Writing Fantasy Heroes Giveaway

Writing Fantasy Heroes
Jason M. Waltz, edl
Rogue Blades Entertainment

I recently wrote a post about my copy of Writing Fantasy Heroes arriving and how eager I was to dive into it. That post got more traffic, and certainly more comments, than most of the posts I’ve done in the last couple of months.

Since then, two things have happened. First, I’ve read about 1/3 of the book, and it’s every bit as good as I hoped. I’ll review the book once I’ve finished, so I won’t go into details here.

The second thing that happened, and the one that has a direct bearing on readers of this blog, is that I received an email a few days ago from Jason M. Waltz, the publisher of Rogue Blades Entertainment and the editor of the aforementioned book.

It seems a couple of years ago, I took advantage of a special RBE was running and prebought several titles. Writing Fantasy Heroes wasn’t one of them, probably because it wasn’t conceived of at the time. That’s a guess on my part. What isn’t a guess is that this is the book Jason had intended to make a part of the prepurchase deal, subbing this book for another one. But then I went and bought the book before he had a chance to send me my copy. He asked what I wanted to do about it, and I quickly decided to do a giveaway. Since Jason is the person who has the copy of Writing Fantasy Heroes in his possession and will be handling the mailing, this is a joint giveaway between Adventures Fantastic and Rogue Blades Entertainment.

So, here’s the deal. Between now and when I post the review, which will probably be just after Easter if I can keep the schedule I’ve sketched out, anyone who posts a comment here answering the following question will be entered. The question is: What one characteristic above all others is essential for a fantasy hero and why? Your answer could be long or short, but you have to say why that characteristic is the one you think is the most essential. Hopefully, this will generate some thought provoking discussion as well as a little buzz for RBE.

Once the review of Writing Fantasy Heroes goes live, I’ll put all the names in a hat and draw one at random. Actually, I probably have my son draw the name. He’d enjoy my involving him like that. I’ll announce that person’s name the day after I post the review. I’ll also contact that individual directly and/or pass that person’s name directly on to Jason. He will be mailing the book. This is an unread copy, not the copy I’ve got.

There is one other thing. The winner will be requested, but not required, to post a review of the book once they’ve read it, either on their own blog, Goodreads, Amazon, or some combination of the above.

Writing Report, 3/20/13

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I only got 378 new words tonight, and I’m pushing it to write this post. I’m that exhausted. The only reason I am writing this is I changed directions tonight. I didn’t scrap the two previous night’s work so much as set it aside. I realized that the story I was writing was too complex to be told in the amount of time and within the word count limitation I’m dealing with. I started another story, same characters, same series, but this one should be short and more straight forward. I fully intend to finish the one I started two nights ago, but as it’s going to have elements of mystery in it, I’ll need some time to make sure all the details and clues are where they need to be in order to play fair with the reader. The one I started on this evening is more pure sword and sorcery with a straightforward plot, emphasis on action rather than intrigue and suspense.

Writing Report, 3/19/13

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I only managed 525 words tonight. I’ve hit that point of fatigue where it’s time to call it quits. Tomorrow night is looking iffy, but I’m going to try to get something written. I need to keep the momentum going.

Writing Report, 3/18/13

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I’ve updated the writing report up at the top of the page, if anyone is paying attention. I started a new story tonight and completed 629 words. I’ve got a market in mind for this one that closes at the end of the month. Not really sure where this one is going. It’s an installment in my Prince Balthar and Rodrik series. I’ve got three of them already in various stages of completion. The logical thing would have been to finish one of those, except I’m not sure what to do with two of them, and the third I want to submit somewhere else. So I decided to start this one. I hope to have it finished within the week. It’s part of the things I didn’t manage to get done over spring break. My intention is to work on it every day until I type the last word. I’ll update the writing report as I go along.

Writng Fantasy Heroes Arrives

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Writing Fantasy Heroes
Jason M. Waltz, ed.
Rogue Blades Entertainment
trade paper, 202 pages, $14.99

This isn’t a review. That will come later, after I’ve read the book. I don’t normally profile books until I’ve read them, but in this case I’m making an exception. I think you’ll understand.

This volume contains 13 essays (plus an introduction by Steven Erikson) on how to write heroes in fantasy. The contributors include (in no particular order) Glen Cook, Brandon Sanderson, C. L. Werner, Howard Andrew Jones, Ian C. Esslemont, Ari Marmell, Paul Kearney, Orson Scott Card. I could go on. But I won’t. You can discover the rest for yourself.

I’ve reviewed works by several of the above here at Adventures Fantastic, and there are others on that list I haven’t gotten to yet, at least as far as reviews are concerned. There will be some great writing advice in there. (I know, I’ve already peeked.)

I also know some of the people who read this blog are writers at various stages of their careers. In the interest of helping you improve your craft (because I’m selfish and want great books by you to read), I thought I’d announce this book here. And, yes, gloat, because my copy arrived today. I’m going to steal time from some other commitments later tonight and start reading it. I’ll post a full review when I’m done.

