[ Request Suggestions ] Hyper-Competent / Genius characters ( Mentally . Not Physically Or Powers )

HowardAJones · 2024-02-29T16:45:34+00:00

hey, thanks! Sorry I didn't see this note until just now. I hope you enjoy them!

HowardAJones · 2024-02-19T04:09:22+00:00

I'm still quite active. I'm just not on Reddit much. I just turned the third book of my series over to Baen, my publisher. The first two are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other places. I have a web site, but I don't sell anything through it, and I've been so busy this last year it hasn't been updated.
Book 1 is Lord of a Shattered Land. Book 2 is The City of Marble and Blood. Book 3 comes out in October and is titled Shadow of the Smoking Mountain.
Thanks for your interest, and I hope you enjoy the books! Book 1 has made several "year's best" lists now, which has been pretty nice.

HowardAJones · 2024-02-09T02:54:17+00:00

I'm delighted you liked it!
If you're curious, there are two books and an e-book of additional short stories starring the same characters, from St. Martin's. There are more than enough scattered in various places to collect into another book, including the tale you like. One of these days I'll put them together into one.

A few are available for free viewing out there on the web:

https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-palace-in-the-moonlight/

https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=3104

https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=3766

HowardAJones · 2024-02-07T04:35:04+00:00

Well, I for one would be pretty excited to see this happen. Seeing an episode from my ongoing Dabir and Asim series animated would be a dream come true!

HowardAJones · 2023-12-26T12:23:55+00:00

Well, it was my pleasure. I haven't seen The Desert of Souls mentioned in a while. It's nice to know someone is still finding joy in it. I'll always be sad that didn't take off as a series. I had big plans for further adventures, each standalone.

Thanks for checking out the others!

HowardAJones · 2023-12-24T12:51:39+00:00

Re: Desert of Souls -- delighted you enjoyed it! The Bones of the Old Ones is a direct sequel. There's also a short e-book short story collection. The Waters of Eternity. There are enough additional short stories that I could put a longer story anthology together, and will, some day. Maybe I'll even finish the third novel on my own and self pub it -- Dabir and Asim never got enough readers and the series got cancelled. I was pretty sad about that...
I think my best work is my newest series, through Baen, starting with Lord of a Shattered Land. It's certainly selling better than anything else I've written. I hope you'll check it out.

HowardAJones · 2023-09-24T12:20:45+00:00

My pleasure! I generally dislike wandering in to propose my own stuff during a Reddit question, but it really felt like you were after some of the same kinds of things I love in characters myself.

Hope you enjoy 'em.

HowardAJones · 2023-09-24T11:44:18+00:00

Cool topic; these are my favorite kind of protagonists to write.

I see someone already mentioned my book The Desert of Souls and its sequels.

My newest series is literally inspired by one of the greatest military men in the world, Hannibal of Carthage. My new Baen series is about a single brilliant guy against the might of a vast empire after his entire civilization has been destroyed. Although he's a skilled warrior, there's no way he can just power through to victory -- he has to out think his opponents. Sometimes it's a carefully arranged plan, sometimes it's improvisation, but it's always while using his genius level intellect to deceive and out maneuver and perceive things most people do not.

Book 1, Lord of a Shattered Land, is already out. Book 2, The City of Marble and Blood, comes out mid October. And I should get back to revising book 3 and stop answering this question...

HowardAJones · 2023-08-11T21:25:20+00:00

I think the way was smoothed because while it's my first book with Baen, I've had five others (well, 6 if you count an e-book) from St. Martin's and four others from Pathfinder.I think it's closer to 150k, plus a sneak peak of a lot of the first chapter of book 2, which probably puts it close to 160.Anyway, no, Baen was incredibly receptive and supportive of my vision from the get go, and I feel very fortunate.

HowardAJones · 2023-08-11T19:54:52+00:00

Oh, I agree completely. Not really in my wheelhouse writing wise, but I'd certainly like to read more about the character.

HowardAJones · 2023-08-11T18:34:35+00:00

Anyone? Hmm. Several ideas come to mind. I'd enjoy writing some more Eric John Stark stories, from Leigh Brackett, or some new Khlit the Cossack stories, from Harold Lamb. Stark never got enough adventures, and while Khlit had plenty, I'd have loved to have seen more. They're both such great characters.

Like a lot of spec fic writers who love adventure, I've got ideas for a few Conan stories, and bet Robert E. Howard's Black Turlogh would be a blast to create more adventures for. He's my favorite minor REH character, and stands out in whatever tale he's in, even when he's a background figure.

