Dispatches from the silver key

Arcane Arts

As I pressed publish on my latest blog post, a review of the new Deathstalker film that wound up being a disappointing “meh,” I happened to notice the post count at the top of the blogger platform.

All (999).

999 posts. The next will be my 1000th. A big round number, worth pausing on.

I’ve been blogging for a long time. Since 2007, with a large gap (circa 2013-2019) that can be partially explained by Flame and Crimson, partially for reasons that shall be detailed in the upcoming heavy metal memoir.

Even with that gap, that’s a lot of posts.

Occasionally I am struck with thoughts of “what the heck am I doing?” and “why bother?” But these are fleeting. I love to write, and I enjoy writing about arcane arts. It’s the joy of the thing that keeps me going. It’s really that simple.

I could add how writing consistently, and pressing publish, makes you a better writer and forces you to think more deeply. About how a blog is something tangibly different and more permanent than a social media profile. How it brings consistent web traffic and gives you a place to hang your digital hat. Or creates a repository of work from which you might launch a book, or a newsletter.

But now I’m getting to the matter of that 1000th post.

In recognition of this event I’m asking you to answer a brief poll; click here to take it. Screenshot below. I’ll try to accommodate the top selection; if that results in immolation of The Silver Key I’ve still got Arcane Arts, I suppose.

Dio and the tributes

As the metal bands of my youth have gotten older and in some cases died off, I find myself turning more and more to tributes. I still try make space for newer acts like Eternal Champion or Tailgunner, but nothing can ever replace 70s-80s metal. So tributes it is. I’ve seen and highly recommend The Priest, AD/HD, Foreigner’s Journey, Lotus Land, and Maiden New England.

I get a couple of email newsletters of local music venues and just received news that a Dio tribute, Dio Rules, will be playing at the Tupelo Theater in Derry NH on July 10. My calendar looks open, I might have to hit this one.

Have I mentioned I’m hosting Wildside in my living room for a heavy metal party this September? That’s a story for another issue…

Tom Barber art on ebay

My friend Tom Barber sent me an email a couple days ago that one of his paintings is up on ebay. He’s not selling it; as he tells me he sold this back in the 70s and has no recollection to whom or for how much.

If you have $800 burning a hole in your pocket and like the look of “Man Mountain,” it can be yours. It’s like a fantasy version of the famous New Hampshire landmark The Old Man of the Mountain, which unfortunately fell into ruin several years ago. I hadn’t seen this one before, it’s very cool. Upon close examination I noticed Tom’s painting has a couple climbers making their way up the shoulder of this imposing, Argonath like structure.

By the way Tom’s new memoir Artists, Outlaws & Old-Timers is available on Amazon. Highly recommended. I helped him put it together and can vouch for both the unique, well-told story of his early life and the awesome 60-odd pieces of full color art and photography therein.

Sword-and-sorcery guides and relics

A couple of S&S items of note.

David C. Smith has a new book out through my publisher Pulp Hero Press. A familiar title but no affiliation with this this newsletter: Arcane Arts and Cold Steel: Writing Sword-and-Sorcery Fiction. You can find a review here on the Black Gate website.

I read Arcane Arts and Cold Steel in draft form and offered some suggestions for David. If you’re an aspiring S&S fiction writer it’s worth checking out. Some fantastic advice in here by a veteran author whose Sometime Lofty Towers is slowly gaining recognition as a modern classic of the genre. It also leans into some S&S lit-crit.

Inspired by To Leave A Warrior Behind I’ve purchased an old back issue of Dark Fantasy, the Gene Day edited S&S small press zine that gave Charles Saunders his start by publishing the first story of Imaro. I am very interested in fanzine culture and the small but critical role it played (and still plays) in nurturing new artists and shaping genre fiction. I expect Dark Fantasy #3 in the mail soon and I’m sure will have more to say about it in a future issue of Arcane Arts.

Should Brian review a romantasy title for post 1000? Send him a wild suggestion