Many of my interests in the way of music and books are on new highs of popularity. Along with the writings of Robert E. Howard and Glen Cook, and the music of many Heavy Metal bands, the music of Canadian power trio Rush is finding a new audience, while maintaining its longstanding one. I've been an active fan of the band since 1989, and a casual one far longer, so this pleases me greatly. Between kids hooked on Guitar Hero/Rock Band, and folks of all ages becoming aware that many dinosaur bands still put on a far better show than most newer bands, Rush have become, dare I say it, "hip." It helps that they are still at the top of their game live, putting on great hard-rocking concerts during their 2007-2008 touring in support of the Snakes & Arrows album (with the tour captured for posterity on the Snakes & Arrows Live CD and DVD releases). I was fortunate to be able to see the band at Red Rocks on both legs of the tour.
Rush have been around since 1968, and put out their first album in 1974. That same year, soon after, Neil Peart ("peert," not "purt") joined as the new drummer, and with the second album in 1975, he took over the bulk of lyric writing. Guitarist Alex Lifeson and bassist/singer (and eventually, keyboardist too) Geddy Lee have always handled the writing of the music. The trio have tremendous chemistry, whether working together, or playing, and this has helped them endure for roughly 35 years. Snakes & Arrows was Rush's 19th studio album, and a host of live albums, DVDs, and best-of compilations are also available.
In this internet age, all of Rush's prodigious output is subject to reviews and criticisms, and I've noticed a trend over the past decade or so. Many who attempt to review the band's work only really enjoy a certain portion of it. Some like the proggy sci-fi epics of the mid-70's. For others, the polished, accessible early 80's material is the best. A few prefer the later 80's keyboard-heavy sound. Most are dismissive of the band's 90's output, though the two studio CDs released in the new millenium get a measure of respect.
I find it curious that I often read that a reviewer's prefered era of Rush music is "the real Rush." These reviewers tend to feel that the band "got away from what made them great," even as others provide similar sentiments for other eras of the band. I'm suprised by the lack of broad appreciation for Rush's music.
To me, it is very much a strength that the band has changed and evolved over the course of 35 years. We already have Motorhead to provide an example of sticking to your guns year after year. Such a lack of concern for trends and fashion is admirable, but Rush have been equally steadfast in their determination to write and play what they are feeling at a particular moment in time. They also haven't cared about being trendy, while still being aware of new influences capable of adding subtle growth and change to their sound. Once the listener gets past the notion of "this and only this is what Rush is," it becomes possible to realize that it is ALL Rush, on all 19 studio albums. Of course they have a different sense as composers at age 53 than they did at 23. The 19 albums give the opportunity to watch the band improve as songwriters and players, as they gradually come to the understanding that it wasn't necessary to show off on every song, all the time.
This change, in approach and in results, means that, for me as a listener anyway, the various albums appeal to different moods on different days. This gives the music great staying power, as I rarely tire of the band, since at least one release will likely feel appropriate on any given day. This may not be as true for those less given over to Rush geekdom, but the point remains valid that the changes in Rush's sound over the years is a strength, not a weakness. Those who are already fans of the band may have their opinion set in stone, but I hope this discussion has been useful to curious readers and casual fans. Happy listening!
Thought of the day: I finished Cruel Zinc Melodies, so I completed the entire 12 book Garrett, P.I series between mid June and late December of 2008! I'll gradually read them again the years ahead, but I have other works by Glen Cook to tackle first. I may try and make reading a bunch of Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series my pet project for 2009, but then again, something else might surprise me (as Garrett did) and seize that position. I'll find out in the days to come, Happy 2009 to all!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
In Praise of Joseph Altsheler
I suppose most of you reading this will be familiar with the movie The Last of the Mohicans, more than with any other reference I could make. These days, it is considered the classic story of Native American Indians and frontiersmen in the American Colonial era. The story was of course first a book, one of James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales, originally published in 1826. That age shows, because by 21st Century standards, Cooper’s prose reads horribly. Actually, Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, was already making fun of Cooper over a century ago, just search online for a version of his essay on "Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offences."
