Lacking Natural Simplicity (Posts about fantasy)https://tkurtbond.github.io/categories/fantasy.atom2024-01-23T18:49:38ZT. Kurt BondNikolaHow much does your giant weigh?https://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2020/11/12/how-much-does-your-giant-weigh/2020-11-12T10:42:10-05:002020-11-12T10:42:10-05:00T. Kurt Bond<p>Some time ago I wrote an Emacs Lisp function, height-mass, to figure
out how much a giant weighs. Recently it was suggested that I make it
a gist on github, so it is <a class="reference external" href="https://gist.github.com/tkurtbond/8ec106748c60fe4e72db7f0759f11627">here</a>.</p>Recent Reading: Ramsey Campbell - Far Away & Neverhttps://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2020/03/06/recent-reading-ramsey-campbell-far-away-never/2020-03-06T22:31:38-05:002020-03-06T22:31:38-05:00T. Kurt Bond<p>After reading <a class="reference external" href="https://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2020/03/01/recent-reading-flame-and-crimson/">Flame and Crimson</a> I went and bought several of the
Sword & Sorcery books it discussed. Here is the first one I finished:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a class="reference external" href="https://www.amazon.com/Never-Ramsey-Stephen-Fabian-Campbell/dp/0940884860/">Far Away & Never</a>, by Ramsay Campbell, copyright 1996,
Necronomicon Press, ISBN-10: 0940884860.</p>
<p>Enjoyable collection of stories, avoiding the flaws of many of
the later sword & sorcery authors.</p>
<p>The word-based magic in “The Stages of the God” and “The Song at the
Hub of the Garden” had a flavor of its own, and “The Ways of Chaos”
made me want to read <cite>Ghor, Kin-Slayer: The Saga of Genseric's
Fifth-Born Son</cite> (<a class="reference external" href="https://necropress.com/howard-et-al-ghor-kin-slayer-1/">G1</a>, <a class="reference external" href="https://www.amazon.com/Ghor-Kin-Slayer-Saga-Genserics-Fifth-Born/dp/0940884917/">G2</a>). <a class="footnote-reference brackets" href="https://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2020/03/06/recent-reading-ramsey-campbell-far-away-never/#genseric" id="footnote-reference-1" role="doc-noteref"><span class="fn-bracket">[</span>1<span class="fn-bracket">]</span></a></p>
</li>
</ul>
<aside class="footnote-list brackets">
<aside class="footnote brackets" id="genseric" role="doc-footnote">
<span class="label"><span class="fn-bracket">[</span><a role="doc-backlink" href="https://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2020/03/06/recent-reading-ramsey-campbell-far-away-never/#footnote-reference-1">1</a><span class="fn-bracket">]</span></span>
<p>Robert E. Howard left an unfinished story and many
decades after his death 16 top fantasy authors completed it by
writing sections in turn, each starting where the previous author
had left off.</p>
</aside>
</aside>Recent Reading: Flame and Crimsonhttps://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2020/03/01/recent-reading-flame-and-crimson/2020-03-01T20:22:37-05:002020-03-01T20:22:37-05:00T. Kurt Bond<ul>
<li><p><a class="reference external" href="https://www.amazon.com/Flame-Crimson-History-Sword-Sorcery/dp/1683902440/">Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword-and-Sorcery</a>, by Brian
Murphy, copyright 2019, ISBN 978-1-68390-244-7.</p>
<p>A very good survey of Sword and Sorcery fiction, well worth reading.
