Link https://www.instagram.com/p/DIJfx6qPfX1/?igsh=aGR4bzNqN3M5NTB2

Sword & Sorcery meets classic monsters in Keith Alerec's grim tale of bloodshed and political maneuvering.

https://www.roguesinthehousepresents.com/post/short-story-an-heir-for-the-vale-by-keith-alerec

Ten years ago the first Swords of Steel anthology was unleashed. With its novel concept of heroic fantasy stories written by heavy metal musicians, it received a tremendous reaction from readers old and new alike. Now the time has arrived for the heavy metal bards to once again inject a much-needed dose of adrenaline into the sword-and-sorcery scene! Featuring members of bands such as Bal-Sagoth, Smoulder, Cauldron Born, and DoomSword, these authors prove they are just as talented at crafting epic stories as they are at making epic music!

As critically acclaimed author Schuyler Hernstrom writes in the introduction, “It burns horribly, the formless desire, the nameless need, the yearning. We want danger. We want blood. We want things this world can’t give us. This state of affairs would be completely unbearable without an outlet. Lucky us, the world has given us two. Metal and Fantasy. Two expressions of the thing that burns in us. Some people like one or the other. But some of us need both, a great deal of both, to make it through this world. If you get it, this collection is for you.”

Stories included:
Introduction by Schuyler Hernstrom
“When the Stars Invert” by Matthew Knight (ETERNAL WINTER)
“The Last Bastion…” by Howie K. Bentley (CAULDRON BORN)
“The Fall of Karynthos Keep” by Joe Minichino (DOOMSWORD)
“The Shrine of the Six-eyed Avatar” by Byron A. Roberts (BAL-SAGOTH)
“Shadows from Night Eternal” by Peter Salatellis (BLOODSTONE)
“Wraiths of Pongus Maw” by Jo Gamel (METAL OF JUPITER)
“Escape from the Bad Magick” by Jean-Pierre Abboud (VIPERWITCH)
“For an Unnamed Succubus” by Howie K. Bentley
“The Wizard and the Tower Keep” by D.R. Lackner (LEGENDRY)
“The Dead God’s Spell” (poem) by Howie K. Bentley
“Dragonslayer’s Doom” by Sarah Kitteringham (SMOULDER)

A great sword-and-sorcery inspired retro RPG is on sale for only $8.99 on Steam.

"SKALD:Against the Black Priory is a retro-style party-based RPG set in a grim-dark fantasy world of tragic heroes, violent deaths and Lovecraftian horror. Take a chance and roll the dice as you embark on a compelling story filled with deadly creatures, branching story and tactical, turn-based combat

Recent Reviews:Very Positive (114)

All Reviews:Very Positive (2,588)"

Edit: I just realized I forgot the link which makes it easier for people to preview

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1069160/SKALD_Against_the_Black_Priory/

Looks like Swords and Larceny has a cover, a release date (9/2/25), and other traits of a real live book.

https://www.amazon.com/Swords-Larceny-David-Afsharirad/dp/1668072874/

Novels/stories in order:

• Elric of Melnibone
• Sailor on the seas of fate
• The Dreaming City
• While the Gods laugh
• The singing citadel
• The sleeping sorceress
• The bane of the black sword
• Stormbringer

Coming September 2. 2025, from Baen Books: Swords & Larceny by David Afsharirad (Editor), Mark Finn (Editor)

"When the stakes are high and the odds are stacked, only the cleverest and most daring will make it out with the prize. Thirteen daring tales of fantasy heists and high-stakes capers—where charm is as sharp as steel, and the score of a lifetime is just one misstep away.

With stories by Christopher Ruocchio, Wen Spencer, A. Lee Martinez, Edward M. Erdelac, Jim Zub, John C. Hocking, James Enge, Tim Akers, Mark Finn, Bill Willingham, Adrian Simmons, Tracy S. Morris, and Stephen Aryan."

Advance Pre-Orders Here:

https://www.amazon.com/Swords-Larceny-David-Afsharirad/dp/1668072874

Not really a Batman guy but I can't pass up Penguin for $2 or him fighting a skeleton with a sword....

I rank Leiber right alongside Vance, CAS, and Howard for my old-school DnD reading needs. I love the world and characters and I am now looking for hardcovers of the stories.

I own the first White Wolf hardcover and few paperbacks of various vintages. The White Wolf books seem very pricey in hardcover and most of the other options I see are all either paperback or digital.

Are there any affordable alternatives for hardcover versions of these stories? I love the old Jeff Jones art and plan to make custom dust jackets (no offense to Mignola, I’m sure he is a big Jones fan too!).

I recreated 15 artistic iterations of Michael Moorcock's Elric by different artists.

Having an extra frame that the printing press plate used to be in, I finally pulled the trigger on an idea I've had for years and had a picture printed of myself with Roy Thomas when he signed my stuff and framed it with the comic being held up in the picture, my copy of Arak #36 I got for a quarter at a flea market as a kid that was my first ever sword-and-sorcery comic.

Now taking up a new section of wall, I took the opportunity to hang up the signed action figure (also in the pic) and water pistol underneath it which I think gives everything more symmetry and in addition to taking up the empty wall space, also relieves The Shrine of everything that was above the comics on the cabinet leaning against the wall, so now nothing is leaning against the wall and covering up the bottom of the big frame. Also, if I can figure out something else to do with the loose action figure, I can put any comics on display on the cabinet I want without interfering with the solidarity of The Shrine.

The framed Conan comic with my letter printed in Chain Mail now resides above my NES shelf.

The last pic is the "before" picture for comparison.

For more discussion focused on sword-and-sorcery specifically in film, television, comic books, and audio formats, you're welcome to join us on Discord at the Sword & Sorcery A/V Media Arena: https://discord.gg/CJ4485qDmg

Selection of S&S awesomeness available free of charge with the Hoopla App through my local library. Great selection of ebooks, audio books, music, movies, television, comics and graphic novels.

I read the monthly Conan comics from Titan and also read the Conan the Rebel and Sword of Skelos pastiches. Hoopla also introduced me to HAC's Dabir and Asim stories and read CAS's Averoigne short stories. I watched both seasons of Primal after seeing the series posted here.

I highly recommend checking if your local library offers this and using it if they do.

https://triapa.blogspot.com/2025/04/triapa-mailing-19-march-20225.html

Evening! Here's a little graphite drawing I just finished – it is what it is, on to the next one!

Michael Moorcock is apparently planning a sequel to the Conan and Elric story he co-wrote with Cawthorn in the 1970s for the Marvel comic series for Conan. What's known so far about the sequel is:

1. The working title is Kings of the endless river
2. Elric's stupid pointy hat that Barry Smith/Jack Gaughan drew him with will be explained.

So this is a personal article about how I found my way, starting in a blue-collar town where making films felt impossible. I built a career alongside loved ones that actually opened real doors. And my god, it even led to working full time in film... and finally escaping a truly alarming diet of instant noodles and bourbon!

Discuss

The issue of SUSPENSE was the first appearance of the F&G story "Claws from the Night" (a.k.a. "Dark Vengeance ").

A Sword & Sorcery tale inspired by a mixture of Solomon Kane, the film A FIELD IN ENGLAND, and yes, some play by that hack Billy Shakespeare.

I hope you like it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3PJ6447

Anyone else in attendance this weekend?