Continuing stories in Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy

What has been really interesting to see in the ten volumes of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy published so far are some worthwhile and fascinating series of stories that follow on from each other like a serial.

One of the first of these was Dev Agarwal's Stone Snake stories, which started off in Volume 2 with "Stone Snake", "In the Iron Woods" in Volume 4, "Bridge of Sorrows" in Volume 5, and, finally, "Land of the Dead" in Volume 6.

 

Another series is Harry Elliott's Under-Valley stories: "Skulls for Silver" in Volume 5, "Trials for Treasure" in Volume 6, "Blades for a Bounty" in Volume 7, "Masks for the Madness" in Volume 10. 

 

We have also Geoff Hart's humorous play on Ffafrd and Gray Mouser with his female protagonists Mouse and Freya, which starts with "Chain of Command" in Volume 1, "At Sea" in Volume 4, "The Quality of Mercy" in Volume 8, and "Safe as Banks" in Volume 10.

 

Of course Adrian Cole has switched from one continuing character to another, from Elak of Atlantis to the mysterious Voidal. And Andrew Darlington's Eternal Assassin.

 

I am sure I have missed some, but it's fascinating how many continuing characters there are in sword and sorcery which, much like detective stories, seems made for them.

A new advert designed for Sword & Sorcery books published by Parallel Universe Publications

 

SWORDS & ROCKETS: TALES OF FUTURES PAST

I have now created a page on the Parallel Universe Publications website dedicated to Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past

A 5-star review of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 on Goodreads

An interesting, in-depth review of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 has been posted on Goodreads by Richard Fisher. Check the review here.

Parallel Universe Publications Newsletter for May 2025

 

The latest PUP Newsletter was emailed yesterday. If you would like to read the pdf of it now please click on the following link: Parallel Universe Publications Newsletter May 2025

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 now available as a paperback and eBook

 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 is now available as a paperback and kindle eBook. 

amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

This is the tenth volume in our popular Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy series of anthologies in the footsteps of Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith and other pioneers of the sword and sorcery genre.

The stories and authors included this time are:

Masks for the Madness by Harry Elliott
Safe as Banks by Geoffrey Hart
Death Abandoned by Virgo Kevonté
Cavern of Stones by Phil Emery
Bad Moon Rising by Robert Mammone
The Salt of Tilantokka by Gregory D. Mele
Shanglor: a Stranger Tale by Jay Litwicki
A Confusion of Renegades by Adrian Cole

The artwork on the covers and in the interior are by award-winning artist Jim Pitts.

 

 

Crimson Quill Quarterly #6 now available as a paperback and eBook

I am pleased to announce that Crimson Quill Quarterly #6 is now available as a paperback and eBook.

The latest issue contain the first of a two part story by me called Lies and Treachery, which details a further adventure of my on the run mercenaries led by Horbeck, who first appeared in The Demon from Another World last year in Anthology of the Damned: Necromoirrium. 

From this issue's description on amazon:

"Heart of the Depths by Ethan Sabatella: In this Stone Age Slasher, five youths break the rules of their tribe and stay out in the wilderness after nightfall. The superstitions of their people prove all too real as a terrible darkness creeps out from the Earth and stalks them one-by-one.

The Saga of the Stew by Randall Madden: Trolls have ravaged the mountainside around Ravian, and all but the hardiest have fled. Yet two brave souls travel toward the danger, in search of an ancient book near the mountaintop. Damica, the aging singer, finds an unlikely ally in Morgho the swordsman. Together they move for Ravian itself—the very source of the troll attacks—so that Damica might complete the most important ritual of his long life.

The Forbidden Land by Mike Adamson: In an ancient land, legend warns of the dire fruits of trespass. Not for nothing does taboo keep the tribes away from the northern woods, as Jareth the Hunter and Sho’nee the Beautiful discover when the girl flees the warrior to whom she is promised...into the embodiment of all mortal terror.

Lies and Treachery (Part 1 of 2) by David A. Riley: After having escaped death in the Great Desert as they fled from their pursuers, Horbeck and his fellow mercenaries are hoping for some time to recover in the small, stockaded town they reach beyond the desert’s edge, little realizing they will be betrayed and forced to grapple with creatures of appalling evil, some demonic and some human.

Dark Secrets Entombed by J. VanZile: Balthen Verdugo wants to hunt monsters and make money. If he can gain a bit of notoriety and fame along the way then all the better. A rich purse leads Balthen to a town with a beast who has been killing by night and hiding in a graveyard by day. When Balthen learns the beast may be linked to the town and its people in ways he wouldn’t have expected, he must decide what he values more; truth and justice or his business.

