Entropic State Report 16th June 2023

We’re almost a couple of weeks past the last episode, a terrific discussion with Goran Gligović, and since that was uploaded he’s released yet another Eternal Champion creation. The triptych has become the FOUR who are One with the addition of Erekosë. 

May there be many more.

In other news, The Woods of Arcady has landed in bookshops and on door mats and in my case it will have to join the long queue. I still haven’t read The Whispering Swarm. I do have a bone to pick with Tor though.

That first edition hardcover of The Whispering Swarm is gorgeous. This Woods of Arcady first edition is just so bleh. And the dimensions are larger. Is it too much to ask that we just have some unity of design?

It’s almost egregious as not being able to get the final Pyat novel in my favoured jacket and format (and even then the publisher managed to screw up the spine on Jerusalem Commands).

Sigh.

Maybe I just have too much time on my hands at the moment.

Anyway.

In other book news, I saw recently that it was the fifth anniversary of the death of Christopher Stasheff, author of the Rod Gallowglass Warlock novels (amongst other things). Stasheff is another author that I do not think I would have ever discovered without Pops throwing books at me throughout the 80s. None of my like-minded friends ever mentioned them (although I did throw a couple at my mate Mike back in the day and he dug them) so I suppose they must be a bit niche even amongst fantasy circles. I suspect that may have been down to the mixture of tones involved. Some pretty hard violence in the first couple of novels can swing wildly towards a very light and humorous approach in short order, but I have fond memories of the two Pops gave me. King Kobold and The Warlock Unlocked were originally books two and three in the series but after a prequel, Escape Velocity, was published along with some revisions to King Kobold (issued as King Kobold Revived) to bring it in line with the wider and growing series they became books three and four.

As tends to be the case here at STIMBOT Towers, I have three paperback copies of King Kobold kicking around so if there’s any interest in hearing more I may add it to the itinerary. Otherwise, I’ll revisit it for the first time in probably 35 years for my own gratification.

On the subject of the itinerary it did get slightly derailed due to recent developments but we’re back on track now and we haven’t had any significant gaps in releases thanks to the camaraderie and engagement of my various interlocutors (thanks M Broome) over recent months allowing a good pace of production. And coming up we have:

GOR (already in the can)

The Sword of the Dawn Part Two

The Queen of the Swords Part Two

The Fire Clown AKA The Winds of Limbo

Beyond Armageddon

THE FUNGUS

Luther Arkwright Vol 01

Nine Princes in Amber

and

Part VI of our ongoing discussions about Moorcock in the context of role-playing games (still need a snappy title) – it’s in the can, undergoing final edits and out this coming Monday. Fair warning, one of my companions for that show is worried it may be a bit dry and that we didn’t get nearly pissed enough by half to make it all sexy. All I’ll say is that I talk for a good five minutes about a powerpoint slide I created. So I’ll leave it to the jury to decide.

On top of all the above Loz and I still haven’t decided on our next subject matter (it may well be Gentlemen of the Road), and Hussein and Tash remain on the hook but playing hard to get. And Phil might just get around to reading The Phoenix in Obsidian/The Silver Warriors at some point too so we can crack on with the Erekosë saga at long last.

That’s all for this report other than to say thanks pards for all of your kind words and encouragement this past few weeks.

See you on the moonbeam roads.