Writing Fantasy Heroes is from Rogue Blades Entertainment and is available from Amazon and B&N. I was completely surprised when I heard about it. Rogue Blades Entertainment hasn’t had anything out in a while, and they’ve been sorely missed. Jason, it’s great to have you back.

Of Giants, and Beanstalks, and Unintended Consequences

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Jack the Giant Slayer
Rated PG-13
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewn McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Eddie Marsen, Ewan Bremner, Ian McShane

As a family outing, we went to see Jack the Giant Slayer a little over a week ago. I was expecting it to be an enjoyable film, but I was surprised at how well done the whole thing was.

The film is, of course, a take on the classic fairy tale, and there was a nice piece at the very end illustrating how the story in the film morphed into the story we’re all familiar with today.

The basic premise is that long ago, a group of monks tried to reach Heaven by creating some magic beans. When they climbed the beanstalk, they discovered a land between Heaven and Earth inhabited by man eating giants. The king at the time manages to defeat the giants by forging a crown from their blood. When he wears the crown, the giants have to do his bidding. He sends them home.

Years pass, and the king is long dead, the giants considered to be legend.

Cut to the present, where the evil Roderick isn’t satisfied with marrying Princess Isobelle. He wants to control the entire kingdom. And he’s found the crown and the remainder of the beans. Only there’s a priest who knows about Roderick’s scheme and steals the beans. He gives the beans to Jack in exchange for a horse, with the instructions to keep the beans away from water. (Where have we heard that before?)

Two heads aren’t always better than one.

You’re probably thinking you can guess the rest. Don’t be so sure. The story presented here is more complex than the fairy tale it’s based on. One of the things that this film does well is show how unintended consequences can really mess you over, starting with the monks who create the magic beans. Even the villains aren’t immune to this. I won’t get into specifics because I want to avoid spoilers, but the unintended consequences in this film are part of what made it worth watching. The story went in some directions I wasn’t expecting because of them.

Jack the Giant Slayer is rated PG-13 because of violence and some gross humor. My son isn’t quite 11 yet, but the movie was perfect for him. (Now that he’s getting to be old enough, there more movies I can take him to that don’t involve talking animals. I’ll probably review more films with an eye to what is and isn’t appropriate for that age range. Those of you with children about that age keep an eye out for them. And if there’s a film you’d like to see me review, let me know. No promises, but I’ll try to see and review as many as I can.) Not only did my son like the story, the special effects, and the humor, there were some good values promoted in the film. Values he picked up on and asked me about.

Not just the aforementioned unintended consequences, either. Courage and heroism are presented as positive things, with none of the postmodern disdain for a character who is good and noble. This was embodied in a number of characters.

Princess Isabelle is a more modern minded young lady than you find in the old fairy tales, something that’s become cliched in contemporary movies and much fantasy. On the other hand, she’s not overplayed in this regard. Elmot (Ewan McGregor), in addition to having hair that can withstand any circumstance, comes to accept Jack as a friend despite Jack being a commoner and Elmot of noble birth.

But the character who stole the show for me was King Bromwell, played by Ian McShane. He starts out as a self-absorbed king who is more concerned about rules than his daughter. He not only doesn’t know her, he doesn’t care how his decisions, namely her arranged marriage to Roderick, affect her happiness. This leads to her running away and ending up in the land of the giants. Yet, Brohmwell does open his eyes. One of his two most effective scenes was when he ordered his general to cut down the beanstalk to prevent the giants from climbing down the beanstalk even though Isabelle hasn’t returned. When the general just stands there, the king grabs the axe from his hand and starts cutting it himself.

It takes more than fancy armor to be a king.

The other is later in the film when the giants are laying siege to the castle. Bromhwell is fighting alongside his men, and Elmot tells the soldiers to get the king to safety. His response: “Like Hell!”

The only continuity issue I had with the movie was when the beanstalk is cut down, part of it falls on the castle. Yet just a few hours later, when the giants attack, there’s no sign it was there.

I found this the perfect fantasy movie for older children and preteens. Not too dark, but not all sweetness and light. There’s a good message of equality, courage, and sacrifice, but the message is second to the story. The way it should be. Highly recommended.

Blogging Northwest Smith: Dust of Gods

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“Dust of Gods” was the fourth Northwest Smith story, and it was the last of the series published in 1934. The picture on the left accompanied the story in its original publication in Weird Tales. I scanned it from the only reproduction I’m aware of, the anthology Weird Tales: 32 Unearthed Terrors (Dziemianowicz, Weinberg, and Greenberg, ed., Bonanza Books, 1988). The book was printed on paper not much higher grade than the original pulp, and it’s yellowed with lines of text bleeding through from the other side of the page. But at least you can get a feel for what it would have been like to read the story in its original appearance. (What, you didn’t think I could actually afford copies of Weird Tales from the 30s, did you?)

Anyway, this installment in the series is a departure from the earlier tales. For one thing, Smith is not off by himself getting into trouble. His partner Yarol the Venusian is with him. In other words, Smith has company when he gets into trouble.