Choir of the Mad Anatomist by Logan D. Whitney: Wayward rogues Indryk and Cor find themselves embroiled in the aftermath of one man’s musical obsession…and another’s greed.

Snowblind by Shephard W. McIlveen: Onyx the Tigerheart stumbles upon a bizarre murder scene when he finds four men half-buried in the snow, each with their eyes burned out through the backs of their skulls. As he examines the bodies, he is set upon by a small order of armored men each dressed in a uniform matching the corpses at his feet. To clear his name and show good faith, Onyx agrees to aid the men on the search for the real killer, but how long will it take for the hunters to become the hunted?"

Jim Pitts - Who is the cover and interior artist in Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10

From my Introduction to Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 (to be published in May) here are details of the cover and interior artist in the anthology: Jim Pitts:

"And, as usual, this book is favoured with the amazing artwork of Jim Pitts. As well as having been busy on the collection of Elak of Atlantis tales by Adrian Cole, Jim is regularly featured in the pages of Phantasmagoria Magazine, Lovecraftiana, and Schlock! Webzine, and elsewhere."

For more information about Jim and of the two hardcover books we have published of his artwork follow these links: 

The Ever More Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts

The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts

The original hard cover of The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts is also available in two soft cover volumes. 

Volume 1 Amazon
Volume 2 Amazon

Volume 1 Amazon
Volume 2 Amazon  

 

Plus, we also have signed high-quality prints of many of Jim's illustrations, both black and white and in full colour, A4 size: Jim Pitts Prints

 

 

Each print is on high quality A4 paper, approved and signed by the artist.

Colour prints are £7.00 each including p&p

Black & white prints £5.00 each including p&p

International Orders - due to the extra cost of postage, free postage and packaging is only available if 4 or more prints are ordered at one time.

Any orders for 5 or more prints, whether black and white, colour, or mixed qualify for a 20% discount anywhere in the world.

To order email: paralleluniversepublications@gmx.co.uk, listing which prints you would like, plus your address. You will then be emailed a Paypal invoice.


Jim Pitts is an award-winning artist (two-times winner of the prestigious British Fantasy Award, plus Science Fiction's Ken McIntyre Award), whose work has appeared in numerous magazines and books, both professional and small press.

Jim Pitts holding his two British Fantasy Awards

Jim Pitts holding a copy of his book, The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts

Now you have the opportunity to own individually signed prints of some of Jim's best work, in black and white and in full-colour.

Adrian Cole - Who has the eighth story in Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10

From my Introduction to Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 (to be published in May) here are details of the eighth writer included in the anthology: Adrian Cole:

Closing this volume is Adrian Cole’s “A Confusion of Renegades”. Adrian Cole is a native of and lives in North Devon, England and has been in nearly every volume of Swords & Sorceries. In a career which spans 50 years of publication in 2024, Adrian has had some three dozen novels published and close on 200 short stories. He works in several genres, including Heroic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Horror, SF, Mythos and supernatural crime. He has appeared in a number of Year’s Best anthologies and in 2015 his Nick Nightmare Investigates won the prestigious British Fantasy Award for best collection.

His latest published work is Germanicus. Lord of Eagles (DMR, US), the second in his epic War on Rome trilogy, set in an alternative Romano/ Celtic Europe in the days of Rome’s emperors.

Further new works that have appeared recently include a reprinting of his Sword and Planet saga, The Dream Lords, a compendium volume of the initial three volumes with new material, and a new volume, the sequel, Dream Lords: Legacy, both books from Cirsova Press, US. His Elak of Atlantis stories, which bring back into print Henry Kuttner’s celebrated Sword & Sorcery Atlantean king, have been collected and published with new material in a trilogy from Parallel Universe Publications, each illustrated by Jim Pitts: Elak – Warrior of Atlantis, Elak – King of Atlantis, and Elak – Sea Hawks of Atlantis.

 

Jay Litwicki - Who has the seventh story in Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10

From my Introduction to Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 (to be published in May) here are details of the seventh writer included in the anthology: Jay Litwicki:

Jay Litwicki is a long-time resident of the American Southwest, currently living in the mountains of Northern Arizona. “I’m at the end of a 33-year career as a public school educator and administrator. In that time I taught History, Language Arts, and Theatre in grades 7-12 as well as 10 years as a Head of School. Over the years I’ve written during school holidays, primarily short fiction inspired by the classic fantasy, swords and sorcery, and science fiction authors I read and loved as a youth. I’ve had a handful of such tales placed in small presses over the years. I will be retiring in the summer of 2025 and look forward to starting a new chapter in my life and embarking on a full-time writing career. I can be found at @jaylitwicki.bsky.social