Cooper was successful in his day because he was creating a new form of fiction. He was the first author to build a reputation on writing stories set on the frontier of American advancing settlement, and in the wilderness beyond. Others naturally followed up on this premise, and some such as Robert W. Chambers, also found success. The concept of telling a tale full of ambushes, canoe chases, forest-lore, and a celebration of nature, found appeal then, and still can captivate readers today. At least it can still captivate me ;-)
Joseph Altsheler also tried his hand at writing historical novels, publishing a variety of books at the turn of the 20th Century. These varied in setting from the French & Indian War, through the American Revolution, up to the American Civil War. They were aimed at an adult audience, and found limited success. Kentucky-born Altsheler was a newspaper man, writing and editing for publications based in New York City. By 1907 he was editing the thrice-weekly magazine of the New York World, which published adventure stories for adolescent males. These were supposed to have exciting events told with historical accuracy and in a wholesome way that would not offend any sensibilities. Altsheler had difficulty finding suitable stories, so he started writing them himself. With this he had found his niche, and over the next dozen years, till his death in 1919, he wrote enough material to form over 25 books (the serialized storylines formed full novels once they were collected in hardcover book format, much as happened with Charles Dickens’ storylines decades earlier).
Certain Altsheler stories were stand alone novels, but most of his output formed part of one of his several series. The most famous of these were the three longest. First was The Young Trailers, with 6 volumes written between 1907 and 1912, with two more books added a few years later. These told of the American Revolutionary War era in Kentucky, as the British and Indians tried to drive the settlers out. Next was The Civil War Series, which over the course of 8 books written between 1914 and 1916 told of Kentucky descendents of the Young Trailers, some of whom fought for the North, while others chose the South. Finally, the French & Indian War Series (1916-1919) followed two New York frontiersmen and their Onondaga Iroquois boon companion from before the war broke out through the British victory at Quebec.
I was lucky as a child that my maternal grandmother was a small town librarian. I found many of Altsheler’s books there when I was perhaps 10, and quickly became a fan of his writing. This was circa 1980, and Altsheler’s series titles had remained in print until roughly 1960, so it isn’t surprising that this library would have them. My Middle School library also had some Altsheler, as did the Fort Collins Town Library, when I moved to Colorado for college in 1988. One Altsheler book, The Masters of the Peaks, remained available for order as late as roughly 1985, and I was able to buy a “new” copy, printed many years earlier, at a B. Dalton’s in 1983. Altsheler’s works are all in the public domain, so today many of them can be had in a variety of modern reprintings. But as a potentially cheaper option, Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/) has made available free e-books of many Altsheler titles, including every volume of the three series I mentioned. These come as pdf files, and there can be some expense if you choose to print the books out, but at least the files themselves are free of charge.
Who would enjoy these books in 2008 (or 2009, as of next week)? Fans of Cooper’s books would probably enjoy the settings, and the much more approachable writing style. People who share my enthusiasm for the parts of The Lord of the Rings that involve the Rangers of the North, and Faramir and his Rangers of Ithilien, would also be likely to enjoy Altsheler’s Indian warfare volumes. So would readers of contemporary authors of mountain man novels, such as Richard S. Wheeler, Earl Murray (RIP), and Terry C. Johnston (RIP). Civil War buffs are a natural audience for that series. Back to Fantasy, Altsheler was an influence on Robert E. Howard, which can best be appreciated in Conan stories such as Beyond the Black River and The Black Stranger.
I earlier mentioned the “wholesome” quality of Altsheler’s work, so it is worth keeping in mind that his books are “chaste” to roughly the same degree as Tolkien’s. This means there is violence and killing, but each story is told tastefully, without the sex of Johnston, or the grimness of Howard. And most volumes reach a reasonably happy ending, with nary a hint of irony along the way. This could turn off some modern readers, but to me, Altsheler’s writing feels old fashioned in a “classic” sense, rather than seeming quaint and off putting. Like Howard’s, it still reads well to most modern readers.
Here’s the titles to the three mentioned Altsheler series. As discussed above, all can be found on Project Gutenberg, or in various used and new conventional printings (and even sometimes on CDs). I hope this discussion has intrigued you, happy hunting!
