Spelljammer Reviews

I have many interests, one of my most enduring is Dungeons & Dragons, which I've been playing since 1980. I've played in most of the various campaign settings that have come out for the game, but one of my favorites is Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space.  I love the idea of fantastical wooden ships flying through space, and I love that Spelljammer potentially connected all of the AD&D campaign settings. 

In fact, I love Spelljammer so much its the only D&D campaign for which I have had some of my writings published - I co-authored the Hackmaster 4e conversion of the setting, Hackjammer (sadly long out of print and difficult to find). 

So, along with that published work, I wrote a great deal of material for Spelljammer that was "published" on the web, mostly on what was the official Spelljammer fan site, Beyond the Moons. It's all still there, but the site is a bit harder to link to these days. And I have been converting old works and adding new material to create unofficial Spelljammer 'netbook' pdfs. Mostly these are reference works of various sorts to the Spelljammer products.

I recently completed another of these. Long ago Beyond the Moons put up my "Spelljammer product reviews" (scroll down to the bottom of the page),  I decide to reedit these, add new ones for material i missed the first time, and add images of the various product covers to produce an annotated and illustrated Spelljammer bibliography. 

So, here it is:

Spelljammer in Review: An annotated and illustrated bibliography of the Spelljammer campaign setting and related products and articles.  

If you wish to distribute this work, please contact me first.

I hope Spelljammer fans find it useful.

N.B.  I recently came across this blog entry with reviews of the Cloakmaster cycle of Spelljammer novels. It's a bit kinder on the later novels in the series then I am, but it is an excellent set of reviews anyway. 

All views in this blog are my own and represent the views of no other person, organization, or institution.

The Sacred Band tales of Janet & Chris Morris

Portions of this article appeared in Knights of the Dinner Table #191 (September, 2012).

One of fantasy’s enduring motifs is the concept of the multiverse, the idea of different worlds and times that co-exist, and which the unwary or wise can travel between via various extraordinary devices or phenomenon. Dungeons and Dragons famously made great use of the concept of the multiverse, it was particularly useful in allowing travel between the various home campaign worlds of gamemasters but also between TSR’s commercially published settings. I dare say most gamers and many fantasy fans find the concept fascinating and enticing, who doesn’t want to see Conan take Elric down a peg? And for writers the multiverse is a wonderful tool, Janet and Chris Morris employed the multiverse motif to free Tempus, Janet Morris’ most famous character, and his followers from the constraints of the Thieves’ World shared universe series.

Janet Morris is a prolific author who got her start in the late ‘70s with High Couch of Silistra, an old

school science fiction novel that reads like a cross between Leigh Brackett and early John Norman. In fantasy fiction, she is best known for her participation in the Thieves’ World anthologies and as the editor of the Heroes in Hell Bangsian shared world anthologies.

I think her best work, however, is I, the Sun, biographical historical ficton novel about Hittite king Šuppiluliuma I.  It is a powerful work, extremely well done. It is far better, IMO, than any of her Thieves' World stories. In fact, it is on par with Mary Renault's works, and there is no higher praise from me. Told in the first person, the tale is riveting from beginning to end, in a subtle manner. The relationships are believable, the angst is minimal, and religion is handled just right for the period.

The only real weakness is the military aspects and battle scenes. Morris is obviously fascinated by warfare, but she just doesn't seem to understand it very well. As a military historian I was hoping for some imaginative insights into Hittite military culture and tactics, but those aspects of the novel were minimal.

As with any work on antiquity, especially on a subject like the Hittites, she has to make some things up, and the scholarship is from the 1970s,so there have likely been quite a few changes in how we view the Hittites and the nations around them. So be sure to look to newer works for actual Hittite history. But this one is very fun. I especially love how she deals with the women interacting with the protagonist and the internal politics. This is Janet Morris' best work and the audiobook is also quite well read.

Based on publication dates, it appears that she wrote I, the Sun contemporaneously with her Thieves' World work, there is some obvious connections with Father Enlil and later Shepherd, from I, the Sun, appears in a couple late Thieves' World stories. Her depictions of religious observances are clearly influenced by her Hittite research, and several characters from the series were likely inspired by, or at least named after, individuals from Greek history, notably Critias.

Her most enduring character in Thieves’ World was Tempus, a tortured immortal mercenary who regenerates any wounds he takes and is the chosen avatar of the storm god. Tempus quickly became one of the most popular characters in the series, what teen-age boy could resist a character who takes women when he wants them, constantly insults the god rumbling in his head, is preternaturally strong, swift, and healthy, never sleeps, and is generally feared by all? And, of course, he battles demons and wizards who also fear him.  Of course, such a character creates balance problems in a shared world setting, and Tempus and his followers, the Stepson mercenary band, certainly led to the power glut that oozed through the middle volumes of that series.

