Aug 24
Just before Gen Con, the fine folks at Paradox announced a new deal with Millennium Films for new Conan films. Congratulations to my compadres at Paradox. I can’t wait to see the fruits of this deal.
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Nov 20
Late last week, a package showed up from Ace Books with my copies of The Silent Enemy by Richard Knaak. This is the last of the Age of Conan series of novels I edited for Ace and Conan Properties, and it’s a doozy. Richard does a great job with taking the hero from his first two Age of Conan novels in the Aquilonian trilogy right to the edge. If you’re a fan of Hyborian stories, be sure to check it out.
I had a great time working with Ace editor Ginjer Buchanan on these books. With any luck, this won’t be the last time we have the chance to do so, whether on Conan or some other books.
Oct 12
I just got my copy of The Eye of Charon in the mail yesterday. This is Richard Knaak’s second book in his Aquilonian trilogy for the Age of Conan novels I edit for Conan Properties and Ace Books. It’s a great, rousing tale that brings our hero, Nermesa Klandes, throughout the realms of King Conan on his way to becoming arguably the greatest of Conan’s soldiers. Pick it up!
Sep 27
Yesterday, a copy of Conan: The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Most Savage Barbarian showed up at my house, courtesy of Fred Malmberg of Conan Properties. This is a gorgeous book, and best of all it’s written by Roy Thomas, who wrote most of Marvel Comics‘ issues of Conan.
If you’re a Conan fan, run right out and pick this up. I saw a preview of it at this summer’s Comic-Con, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the real thing.
Jun 15
As ICv2.com reports, the upcoming Conan movie has a confirmed writer/director: Boaz Yakin. Yakin wrote The Punisher and directed Remember the Titans. While this will be his first fantasy film, I have high hopes that Yakin will bring us the Conan film we’ve all been waiting for.
In a perhaps-not-strange bit of coincidence, Tom Jane, who starred in Punisher, now has the lead role in another movie coming from the same producers behind the Conan film: The Mutant Chronicles.
May 31
Dawn of the Ice Bear, the last in the Age of Conan: Marauders trilogy by Jeff Mariotte hit shelves yesterday. In a bit of fantastic timing, my editor’s copy showed up the same day. Jeff did a fine job with this series, and I hope that Conan fans everywhere will give it a shot. These books differ from the others in that they’re shorter and feature young adult heroes, but they’re packed with every bit of adventure you’d expect from both Hyboria and Jeff.
Next up, look for Richard Knaak’s excellent “A Soldier’s Quest” trilogy. The God in the Moon should be available in July, and I just received a copy of the cover for the second volume, The Eye of Charon, which is due out in September. Richard does a bang-up job with these, and the endings of each always rock.
May 23
My pal Jeff Mariotte reminds me that the third and final book in his Age of Conan series is due out any minute now. The Marauders trilogy comprises the first young adult tales set in Hyboria since Conan Properties launched the new line of novels with Ace Books. Dawn of the Ice Bear wraps up the epic with a rousing tale filled with blood, treachery, and magic.
Mar 22
In today’s mail, I got my copy of Winds of the Wild Sea by my pal Jeff Mariotte. This is the second in his Marauders trilogy set in the Age of Conan series from Ace Books. I act as the Conan guru for this line, and it’s amazing how easy authors like Jeff make it to do my job.
The book should be on shelves in a bookstore near you next week.
Feb 03
My friend Jeff Mariotte’s latest novel, Ghost of the Wall, is just now showing up in bookstores. This is the first in a new young adult trilogy set in the Age of Conan. I edited the book (as I’ve done for most of the line), and Jeff made my job easy and fun. Give it a try!
Jan 26
Funcom recently updated its community portal for its upcoming Age of Conan MMORPG. If reading the novels whets your appetite for adventure, soon you’ll be able to join in with your own swinging blade!
Jan 23
My friend Jeff Mariotte just posted an excellent appreciation of Robert E. Howard and Conan for Howard’s 100th birthday. Jeff worked at WildStorm Productions when I co-designed the WildStorms CCG there, and he edited my Dracula’s Revenge comic for IDW.
This past year, the tables turned, and I edited his new Age of Conan trilogy, the Marauders. Look for the first, Ghost of the Wall, at the end of the month. Jeff did great work on the series, and his love for all things Conan shines through. if you’d like to know where it comes from, be sure to check out that appreciation for details.
Jan 22
Today (or, arguably, Tuesday) would have been the 100th birthday of Robert E. Howard. As the creator of Conan, King Kull, and Solomon Kane, he invented the sword-and-sorcery fantasy and wrote in more than a half-dozen other genres for pulp magazines of all types. He cut his own life short at the age of 30. We can only guess what other works of genius he would have wrought had he held on with us a little longer.
I’m honored to be able to work on the Age of Conan novels for Ace Books. Recently Del Rey released The Conquering Sword of Conan, the third and final volume collecting Howard’s Conan work. This completes the Howard canon that we go by when working on the new novels. Be sure to check it out, and raise a glass toward Cross Plains, Texas, when you can.
Nov 23
This week, Ginjer Buchanan at Ace Books sent me two of the latest releases in the Age of Conan line I edit with her. (I do my part for Conan Properties, while Ginjer manages the line for Ace.) Courtesy of Gjiner, UPS brought me at book and a flat.
The book is Venom of Luxur, the third and final book in J. Steven York’s Anok, Heretic of Stygia trilogy. It brings Anok’s tale to a rousing and triumphant close. If you’re interested in the books, you can download the first chapter of each of them and read them for free. The first two books are already out, and Venom hits stores on November 29.
As for the other thing, a “flat” is a promotional copy of the cover of an upcoming book. The publishers print these up in advance of the real thing to show distributors and booksellers what they can expect to see. Ace has done them for all of their Age of Conan titles, and I’ve gotten them for each of my Blood Bowl novels from the Black Library too. I had some for Secret of the Spiritkeeper too, and Nina Hess—my editor at Wizards—just sent me some promotional bookmarks for the Knights of the Silver Dragon line too.
This flat is for Winds of the Wild Sea, the second in the Marauders trilogy. These are young adult (YA) novels set in the Age of Conan and written by Jeff Mariotte, and old friend of mine from IDW and WildStorm fame. Gearing gritty fantasy novels for younger readers isn’t easy, but Jeff does a fine job of it, making the books good for kids from 10 to 100. The first in the series, Ghost in the Wall, is due in stores at the end of January, while Winds of the Wild Sea should be out in March.
Nov 08
The first chapter of Venom of Luxur is up on the Conan website for your enjoyment. This is the third in Steve York’s Age of Conan trilogy set in the mysterious land of Stygia (which I edited for CPI), and it wraps up with a real bang.
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