Heroic Fantasy Quarterly–Q54
Yes, yes, the issue is late. In our defense, there was outdoor adventuring, and the World Fantasy Convention, and a case of Covid-19, and a case of food poisoning. Plus, our wizard was pulled into a chasm by a demon of the first age, and our pony abandoned us and we’ve had to carry all our own stuff ever since.
And carry we have! 2022 is coming to a close and escorting it out the door is HFQ #54. Allow us to unload five amphora of the finest vintage: three works of fiction, two works of poetry, with art and audio.
Fiction Contents:
The Stonemen’s Curse, by Tom Jolly. Markus is a man of certain skills and certain goals, both having to do with pilfering and larceny, but when he travels to Free Lands, he finds himself in land of witches, monsters, and the mysterious (and very very dangerous) stonemen. A bit of Vance’s ‘Dying Earth’ and Anthony’s ‘Xanth’. Adventure awaits!
The Flame in the Bottle, by Howard Andrew Jones, audio by Leeman Kessler. The intrepid pair of Dabir and Asim become embroiled in the affairs of generals and djinn and must unravel one of the many mysteries swirling amidst the alleys of Bagdad.
Swarm Time on Maruzar, by Dariel R. A. Quiogue. You want Sword and Planet, we bring you Sword and Planet! Lakann is a lone survivor of a group of slaves braving an escape from the mines of the city of Sommathar. Outside lie a plethora of dangers and the twisting schemes of the noble houses of Maruzar.
Poetry Contents:
The Rider in Darkness, by Phil Emery. A ragged knight comes upon a lone cabin with a tale to tell in this excellent poem.
Hugin and Munin and Odin’s Eye, by Colleen Anderson. As magical as they are, Odin’s ravens are still ravens at the end of the day. Coleen has a collection of her work, I Dreamed A World, available, check it out!
Artwork:
You know who doesn’t get enough love? Bullywogs! At least until now. Jereme Peabody is back with “Frog City”, where intelligent anthropomorphic amphibians take over the ruins of our once great civilization!
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: David’s been keeping the horses shod and the swords sharp!
Adrian Simmons: All that outdoor adventuring and covid and whatnot mentioned up front? That all happened to him.
I was lost without a hexmap!
Adrian’s story “A Witness of the Last Days of En-Fanulk“ will be coming out in Weird Book #46 in December. His review of ‘Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction” from November 1989 was published at Black Gate in September.
He traveled to New Orleans for the World Fantasy Convention to spread the word about Heroic Fantasy Quarterly. Good times were had!
Swag from WFC!
There was also some rock and roll somewhere in the last three months.
I was soon to learn that mosh pits have very porous borders.
James Rowe: Keeps the horses fed and swords oiled.
Neil Baker: He is the founder of April Moon Books, and his latest publication, “The Call of Poohthulhu”, has burst from the hundred acre wood and into the world at large. He loves his cats, and they love him.
Tales From Around The Fire
Tales From the Magician’s Skull has just put out issue #8—check it out!.
Swords and Sorceries #5 is out now!
Need some spicey science fiction? Back HFQ cover-artist Robert Zoltan’s Kickstarter for issue #3 of Space Happy.
You can get Robert’s original artwork of Deja Thoris!
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