Secondly, there isn’t any exotic feminine menace in this one, and there certainly isn’t any of the sexual imagery that we saw in “Shambleau“, “Black Thirst“, or “Scarlet Dream“. While there isn’t any sexual content or theme, there is still an exotic menace. But compared to the earlier ones, it’s not that great of a menace.

The menace this time is more of a science fictional nature. The previous stories were science fantasy. “Dust of Gods” is essentially science fiction, although not of the hard science, nuts and bolts variety.

The story opens with Smith and Yarol in a bar on Mars, drinking and commiserating about their lack of funds. They notice some men acting strangely at a nearby table. Smith and Yarol are contemplating approaching the men when another man at an adjacent table stops them. He tells the duo that the men worked for him but failed to complete a task, recovering something very ancient in a lost Martian city. He convinces Smith and Yarol to try and succeed where the others have failed.

What he tells them is that at one time, before man arose on Earth, there was a fifth planet from the Sun where now there are only asteroids. This planet was ruled by three gods, all long gone, and two of them forgotten by most members of the races currently inhabiting the solar system. The third is still remember, and goes by the name Pharol. In fact Yarol had used his name as an oath minutes before the man approach him and Smith.

These gods came from another realm, and ruled until catastrophe befell the fifth planet. All that’s left of Pharol is dust, and it’s this dust the man wants Smith and Yarol to retrieve for him. In need of cash, they sign on.

The two end up in an ancient Martian city near the North Pole of the planet. Deep beneath the city, after avoiding a trap, they find a chamber filled with a strange glowing light that flows like water. In the center of the chamber is a huge throne built for three occupants. And in one of the seats there is a pile of dust. Yarol climbs up to gather the dust while Smith waits below, thinking while he watches the light pour out of the chamber. He concludes the guy who has hired them is up to no good, and if he gets his hands on the dust, there’s no telling what kind of damage he could do or if there would be any way to stop him. They decide to leave the dust. Just to be safe, they destroy it with their blasters.

And that’s pretty much all that happens in the story. It’s very much a departure from the earlier tales. The setting is a pretty standard science fiction setting for the time in which “Dust of Gods” was written. The concept of gathering literal dust of a god is an original idea, and not one I’ve seen much done with outside of this story.

But this story lacks the power and impact of the earlier ones. Maybe it’s the lack of suggestive or outright sexual imagery. Maybe Moore was having an off day when she wrote the story. (Okay, a series of off days since she almost certainly didn’t write this one in one day. Or maybe she did. That would explain a lot.) It almost reads as though Moore had tired of the character, but with another 10 installments to come in the series, that’s hardly likely. Moore’s prose is still as rich and evocative as ever, but it seems like there’s less she wants to evoke. The menace isn’t particularly threatening, and all Smith and Yarol really have to do is think for a bit. While they do encounter some danger, it’s not really of the soul-shattering kind in the previous stories.

Whatever the reason, I found “Dust of Gods” to be the weakest story in the series to date, even though it’s not a bad story. That sounds harsh, but it’s really not saying much. Moore on a bad day was better than almost every writer of her time on a good day, with a few exceptions such as Howard. She’s certainly better than many of the writers working today, even the acclaimed ones.

There are 10 more stories to go, and I’ll look at another one soon.

Spring Break

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Spring Break starts at the end of the day, and it can’t come soon enough.

What’s that? No, I’m not going to the beach.

What I am going to do is try to get caught up on work, and that includes blogging as well the things She Who Must Be Obeyed has decreed be completed. For one thing, I’ll be catching up on grading, writing some reference letters, and trying to get ahead on some course preparation.

But you want to know about what will be happening here. First, a review of Allen Steele’s Apollo’s Outcasts for Futures Past and Present and a review for this blog of Jack the Giant Slayer. I saw the film last weekend, and I finished Apollo’s Outcasts a couple of days ago, but I haven’t had time to write either review. I’ve got another Northwest Smith story, “Dust of Gods”, to look at. Plus, there’s the next item for my blog at Amazing Stories (TM) followed up by a review of a novel that I’ve been looking forward to reading that’s had an interesting publishing history over the last few weeks. The book won’t be out for a bit, but I managed to score an advance copy.

As far as writing goes, I’m going to try to carve out enough time to get a couple of things finished. Plus, I’m going to try something new and publish some of my own fiction and see if any of it sells. This will be a completely new venture for me, and I’m not sure how steep the learning curve will be. I also bought a domain name over the Christmas break, and if time allows, I’ll work on getting a web site going. More on that at a later date.

Spring is in the Air

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The weather is turning warmer; the trees are starting to bud; the wind is beginning to blow and bringing lots of dust with it. I just want to go outside and enjoy with weather. And a good book, of course.

Unfortunately, it being the time of spring that it is, or rather the point in the semester it is, I’m buried under a mountain of exams, approximately 150 of them, give or take a few. So I’m not going to be able to read, write, or blog much. At least not until the end of the week. To tide you over, head over to Amazing Stories (TM) and check out my review of Under the Ember Star by Charles Gramlich. If you like Leigh Brackett, this book should appeal to you.

Spring Break starts at the end of the week, and I intend to do some catching up then. Until then, back to grading.

What I’ve Been Up to at My Other Blogging Gig