We Happy Few: The 2020 DMR Guest Bloggerama

February 2, 2020 Deuce Richardson

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he that blogs alongside me in the Month of Janus; Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile…

(with apologies to the Bard of Avon)

With the posting of Robert M. Price’s “Ya Gotta Have Peart”, the 2020 Guest Bloggerama drew to a close. Verily, it is written, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” RMP was the very first ever Bloggerama guest blogger back in 2019 and he finished out the event in 2020.

Bob wasn’t the only returning veteran this year. Others grabbed their shields and stood once more in the breach to make this DMR Guest Bloggerama another rousing success. Daniel J Davis, Chris L. Adams, Jim Cornelius, Brian Murphy, Jon Zaremba and David C. Smith all came back to bring some battle-hardened savvy to the shield-wall.

As the title of this blog entry suggests, there were fewer guest bloggers this year—eighteen—than there were last year—twenty. Most of that should be laid on my doorstep. From October on—and most definitely since around Thanksgiving—I have been shorter on time and more frazzled due to work and related factors than at any other point in almost a decade. I simply did not reach out as soon or to as many potential bloggers as I did last year. Some wouldn’t have been able to join in regardless, but much of the shortfall comes down to me.*

Luckily, Dave was on the ball and sent the war-arrow ‘round to DMR Books’ stable of authors. Thus, many of the new names this year. Hopefully, next Bloggerama, we’ll see a joining of the two war-bands. If such comes to pass, none can stand before us.

Despite the shortfall, we had several guest bloggers go Above and Beyond. Chris L. Adams, Matthew Knight and Brian Murphy all penned two blog entries apiece. Hell, let’s put Glenn Rahman in the “A&B” category as well. My profound thanks to all four stalwarts. Their willingness to go the extra mile made up for any lack we might have had otherwise in blog posts. We, in fact, had more guest blog posts this year than in 2019. You are all my brothers, be you never so vile.

*That said, I might have accomplished more if Dave had come through with the Slim Jims he promised. Bread and water does not an energetic blogger make.

For those who might have missed out on some of the posts, you will find below the Roll Call of Honor. Every guest blogger is listed—with hyperlinks to each post—from first to last.

Spencer E. Hart — Sword & Planet: A Genre of Mashups

Glenn Rahman — The Lost Legend of Volund, Prince of the Elves (Part One)

Glenn Rahman — The Lost Legend of Volund, Prince of the Elves (Part Two)

Byron A. Roberts — The Legend of David Gemmell

C. Dean Anderson — Heavy Metal Sword and Sorcery

Matthew Knight — Demons of the Multiverse: Quaolnargn

Harry Piper — A Voice from the Past - The Book of Taliesin

Gael DeRoane — The Face in the Wall

Matthew Knight — By the Severed Head of Ghormanteia! The Story Behind Karnov

Daniel J. Davis — Demon Dogs! A Thundarr Novel?

Chris L. Adams — The Collectors' Book of Virgil Finlay

Christopher Conlon — “A Whole Atmosphere and Method”: Cosmic Horror in Poe’s “Shadow: A Parable”