | |
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/8/2005 2:15 PM (GMT -4) | | Thanks for the input. I've added your comments to the list. Which of Moorcocks S&S is best after Elric by the way?
No disrespect to J.R. Tolkien. I will add his name to the list. He is more high fantasy in my opinion, but I was a bit loose about adding many of the other authors who really are not strickly S&S either. Also I would assume everyone knows about his work ;-) | | Back to Top | | |
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Red Viper
Acolyte
Date Joined Mar 2005
Total Posts : 439
| Posted 12/9/2005 7:29 AM (GMT -4) | | Well, I was going to suggest Tierney and Zelazny, but John Hocking and Andy Beau already have set the list straight on those guys. I'm going to pick a fight, though, and wonder about Gardner Fox's inclusion on the list. Yeah, I know he wrote a lot of stuff, but I've read "Kothar of the Magic Sword" and found it pretty much derivative and dull. So much so that I never bothered to read any more. But you cited Kothar as a reason for adding Fox to the list, so ...
Do you guys think Kothar and Fox belong here? Are there some other Fox sword-and-sorcery stories I should read that will make me feel better about him being on the list? Or was I just in a really foul mood when I read Kothar and thus unable to appreciate its grandeur? I'll admit I have not read the Llarn stuff. Is it better than Kothar?
Help me out, gang.
Red Viper, aka Steve Goble
Current and upcoming stories: "The Redemption of Calthus," in Flashing Swords now; "Gram's Gift," in Amazing Journeys Magazine #9, out now; "The Grey Mother" and "The Bloated Curse," upcoming in Flashing Swords; "The Hungry Bottle," upcoming in Sword's Edge | | Back to Top | | |
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/9/2005 8:19 AM (GMT -4) | | Hi Steve/RedViper,
Thanks for your opinion about Gradner Fox's work. I would like to put together some ratings for the different authors. If you really like or don't like an author on the above list please post your rating for them. (1-5 swords) The best of the best, such as Howard's Conan, should be 5 swords and the obscure so-so authors should be rated approxametly 1-3 swords. If you couldn't stand to finish the book then maybe we will give that a 0 on the rating scale.
Thanks for the input! | | Back to Top | | |
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jonesha
Forum Moderator
Date Joined Jun 2004
Total Posts : 655
| Posted 12/9/2005 9:11 AM (GMT -4) | | Hey all,
This is something Andy and Ryan and I are working on right now, based on some fabulous work from G.W. Thomas and our own reading experiences. There will be a master thumbnail review list. Anyone else who is well read and wants to join in and lend a hand is more than welcome, although we will be editing to have a single editorial vision. Ideally we can split the list up a bit just to make it more manageable--though I'd like any who are intersted in helping to be quite well-read in the genre so they have a yardstick to measure against. For instance, it has been suggested elsewhere that the Sword and Sorceress are great sword and sorcery, whereas I think most who enjoy this zine would probably rank that series pretty darned low--although there are some standout stories in some of the collection.
Anyone interested in helping, post here or contact me.
best,
Howard
Editor-in-Chief
www.swordandsorcery.org
Flashing Swords E-Zine | | Back to Top | | |
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gardnersteve
Timeless (Lostsouls.mud)
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 90
| Posted 12/9/2005 9:24 AM (GMT -4) | | Hi Howard,
I'm very well read in most fantasy, and sci-fi though still digging into the old masters of S&S building from the early pulps and on up. I would be glad to help in anyway possible, but I understand if my qualifications limited me from giving a hand. I'm a master at researching topics and would be glad to take on a project or two if you need help ;-).
Cheers,
Steve
Some Authors/Books I have read ..... Homer The Iliad, Homer The Odyssey, Various Greek Mythology, Beowulf, Howard, Robert E. (Kull, Conan) Leiber, Fritz (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser) Asprin Robert (Thieves World), Burton, Sir Richard Francis (The Arabian Nights), Crichton, Michael (Eaters of the Dead), Haggad, (She, King Solomon's Mines), McCulley, Johnston (The Mark of Zorro), Salvatore, R. A. (Dark Elf Books, Cleric Quintet), Tolkien, J. R. (Hobbit, LoTR, ect), Zelazny, Roger (Amber Series), Watt-Evans (Almost everything he's written), Glen Cook (Dark Company Series), Simon Green (Blue Moon Rising),Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time/Conan) and the list goes on and on including a great deal of sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction ect.
Currently reading .... any S&S I haven't found / Lovecraftian Mythos / Pulps : Doc Savage, Shadow, ect. | | Back to Top | | |
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darkbow
Rabbit lord
Date Joined Oct 2005
Total Posts : 1647
| Posted 12/10/2005 3:39 PM (GMT -4) | | | I'm just happy someone mentioned Andrew Offutt, one of my favs. :-) | | Back to Top | | |
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