The Young Trailers Series:
1. The Young Trailers
2. The Forest Runners
3. The Keepers of the Trail
4. The Eyes of the Woods
5. The Free Rangers
6. The Riflemen of the Ohio
7. The Scouts of the Valley
8. The Border Watch
The Civil War Series
1. The Guns of Bull Run
2. The Guns of Shiloh
3. The Scouts of Stonewall
4. The Sword of Antietam
5. The Star of Gettysburg
6. The Rock of Chickmauga
7. The Shades of the Wilderness
8. The Tree of Appomattox
The French & Indian War Series
1. The Hunters of the Hills
2. The Shadow of the North
3. The Rulers of the Lakes
4. The Masters of the Peaks
5. The Lords of the Wild
6. The Sun of Quebec
Thought of the day: I'm currently reading Cruel Zinc Melodies, the 12th and most recent of Glen Cook's Garrett, P.I. novels. My goal is to finish it by the end of 2008. The thought of being done with the series, until the already-contracted 13th volume appears, leaves me both happy and sad. I'll explore those feelings, and the series in general, in future ramblings.
Cooper was successful in his day because he was creating a new form of fiction. He was the first author to build a reputation on writing stories set on the frontier of American advancing settlement, and in the wilderness beyond. Others naturally followed up on this premise, and some such as Robert W. Chambers, also found success. The concept of telling a tale full of ambushes, canoe chases, forest-lore, and a celebration of nature, found appeal then, and still can captivate readers today. At least it can still captivate me ;-)
Joseph Altsheler also tried his hand at writing historical novels, publishing a variety of books at the turn of the 20th Century. These varied in setting from the French & Indian War, through the American Revolution, up to the American Civil War. They were aimed at an adult audience, and found limited success. Kentucky-born Altsheler was a newspaper man, writing and editing for publications based in New York City. By 1907 he was editing the thrice-weekly magazine of the New York World, which published adventure stories for adolescent males. These were supposed to have exciting events told with historical accuracy and in a wholesome way that would not offend any sensibilities. Altsheler had difficulty finding suitable stories, so he started writing them himself. With this he had found his niche, and over the next dozen years, till his death in 1919, he wrote enough material to form over 25 books (the serialized storylines formed full novels once they were collected in hardcover book format, much as happened with Charles Dickens’ storylines decades earlier).
Certain Altsheler stories were stand alone novels, but most of his output formed part of one of his several series. The most famous of these were the three longest. First was The Young Trailers, with 6 volumes written between 1907 and 1912, with two more books added a few years later. These told of the American Revolutionary War era in Kentucky, as the British and Indians tried to drive the settlers out. Next was The Civil War Series, which over the course of 8 books written between 1914 and 1916 told of Kentucky descendents of the Young Trailers, some of whom fought for the North, while others chose the South. Finally, the French & Indian War Series (1916-1919) followed two New York frontiersmen and their Onondaga Iroquois boon companion from before the war broke out through the British victory at Quebec.
I was lucky as a child that my maternal grandmother was a small town librarian. I found many of Altsheler’s books there when I was perhaps 10, and quickly became a fan of his writing. This was circa 1980, and Altsheler’s series titles had remained in print until roughly 1960, so it isn’t surprising that this library would have them. My Middle School library also had some Altsheler, as did the Fort Collins Town Library, when I moved to Colorado for college in 1988. One Altsheler book, The Masters of the Peaks, remained available for order as late as roughly 1985, and I was able to buy a “new” copy, printed many years earlier, at a B. Dalton’s in 1983. Altsheler’s works are all in the public domain, so today many of them can be had in a variety of modern reprintings. But as a potentially cheaper option, Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/) has made available free e-books of many Altsheler titles, including every volume of the three series I mentioned. These come as pdf files, and there can be some expense if you choose to print the books out, but at least the files themselves are free of charge.
Who would enjoy these books in 2008 (or 2009, as of next week)? Fans of Cooper’s books would probably enjoy the settings, and the much more approachable writing style. People who share my enthusiasm for the parts of The Lord of the Rings that involve the Rangers of the North, and Faramir and his Rangers of Ithilien, would also be likely to enjoy Altsheler’s Indian warfare volumes. So would readers of contemporary authors of mountain man novels, such as Richard S. Wheeler, Earl Murray (RIP), and Terry C. Johnston (RIP). Civil War buffs are a natural audience for that series. Back to Fantasy, Altsheler was an influence on Robert E. Howard, which can best be appreciated in Conan stories such as Beyond the Black River and The Black Stranger.
