John R. Fultz – Page 8

Tanith Lee’s LIONWOLF Trilogy

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 John R. Fultz Comments 2 comments

A Masterwork of Transcendent High Fantasy

“Is she Weird? Is she White? Is she promised to the Night?”
— The Pixies, Bossanova 1990

“When I was nine, about a year after I learned how to read, I started to write.”
— Tanith Lee, LOCUS, April 1998

Introducing Tanith Lee is seldom necessary.

The majority of fantasy fans already know her name. After 77 novels and 300 short stories, among them such seminal fantasy classics as the Birthgrave trilogy, the Wars of Vis trilogy, the Tales From the Flat Earth quintology, the Secret Books of Paradys quadrology, and the Secret Books of Venus quadrology, her storytelling powers are still in full effect.

In a publishing world that does not always honor its Great Ones, it is often possible to miss out on the latest and greatest works of the field’s most gifted writers. Even a writer as established and lauded as Lee can get lost in the desperate shuffle to market and promote “hot-sellers.” Quality often takes a back seat to what the marketing department thinks will sell…and some amazing works of fantasy get less than the attention they deserve.

Case in Point: Tanith Lee’s latest masterpiece The LIONWOLF Trilogy. The series consists of three books that chronicle the birth, life, death, rebirth, and redemption of a rampaging man-god who strides red-handed across a world of endless winter and primordial savagery. The books are: Cast a Bright Shadow, Here in Cold Hell, and No Flame But Mine. Chances are you’ve missed seeing these books on your local bookstore’s shelves…which is a tragedy in and of itself. Like much of Lee’s previous work, this is a trilogy that no self-respecting fantasy fan can afford to miss. In today’s world of online booksellers — led by the grandaddy of them all, www.amazon.com — you no longer have to settle for what shows up on your local bookstore’s shelves. Thank the Gods for that…

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The Evil Genius of ORC STAIN

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 John R. Fultz Comments 5 comments

The Newest Must-Read Fantasy Comic…

os1 “And the Orcs took the fortress on the west slopes of Mount Rerir, and ravaged all Thargelion, the land of Caranthir; and they defiled Lake Helevorn.”
–J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion

“Violator! Desecrator! Turn around and meet the hater!”
–Rob Zombie, “Demonoid Phenomenon”

Orcs seem to be popping up everywhere these days. I’ve done my share of complaining about this. I’ve raved about how Orcs should be kept in Tolkien books…after all, he invented the beasties as a counterpart to his magnificent Elves. (Nevermind that that actual word “orc” existed before in reference to a water-monster.) Today there are even entire novels dedicated to Orcs.

And, to my great delight, at least one spectacular comic book.

ORC STAIN is the creation of writer/artist James Stokoe, and is published by Image Comics. This series “For Mature Readers” is a brand-new offering, with only two issues on the stands so far. However, it grabbed my attention on both a story and art level (a seemless blend) and quickly rose to the top of my must-read list. In fact, any fan of fantasy adventure fiction, sword-and-sorcery, dark fantasy, monster comics, or simply Those Who Dig Orcs owes it to himself to read this amazing experiment in non-corporate comics.

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Writers, Readers, and Glorious Fools

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 John R. Fultz Comments 2 comments

Novels vs. Short Stories, and Why We Write

“What fools these mortals be…”
–Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

“But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning around…”
–The Beatles, “Fool On the Hill”

A colleague of mine recently asked the question: “Why do we write short stories?” Good question. It set me to thinking: “Why do people READ short stories?”

Which set off a whole line of thought involving the reasons why writers write, and conversely, why readers choose to read what they read.

Readers: Which do you like best, novels or short stories? I may be a writer but I’ve been a reader a lot longer and my answer has to be “It depends on the novel or story.”

I’ve read novels that touched my soul and changed my life…and I’ve read short stories that did the same thing. In most of those instances, the novels seem to stay with me longer…maybe because of their greater size and time commitment. Yet I could never discount the power of marvelous short stories like Harlan Ellison’s “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream,” Robert Silverberg’s “The Reality Trip,” or Clark Ashton Smith’s “Xeethra.” (To name only three of hundreds.)

