Literary Wonder & Adventure Show #4 Trailer: Robert E. Howard, Master of Sword & Sorcery: A Conversation with Author Howard Andrew Jones

It's spring cleaning time in the Dream Tower as Robert and Edgar travel to the Hyborian Age for a lively chat with author Howard Andrew Jones! Robert and Howard discuss Robert E. Howard, Conan, childhood, heroes, cynicism, creativity and the lure of lost civilizations. Plus, Robert and Edgar get a couple of vaguely familiar visitors. WARNING: Nihilists will hate this one. Pour a goblet of your favorite libation, sharpen your sword, and sit back for another rousing, amusing, and inspiring hour (or more) of Literary Wonder & Adventure!

www.dreamtowermedia.com/podcast

Also, come to the Dream Tower Media Facebook page for lively discussion on the podcast and more!

Literary Wonder & Adventure Show Episode 3 Rave Review!

Once again, the World Fantasy Award winning Black Gate Magazine chimes in with their opinion of Literary Wonder & Adventure Show, Episode 3 (J.R.R. Tolkien, Master of Modern Mythology: A Conversation with Author Scott Oden), and the verdict is fantastic! Here's the review by John O'Neill:
https://www.blackgate.com/2017/03/11/literary-wonder-adventure-podcast-presents-j-r-r-tolkien-master-of-modern-mythology-a-conversation-with-author-scott-oden/
Click below to enjoy the show. Edgar the Raven will thank you!
http://dreamtowermedia.com/podcast/

Advance Copies of Scott Oden's "A Gathering of Ravens"

Get your advanced copy of Scott Oden's Historical Fantasy Epic, "A Gathering Ravens" now folks, at Net Galley! Then, hear his fascinating personal story about this book, and how writing saved his life on the latest episode of the Literary Wonder & Adventure Show:

http://www.dreamtowermedia.com/podcast

Character Motivation in Sword & Sorcery Literature

Below is an excerpt from Rick Stump's blog concerning Conan the Barbarian and Sword & Sorcery stories. His blog post is here: http://harbingergames.blogspot.com/2017/02/conan-barbarian-review-analysis-and.html

"But in Howard's tales, why did Conan leave home? What drove him to be a mercenary in the frozen North, a thief in the desert metropolis, a pirate, a nomadic horseman, a soldier, a general, and a king? What great event forced him to leave his home village and put him on the path of the hero? Was it murder? Death? A lost love?
  According to Howard, Conan walked the world because... he was bored at home. Conan wandered the land and sea, fought monsters and wizards, and became a mighty king all because he was restless and easily bored."




















This is the comment I left:

This, and the emphasis on materialism in modern fantasy, are great observations. The character who is motivated by a simple need to survive or out of curiosity for the unknown is at the heart of Sword & Sorcery. Conan, Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser, and Jack Vance's characters in the Dying Earth series are all examples of those kinds of characters. Judging by comments I have seen by magazine editors, it is not only Hollywood that is guilty of needing some huge, contrived, soap-operaesque motivation to believe characters would ever leave their house.

Thanks for the great blog. BTW, the next Literary Wonder & Adventure Show (by Dream Tower Media) is Robert E. Howard, Master of Sword & Sorcery: A Conversation with Howard Andrew Jones. It will appear later this month on www.dreamtowermedia.com/podcast.

Cheerio,
Robert Zoltan

Literary Wonder & Adventure Show 3: J.R.R. Tolkien, Master of Modern Mythology: A Conversation with Author Scott Oden

Now available for listeners on iTunes or the Dream Tower Media site.

If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on iTunes, and visit us
and leave comment on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dreamtowermedia/

iTunes Show Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/literary-wonder-adventure/id1202515406

Dream Tower Media Website Link: http://dreamtowermedia.com/podcast/

SYNOPSIS
The Dream Tower travels to Middle-Earth for Episode 3 of The Literary Wonder & Adventure Show, J.R.R. Tolkien, Master of Modern Mythology! Join Robert and Edgar the Raven as they welcome special guest author Scott Oden for a discussion on Tolkien, orcs, creativity, bliss, childhood, and the occult dangers of advanced math. Plus, the Dream Tower gets a couple of unexpected visitors, and Robert and Edgar sing a short but sweet duet. All on the February podcast of Literary Wonder & Adventure!