In addition to short stories, Morris wrote the first three novels for Thieves' World: Beyond Sanctuary, Beyond the Veil, and Beyond Wizard Wall. In the Thieves' World chronology they fell between Face of Chaos and Wings of Omen and they introduced an 'epic fantasy' storyline involving the Nisibisi globes of power that roiled Thieves' World through out the rest of the series. Though they had many interesting scenes and vignettes, these novels were somewhat disjointed and difficult to follow. These novels have some cool ideas - especially the Nisibisi cultures and the basic northern politics. it's a shame they remained so underdeveloped.

They were also very focused focused on Nikodemos, a junior Stepson who gradually took over as the primary protagonist from Tempus. Niko became a problematic character in

the series. the plots all seemed to revolve around witches and gods desiring Niko, but why anyone should want to spend time with Niko is an open question. Sulking angst is his most common attitude, and he never shows any particular intelligence, empathy, or any other desirable trait. He prefers to prey on young girls - criminally young in the modern world. Most damning of all, he is a point of view character, so we see inside his mind often, which means it is clear that Niko is nearly always wrong about what is going on around him. He fails to value wiser, braver, and more ethical characters about him, such as the wizard Randal.  Yet we spend nearly all of the remaining tales in his company, following the same storyline repeated over and over - the Nisibisi witch Roxane wants Niko, and so do the gods, and Tempus wants to protect Niko.  

When Thieves’ World ended Morris published a series of novels furthering the tales of he and his followers, since she had the rights to the characters but not the setting, Tempus and his band were soon travelling the multiverse.  

It is interesting to see how Janet Morris' handling of time and the multiverse differs from Michael Moorcock's, The two authors come from very different backgrounds, and I don't see any evidence that either was aware of or influenced by the other. Nonetheless, in many ways Tempus closest analog in fantasy fiction is Elric of Melnibone, right down to the predilections for philosophy, incest, gods and the cursed destinies that bedevil them. However, Morris' multiverse is far more heavily influenced by the philosophy and mythologies of the Ancient Mediterranean.

The first novel in this follow-on series, Tempus, merely collected the most relevant of the old Thieves’

World stories to provide suitable background for the later works, interspersed with a framing tale. In City at the Edge of Time, the first post-Thieves’ World tale of Tempus, the city in questioned is saved from ‘evil’ and Tempus’ protégé becomes its ruler. In Tempus Unbound, the immortal comes to fabled Lemuria, and is soon drawn into a demon war across time that is centered in modern New York – a tale that reads far better then one would expect from its summary. In Storm Seed, Tempus, now ruler of Lemuria, brings his scattered forces home, seemingly set to begin a new series of adventures across time and the planes.

Instead, the Morrises (Chris Morris being a co-author since the late ‘80s) abandoned Tempus and his Stepsons for twenty years, not coming out with a sequel to Storm Seed until 2010, with The Sacred Band. Working with a new publisher, Perseid Press, the Morris' tied the Stepsons directly into the legend of the historical Sacred Band of Thebes. Most of the tale takes place in Sanctuary, set between the conclusion of the original 12 Thieves' World anthologies, and the setting's 2002 revival.

Returning to an overt connection with antiquity allowed this tale to play directly to the strengths Morris exhibited in I, the Sun. The opening of the tale is very promising, the merger of the Thebans and the Stepsons introduces new characters and we get to see Arton and Gyskouras, the Storm children of Sanctuary's most turbulent story line as young men. And finally we see some actual battles, rather then mere skirmishes, something which was strangely lacking in the previous Tempus stories - for someone fascinated by warriors, Morris appears uninterested in fight scenes.

But there is a great deal that is less good. Too soon the novel shifts focus and once again Nikodemos becomes the center of the same repetitive story lines of the previous tales. Although published 8 years after the 2002 revival, and set between the original series and the revival chronologically, there is no sign that Morris read the linking novel by Lynn Abbey, Sanctuary - how any of this fits into the known history of Sanctuary between the series is a huge puzzle. And one of Morris weakness' as a shared world author stands out in particular in this work, she handles the characters borrowed from other writers poorly. Molin is almost unrecognizable, as is Arton's mother, Ilyra. The relationship between Gyskouras and Arton doesn't seem at all what one would expect after the original series. And Straton and Ischade simply repeat the storyline they were in at the closing of the original series, despite already receiving a proper ending in those tales.

The final work in the series is The Fish, The Fighters, and the Song-girl. This is another short story collection, although this time it does include a few tales not previously published. As with previous Sacred Band story collections there is a 'framing' story meant to put the tales into context, but it is confusing and doesn't seem to have much of a resolution. I don't know if this is intended to be the last work in the series but it felt open-ended, o perhaps we can expect more Tempus and the Sacred Band tales down the road.

Over all, in the Sacred Band series the prose is typically lush, and too dependent on repetitive internal character dialogue, but Morris has a knack for implying a level of complexity and insight that leads the reader to seek more. This is also disquieting; I can’t shake the feeling that if I finally figure out the meaning of her works I will discover a reprehensible philosophy reminiscent of the worst parts of Ayn Rand or Friedrich Nietzsche. But then I think surely not, both are far too modern for antiquarian Morris.  

