The Dark Crusade

“Mirage”First Appearance: Death Angel’s Shadow, Warner Paperback Library, 1973Translations: “Miraggio” (1992) Italian (EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS!) I am back with another sampling FROM THE VAULT! This is an episode Jonathan and I recorded around two years ago that never saw the light of day. It is old and unpolished, but it is about Wagner. We hope you … Continue...

Cold LightFirst Appearance: Death Angel’s Shadow, Warner Paperback Library, 1973Translations: German (1979) Italian (1992)(Warning: Sexual assault and suicide are discussed in this episode.) In this episode, we continued our Dark Crusade through Death Angel’s Shadow with the Kane story “Cold Light.” Jonathan and I were excited to have screenwriter and author Oliver Brackenbu...

Reflections for the Winter of My SoulFirst Appearance: Death Angel’s Shadow, Warner Paperback Library, 1973Translations: German (1979) Italian (1992) (EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS!) It has been a long time coming, and it is good to be back. This episode is from the vaults, recorded over a year ago! We’ll be bringing you more podcasts and blog … Continue reading "Episode 3.4 ‘R...

Back in the saddle again! We’re offering you the conclusion of our coverage of Dark Crusade. Dear listeners, it pains me that I sat on the raw audio of this episode for roughly two months before I had a chance to sit down and assemble everything. Needless to say, we are all doing our best … Continue reading "Episode 3.3 ‘Dark Crusade’ — Part 2 — “Joyously They March t...

First published: 1976 Warner Books (“In the Lair of Yslsl” first published in Midnight Sun 1, 1974 edited by Gary Hoppenstand) Nominated: 1977 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel This month we are bringing you Part 1 of our coverage of Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane novel Dark Crusade. I recently read Fantasy Newsletter numbers 38 … Continue reading "Episode 3.2 ‘Dark Crusa...

Raven’s EyrieFirst Appearance: Chacal #2, Spring 1977 eds. Pat Cadigan and Arnie Fenner (Warning: Sexual Assault is discussed in this episode) We are back for season three of The Dark Crusade podcast. Once again I’ll be joined by Jonathan Gelatt as co-host as we delve into the second third of Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane stories. … Continue reading "Episode 3.1 ‘Raven&#8...

Victor LaValle is the author of seven works of fiction and one comic book. His most recent novel, The Changeling, received the World Fantasy Award, the British World Fantasy Award and the Dragon Award for Best Horror novel, among others. His novella, The Ballad of Black Tom, won the Shirley Jackson Award and was a … Continue reading "NecronomiCon Guest of Honor Interview: Victor LaValle...

Molly Tanzer Molly Tanzer is the author of Creatures of Will and Temper, Creatures of Want and Ruin, and the forthcoming Creatures of Charm and Hunger. She is also the author of the weird western Vermilion, which was an io9 and NPR “Best Book” of 2015, and the British Fantasy Award-nominated collection, A Pretty Mouth. … Continue reading "NecronomiCon Guest of Honor Interview: Mo...

Peter Cannon is the author of H. P. Lovecraft, a volume in Twayne’s U.S. Authors Series; Sunset Terrace Imagery in Lovecraft, an essay collection;The Chronology out of Time: Dates in the Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft; and Long Memories: Recollections of Frank Belknap Long, a memoir. He’s the editor of Lovecraft Remembered and the co-editor with S. T. Joshi of More A...

  Sonya Taaffe reads dead languages and tells living stories. Her short fiction and poetry have been collected most recently in Forget the Sleepless Shores (Lethe Press) and previously in Singing Innocence and Experience, Postcards from the Province of Hyphens, A Mayse-Bikhl, and Ghost Signs. She lives with her husband and two cats in Somerville, … Continue reading "NecronomiCon Guest o...

Kenneth Hite has written or designed 100+ tabletop roleplaying games and supplements, including GURPS Horror,Call of Cthulhu d20, Trail of Cthulhu, Bookhounds of London, the Delta Green RPG, The Fall of DELTA GREEN, The Dracula Dossier, Night’s Black Agents, and Vampire: the Masquerade 5th Edition. Outside tabletop gaming, his other works include two volumes of … Continue reading "NecronomiC...

Paul Tremblay has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, and Massachusetts Book Awards and is the author of The Cabin at the End of the World, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, and the crime novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland. His short story collection Growing Things and Other … Continue reading "NecronomiCon Guest of Honor Interview: Paul Tremblay"

The Treasure of Lynortis Originally Written: 1961 Originally Published: Kadath V. 2 #2/3 Fall 1984 ed. Francesco Cova Lynortis Reprise Originally Written: 1974 Originally Published: Midnight Sun, 1974 ed. Gary Hoppenstand Thus ends our season of Kane. But fret not dear listeners, Jonathan and I will be back for another season towards the end of … Continue reading "Episode 2.8 ‘The Trea...

