Cette fois ci je vais vous parler de Michael Ehart. Cet auteur préside au destinée d'une série de sword and sorcery qui comprend une petite dizaine de nouvelles. Cette série "la servante de la Manthychore" a pour cadre la Mésopotamie antique à l'époque des royaumes sumeriens et akkadiens. Son héroïne a été maudite par la Mathychore et condamnée à l'immortalité elle doit nourrir le monstre semi divin en lui procurant des corps et des âmes (généralement corrompues, les âmes, je veux dire). Le plus cher désir de Ninshi l'héroïne est d'être délivrée de sa malédiction et de retrouver son bien aimé qui est lui aussi affligé de la même charge. Au cours de ses pérégrinations, Ninshi fait la connaissance d'une jeune esclave Miri qu'elle va affranchir et adopter. Six des nouvelles de cette série ont été réunie en reccueil dont quatre précédemment publiées par le webzine Sword Review. Mais Ehart continue a conter les aventures de son héroïne notamment dans les colonnes de Flashing Swords ainsi que dans divers magazine small press. Bien que n'ayant lu que quelques unes de ces histoires, je souhaite que très prochainement un éditeur français s'y intéresse. Il s'agit sans doute d'une des plus belles créations de la sword and sorcery moderne. Michael Moorcock ne s'y est d'ailleurs pas trompé. Ehart est un de ses chouchous du moment.
My best babel fish assisted lousy translation:
"I will speak to you about Michael Ehart. This author governs the destiny of a series of sword and sorcery which includes ten short stories. This series “The Maidservant of the Manthychore” has as a framework ancient Mésopotamia at the time of the kingdoms of the Sumeriens and Akkadians. Its heroine was cursed by the Manthychore and condemned to immortality, she must feed the semi-divine monster by getting bodies and hearts to him (generally corrupted, the hearts, I want to say).
The dearest desire of Ninshi, the heroine, is to be freed of its curse and to find her lover who is also cursed. During her travels, Ninshi meets a young slave girl, Miri, whom she will frees and adopts.
Six tales of this series were joined together in order including four previously published by the webzine Sword Review. But Ehart continues to tell the adventures of its heroine, in particular in Flashing Swords and in various similar magazines. Although having read only some of these stories, I wish that very soon a French editor might be interested in it. It is undoubtedly one of most beautiful creations of the modern sword and sorcery. Michael Moorcock was not mistaken there. Ehart is one of the pets of the moment."
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8 comments:
Great review, even if it is French.
Hey, something just occurred to me while reading this. We don't really know jack squat about Ninshi's lover do we. What did he get, like one scene in the original story and then a couple of quick bits here and there? When does he get his own story? Can he try to escape the Manthycore from wherever he is? Has he tried?
Life is good when you're the pet :)
Those little bits are all that is roughed out at present, though there is a little indirect action in the overall master plan. Who knows? If I stay the pet long enough, perhaps everyone's story will get told!
My "arc of arcs" is roughed for the current equivalent of maybe 4 books, though as we have discussed, the deliberatly loose history allows me to add a lifetime's worth of stories into the "canon" depending on demand and my ability to write them.
I have the first 400 years with only 2 stories in them. There are still 5 rubies to find, and six herbs. We have a nearly unexplored feud with the priestesses of Ishtar, and now some unfinished business with the cult of Lillith and the lilu, who is still very much alive.
Cities yet to be visited in the master plan are Haran, Ineb Hedj (Memphis), and eventually Babylon itself.
I'm really excited about where I'm at right now in the arc, to the point of making the last story follow the previous one immediately. I'll likely finish this arc in the next story, then go back for a novella-length 3 parter that starts right where the "Tears of Ishtar" novella in the book ended.
There are also 2 shorts I have promised others, I'm not certain where they will land in the arc, but I suspect they will be "Tears" stories.
Seems like you're swerving into "The Incredible Hulk" (TV) territory. You have an origin story, and overall arc of where the character has to eventually go, but then a lot of stuff in the middle where Bill Bixby helps the local pet store owner against the villainous landlord.
Evil landlords, beware!
Wow. It has a certain gravitas when translated like that.
I am your French fan (:-). I've spokent about you and the Servant on few French forum like the revie you have posted. I have sent also a Mp to a french editor to make pressure to have a french translation of the Servant.
Have you been contacted by a french editor for a story collection or a magazine publication ?
Fabien, thank you for the kind words. Please email me so that we can discuss this further.
Thanks!
michael_ehart@hotmail.com
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