Nonetheless, she explores the multiverse in a unique manner, and the dynamics of the mercenary band she describes are fascinating.  The Sacred Band series novels are not to everyone’s taste, but if you like dark military fantasy they are well worth a read. 

All views in this blog are my own and represent the views of no other person, organization, or institution.

My professional works

All views in this blog are my own and represent the views of no other person, organization, or institution.

This is crass self-promotion, but I thought a couple posts letting people know where to find my writing might be of interest. After all, if no one reads any of this it is sort of useless. So here is a short bibliography of my professional history work.  I did leave out some shorter articles and my book reviews, but this is the bulk of my professional historical writing.

Thesis:

“The development and decline of Romano-Byzantine archery from the fourth to the eleventh centuries”, Master’s Thesis, Ohio State University (1996) 

I'd like to expand on this, as a journal article, a book, or a dissertation some day.  It's my oldest work, I think I've grown as a writer and historian quite a bit since. It can be down loaded here, at the OhioLink Thesis & dissertation center. It can also be found on Medievalist.net here. 

Books:

U.S. Marines in Battle: Al-Khafji, 28 January - 1 February 1991 History Division, U.S. Marine Corps, (2008)

 This work can be downloaded for free at the MCU website here. It can also be found in various book sellers on the web. 

 

U.S. Marines in the Gulf War, 1990–1991: Liberating Kuwait History Division, U.S. Marine Corps, (2014)

This is my most significant work to date.  It can be downloaded as a free pdf at the MCU website here. It can also be found in various book sellers on the web. I was awarded the 2015 Brigadier General Edwin Simmons-Henry I. Shaw Award by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. A scholarly review of the work on H-War can be found here.

 

Desert Voices: An Oral History Anthology of Marines in the Gulf War, 1990-1991 with Alexander Hinman, History Division, U.S. Marine Corps, (2016)

Conducting oral history interviews was one of my favorite parts of researching Liberating Kuwait. I wanted to let the Marines we interviewed speak more directly to readers, hence this work.  It can be downloaded as a free pdf at the MCU website here. It can also be found in various book sellers on the web.

 

U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, 2010–2014: Anthology and Annotated Bibliography with Christopher Blaker, History Division, U.S. Marine Corps, (2017)

Intended as a first look and primer for Marines in Afghanistan during the period noted. It can be downloaded as a free pdf at the MCU website here. It can also be found in various book sellers on the web.

The Legacy of Belleau Wood: 100 years of making Marines and winning battles, an anthology Edited by Paul Westermeyer and Breanne Robertson, History Division, U.S. Marine Corps, (2018)

It can be downloaded as a free pdf at the MCU website here. It can also be purchased through the GPO here, or in various book sellers on the web. In 2018 this work was chosen as a Notable Government Publication by the American Libraries Association (ALA) Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) Publications Committee.

The Legacy of American Naval Power: Reinvigorating Maritime Strategic Thought, an Anthology Edited by Paul Westermeyer and Breanne Robertson, History Division, U.S. Marine Corps, (2019)

I worked on both of these Legacy anthologies with Breanne Robertson, together we did a podcast about the book for the Marine Corps War College's podcast, Eagles, Globes, and Anchors. You can download that podcast here. This work can be downloaded as a free pdf at the MCU website here. It can also be purchased through the GPO here, or in various book sellers on the web.

The United States Marine Corps: The Expeditionary Force at War, Casemate Publishers, (2019)

 I wrote this for Casemate's Short History series, it is intended as an introduction to Marine Corps history rather than a scholarly work. I am very happy with the reception it has received, especially the reviews from Leatherneck & Wargames Illustrated magazines. It is available on Kindle and in hardback, and can be found here on Amazon.  

Articles:

“Shattered Amphibious Dreams: The Decision Not to Make an Amphibious Landing during Operation Desert Storm” Marine Corps History Vol. 3, No. 2 (2018)

My last work on the Marines in the Gulf War, I really wanted to use that title, and I wanted to highlight the value of the Corps' amphibious feint. It can be downloaded as a free pdf at the MCU website here. 

“Every Marine a Flag Raiser: The Legacy and Meaning of the Iwo Jima Flag Raisings” Investigating Iwo: The Flag Raisings in Myth, Memory, & Esprit de Corps  History Division, U.S. Marine Corps, (2019) Co-author Dr Breanne Robertson

Dr Breanne Robertson's book on the Iwo Jima flag raising is one of History Division's 3 best books (out of over 200), in my opinion, so I'm very glad to have co-authored its concluding article with her.  This work can be downloaded as a free pdf at the MCU website here. It can also be purchased through the GPO here, or in various book sellers on the web.

 “Historiography for Marines: How Marines should read and understand histories” Marine Corps Gazette (November, 2019 Volume 103, Number 11, p78-82)

This article is something I planned for years, and I always hoped it would be published in the Gazette. I'm not sure it made the impact I hoped, but this article is near and dear to my heart. It can be downloaded here. 

All views in this blog are my own and represent the views of no other person, organization, or institution.