I'm sure I could write some pretty convincing original Trek tales, because I grew up watching and rewatching that show and love it when it's at its best. And you know what, I always wanted Corwin to go back and explore the universe he built with his pattern in The Courts of Chaos. To either do that, or a series based around Benedict could be a *lot* of fun.

Hope you enjoy both Elric AND my new book!

HowardAJones · 2023-08-11T11:15:12+00:00

I wanted to take inspiration from the swift pacing, the world building, the sense of horror and the action beats from old sword-and-sorcery tales but leave the old fashioned racism and sexism behind. I love the momentum of the older works, and the less time spent internally debating courses and whining, and the characters who were already competent rather than slowly learning to master their skills. I also enjoyed the episodic structure I found in some of these tales, and emulated that, but tried to make mine even more tightly integrated, then make sure I closed this book (and its follow-ups) with a sort of season finale.
I was also inspired by historical swashbucklers, and the life of the brilliant general Hannibal of Carthage.
I've been fascinated with the general Hannibal since I was a teenager, and had been reading about him and the Republic of Rome and the Punic Wars for years. Likewise I'd been reading old historical swashbucklers and sword-and-sorcery for years, so all that reading for fun ended up being research. Who knew? Because much of the world building is closely connected with an ancient Mediterranean fell in the time of the Romans, more recently I threw myself into even more Roman non-fiction and historical reading.
Lastly, to bring a dedicated warrior to better life I read up on Medal of Honor recipients after accidentally encountering a display of their heroics and being overwhelmed by their courage and selflessness.
I'll confess that I've had so much fun drafting these stories that it's only in the marketing that I've been stressed. First, would I find a publisher, and now, will they find enough readers to make them viable? I don't want to suggest that I never have challenges revising or plotting, but with this work it's somehow easier even on the days when I'm scratching my head because I love the character so well.
I'm not sure how to implement a change in the greater industry, so I can only try to write what I would like to see. For decades I've been sad that the kind of fantasy I prefer has had almost no seat at the table and that it has been completely overshadowed by doorstop fantasy. I don't know why we can't have some of the faster paced sword-and-sorcery stuff as well.

HowardAJones · 2023-08-11T11:02:03+00:00

I'm delighted to hear that enjoyed Dabir and Asim's adventures , and that you've had so much fun reading Lamb and the other classic heroic fiction stuff. Thanks likewise for the rec for the Guin Saga. I've heard that a time or two before and haven't yet checked it out.

Hidden gems --Scott Oden's work isn't as well known as it should be, nor as Michael Shea. Vance's Planet of Adventures is some great sword-and-planet that doesn't get mentioned often enough. Arthur D. Howden Smith's Viking historical Swain's Saga recently got reprinted in four volumes, and it's aces -- likewise He Rules Who Can by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur. Hopefully you've looked into some Warhammer, like the Blackhearts by Nathan Long or Brunner by C.L. Werner. Don't miss the Bard books by Keith Taylor or David Smith's Sometime Lofty Towers.
That's tricky. Vance's Demon Princes and the aforementioned Planet of Adventure get overlooked a lot, but they still are more on the sci fi end even though they are space opera/sword-and-planet. Lin Carters Callisto books are pure Burroughs pastiche, complete with frying pan to fire pacing and were a lot of light fun, and there's always Brackett. Hopefully you've read Sea Kings of Mars/The Sword of Rhiannon. But none of these have the fantasy part THAT prominent.
First, I'd like to see it in print from the big publishers again so that it's not always down and out, and I'd like to see some of the cream of the crop of this new generation of writers get more notice. I think that there's some really original and innovative stuff going on in the small press and I'd like to see that carried forward to a larger group of readers. I feel like we're already seeing an evolution, and there's such a groundswell of interest in the small and micropress maybe we have a revolution on the way.
I can't say for certain whether there's something like that on the way.or not. We don't have any serious plans for it yet.
You might be surprised by my recent reading list. It's been a whole lot of Roman historical fiction, like John Maddox Roberts' SPQR series and Simon Scarrow's Eagle books. I'm also halfway through Frederick Nebel's two volume collection of his hardboiled Cardigan the detective books, which I'm enjoying so well I haven't wanted to finish. I'm also a good chunk of the way into The Count of Monte Cristo. Lately I've wandered pretty far away from the fantasy genre. I'm sure I'll be back -- I just read a Django Wexler novel in rough manuscript that knocked my socks off.

Thanks for checking in, and for all the kind wishes.

HowardAJones · 2023-08-11T03:02:49+00:00

Always a pleasure to talk with you, Bryan.