I earlier mentioned the “wholesome” quality of Altsheler’s work, so it is worth keeping in mind that his books are “chaste” to roughly the same degree as Tolkien’s. This means there is violence and killing, but each story is told tastefully, without the sex of Johnston, or the grimness of Howard. And most volumes reach a reasonably happy ending, with nary a hint of irony along the way. This could turn off some modern readers, but to me, Altsheler’s writing feels old fashioned in a “classic” sense, rather than seeming quaint and off putting. Like Howard’s, it still reads well to most modern readers.
Here’s the titles to the three mentioned Altsheler series. As discussed above, all can be found on Project Gutenberg, or in various used and new conventional printings (and even sometimes on CDs). I hope this discussion has intrigued you, happy hunting!
The Young Trailers Series:
1. The Young Trailers
2. The Forest Runners
3. The Keepers of the Trail
4. The Eyes of the Woods
5. The Free Rangers
6. The Riflemen of the Ohio
7. The Scouts of the Valley
8. The Border Watch
The Civil War Series
1. The Guns of Bull Run
2. The Guns of Shiloh
3. The Scouts of Stonewall
4. The Sword of Antietam
5. The Star of Gettysburg
6. The Rock of Chickmauga
7. The Shades of the Wilderness
8. The Tree of Appomattox
The French & Indian War Series
1. The Hunters of the Hills
2. The Shadow of the North
3. The Rulers of the Lakes
4. The Masters of the Peaks
5. The Lords of the Wild
6. The Sun of Quebec
Thought of the day: I'm currently reading Cruel Zinc Melodies, the 12th and most recent of Glen Cook's Garrett, P.I. novels. My goal is to finish it by the end of 2008. The thought of being done with the series, until the already-contracted 13th volume appears, leaves me both happy and sad. I'll explore those feelings, and the series in general, in future ramblings.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Glen Cook and the Dread Empire
I intend to give fantasy and science fiction author Glen Cook considerable attention on this blog. I’m a longstanding fan of his, and I’ve watched his popularity grow and decline. Currently, he’s on a new high, with the first omnibus of his Black Company books going through five printings in under year, and his latest Garrett, P.I. novel Cruel Zinc Melodies on its third printing just six months after release.
I’ll write about Garrett, and perhaps about the Black Company, on another occasion. Today I’m thinking about his earlier Dread Empire series. With a little online research, checking various websites, it can be found that the first Dread Empire novel, A Shadow of All Night Falling, was in existence as a manuscript as early as 1972. The original Dread Empire trilogy consists of it, followed by October’s Baby and All Darkness Met. The three books were published a few months apart during 1979 and 1980.
Later, during 1984 and 1985 (at the same time the original three Black Company books were released) Cook issued two prequels, The Fire in His Hands and With Mercy Toward None. While the original trilogy was published by
I discovered the Dread Empire series in early 1988, when I saw the sequels in stores. I noticed them immediately because the covers were painted by Ken Kelly, one of my favorite cover artists. Both books were labeled “the new Dread Empire novel,” which I found puzzling, since I could recall no previous Dread Empire novels. In looking through the books, they seemed fascinating, as they portrayed realistic characters who seemed far removed from the stereotype of “a farm boy discovers he has secret royal blood, and leads an overthrow of the evil lord with the help of an unlikely group of companions.” The military aspects of the Dread Empire sequels rang true to me, and the characters seemed particularly haunted by the memory of a battle fought in an earlier book at Palmisano. I bought the sequels and became eager to seek out the original trilogy and catch up on the back story.
Even in 1988 the first three Dread Empire books were difficult to find. I was in
I then quickly read through the five Dread Empire books in my collection, following Bragi Ragnarson from mercenary captain, to general, and finally to a kingship, as he fought many battles and usually had luck on his side. I enjoyed them immensely. Indeed, they were a powerful influence on the fantasy stories in my head, as I realized that flowery pseudo-old fashioned language was unnecessary, and real-world motivations for the characters was acceptable. They didn’t need to aspire to saving the world, wanting to survive the next battle was good enough. I’m not the only one to feel this way about the books, Jeff VanderMeer and Steven Erikson have written recent essays (for the Dread Empire omnibus series) in which they confess to very similar feelings of awe. They and other writers also took such inspiration from other Cook projects, such as the Black Company, and as I write this in late 2008, it has become common to find “gritty, realistic” military fantasy. However, 20 years ago and beyond, it was a revelation to read stories told in this way, and I’m glad Cook is getting his due for his early work.
