A Look Back: Deuce's Books in 2020
2020. Quite a year, eh? Speaking for myself, I actually had to work more overtime once the shutdown began. Thus, I had no more leisure than usual to devote to reading. Despite all that, I managed to devour my share of tomes.
Yet again, a fair amount of that time was spent reading publications from DMR. Dave Ritzlin—publisher and editor at DMR Books—has once more given all of us a plethora of quality books to enrich our year. You will see many of those in the list below. I can also announce some further glad tidings—namely, that despite Dave adding a couple more spires and gables to DMR Manor, the bursars at DMR Books deemed it fitting that several more Slim Jims be added to my monthly ration.
The list below is comprised of all the books I remember reading or rereading in 2020. There is certainly the possibility that I've forgotten some worthy books I read earlier in the year. Rest assured that all of the books listed are ones I actually liked—books I didn’t like simply became one with the dust of forgotten ages. If a book is listed, I consider it worth reading. YMMV. As in years before, this list is a mix of vintage and “just published yesterday” books. However, I have not tried to list various short stories I’ve read here n’ there. As always, please try to support small and independent publishers/authors—especially the ones who don’t hate you.
I would like to thank two good buds of mine who sent more books my way this year in order to rebuild my shattered and tattered personal library, which was mostly destroyed several years ago in a flood. Charles down in Mississippi and Lemdot over Saint Louis-way both went above and beyond. Numerous books that they sent are in the list below. A virtual tilt of the mead-horn to both men is called for. Many thanks, sword-brothers!
In general, I have tried to embed a link in each book title to the exact edition I read. That may not be so in many cases, however. In some cases, wherein I deem it more helpful, I’ve linked to a review by myself or others. Also, I'm not listing the books in any particular order, alphabetical or otherwise. More like, “Here’s the first bookstack. This is the top book on the bookstack.” Some of you might notice a few reoccurring entries from previous years’ lists. That’s because some books are traditional yearly rereads for me and others just needed to be read yet another time, Crom damn it.
I hope all of the stalwart readers of the DMR Books blog have a fun and safe New Year’s Eve. Here’s to another great year of worthy books in 2021!
Roads by Seabury Quinn
The Barbaric Triumph edited by Don Herron
The Godblade by J. Christopher Tarpey
The Song of Kwasin by Philip Jose Farmer and Christopher Paul Carey
Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword-and-Sorcery by Brian Murphy
Brunner the Bounty Hunter by C.L. Werner
The Metal Monster by A. Merritt
Death Angel’s Shadow by Karl Edward Wagner
Shadows of the New Sun edited by J.E. Mooney and Jim Fawcett
The Lord of the Middle Air by Michael Scott Rohan
The Swordsman by Gardner F. Fox
Call Me Joe (NESFA edition) by Poul Anderson
Cold Days by Jim Butcher
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte
Empires of the Sea by Roger Crowley
Casca: The Eternal Mercenary by Barry Sadler
The Usurper by James Alderdice [David J. West]
Lonely Vigils by Manly Wade Wellman
The Sea Hawk by Rafael Sabatini
Barbarian Life: Volume One by Roy Thomas
Barbarian Life: Volume Two by Roy Thomas
Letters from New York by H.P. Lovecraft
The Bruce Trilogy by Nigel Tranter
Mysteries of Time and Spirit: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and Donald Wandrei edited by S.T. Joshi and David E. Schultz
The Mystery of Doctor Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer
The Devil Doctor by Sax Rohmer
Mayenne by E.C. Tubb
Boss (Falchion's Company Book 1) by Ken Lizzi
Dark Crusade by Karl Edward Wagner
Onward, Drake! edited by Mark L. Van Name
Imaro (DAW edfition) by Charles R. Saunders
The Reign of the Dragon Lord by C.J. Henderson
The Eye of Sounnu by Schuyler Hernstrom
The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard Volume Two: 1930-1932 edited by Rob Roehm
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
Beren and Luthien by J.R.R. Tolkien
Adventures in Arabia by William Seabrook
StoryHack , Issue Five edited by Bryce Beattie
Cahena by Manly Wade Wellman
Three Black Deeds by David Hardy
The Spell of Conan edited by L. Sprague de Camp
Blasphemies & Revelations by Robert M. Price
The Blade of Conan edited by L. Sprague de Camp
Planets of Adventure by Murray Leinster
A. Merritt: Reflections in the Moon Pool edited by Sam Moskowitz
The Religion by Tim Willocks
Death Dealers & Diabolists edited by D.M. Ritzlin
The March of the Barbarians by Harold Lamb
Warlords, Warlocks and Witches edited by D.M. Ritzlin
Citadels of Mystery by L. Sprague de Camp
The Camelot Chronicles edited by Mike Ashley
Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert
Flaubert in Egypt edited by Francis Steegmuller
O Fortunate Floridian by H.P. Lovecraft
The Borgia Blade by Gardner Fox
Witch Hunter by C.L. Werner
Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India by Lawrence James
Lion of Ireland by Morgan Llywelyn
The Great Die Slow by Harry Piper
Blood of Ancient Opar by Christopher Paul Carey
The Complete Casebook of Cardigan (Volume One) by Frederick Nebel
Terrors of Pangaea by John C. Wright
The Conan Companion by Richard Toogood
Warriors of the Wildlands by Jim Cornelius
The Brethren by Robert Merle
Necromancy in Nilztiria by D.M. Ritzlin
Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose
The Dancer from Atlantis by Poul Anderson
The Fyredrake’s Prey by James Reasoner
The Book of Fantasy edited by Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares, and Silvina Ocampo
The Grandest Adventure by Christopher Paul Carey