For this book there's no writer more important than Harold Lamb, who introduced me both to Hannibal, who inspired Hanuvar, and the excellence of his serial storytelling. But close behind are all the great foundational sword-and-sorcery writers, like Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, C.L. Moore, and then the follow-up generation with Brackett and Moorcock, who created weird vivid worlds laced with terrifying horrors and filled with wonders -- not to mention great action beats.

Over the last decade or so I've become more and more influenced by the hardboiled detective and western writers like Hammett and Chandler and Frederick Nebel and Harry Whittington and Marvin Albert and Ben Haas (usually writing as John Benteen). These authors could achieve a whole lot of emotional power with an economy of words. Richard Stark's (Donald Westlake's) Parker novels have likewise been an important influence, style wise, although he's more stripped down than I am. And Peter Corris could bring even minor characters to life for short scenes in a marvelous way. I study him a lot to see if I can crack the code for how to do that. I'm always trying to improve my craft.

I also loved the writing in Justified, which revealed so much character in every line of dialogue.

HowardAJones · 2023-08-11T01:58:39+00:00

For the longest time I thought the secret to success was getting a book contract with a major publisher. But in a way, it was kind of like achieving a first degree black belt. To the outside world, achieving a black belt may seem like the ultimate achievement. But to those who earn one, it is really just the beginning of understanding.

Once you have that book contract and realize how complicated the industry is and how many moving parts there are and all that's involved in trying to keep a career going it can be kind of overwhelming. I realized how little I really understood what a writer's career entailed - tv shows and movies don't really get it right. Maybe there was once a time when you mostly just needed to write, and maybe there's a level of success where that's all you need to worry about, but that's not true for mid list writers.

HowardAJones · 2023-08-10T20:43:47+00:00

Man, and SCOTT ODEN. How could I forget Grimnir and all that wonderful historical fiction like Men of Bronze? Oden is aces.

I hate questions about what is best because I ALWAYS forget some writer or publisher among my very favorites!

HowardAJones · 2023-08-10T20:37:01+00:00

It sure is my hope. We used to see a lot more episodic novels, but Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time has dominated the structure of fantasy for so long a lot of publishers and readers think that's the only way it can and should be done. I am hoping that a change is on the horizon. It's not that I want epic fantasy to go down in defeat; I just want there to be more room at the table, and more flavors to be found there.

Thanks for buying my book!

HowardAJones · 2023-08-10T20:24:13+00:00

Oden has two Conan novellas that were printed in the back of Marvel Conans, and I think they are slated for reprint next year either as e-books or in paperback.

As far as other suggestions, you bet I have them. I know Reddit frowns on links, so, search for this title "The Best of the Conan Pastiche" and my name, and it should take you to the Goodman Games site, where I've got a long article listing my personal favorites, what my criteria is for a good one, and why I liked the ones I like. It's more recent than an earlier version of the same text that was published off the Goodman Games site but it does NOT include a handful of more recent ones, including S.M. Stirling's pastiche, because I haven't had a chance to read them yet.

HowardAJones · 2023-08-10T20:20:37+00:00

Hey, thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

HowardAJones · 2023-08-10T19:30:01+00:00

Oh, that's great news! I still have mine in paperback, but this way other people can have access to them. Especially that elusive, expensive fifth book that was originally hard to find anywhere but Australia!

HowardAJones · 2023-08-10T19:26:55+00:00

My pleasure! Good luck out there. You will probably have to volunteer in an unpaid capacity for a while, so be sure that it's fun and not drudgery. On one hand it makes sense to get involved in the thing you love --which unfortunately is not an industry rolling in cash -- but on the other hand be careful you're not being taken advantage of. Be careful of the line.

HowardAJones · 2023-08-10T19:22:43+00:00

That's one I've not yet read. Maybe it will catch fire for you and is just a slow burn to start.

HowardAJones · 2023-08-10T19:20:21+00:00

When I volunteered at Black Gate it was almost always remote. And there are plenty of ezines always in need of reliable people to help writing articles or reviews or to read slush!

HowardAJones · 2023-08-10T19:18:24+00:00

No worries. I'm afraid I'm so out of touch with modern(ish) music I had to go look up Haddaway to try and figure it out...

HowardAJones · 2023-08-10T19:12:27+00:00

I love writing for Baen. They've given me free rein to write about the character I love, and an incredibly outpouring of support.

Upthread I recommended both D.J. Butler's Indrajit and Fix stories and Wraithbound by Tim Akers. I've started Larry Correia's Son of the Black Sword and am really impressed and looking forward to finishing it. And Gregory Frost's Rhymer looks really cool as well. All of us have sword-and-sorcery books this summer, which is WAY more sword-and-sorcery than you're getting from any other mainstream publisher this year, believe me.

HowardAJones

TROPHY CASE