Search Results for: Literary Wonder

Interviewing the Champion of Heroes, Jason M Waltz of Rogue Blades Entertainment and Foundation

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Jason M. Waltz has published 16 Books under Rogue Blades Entertainment (RBE), another 3 under Rogue Blades Foundation (RBF), having lured in authors Such as Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, C.L. Werner, Glen Cook, Steven Erikson, Ian C. Esslemont, William King, Andy Offutt, and spurred the writing careers of dozens. Not all are Sword and Sorcery (S&S), with weird western and pirate anthologies appearing, but most are.  Two of my favorite introductions to anthologies cap the ends of the RBE…

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A (Black) Gat in the Hand: William Patrick Murray – Who was N.V. Romero?

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“You’re the second guy I’ve met within hours who seems to think a gat in the hand means a world by the tail.” – Phillip Marlowe in Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep (Gat — Prohibition Era term for a gun. Shortened version of Gatling Gun) Will Murray has graced this column multiple times, and he has delved into a mystery or two. He’s got another one today, looking into a Pulp byline from the nineteen thirties that has gnawed away…

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Across Time: Claude Moreau and His Translator Scott Oden in Conversation

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This post packs two punches: A showcase of the New Treasure A Clockwork’s Dreaming: And Other Tales by Claude Moreau and Scott Oden (January 2025, 134 pages, Kindle and Paperback). An exclusive interview with the deceased author Claude Moreau, the living translator Scott Oden, and special appearances of Laurent Dupont, editor of the literary magazine Les Petites Merveilles. Yes, this article is historic and magical. Read on to learn how this came to be.

New Adventures for the World’s Favorite Barbarian

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Few things are more ubiquitous than Conan and fantasy. Decades of sword-swinging high adventure has earned the barbarian a following most can only dream of. It’s taken the heavily thewed warrior to the big screen, Marvel Comics, and more. But it’s his latest adventure at Titan Comics that may prove to be the icing on the proverbial Shadizarian cake. “This isn’t my first time writing Conan, but it’s definitely the most expansive opportunity I’ve ever had to chart the direction…

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Goth Chick News: (Another) Throwback Thursday – Johnny Depp, Roman Polanski, and The Club Dumas

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Last week’s article on Angel Heart not only resulted in a lot of fun and insightful comments from all of you, but it got me thinking about another film that I appreciate in a similar way. It will be twenty-six years old next month and having given it a re-watch last weekend, I wondered what your thoughts would be on this one. The Ninth Gate, directed by Roman Polanski and starring Johnny Depp, was released in March 1999. Polanski was…

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Midnight Rambles: H.P. Lovecraft in Gotham by David J. Goodwin

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Midnight Rambles: H.P. Lovecraft in Gotham (Empire State Editions, November 7, 2023) David J. Goodwin’s Midnight Rambles: H.P. Lovecraft in Gotham provides a narrow and deep slice of H. P. Lovecraft’s biography, detailing his personal and professional life during the few years he lived in New York City. Deeply researched and full of connections, Goodwin provides correction to some long-held Lovecraft biographical details and does not flinch from detailing Lovecraft’s innate hostility to non-WASP groups, ably describing it in the…

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Say It Ain’t So

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You’ve heard. I know you’ve heard. And I know what your reaction was — first, surprise… shock, even. Then sadness, and probably anger too. “Please, not again, Goddammit! And not him!” (And if you really haven’t heard, forgive me for being the bearer of bad news.) Those were my reactions, anyway, when I read about the New York Magazine story that was published early this year (“There is No Safe Word,” by Lila Shapiro; the article may be paywalled), a…

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Savage Sword of Conan is Back

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Savage Sword of Conan #1 (Titan Comics, February 2024). Cover art by Joe Jusko Savage Sword of Conan, from Titan Comics, is the comic book that I have been waiting for. It is a thing of perfection: art, story, presentation, physical format – all unmatched. The cover by Joe Jusko is brilliant, capturing some brutal imagery from the prose story within, penned by Jim Zub. I loved Joe’s work on the original SSoC run. The introduction by Roy Thomas was…

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A Singular Success: Fat City

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I hold people who write novels in awe. Because writing an entire book-length story is something that I could never do in a million years, I even have a measure of admiration and respect for people who write mediocre novels, so you can imagine how I feel about someone who writes a beautiful novel, a brilliant novel, a great novel; you can imagine how I feel about Leonard Gardner. “Leonard Gardner — who’s that? I’ve never heard of him.” Well,…

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Goth Chick News: And That’s a Wrap on Spooky Season 2024

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Since 2012 Black Gate Photog Chris Z and I have closed out spooky season with the Days of the Dead convention in November. For the past twelve years an O’Hare airport hotel has played host to the DotD, a horror and pop culture convention with annual stops in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, and Phoenix, wrapping up its tour in Chicago (where it also stops in March). Between the incredible array of vendors, the dedicated and detailed cosplayers, and the somewhat…

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