There is an abundance of weird tales headed our way…
HBO just released a new teaser trailer for True Detective: Night Country, which seems deliciously creepy.
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The shade of the mighty Cimmerian keeps looming over my path. I bagged a handful of Conan tales through Cimmerian September (Rogues in the House, People of the Black Circle, and Red Nails ). Now the north wind whispers this:
A series of Robert E. Howard-inspired short stories titled Savage Tales released into e-book format starting September 23 with Lord of the Mount by Stephen Graham Jones. Jones is a highly-regarded writer of horror fiction, tied to his Blackfeet heritage. In a wonderful Texas Monthly tribute, he recalled his youthful connection with Conan of Cimmeria.
I didn’t tell anybody, but in my head, in secret, I was Conan. Like him, my people were from the cold and brutal North. I was just drifting through Texas to hop a few walls, steal a few jewels, maybe fight a giant spider or two.
I guess that if you are bound at the right age by Howard’s spell, you remain spellbound forever. Forty-odd years for me.
Here’s the caper:
Awakening covered in blood, the sole survivor of a doomed raiding party, Conan sets out for the taverns, women, and ale of Trinnecerl. To reach the village, however, he must pass ruins scattered with the shattered helmets, broken blades, and bones of untold victims—as well as the hideous the creature that left them, the Lord of the Mount. Rapid-paced and bloody fantasy action written by Stephen Graham Jones, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians.
That ain’t all. We’ll also get Solomon Kane: The Hound of God by Jonathan Maberry – November 28.
I have become quite enamored of Maberry’s particular brand of pulpy goodness, and I’m looking forward to his take on REH’s Puritan wanderer.
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Blood Meridian: The Night Does Not End is rolling out a series of lectures on the ultimate American Weird Tale:
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Been enjoying this for mood music…
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If it is a spooky historical bedtime story from the wilds of the Canadian North that you seek, turn to Hammerson Peters for some Wendigo tales…
Matthew says
There has been a minor renaissance of sword and sorcery, weird tales, and Conan recently. I wonder why that is? Probably, has something to do with H. P. Lovecraft getting into the Library of America. It’s interesting since Weird Tales was not one of the best selling pulp magazines, but it turned out to be very influential. As influential as Black Mask was to the Mystery genre.
I have submitted a story about a Wendigo to a magazine. (Occult Detective Quarterly) I hope it sell, but it is unlikely.
JimC says
Weindigo story = intrigued.
Matthew says
I can send it to you if you want to read it. You can’t put it on FP because that could count as publication, but I don’t mind if you read it.
JimC says
Would love to.
Quixotic Mainer says
I was just about to bring out the Solomon Kane stories for their annual “spooky season” reading. New Kane tales emerging from the fall shadows is coincidental and welcome surprise.
Normally I would be pretty skeptical of new material, but the Burroughs estate found someone to spin a great John Carter adventure recently.
Mike says
Off topic, but any book recommendations (fiction or non) for the Habsburg-Ottoman frontier? Vienna and Budapest appear to be in the future, and that’s a part of the world that I don’t know as much about as I’d like.
JimC says
Enemy at the Gate.
https://www.amazon.com/Enemy-Gate-Habsburgs-Ottomans-Battle/dp/046502081X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1696219948&sr=1-2