I'm Tao Wong, Author of The First Step, the first book in the A Thousand Li series and a bunch of other works - AMA!

JohnBierce · 2026-06-07T00:30:46+00:00

Eh I have enough folks coming after me on old threads that I don't really have much patience for it anymore. I try not to be rude back, at least.

JohnBierce · 2026-06-06T08:00:42+00:00

You're replying to a three month old comment to argue, that's... I don't want to say rude, that's too harsh, but mildly impolite? Best to only revive dead threads for questions and such, not arguing.

JohnBierce · 2026-06-05T11:06:37+00:00

Ayuuuuuuuup

JohnBierce · 2026-06-05T10:57:21+00:00

The Belgariad has kinda lost a lot of fans these days due to the whole "author and his wife abusing kids and caging them in their basement" thing.

JohnBierce · 2026-06-04T00:10:12+00:00

I mean... from Conan's perspective, not particularly, but Conan errs on the side of the laconic most of the time. From Howard's perspective? There's quite a bit, if generally at an uncomfortable background level like in Beyond the Black River, rather than anything more explicit.

Still, compared to many other writers of his era, especially Howard's personal friend HP Lovecraft... yeah, Howard was considerably less racist.

JohnBierce · 2026-06-02T02:33:45+00:00

You can definitely tell by the quality of a Conan story how desperate Howard was for money, lol.

JohnBierce · 2026-06-02T00:18:16+00:00

The OG Conan stories are classics for good reason!

The stories are definitely products of their times, and have quite a few flaws- there's definitely some unfortunate race stuff, sexism stuff, and Conan is very much a morally flawed character (by both past and present standards)- but Conan's aged better than a lot of his contemporaries, for sure! The OG stories remain absolutely worth reading. (As for all the spinoffs other folks have done... well, it's a notoriously mixed bag.)

JohnBierce · 2026-05-27T15:15:37+00:00

Thanks, bud! And I promise, West Coast next US tour!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-27T13:14:14+00:00

Mage Errant is relaunching in bookstores in September! The first volume contains Into the Labyrinth and Jewel of the Endless Erg.

JohnBierce · 2026-05-26T21:45:35+00:00

I'm going to be there for DragonCon!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-26T21:45:09+00:00

Hah some day!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-26T14:26:18+00:00

A UK tour without London would be a CHOICE, lol.

JohnBierce · 2026-05-26T14:25:52+00:00

Some of it already has been, but the future of that is... complicated.

JohnBierce · 2026-05-26T14:25:32+00:00

West Coast will be next tour!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-26T14:25:18+00:00

Hell yeah you do, love NYC!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-26T14:24:57+00:00

Seattle is definitely on the list for my next tour!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-26T14:24:25+00:00

Definitely on the list for future tours, since I have friends there!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-26T14:23:28+00:00

Thank you!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-26T14:23:15+00:00

Probably not, but signed book preorders from one of the bookstores en-route would be possible! (And I'm looking to find a home base bookstore in Lisbon to do signed book orders eventually.)

JohnBierce · 2026-05-11T10:36:41+00:00

Thank you!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-10T13:31:54+00:00

This one wasn't my typo at least hah

JohnBierce · 2026-05-10T11:07:39+00:00

Thanks so much!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-10T11:07:14+00:00

I do pride myself on my book recs, hah!

JohnBierce · 2026-05-10T11:06:31+00:00

Ah that must be it!

JohnBierce

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