I listen to audiobooks because I can fit them in far easier than I can actual books, to read. But even as my bifocals have to continually work harder, I still enjoy actually reading, be it a physical copy, or on my Fire tablet (I prefer the former, but needs must win out sometimes). So, let’s look at some of what I’ve been reading lately.

THE WATERS OF ETERNITY – Howard Andrew Jones

I’ve been talking more about my Black Gate buddy since he announced he is battling brain cancer. As I mentioned last week, I re-listened to his two Dabir and Asim novels. I prefer the short stories, and this collection of six of them is my favorite featuring the duo. While still being sword and sorcery, with elements of the fantastic, these are more mysteries, which is what I really enjoy about the two.

Howard’s a really good writer, he loves these Arabian fantasies, and they mix sword and sorcery with mystery. And the ebook is dirt cheap. You can’t go wrong with this one.

WOLFE OF THE STEPPES – Harold Lamb

Lamb was a prolific Pulpster in the early 20^th Century. A historian as well, his adventure stories are detail-filled thrill-rides. There are eighteen tales of Khlit the Cossack, a gray-bearded survivor on the Asian steppes around the start of the 17^th Century.

Lamb was a great influence on Robert E. Howard, and Howard Andrew Jones collected all the Khlit stories in four volumes. There are three more books of Lamb’s adventure tales as well. The first story, which was much shorter than the others, didn’t do anything for me. However, the next two were novella-length adventures and much better. Other than REH, I don’t read Adventure stories, but I am enjoying Khlit and will continue on.

MARVEL CONAN THE BARBARIAN OMNIBUS – Roy Thomas

I have the first four hardback Marvel Conan Omnibuses, along with Thomas’ accompanying three memoirs. I periodically read an issue of the comic, and then I read the accompanying chapter from Thomas’ book. I am really enjoying this approach.

I’m on Omnibus volume three, and I’m up to an issue with Kull, Red Sonja, and Belit. A lot going on there! I’ve started writing a Black Gate series on the first ten issues of this comic. Part of the ever-growing list of things I need to make time to get around to doing…

 

THE LAST OF HIS KIND – Andy McCullough

The baseball postseason is about to start, and I’m a Dodgers fan. Dave Roberts will almost surely under-achieve and disappoint again. It’s built into his managerial DNA. Jackie Robinson is my idol, which makes him my favorite baseball player. My second-favorite is Clayton Kershaw. He’s one of the all-time greats on the mound and an amazing person off it. If heaven involves unlimited reading, I’m going to be diving back into baseball again. But, I’ll read about Kershaw now.

Kershaw is the kind of person I wish more baseball players were like. It would be easier to look up to them more. I think we can agree that many athletes who we admire for their ability on the field can be far less admirable for who they are off the field.

And if Kershaw had experienced more post season success, his legacy would be in Koufax’ class.

 

THE DEATH OF CARDINAL TOSCA – Hugh Ashton

My Sherlock Holmes credentials can stand up to just about anyone’s. And when I’m asked for the best pastiche writers, Hugh Ashton and Denis O. Smith are the first two names I offer up (August Derleth’s Solar Pons is than tagged as the perfect successor). Ashton’s stories are mostly shorter, and I prefer that, but Smith is still excellent.

Cardinal Tosca is one of Ashton’s Holmes novels, and I am reviewing it for a project. Ashton sounds more like Watson than Watson does! There are ‘trendy’ and big-name pastiche writers out there getting more attention. Whatever. With over two-hundred books on Doyle and Holmes, including a couple thousand pastiches, I appreciate a high quality pastiche, not just the name of the writer. And there’s no one better than Ashton. All of the stories are available cheap in digital format, and I recommend starting with the short stories. But Ashton is as good as we’re likely to see, in my opinion.

 

CONAN: THE SHADOW OF VENGEANCE – Scott Oden

After Heroic Legends loudly announced it had acquired the rights to Robert E. Howard’s properties – and then completely disappointing for multiple years – a series of digital short stories started appearing. Covering (so far) Conan, Belit, Solomon Kane, El Borak, and Bran Mak Morn, they have generated some excitement among REH fans.

I’m working on a post which will review several installments (Greg Mele has reviews coming sooner than that). The first I read was Oden’s novella, which first appeared in multiple issues of Marvel’s Conan comics relaunch (already over, as Titan now has the rights).

This one is a direct sequel to REH’s “The Devil in Iron” and it’s a worthy follow-up. I’m a fan of Oden’s historicals, especially Men of Bronze, which is a fantastic read. This is a good Conan novella, continuing the story from “Devil.” A solid first entry for me in the series, and I’m glad I picked this one. Oden does Conan well, and I hope he gets to write more of the iron-thewed Cimmerian.

 

COMING ATTRACTIONS…

More of the Heroic Legends Series

So, I’m going to review four or five of these stories, covering different characters. I’ve also read the lone Bran Mak Morn entry. I don’t care for Howard’s originals, and I didn’t have any more use for the pastiche. But I’m looking forward to checking out more – a few by authors I know and like.

More of Harold Lamb

With the Khlit stories growing longer, I’m going to read the first story or two in each of the three other collections: Swords from the Sea, Swords from the West, and Swords from the East. I think I’m gonna like Lamb, the more of him I read.

 

Steve Hockensmith’s Two Double-A Western Detective Agency Spin-Off Novels

Back in February, I did a DEEP dive into Steve’s fantastic Holmes on the Range series, which I had blogged about before. I read/listened to the entire series, then I did a new post, a comprehensive chronology, and then a Q&A with Steve. I’m a HUGE fan of these fun Western mysteries, with a Holmes influence.

He has now released Hired Guns, and No Hallowed Ground, featuring other operatives of the Double-A Western Detective Agency. I haven’t started these yet, but I’m really looking forward to more of Steve’s Old West sensibilities.

And I’m gonna have to update the Chronology!

Other What I’ve Been Reading

What I’ve Been Reading: November, 2023 (Holmes on the Range, The Caine Mutiny, Jules De Granden)

What I’ve Been Reading: September 2022 (Columbo, Douglas Adams, Cleveland Torso Murderer)

What I’ve Been Reading: May, 2021 (Cole & Hitch, Dortmunder, and Parker, and Tony Hillerman)

What I’ve Been Reading: September 2020 (Jo Gar, Sherlock Holmes, Casablanca the movie, more)

What I’ve Been Reading: January, 2020 (Glen Cook, John D. MacDonald, Howard Andrew Jones, more)

What I’ve Been Reading: December, 2019 (Scott Oden, Norbert Davis, David Dickinson)

What I’ve Been Reading: July, 2019 (Clive Cussler, Gabriel Hunt, Max Latin)

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Bob Byrne’s ‘A (Black) Gat in the Hand’ made its Black Gate debut in 2018 and has returned every summer since.

His ‘The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes’ column ran every Monday morning at Black Gate from March, 2014 through March, 2017. And he irregularly posts on Rex Stout’s gargantuan detective in ‘Nero Wolfe’s Brownstone.’ He is a member of the Praed Street Irregulars, founded www.SolarPons.com (the only website dedicated to the ‘Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street’).

He organized Black Gate’s award-nominated ‘Discovering Robert E. Howard’ series, as well as the award-winning ‘Hither Came Conan’ series. Which is now part of THE Definitive guide to Conan. He also organized 2023’s ‘Talking Tolkien.’

He has contributed stories to The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories – Parts III, IV, V, VI, XXI, and XXXIII.

He has written introductions for Steeger Books, and appeared in several magazines, including Black Mask, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, The Strand Magazine, and Sherlock Magazine.