Yesterday's Links and Things post from Matt Staggs features the following entry:
Interesting old interview (2005) with “Imaro” author Charles R. Saunders, a black author of swords & sorcery fiction
Until I read the interview, I had never heard of Imaro. I had never heard of Charles Saunders.
I must read this book.
Looks like Night Shade reprinted the first two volumes in the trilogy.
Hi Joe, Imaro isn't really a trilogy. As far as I understand, it is a series of 5 books, and Saunders is writing the last two at present.
ReplyDeleteThe first three were published by DAW around 1982, and then nightshade decided to reprint the books and add further volumes. But after the first two Nightshade volumes didn't sell well, they discontinued the series. Saunders has now found a sort of POD publisher to handle the 3rd volume, and the forthcoming ones. He has also used them for a separate book set in the same universe, but featuring a warrior woman exiled from her clan (Dassouye, or something similar, you can find it on amazon and similar sites). Knowing your intetrest in female perspectives, you'll probably want to especially seek this one out.
Take a look at thecimmerian.com and search for Charles Saunders to find some in depth essays about the man and his work.
I have been intrigued too, and recently picked up a cheap used copy of the first DAW volume from a used bookstore, in order to read some Imaro for myself, after reading about Saunders and his characters on other sites. i hope we hope you and I both have some fun reading ahead of us!
Editing didn't take on the last paragraph, but I'm sure you understand the point.
ReplyDeleteGah. Yeah, I said "trilogy" because Saunders published three. Or, more accurately, had three published before he finished up.
ReplyDeleteI figured as much about the poor sales. It's been a few years and Night Shade is good at putting out what does sell for them.
Thanks for the update, though. If I like Imaro I'm definitely gonna seek out the rest and would be willing to pick up the rest via sort-of-POD.
I figured out the last paragraph. :) I requested Imaro via my library's ILL. Looks like there's a copy up in Duluth.
Too bad Night Shade didn't continue the books. That must have been disappointing for the author. I'm going to look for them during my next trip to the used bookstore.
ReplyDeleteNight Shade's cover for book 2 was pretty awful.
I hope the author keeps writing.