Heroic Fantasy Quarterly–Q30
Welcome to Heroic Fantasy Quarterly Issue 30! Again we have worked our strange magic and conjured the best in sword and sorcery fiction and poetry. We bring two stories, finish the epic poem of Lethe’s Cup begun in issue 29, two poems, an extra story, and additional artwork!
Fiction Contents
Lethe’s Cup and the White Sword, Part Two by Cullen Groves. We finish Groves’ grand saga of the love of Freydegar and Heide, Christian and Pagan knights caught up in the great battles between men and elves. Part Two includes an introduction, and in a master-stroke it, too, is in rhyme!
The Man in Chains, by Harry Piper. Hard times demand hard choices. How far will a king go to find allies to preserve his kingdom?
Eyes or No Eyes, by Martin Rose. A cantankerous wizard, an unlucky knight, and a spoiled prince are bound together in this remarkable tale.
Bonus Story! Seven Moves on an Ordrulk Board. HFQ editor Adrian Simmons brings you a tale exploring just how far one would go to have their prayers answered.
Poetry Contents
Garuda’s Gamble, by Coleen Anderson. In issue 29 Ms. Anderson delved into the myths of the ancient Greeks, and in issue 30 she returns with a poem drawn from ancient India.
The Night Before Yule, by Daniel Stride. Myths have a life of their own, which change over time. You might want to leave out more than cookies.
Artwork
HFQ welcomes back Jerome Peabody with his piece “Mysterious Traveler”. He has graced our ezine twice before, with “Burn” from issue 22 and “Giant” from issue 28.
Jerome is a software engineer in the DC area and is also a freelance concept artist working mostly on video games and books. He started his artistic career dabbling with sculpting, pencils, and even still-life oil painting. As tablets became available, he crossed over from traditional art to digital by first digitally painting still-lifes, then through experimentation and practice, transitioned to landscapes and fantasy.
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Skye Hembree returns to HFQ with the illustrations of “Lethe’s Cup and the White Sword”. Her work appeared in issue #29 in “Shadows in Sakamura”.
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Kat Scarber also returns to HFQ with the artwork for “Eyes or No Eyes”. Her work has appeared in issue #28 in “Curse of Beauty”.
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Miguel Santos is back with the artwork for “Seven Moves on an Ordrulk Board”. His work appeared in issue # 29 in “Spatha Stercae“.
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Goings On
Heroic Fantasy Quarterly’s Best-Of Volume One will soon be joined by a Volume Two. Plans are being made, contracts drawn up, and decisions made.
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David Farney: David advises from a well-stocked lair hidden in central Oklahoma.
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Adrian Simmons: His fantasy bronze-age story “How I Came to be Raised by Balniwan the Fool” is the lead story in the Summer issue of the Canadian SFF magazine Lackington’s. He’s had Lovecraft-inspired fiction out at Strange Constellations , and will have a story included in the No Sh!t There I Was anthology.
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William Ledbetter: His story “The Long Fall Up” is available in the May/June issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and his winning story from Writers of the Future, volume #28, “The Rings of Mars” is now available on audio at the StarShipSofa podcast.
Looking to the future, he’s sold his story “In a Wide Sky, Hidden” to Fantasy and Science Fiction, due out in December. He’s also had a story accepted to the No Sh!t There I Was anthology, “Steal from the Sun”
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James Rowe: Between teachin’ philosophy and trying to get work done around the house, James hasn’t had too much to report. He continues to see regular publication in Songs of Eretz Poetry Review, with Skinshed, I Have Rid Myself of the Best of Me, Blue Mosque, and By Cherry Green Ensorcelled gracing the review’s pages. As a frequent contributor at Songs of Eretz, he’s also proud to invite all HFQ readers to consider entering the third annual Songs of Eretz Poetry Contest which begins September 1st. Information on this contest can be found here. .
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Barbara Barrett: While at the Windy City Pulp Con in April, Barbara was invited to Doug Ellis’ home and with his permission took many photos of his extensive pulp art collection. These photos have appeared on Two Gun Raconteur website in a three part “An Amazing Collection of Pulp and Fantasy Art” written by Damon Sasser. All four parts are now online.
Her review of the outstanding 1991 HBO movie “Cast a Deadly Spell” was posted at Black Gate Magazine September 15th.
Her 3 part series “The Ships of Hy-Brasil”, which highlights the vessels Robert E. Howard uses in his poem “The Isle of Hy-Brasil”, appear on Todd Vick’s On an Underwood 5” website. Check out parts 1 , 2 , and 3 .
SKELOS ISSUE 1.
We salute a new magazine of weird fiction and sword and sorcery! If you want a piece of that action (and you do!) click on the cover on the right to order your copy. Issue 1 was reviewed by the indefatigable Fletcher Vrendenburgh.
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