Hello, my name is Richard Fisher. I have been reviewing new and noteworthy books here on the DMR Blog for well over a year now. I am not an academic. I am not an aspiring or published author. I do not hold any sort of literary or scholarly accolade. What I am, first and foremost, is a fan. I thoroughly enjoy reading speculative fiction; specifically sword and sorcery. I'm really just a blue collar guy who likes his fiction to feature gnarly monsters, voluptuous wenches, and a hero who solves his problems with a quick wit and an edged weapon.

This past year has given everyone their fair share of trials and tribulations. It's a wonderful thing to find respite from our daily grind in a good book. In this past year I've reviewed over a dozen books for the blog, but in total I read about sixty books. As it goes I liked some more than others, but in this post I wanted to share some of the books that made my year not only bearable but enjoyable.

In 2021, many publishers tried their hand at sword and sorcery with notable success. Airship 27 published Runemaster: Shield Maiden's Blade. Parallel Universe Publications released Volume II and III of their acclaimed Sword and Sorceries anthologies. Hippocampus Press published A Sorcerer of Atlantis and Mr. Cannyharme, an unpublished novel by Michael Shea. Rage Machine Books released the anthology Swords of Fire 2. Pro Se Productions released the Viking inspired Sword of Hel. And Flinch Books released Blood on the Blade.

Published by Strange Attractor Press, the anthology that sparked the most debate this year was Appendix N: The Eldritch Roots of Dungeons and Dragons.

Published by Timaios Press, Flashing Swords #6 drew the most ire online. It is sad most didn't read past the introduction.

Sword and Planet has become a neglected sub-genre. Early in the year Rogue Blades Foundation published The Lost Empire of Sol: A Shared World Anthology of Sword and Planet Tales. This anthology features a host of well known authors from the online community.

My favorite book from this past year would be Sometime Lofty Towers by David C. Smith published by Pulp Hero Press. I won't rehash it, because I have already reviewed it, but you owe it to yourself to read it if you haven't.

Following up very closely as my second favorite would be The Scarlet Skull by C. E. Owston. Someone should really talk to Mr. Owston about reprinting this lost bit of fun.

Several magazines are bringing short fiction back to the fore. The only one I got around to reading this year was Savage Realms Monthly published by Literary Rebel. Each issue is brief and packed with the sword and sorcery you crave. They also seem to take submissions all year round.

Indie author Peter Fugazzotto published the follow up to his 2018 novella Skin, called Blood. Which is John Carpenter's The Thing with a sword and sorcery setting.

In the past twelve months DMR has released nine new books. Nine! An impressive and ambitious undertaking for a small press. The Avenger from Atlantis helped me discover a new favorite author, Edmond Hamilton. The Empress of Dreams collected many out of print short stories by Tanith Lee for the first time. Renegade Swords II put a spotlight on some neglected sword and sorcery tales you might have missed. Worlds Beyond Worlds collected the short fiction of John R. Fultz. I anticipated The Chronicles of Caylen-Tor Volume II the most, Byron Roberts delivers the goods! Planetary Adventures and Prehistoric Adventures reprinted stories from the pulps, some for the first time in decades. “Dinosaur Destroyer” from Prehistoric Adventures was such an awesome story. Viking Adventures reprints a king-size dose of Scandinavian themed fiction. And who can forget Far Away and Never? Collected for the first time all eight Tond stories, four featuring the swordsman Ryre.

That rounds out my year in reading. How about yours? What was your favorite book to read last year? What is your most anticipated new release?