On 29/02/2024 06:00, Robert Woodward wrote:

I believe that he wrote this because he was concerned about lazy authors
writing very bad heroic fantasy (employing ignorant world building).
According to the ISFDB, this first appeared in _Swords Against Darkness
III_, published in 1978 (the only one of that 5 title anthology series
that I don't have), and the collection _Fantasy_ published by Tor in
1981. I reread it recently and I think most of his arguments are still
appropriate (there has been more examples recently of backgrounds for
historical fantasy that weren't medieval Europe).

And here it is.
<https://www.sfwa.org/2005/01/04/on-thud-and-blunder/>

I've been told on Quora that one statement
is nonsense - the claim that a stallion,
a sexually mature male horse, "is not safe
to have around a menstruating woman".
If I say I don't have the resources to
investigate, that sounds wrong, but I don't.
But a lady tells me that it wasn't a problem.

I suppose it could be a real-world myth
amongst some or all horse handlers.
If Poul Anderson has just accurately said
that "A stallion is notoriously hard to
control", then people will usually take
steps to, er, not have a stallion.
(An imaginary horse and many readers
nervously cross their legs.) So then
it rarely arises. So to speak.

On 2/29/24 1:00 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:

I believe that he wrote this because he was concerned about lazy authors writing very bad heroic fantasy (employing ignorant world building). According to the ISFDB, this first appeared in _Swords Against Darkness III_, published in 1978 (the only one of that 5 title anthology series
that I don't have), and the collection _Fantasy_ published by Tor in
1981. I reread it recently and I think most of his arguments are still appropriate (there has been more examples recently of backgrounds for historical fantasy that weren't medieval Europe).

I just re-read this[1], and I agree with you. I also really enjoy the introductory example of what he's writing about, including the character names Gnorts, Nialliv, Elamef, and Rehcel.

On 02/03/2024 05:54, Robert Woodward wrote:

In article <urtlbv$1fan1$1@dont-email.me>,
  Tony Nance <tnusenet17@gmail.com> wrote:

On 2/29/24 1:00 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:

I believe that he wrote this because he was concerned about lazy
authors
writing very bad heroic fantasy (employing ignorant world building).
According to the ISFDB, this first appeared in _Swords Against Darkness >>>> III_, published in 1978 (the only one of that 5 title anthology series >>>> that I don't have), and the collection _Fantasy_ published by Tor in
1981. I reread it recently and I think most of his arguments are still >>>> appropriate (there has been more examples recently of backgrounds for
historical fantasy that weren't medieval Europe).

I just re-read this[1], and I agree with you. I also really enjoy the
introductory example of what he's writing about, including the character >>> names Gnorts, Nialliv, Elamef, and Rehcel.

I must confess that I hadn't noticed until now, the following: "Strong",
"Villain", "Female", and "Lecher".

I ron.  :-)
I'll have to watch out for this Nosredna.

On 3/2/24 6:49 PM, Dimensional Traveler wrote:

On 3/2/2024 1:18 PM, Robert Carnegie wrote:

On 02/03/2024 05:54, Robert Woodward wrote:

In article<urtlbv$1fan1$1@dont-email.me>,
Tony Nance <tnusenet17@gmail.com> wrote:

On 2/29/24 1:00 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:

I believe that he wrote this because he was concerned about lazy authors
writing very bad heroic fantasy (employing ignorant world building).
According to the ISFDB, this first appeared in _Swords Against Darkness
III_, published in 1978 (the only one of that 5 title anthology series
that I don't have), and the collection _Fantasy_ published by Tor in
1981. I reread it recently and I think most of his arguments are still
appropriate (there has been more examples recently of backgrounds for
historical fantasy that weren't medieval Europe).

I just re-read this[1], and I agree with you. I also really enjoy the introductory example of what he's writing about, including the character
names Gnorts, Nialliv, Elamef, and Rehcel.

I must confess that I hadn't noticed until now, the following: "Strong",
"Villain", "Female", and "Lecher".

I ron. :-)
I'll have to watch out for this Nosredna.

That's MISTER Nosredna!

And definitely not RETSIM Nosredna - that would just be silly.