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Cthulhu Has Risen…

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 John R. Fultz Comments 7 comments

Anticipating CTHULHU’S REIGN (Part 3 of 3)

“You made me master of the world where you exist
The soul I took from you was not even missed.”

–Black Sabbath, “Lord of This World”

“The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination.”

–H. P. Lovecraft

At last, the stars are right.

The long-anticipated horror anthology CTHULHU’S REIGN finally hits stores this week, and the world of Lovecraft-inspired fiction will never be the same.

Last week I interviewed a few of the authors who contributed to the collection. In this third and final installment of “Anticipating CTHULHU’S REIGN“ several more Architects of the End have shared with me the dark secrets behind their stories.

Although these 15 tales share a common concept (Great Cthulhu rising up to reclaim the world for the Old Ones), there is a wide array of story types and styles at play here, from cosmic adventures to philosophical nightmares, to humanistic stories of survival in a world gone mad, and more. The sheer diversity of storytelling in this single volume is stunning–a testament to the anthology-building skills of editor Darrell Schweitzer. Yes, there are some experimental pieces in CTHULHU’S REIGN, but there is just as much old-school Weird Tales flavor, which makes for a delicious blend of horror and strangeness.

Richard Lupoff’s “Nothing Personal” takes a science-fiction approach to horror. “The first decision I had to make was, Will this be a science fiction story or a supernatural fantasy? I then referred back to an earlier story of my own, utilizing the theme of a distant planet that had gone undiscovered because its orbit is at right angles to the plane of the ecliptic, and moved on from there.” That planet is Yuggoth, which (like its grotesque inhabitants) is composed entirely of antimatter.

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It’s the End of the World As We Know It…

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 John R. Fultz Comments 8 comments

Anticipating CTHULHU’S REIGN (Part 2)

cthulhu12 — Cthulhu is watching. And waiting...

“And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

–Revelations 9.6

“Who will survive and what will be left of them?”

–White Zombie, “Real Solution #9”

Ask 15 writers what the End of the World will be like, and you’ll get 15 different answers. That’s exactly what editor Darrell Schweitzer did when putting together his latest anthology. Horror and Strangeness were the only constants. Oh, and Cthulhu, of course…

Last week I introduced CTHULHU’S REIGN, a new anthology from DAW Books featuring 15 new tales sharing a common theme: Great Cthulhu has risen and reclaimed the world for the Old Ones. What happens next?

This H. P. Lovecraft-inspired collection is an essential read for horror fans, Lovecraft fans, and anyone interested in survivalist fiction. Although surviving in a universe warped and twisted by the Great Old Ones may not even be possible. As the saying goes: “Evolve or die.” But even death may be no escape from Cthulhu’s World.

This week (and next) I’m talking with some of the authors who wrote stories for CTHULHU’S REIGN about what inspired their tales of terror and madness.

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Everybody Loves Cthulhu…

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 John R. Fultz Comments 7 comments

Anticipating CTHULHU’S REIGN (Part 1)

Available on April 6, 2010...the end is near... — CTHULHU’S REIGN is coming on April 6…

“After vigintillions of years great Cthulhu was loose again, and ravening for delight.”
– H. P. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu,” 1928

“I want to know the same thing we all want to know: How’s it going to end?”
–Tom Waits, Orphans, 2006

There was a time, not so long ago, when only those who read H. P. Lovecraft’s masterful tales of cosmic horror had heard the name “Cthulhu.” In 2010 that is no longer the case. Thanks to an ever-growing legion of Lovecraft fans, books, magazines, movies, games, and web sites, Cthulhu has taken his place firmly among the Greatest Monsters of All Time.

Dracula. Frankenstein. Wolf-Man. Mummy. King Kong. Godzilla. Cthulhu.

Anyone can add a few more of his favorite monsters to this list, but one thing’s for sure: Great Cthulhu has risen into the mortal consciousness in a way that Lovecraft himself probably never imagined. And what’s not to love about this mountainous space-god with the head of a colossal squid, demonic batwings, a bloated and scaly body, and the ability to sleep for eons beneath the Pacific Ocean while sending evil dreams to haunt mortal men? Today, even folks who have never read a Lovecraft story have heard of ol’ squid-head and his legacy.

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