I'm going to have to read it again and pull out all the books and
authors it mentions.</p>
<p>I found it much more interesting and useful and indeed inspiring
than I found <a class="reference external" href="https://www.amazon.com/Appendix-N-Jeffro-Johnson/dp/9527065186/ref=sr_1_3">Appendix N</a>, Jeffro Johnson's survey of the sword and
sorcery literature from the <a class="reference external" href="https://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2020/11/30/dnd-dmg-appendix-n/">AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide</a>. Both
cover a lot of the same works, but I found Jeffro's book somewhat
unfocused and in a few occasions a little mean spirited, but worth
reading for someone interested in D&D.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Last edited: 2020-11-30 20:46:08 EST</em></p>
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End: -->Recent Reading: John Eric Holmeshttps://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2012/10/12/john-eric-holmes/2012-10-12T01:04:30-05:002012-10-12T01:04:30-05:00T. Kurt Bond<ul>
<li><p><cite>The Maze of Peril</cite>, by John Eric Holmes, copyright 1986;
ISBN 0-917053-05-2.</p>
<p>A fun jaunt through an early D&D adventure. Frog-men, were-sharks,
and adventurers of dubious morals.</p>
</li>
</ul>Recent Reading: Caitlin Kittredgehttps://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2012/06/28/caitlin-kittredge/2012-06-28T19:10:03-05:002012-06-28T19:10:03-05:00T. Kurt Bond<ul>
<li><p><cite>Pure Blood</cite>, by Caitlin Kittredge, copyright 2008;
ISBN 978-0-312-94830-6.</p>
<p>The second <cite class="series">Nocturne City</cite> novel.</p>
<!-- library -->
</li>
</ul>Recent Reading: Jenn Bennetthttps://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2012/06/26/jenn-bennett/2012-06-26T15:11:20-05:002012-06-26T15:11:20-05:00T. Kurt Bond<ul>
<li><p><cite>Summoning the Night</cite>, by Jenn Bennett, copyright 2012;
ISBN 978-1-4516-2053-5.</p>
<p>The second <cite class="series">Arcadia Bell</cite> novel.</p>
</li>
</ul>Recent Reading: Lucy A. Snyderhttps://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2012/06/24/lucy-a-snyder/2012-06-24T15:11:43-05:002012-06-24T15:11:43-05:00T. Kurt Bond<ul>
<li><p><cite>Switchblade Goddess</cite>, by Lucy A. Snyder, copyright 2011;
ISBN 978-0-345-51211-6.</p>
<p>Third in a series.</p>
</li>
</ul>Recent Reading: Brook, Powers, Wisdomhttps://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2012/06/09/brook-powers-wisdom/2012-06-09T21:40:00-05:002012-06-09T21:40:00-05:00T. Kurt Bond<ul>
<li><p>From the <cite class="series">Guardian</cite> series:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p><cite>Demon Night</cite>, by Meljean Brook; copyright 2008 by Melissa Kahn;
ISBN 978-0-425-21977-5.</p></li>
<li><p><cite>Demon Forged</cite>, by Meljean Brook; copyright 2009 by Melissa Kahn;
ISBN 978-0-425-23041-1.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The <cite class="series">Guardian</cite> series consists of (at least) <cite>Demon Angel</cite>,
<cite>Demon Moon</cite>, <cite>Demon Night</cite>, <cite>Demon Bound</cite>, and <cite>Demon Forged</cite>. (I
haven't read <cite>Demon Bound</cite> yet.) Stories by Meljean Brook appear in
(at least) the following anthologies: <cite>Hot Spell</cite>, <cite>Wild Thing</cite>,
<cite>First Blood</cite>, and <cite>Must Love Hellhounds</cite>.</p>
</li>
<li><p><cite>Hide Me Among the Graves</cite>, by Tim Powers, copyright 2012;
ISBN 978-0-06-123154-4.</p>
<p>Excellent. A sequel of sorts to <cite>The Stress of Her Regard</cite>.</p>
</li>
<li><p>From the <cite class="series">Hex</cite>: series:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p><cite>Demons are a Girl's Best Friend</cite>, by Linda Wisdom, copyright 2011;
ISBN 978-1-4022-5439-0.</p></li>
<li><p><cite>A Demon Does it Better</cite>, by Linda Wisdom, copyright 2012;
ISBN 978-1-4022-3672.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>These are farther to the romance side of the “paranormal romance”
genre than I generally prefer.</p>
<p>The earlier books in the <cite class="series">Hex</cite> series are <cite>50 Ways to Hex
Your Lover</cite>, <cite>Hex Appeal</cite>, <cite>Wicked by Any Other Name</cite>, and <cite>Hex in
High Heels</cite>.</p>
</li>
</ul>Recent Reading: K. Bennetthttps://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2012/05/12/k-bennett/2012-05-12T09:36:28-05:002012-05-12T09:36:28-05:00T. Kurt Bond<ul>
<li><p><cite>Pay me in Flesh</cite>, by K. Bennett, copyright 2012; ISBN 978-0-7860-2624-1.</p>
<p>A <cite class="series">Mallory Caine, Zombie at Law</cite> novel. Amusing.</p>
</li>
</ul>Recent Reading: Stacia Kanehttps://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2012/04/27/stacia-kane/2012-04-27T00:00:00-05:002012-04-27T00:00:00-05:00T. Kurt Bond<ul>
<li><p><cite>Sacrificial Magic</cite>, by <a class="reference external" href="http://www.staciakane.net/">Stacia Kane</a>, copyright 2012 by Stacey
Fackler; ISBN 978-0-345-52750-9.</p>
<p>The fourth in the <cite class="series">Downside Ghosts</cite> series, also known as the
<cite class="series">Chess Putnam</cite> series.</p>
</li>
</ul>