By 2005, Cook had many popular books in print, but none of the Dread Empire novels had been available for many years. Nightshade Books decided to get most of Cook’s back catalog back into print, and announced their intention to collect all of the Dread Empire material into four omnibuses. The first, for 2006, would be A Cruel Wind, which would include the original trilogy. This was to be followed in 2007 by A Fortress in Shadow, which would have the two prequels. Both volumes were published as scheduled, originally in hardcover, and with a trade paperback following the next year.
For 2008 was supposed to be The Wrath of Kings (the two sequels), and then the set would conclude in 2009 with An Empire Unacquainted With Defeat (with the several short stories that Cook wrote in the Dread Empire universe). But something changed in early 2008. Suddenly, The Wrath of Kings was on hold, and the short story collection became the next volume. The schedule was pushed back by six months or so, and now An Empire Unacquainted With Defeat is due in the last weeks of 2008 (and will probably become available from stores in early 2009). This got me and others wondering at the reason for the postponement and rearranging of The Wrath of Kings. Someone asked on the Nightshade Books message board whether the lost third sequel manuscript had been recovered, and he was never given a meaningful reply. I raised the same question myself on a Glen Cook fan email discussion list, and got no answer from any of the people there who are in contact with Cook. This lack of denial anywhere suggests that the third sequel will indeed be part of The Wrath of Kings, but that the announcement is being kept under wraps. Teasingly, the trade paperback of A Fortress in Shadow, which was released during September of 2008, seems to list three books as part of the The Wrath of Kings omnibus, as under the omnibus title heading it mentions, “Containing Reap the East Wind, An Ill Fate Marshalling, and Wrath of Kings.” Hmmm…
I bought the trade paperbacks of A Cruel Wind and A Fortress in Shadow a few weeks ago, and have already read the former. I again found those stories enthralling, even as I can see that they are an earlier stage in Cook’s development. I think each Dread Empire book in the original trilogy and the sequels is better than the last. I desperately hope that the lost manuscript of the third sequel has been recovered, because An Ill Fate Marshalling ended on a sort of cliffhanger, and I want resolution for the story!
I actually never read The Fire in His Hands and With Mercy Toward None. It’s often the case with series that I like, that I’ll leave a book or two unread for a long while, so I know that in the future I’ll have something I can expect to enjoy. I expect to read the A Fortress in Shadow omnibus of these two books in the near future.
If you like Erikson’s Malazan Empire novels, or Robert E. Howard’s tales of medieval warfare (see Lord of Samarcand, for example), or Cook’s Black Company and Instrumentalities of the Night series, then don’t hesitate to give the Dread Empire books a try. They may be marginally less polished than what he wrote later, but they are darned good none the less, and they give the reader hundreds of pages of time in that unique atmosphere that Cook always creates through his writing.
Thought of the day: I recall the immortal words of Nuke LaLoosh, who pointed out years ago, “I like winning…you know, it’s like…better than losing…” Congrats to Colorado State Volleyball on their win today, and best wishes for success on Saturday against
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
What's on my mind today
Hi folks, I'm Marc Rikmenspoel, the author of various books of World War 2 history and articles on many subjects (craft beer, Northern Colorado business, military history, and other things).
I'll be using this spot to discuss what is on my mind at the moment of writing, whether it be an under-appreciated book series, or a beer I enjoyed, or the state of Colorado State Volleyball (who begin postseason play in the NCAA Tournament a few days from the moment I'm typing this).
A blog like this always takes on a life of its own after a while, and I'm not sure what to expect, except of course to expect the unexpected! So tune in often to read what transpires, meanwhile, welcome aboard!
I'll be using this spot to discuss what is on my mind at the moment of writing, whether it be an under-appreciated book series, or a beer I enjoyed, or the state of Colorado State Volleyball (who begin postseason play in the NCAA Tournament a few days from the moment I'm typing this).
A blog like this always takes on a life of its own after a while, and I'm not sure what to expect, except of course to expect the unexpected! So tune in often to read what transpires, meanwhile, welcome aboard!
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