Friend of the blog, publisher, editor, author, and all around great guy, Jason M. Waltz, is launching a S&S Kickstarter for a new anthology entitled Neither Beg Nor Yield. Jason has published some great anthologies over the years. I’ve been privileged to appear in a few of them.
This will be Rogue Blades Entertainment’s final publication.
You’re gonna want to grab a copy of this one. Here’s the link to the Kickstarter page where you can be notified when the project goes live on August 22. It will run through September 19.
And here are Jason’s thoughts on what led him to pursue this project:
Background on NBNY: If you’ve had the opportunity to read the foreword to Perry’s Swords & Heroes that came out in May, that is my motivation to end my publishing career with a wallop of power. Writing, rewriting, and rereading that over a few weeks pumped me up to the extreme and essentially forced me to emphatically define my interpretation of S&S.
I have long felt a growing angst about the ongoing disputes of the definition of Sword & Sorcery – a definition that to me has grown far too convoluted and frankly cumbersome. Once, decades ago, I was of the restrictive mindset that S&S had to be a particular this or that, more in the mold of Conan than not. Yet even then, I did not recognize several prominent characters as truly S&S protagonists despite popular belief to the contrary. I felt right in my convictions yet also felt it somehow inconclusive, felt that something was absent, a missing link scratching at my thoughts for years. I have also totally believed that there is a direct line from the vast majority of today’s entertainment (of any variety) to S&S and thus Howard. Then a few years ago it hit me that S&S is purely — and simply — an attitude, an attitude of its author’s storytelling for certain, but specifically the attitude of its protagonist. Once I recognized that, everything clicked for me. Of course, a story that holds all of Jones’ 4 ingredients and Murphy’s 7 parameters should be a S&S tale — but it is not a guarantee, for there are many that are not. And I don’t think that’s purely opinion; it’s demonstrable truth to me. If the protagonist does not have the requisite Attitude — I don’t care how many of those items can be checked off, it ain’t a S&S tale. And that is not a negative: It can be a perfectly spectacular heroic fantasy story I won’t argue one whit about; label it S&S and I will. On the other hand, a story that on the surface barely touches upon the ‘sacred 11’ can be one of the best ever told S&S tales of all time so long as that protagonist holds true to the spirit, the Attitude, of S&S.
This is what I want to deliver, to emphatically declare, with NEITHER BEG NOR YIELD: the truest form of powerful S&S storytelling must be more than its atmosphere and accoutrements. It must be an attitude.
Once I knew what I wanted to say, all the names of the writers of my experience who could deliver exactly what I wanted myself and the world to read came instantly to mind. Seriously. Not a struggle. I loved my list, but to be certain, I poured over all the anthologies and magazines/zines of the last 20 years that I have or have access to, replayed dozens of conversations, communications, critiques, and characters I’ve loved; searched every written thing I could recall. I found many stories and names I recalled fondly…but my choices did not change. That is simply amazing to me. 23ish years of this publishing, reading, editing, and writing life and I clearly recalled everyone who wrote what I wanted — unintentionally and unknowingly retained for striking that just-right chord of my S&S soul.
Then came the most difficult challenge of all: getting all of them to join me. And they did. And so for me, this anthology is the winning epitome of my career whether another reader sees it or not.
Neither Beg Nor Yield will have 16 contributors. Possibly more if stretch goals are reached. Jason has asked me to reveal the names of two of the contributors. They are:
Bill Ward (currently of Goodman Games & had RBE stories in RETURN OF THE SWORD, RAGE OF THE BEHEMOTH, and DEMONS)
William King, who will be returning with a Kormak tale!
Other contributors will be announced in other venues. Some have already been announced, such as in Black Gate. Still more names will be released as August 22 draws closer.
Again, here’s the link to sign up to be notified when the Kickstarter goes live.
I’d say this one is gonna be good, but it won’t. It’ll be great!