Heroic Fantasy Quarterly–Q48

As 2021 finally begins to shed the weight of 2020, we are happy to put out issue #48 of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly!  We’ve got three stories and two poems, with art and audio to help you get through the summer.  On to it!

 

Fiction

Intrigue in Aviene, by Steve Dilks,  Hardened mercenary Bohun of Damzullah, finds himself between wars and trying to get by in the great city of Aviene.  But even in peaceful times, there are plots and dangers aplenty.

King Yvorian’s Wager, a classic reprint by Darrell Schweizter, Young king Yvorian is swept up into the games of the gods, and of that most mysterious and dangerous god, Rada Vatu.

A Night in the Witherlands, by Daniel Stride, with artwork by Simon Walpole, Manfred is hired to guard a merchant and his wares through the mysterious wasteland known as the witherlands.  The ghosts of the witherlands have different plans for them both.

 

Poetry

Wight, Lonely Weep Thou, by Oliver Smith, with audio by the author,  Did “A Night in the Witherlands” leave you wanting more undead?  Oliver Smith has got you covered, with Old Grim having to make some hard decisions in the midst of winter.

Lessons in Spellcasting, by Colleen Anderson, with audio by the author, Sorcery is a tricky profession, involving roaming the dark corners of the earth and unravelling enigmatic mysteries, and there are many dangers, some fantastical, some mundane.

Thirty-Ninth War Between Innis and Meqing:  Commencement T, by Mary Soon Lee, with artwork by Simon Walpole, HFQ has had many poems centered around Lee’s character King Xau, but in this work we look at the world through the eyes of one of his many foes.

 

Artwork

Jereme Peabody is back with “Solo Adventurer”—a fitting piece, we believe, as we will soon be venturing out of our pandemic redoubts and begin to explore the world again.  Jereme 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.

 

Goings On

David Farney:  Moves higher and higher in the hierarchy.

Adrian Simmons:  Adrian is still riding high from the release of his story “The Guardian of Nalsir-fel” in Tales from the Magician’s Skull #5.  Goodreads user James Troxell says “[a] story about two street performers(with shady pasts, and darker secrets) looking for the lost street urchin who helped them out. It leads to evil magic and conspiracy. It’s just really well written and has a very “exotic” for lack of a better word, feel. I think it really elevated the collection. It’s by the editor of HFQ. This story is a must read, IMHO and makes a purchase worth it.”

He’s also continuing his quatro-decadal-review  at Black Gate, with Amazing Stories, November 1989.

Sub-editors James Rowe and Arien Skiba continue to hold the line.

 

Tales From Around the Fire

Need more Sword and Sorcery?  Who doesn’t?  After you’ve pursued HFQ #48, feast your eyes on Weirdbook #43 

“Diamond Stars” author Robert Zoltan has had his talented hands full with issue #3 of Sexy Fantastic; issues 1 and 2 are out now and is gearing up the kickstarter (starting June 1) for issue #4

Issue # 4 of Skelos hit the world a few months ago.  Check it out

John R. Fultz has released a book of his short fiction:  Worlds Beyond Worlds  

Frequent poetry contributor Mary Soon Lee has collected her poems featuring young Prince Xau in The Sign of the Dragon.  If you’ve been following her work here at HFQ, you need to get this book and get the whole story!

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Speaking of poetry, there are three poems published at HFQ that are 2021 Rhysling Award Candidates, https://www.sfpoetry.com/ra/rhyscand.html

“Jumble”  Mary Soon Lee,  Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 43

“The Priestess’s Daughter”  Jenny Blackford, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 43

Voting Deadline is June 15th!