Misericorde Originally Published: Sorcerer’s Apprentice #17 1983, edited by Liz Danforth “Kane. The name is familiar, chilling, timeless. Karl Edward Wagner’s fell hero walks again, and leaves no promised work undone, to the undoing of others. If this is your introduction to Kane, settle in for the best reading you’ve had all year. If not, … Continue reading "Episode...

Sing a Last Song of Valdese Originally Published: Chacal #1, Winter, 1976, edited by Byron L. Roark and Arnie Fenner ‘Sing a Last Song of Valdese’ is Karl Edward Wagner’s fantasy take on the tradition of the murder ballad. We covered his earlier ode to the murder ballad in episode 2 and 3 where we … Continue reading "Episode 2.6 ‘Sing a Last Song of Valdese’ &#8...

The Dark Muse Originally published: Midnight Sun, Summer-Fall 1975, edited by Gary Hoppenstand Just made it back in time from summer vacation to get this episode in under the wire. I wanted to share this blurb from Gary Hoppenstand from the inside cover of Midnight Sun V. 1 N. 2 “Midnight Sun is a magazine devoted … Continue reading "Episode 2.5 ‘The Dark Muse’ – You...

Bloodstone Originally Published: 1975 by Warner Paperback Library Lo! Now arrives the conclusion of our coverage of Karl Edward Wagner’s Bloodstone. Such a large undertaking to try and tackle a novel in only two episodes. I feel like so many topics and themes hit the cutting room floor. One such subject was the role of … Continue reading "Episode 2.4 ‘Bloodstone’ Part 2 &#8...

Bloodstone Originally Published: 1975 by Warner Paperback Library Excited to be covering the novel that got me hooked on Wagner. A Special thank you to the John Hay Library and Brown University for allowing me access to the original Bloodstone manuscript and the ur-text Wagner wrote as a high school student. Including a photo of … Continue reading "Episode 2.3 ‘Bloodstone’ Part 1...

Two Suns Setting Originally published: Fantastic, May 1976 edited by Ted White Awards: Won 1977 British Fantasy Award for Best Short Story, Nominated for 1977 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction Happy to be back with another Kane episode, and such a great story too. In my recent library delvings, I came across a great … Continue reading "Episode 2.2 ‘Two Suns Setting’- Hea...

Undertow Originally published: Whispers #10, August 1977, edited by Stuart David Schiff Awards: Nominated for 1979 Balrog for short fiction I’m very excited to be starting off a new season of The Dark Crusade especially a season that is focused on Kane. This season I’m joined by comic writer Jonathan Gelatt. You can check out his webcomic … Continue reading "Episode 2.1 ‘Un...

Kane is coming! I’m excited to announce Season 2 of The Dark Crusade will be starting next week- Thursday, July 5th, 2018. The entire season will be dedicated to Karl Edward Wagner’s dark fantasy character Kane. With the new season comes a new co-host. I’ll be joined by comic book writer and sword & sorcery … Continue reading "Kane is coming!"

Where the Summer Ends Originally Published: Dark Forces, August 1980, edited by Kirby McCauley Drink Pairing: Monkey Shoulder Batch 27 and Stewart’s Root Beer I was honored having two amazing guests this week. Tim Mucci, who was in Episode 7 discussing River of Night’s Dreaming, and Michael Bukowski, artist of Yog-Blogsoth fame and Seventh Church Ministries, really … Continue rea...

Victoria Dalpe stuck around after recording and we got a chance to talk about her recently published modern-gothic vampire novel Parasite Life published by ChiZine. Pick it up here. It’s a perfect stocking stuffer or present for that horror-loving friend. For those of you in the Providence, Rhode Island area check out her book launch … Continue reading "Bonus Episode #5: Author Intervi...

  Beyond Any Measure Originally Published: Whispers #15-16, March 1982 edited by Stuart David Schiff Awards: Won 1983 World Fantasy Award for Best Novella Whiskey Pairing: High West Double Rye Special thanks for this episode to Lincoln Brown for helping with the afterward by Wagner in the Scream Press edition of In a Lonely Place, and to Phil … Continue reading "Episode 8 ‘Beyond...

A Fly One By Steve Sneyd Needle Song by Charles L. Grant All the Birds Come Home to Roost by Harlan Ellison The Devil Behind You by Richard A. Moore We’ll be back in two weeks with Wagner’s story Beyond Any Measure.