OFFERINGS FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
By Alex Ness
December 31, 2025
WHY DO IT?
While I've had year end articles, even gave out "best of the year" awards, but I'd prefer to not label these as best work, or best work about romance or epic heroics... I haven't read enough books for anything to be meaningful. But in this piece I am aiming specifically at works that are worthy of a long look, or, books by specific authors worthy of reading more than a single work. I am doing this in the way of a group of works where the concept is a completed story without extraneous books to find and follow, or, the works of a particular writer of talent. And at the end, a surprise entry.
Someone told me how much they like reviews or offerings of works that speak about the emotional pay back of the work. They also mentioned appreciating the likely readers who would enjoy the works the most, and the kind of work within the genre, that they were. For instance, Ursula K. LeGuin wrote a series that I include here, where there is magic and fantasy, but not swords and constant action. LeGuin's works are often delivered in subtle yet well established ways, whereas most other fantasy creative talents utilize action to remove all doubt. Which is about, for me anyway, how some view fantasy. But it is such a great genre, I love each of the wings of it, and know it has many different ways of looking at it.
INVESTING TIME AND BEING REWARDED
First, Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser adventures in Lankhmar. The pair are friends, adventurous comrades, one is a massive giant of a man, another small and quick, naughty and able. The two are deadly in combat, and they fight wizards, cold monsters, undead and more. If you dislike buddy comedies of the deep past, you might call this sexist. But it isn't in how women are portrayed, but instead, how the two heroes are male and the world swirls about them. It is a very fun work if you pay attention to the story at hand.
One of my heroes of weird fiction is Lord Dunsany. In the two volumes shown he weaves a tapestry of luxurious prose, lush wording in a distant fantasy world, elves and humans, in expertly told events. His view of the past and of the medieval world of Ireland has a legacy born from myth and legend, and Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene. It reminds some folks of Edmund Spenser in that it is a wielder of words who doesn't worry to show his roots, to write with more words perhaps than fewer, such as past writers. But Dunsany's heart is honorable, his goals beautiful, and his words well thought.
Evangeline Walton's Mabinogion novels tells a tale of a prince going to Annwn, the Welsh underworld, and explores a heroes journey in doing so. For quite awhile, I had chosen the Arthurian Legacy view of the underworld and Celtic mythology, but it was of the Welsh legends, and great Gwyn Ap Nudd is the king of the underworld only in Annwn, where the days are golden and none shall age. The writer Watson's words are truly beautiful, and she makes the legends live, and her written work is easy upon the mind and lovely.
Ursula K. LeGuin Earthsea Trilogy tells the tales of a world of islands, magic, and short stories each focusing on the layers of wonder and beauty, in LeGuin's world. That this might be perceived as not epic prose, is false, it tells just as large of tales as so named or described works. But what brings the impact in this trilogy, is how much is told and how much is implied. The writing is purely fantasy, but written in such ways, it captures all human intuitions.
My first Leigh Brackett work read was a Science Fiction novel and it was brilliant. The Long Tomorrow rightly imagines a world gone to hell due to nuclear wars. But she had written works in various genres, but her work is unique in each genre. Her fantasy tales are rich in details and human dialogues. Her works capture well the sort of setting in fantasy, despite being found upon a Mars of her imagining. This is a lighthearted work, worth reading.
Hope Mirrless was a poet, who tells a story that is also an allegory for our existence's meaning. It is absolutely unique and might strike the reader powerfully, or the reader might miss the point. Like her, I am a poet, and I found it brilliantly written, along with deeply considered. She makes use of the desires of humans, the failures of humans, and tries to create an illusion, which is fantasy, while trying to ask much deeper questions. As such, it blew me away.
AUTHORS TO INVEST TIME IN
DENNIS McKIERNAN When an officer in the military was accidentally run over, he spent months in casts and recovering from surgery. During that time he chose to challenge his ability to write, and created a world of fantasy that was moving, and rather emotive. I loved it.
KEN ST. ANDRE You've seen me mention Ken, and his works, Tunnels & Trolls, Monsters! Monsters! and more, being games set in the fantasy worlds of his making. He also worked on other systems, primarily the 3rd Edition of Stormbringer. But those books shown below are for reading, while they have some connection to the games of Ken's making, as prose and near poetry they actually shine.
MICHAEL STACKPOLE I haven't actually, that I remember, have done any consideration of the works of Michael Stackpole, but it wasn't due to anything bad. There is a lot more I can cover in any genre than of a fine author. And I did play a game he inspired, SW Rogue Squadron. Stackpole's writing is very steady, ready to go off to war, it does well as military fiction in both Fantasy and Science fiction genres.
ELIZABETH MOON My wife and I used to read the same books and in the case of Elizabeth Moon, the person opening our eyes to her, was Gregory Pinter, a high school friend in the Air Force for 30 years. Moon's characterization felt real, a woman sheepherder who becomes a hero, has fantasy in it, but it is as much a book of a rebellion or call to arms against a great foe. The action felt entirely right. Moon's science fiction works are amazing. She writes and my wife and I enjoyed the ride.
KIM CORMACK Ms. Cormack's works are about beings who live again, as vampires or warriors, each still retaining lustful desires, while being restricted by whatever house they belong to. The constant rivalries, battles and tests all seem to be made greater by the fact that the world was hard enough, now, some live, but have to fight their way through eternity. Kim Cormack is also quite funny, as an author, and her humor does make it to the pages of her works.
DIEDRE DRAKE I am saddened to share this a bit, as my friend Diedre Drake contracted Covid and suffered long covid, and passed away from a stroke a year or two after I interviewed her. We often spoke on Twitter/X and I miss her. Her stories are how in her telling, vampires and elves have similar qualities, and so, took that and created a 6 book series about how a world lives without knowing, the competitive trade and wars, between rival houses of power. Eternals in life span, but not entirely invulnerable to damage or pain. Lots of sexual/romantic aspects to this, and still, despite my few issues with lots of lust, passion, romantic emotion in my reading her writing is superb.
ONE LAST GREAT AUTHOR and a lovely work
Mike Grell and Warlord
DC Comics is making a very fine attempt to reprint all of the works of Mike Grell as a creator. His lovely Green Arrow works were first, now his Warlord seems to beckon reprinting all of the works he did while he was one of the great creative stars while at DC.
I have heard some voices of dissent saying they didn't get enough, the issues covered, and the look of these reprinted works. The audience who have already purchased their copy need to understand that they received something very good, even if they had fewer issues. Having not had money to order, I will have to find out myself. But the series for me was a very favorite in the lifetime of a guy who is now 62 years old. I know that I will like it. I'll be ordering my copy on Amazon.
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