The DMRtian Chronicles, 6/13/2021
This week: Lots of Robert E. Howard articles, plus C.L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, Beowulf, sword and planet, cosmic horror, and more.
Read MoreThat Time When Roy Thomas Influenced Conan the Buccaneer...
Roy Thomas is the Guest of Honor at Howard Days this year. That makes his second round as GoH, with his first being during the REH Centennial in 2006…an honor that few others can claim. What you may not realize is that Roy probably had an influence on the original run of Lancer Conans before Conan the Barbarian #1 was ever published by Marvel.
Read MoreConan of the Caribbean
I indulge myself with the belief that Robert E. Howard was, in fact, a ghostly presence in the writers’ room of the STARZ pirate drama Black Sails, where his spectral hand pushed the quill in playing out his foundational theme of civilization vs. barbarism. For that is the underlying theme of this fine, though underrated show.
Read MoreThe Frazetta Museum Celebrates Twenty Years
The Frazetta Art Museum, designed by Frank himself and housing a treasure-trove of his iconic artwork, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary.
Read MoreWritings of Weirdness: Algernon Blackwood’s “The Wendigo” Versus Sword and Sorcery
When thinking about weird fiction elements in sword and sorcery pieces, I wonder what kind of weird essence has usually been attached to it. What are the parts from weird fiction that normally make it into a sword and sorcery tale? When I think of weird fiction elements in S&S, I think of the uncanny, the indescribable, the inevitable, the unnamable…
Read MoreReview: Savage Realms Issues 1-4
I started reading Savage Realms when the first issue came out in January 2021. I was struck by how inventive some of the stories were. They sat firmly within the domain of Sword and Sorcery but there were some surprisingly fresh takes on the genre.
Read MoreThe DMRtian Chronicles, 6/6/2021
This week: Japanese Conan art, Frazetta, Zelazny, Fu Manchu, Highlander, Flash Gordon, Lord Dunsany, and more.
Read MoreThe Literary Afterlife and Legacy of Richard F. Burton (Part Three)
Bram Stoker, Lord Dunsany and Sax Rohmer were all admirers of Richard F. Burton. Burton may have died in 1890, but his literary influence reaches right up until the present day.
Read MoreRealism in the Works of H. P. Lovecraft
It may seem a strange thing to talk about realism in the fiction of H. P. Lovecraft. Truth be told, it is a strange thing to talk about realism in fiction in general. However, the techniques of realism can be used to enhance a story. Lovecraft often used them.
Read MoreIn the Shadow of Sir Richard Burton
June 1st marks the sixty-second anniversary of the death of Sax Rohmer. DMR Books recently marked the bicentennial of Sir Richard Burton’s birth. Rohmer counted Burton’s multi-volume translation of A Thousand and One Arabian Nights as one of the key influences in shaping both his writing and his lifelong interests.
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