“Which of your many books do you consider signature show pieces, or LaFond must reads, I mean if someone had to read only the top few, which would you recommend? Do you have a personal Top 10?”
-Our Illustrious Guests
I guess I deserve that question after I’ve been a big enough dick to make it impossible for a man of my class to even own half my collection.
Dear Guest, I have picked 9 books off of my shelf and have yet to arrange them. I will now go on line and look at the four books which I have published but do not yet own, and make my determination as to the ranking of this ten.
I have six nonfiction and four fiction choices. My number 11 pick was Taboo You, my most popular nonfiction title that is about more than fighting.
10. White in the Savage Night: A Politically Incorrect Life in Words, 2016 [best writing form to date]
9. 40,000 Years from Home: A History of Human Aggression [most comprehensive examination of my violent life]
8. When You’re Food: Raw, A Fighter’s View of Predatory Aggression, The Forever Autumn Press Edition [best of my early Harm City Writing]
7. God’s Picture Maker [most satisfying Sunset Saga novel, the Dark-Eyed Girl Edition, cheaper and edited]
6. Poet: the Enlightened Fate of Akbar Qama [best urban fiction]
5. The Jericho Bone [an unmarketable mix of history, science-fiction, horror, Islam and deep characterization—but my best fiction job]
4. Reverent Chandler: The Saga of Fend [most readable and most violent fiction]
3. He—Gilgamesh: Into the Face of Time [an adaptation of our oldest surviving story]
2. Stillbirth of A Nation [most important history book]
1. Under the God of Things, [most in-depth examination of our condition I have managed thus far]
Thank you for pulling this out of me, Guest, and thank you for inspiring me to write Stillbirth of a Nation, for I believe it was you who sent me the link to Peter Williamson’s manuscript.
Books by James LaFond
Is "The Jericho Bone" related to "An Arabian Terror Tale (omnibus edition)"? Because I thought ATT was a great read.
The Jericho Bone is a second edition of An Arabian Terror Tale, edited by a professional, as opposed to 90% of my books which are unedited—just proofed by the same idiot that made the mistakes in the first place.
Top Ten LaFond (for now)
1-When You're Food-The bridge between the Paladin days and The Graphomaniac era.
2-Revenant Chandler-Perfect length, unmarketable theme and Robert E Howard homage.
3-War Drums: 40 miles from the Big House. Yours truly featured prominently and the only accurate on the ground view of Baltimore late April 2015..the Dawn Of Dindustan!
4-Planet Buzzkill- The coolest apocalyptic sci fi/horror that will never be filmed.
5-Menthol Rampage-The ultimate anti-smoking statement.
6-Walking in Indian Country-Chilling real life encounters and the Sequel to War Drums, also an instructional. A perfect mix of everything.
7-The Jericho Bone-I second Jim on this.
8-A Well of Heroes/Dark Art of an Аrуаn Mystic-Both versions are the ultimate overviews of Howard analyzed in ways no one would dare.
9-StillBirth of A Nation/American in Chains-A major Thesis of LaFonds illustrating the truth of the slave matrix unique to America and now exported to the world.
10-The Punishing Art/Twerps, Goons and Meatshields/Thriving in Bad places
The instructional books, even I am learning something.
You got fiction, manuals and essays/reviews as well as sage philosophy.
I cheated listing 14 books, sue me!
My personal picks are (and not in any specific order)
1. Taboo you
2. Incubus of your sacred emasculation
3. Shorn of little sissy things
4. Reverant Chandler
5. The fighting edge
6. When you're food
7. Stillbirth of a nation
8. Of lions and men
9. Twerps, goons, and meat shields.
Making this list has made me realize I need to adventure into more Lafond fiction.....although that could be dangerous!
Thanks Sean,
My pro-Christian offerings are the Consultant and Organa, same lengths as Reverent Chandler.
I like Poet bigly, but Gods of Boxing is really first-class.
James—have you done or would you consider doing a straight take-off of one of the Conan stories in the present day? Say, Conan is an independent biker/pitfighter/mercenary, the wizards are some sort of drug-dealing mind-control cult, etc. etc. Same plot line and characterization as what ever story you're remaking, just an update into our current time of dysfunction.
If there's already something like this in your repertoire, I apologize for my ignorance.
Dude, this is a great idea!
I should do this some day.
Thanks
If and when—I hope you will make full use of the REH lexicon that you've been analyzing. It's as much poetry as prose.
Glad you like it, Shep.
It's experimental, even though some Robert E. Howard bibliophiles have probably already done it.
These entries will be made as the words are found in each story reviewed and will be included in each volume of A Well of Heroes.