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Wow! What a cover! I can't wait to get my hands on this. The couple of Jirel stories I have read are just fantastic. It may be blasphemy, but I am hard pressed to determine whether I prefer Moore's or Howard's writing.
I'm not. Moore is far superior, in my opinion. That she is not better known is a crime against literature, and against sword and sorcery in particular.
I am really hoping this book finds its audience, because C.L. Moore is absolutely great.
--Erik
Well, I'll take your word for Moore's superior writing (I've only been able to read one of her stories so far). Perhaps Howard overshadowing her work is due to his sort of Kurt-Cobain-type tragic story. Maybe just because he wrote a lot more stories in the genre. Either way, I am glad I discovered her work (Thanks suggested reading lists in back of the DMG!), and I couldn't be happier to be getting the rest of the Jirel stories from Paizo.
I know you hear it a lot, but thanks, you guys are the best!
Erik, I'd just like to thank you for your recommendation. Your praise of C. L. Moore's writing got me interested into buying the Fantasy Masterworks edition of her stories available in my local book shop. I expected sword & sorcery in the vein of Leiber (which I really enjoy 'cause it's as D&D-ish as it can get) or Howard (whom I find quite entertaining). Instead I got these wonderfully moody and atmospheric stories about alien worlds. It was a bit like reading Lovecraft, except C. L. Moore actually sounds like she writes in the 20th Century. :-D
I especially enjoyed "Black God's Kiss" and "Black God's Shadow" whose eerie landscape would make any Shadow Plane denizen proud. It's damn shame Moore didn't wrote more stories about Jirel of Joiry and these worlds.
Could someone post the contents of this book?
I've been into C.L. Moore & Henry Kuttner ever since reading "Fury" about 3 years ago (it would be nice if PS could get the rights to "Fury", though it isn't Swords & Sorcery). These Planet Stories editions are definitely welcome in that they stand up to more abuse than the vintage PB's do. Also, the artwork and design of the books are topnotch. I just received "Almuric" and "Elak of Atlantis" and I'm very pleased with them. I now plan to get about 8 more titles soon.
Could someone post the contents of this book?
I've been into C.L. Moore & Henry Kuttner ever since reading "Fury" about 3 years ago (it would be nice if PS could get the rights to "Fury", though it isn't Swords & Sorcery). These Planet Stories editions are definitely welcome in that they stand up to more abuse than the vintage PB's do. Also, the artwork and design of the books are topnotch. I just received "Almuric" and "Elak of Atlantis" and I'm very pleased with them. I now plan to get about 8 more titles soon.
The table of contents goes:
"Where No Man Had Gone Before" (intro by Suzy McKee Charnas)
"Black God's Kiss"
"Black God's Shadow"
"Jirel Meets Magic"
"The Dark Land"
"Hellsgarde"
"Quest of the Starstone" (with Henry Kuttner - the Northwest Smith crossover story)
Hope you enjoy it!
Wow! What a cover! I can't wait to get my hands on this. The couple of Jirel stories I have read are just fantastic. It may be blasphemy, but I am hard pressed to determine whether I prefer Moore's or Howard's writing.
At risk of committing literary blasphemy- and drawing the ire of many Paizo posters, but I want to ask. But, is “Jirel of Joiry” a chainmail bikini clad heroine as is kind of implied by the cover?
Wow! What a cover! I can't wait to get my hands on this. The couple of Jirel stories I have read are just fantastic. It may be blasphemy, but I am hard pressed to determine whether I prefer Moore's or Howard's writing.At risk of committing literary blasphemy- and drawing the ire of many Paizo posters, but I want to ask. But, is “Jirel of Joiry” a chainmail bikini clad heroine as is kind of implied by the cover?
I think I found an answer.
"Interesting enough the artist who did the cover did depict her wearing a metal brassiere. In a 10 page introduction author Suzy McKee Charnas goes on at length about how Jirel does not conform to sexist stereotypes, in that light the cover is rather ill chosen. Instead of not conforming to the 1930s ideas on femininity they now submit her to ours."Source bookspotcentral.com
Oh well. :(
I didn't dislike the cover, in itself, but it does not match the descriptions of Jirel in the stories, clothes and armor wise.
I agree. I thought at first that she was wearing a suit of plate mail made to fit her form (which would have looked good, made sense, and fit the way she's described), but that's not the case.
Still, at worst it's a minor flaw in an great book.
