In the U.S. there is http://BookSense.com/ for independent booksellers, and http://www.alibris.com/ is especially good for out of print academic books.

"Jamie the Red" by Gordon R. Dickson is pretty good and suitably low fantasy.

"Timeline" by Michael Crichton is mighty fine as well. Ya gotta love an author that believes in research, explanations, and bibliographies.

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"Rules are GOOD. Rules help control the fun!" -Monica Geller, Friends

Her are some interesting Historical Fiction books that I found sparked all kinds of ideas for scenarios are campaigns:

The Queen's Man by Sharon Kay Penman, she has a couple of sequels to this one that are just as good.

The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour, a great book involving adventure, battle, trade, travel, and intrigue.

Byzantium by Steven Lawhead, set in medieval Byzantium. He also has a number of other excellent works for this period involving religious relics, The Black Rood, The Iron Lance, and The Mystic Rose.

I don't believe I've seen these in the earlier posts, but any of David? Gemmel's books - the Druss the legend, Waylander and others . Pretty good non ultra heroic fiction. Low magic, many of the priests who are the "magic users" have "powers" that seem along the line of Psionics. There is also an older culture somewhat similar to the Earthmasters - long gone, but with somewhat technological type of artifacts, such as the devices that create the changelings. Some of the best fiction I've read for making you feel like your really there.

sorry for the double post - forgot I posted about the same thing in alternate realities

A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman

Just noticed this post. I've had a very bad experience with this place and I strongly recommend that you don't deal with them via mail order. They failed to deliver my order, and despite repeated promises never refunded the charge to my credit card.

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Keith Mann
I really must get around to changing my .sig

I also had a bad experience with Cavalier sending me part of an order, charging me for all of it, and then never sending me the rest despite emails.

To pull this back towards topic, The Magic of Recluse, by L.E. Modesitt Jr., has some interesting Harnic parallels (though it's set in a later period).

The island of Recluce is similar to the Harnic view of Melderyn. There's a real focus on the nitty-gritty of day-to-day life, as the protagonist needs to stop do woodcrafting as a journeyman as his coins run out. Additionally, it has a neat distinction between white magic (chaotic) and black magic (ordered).

It's not the greatest of books, but it reminds me of Harn whenever I read it.

The books that got me started in the Sword & Sorcerer are the Conan Series by Robert E Howard (please do not confuse with the movies). I remember playing D&D and being very uncomfortable with Elves, Dwarves, Pig-men (D&D Orcs), and especially 1/2lings, until I had read the Hobbit and LOR. But the Conan series was fairly low magic, mages were powerful but rare although Conan frequently ran into them. Magic weapons were extremely rare. The only problem was that Conan was basically a Super-Human (!* in almost every stat). The books, however did not have a real "Harnic" feel to them, more of a TROS feel.

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Hmm Gurthang. What a nice name for a sword....

I loved his work, remember though, L Sprauge DeCamp and I think Carter had a big hand in a lot of the work also. It was this series that got me interested in reading and the fantasy genre all together back in the seventies.

I think Hyboria (the workd of Conan) is a great setting to use HârnMaster. Good books, Turin, good books.

The straight Howard stories had a different feel to them than the deCamp/Carter authored ones. Conan was much more superhuman, and mages were more often frauds in Howard stories.

Howard is probably one of the best natural story tellers out there. You always know Conan is going to win, and it is very likely to be by cleaving his foe in twain, whatever that foe may be. The way he tells the story makes it interesting in any case. Wish he'd have lived longer and wrote more Solomon Kane.

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"Rules are GOOD. Rules help control the fun!" -Monica Geller, Friends

Whoa - this is worrying! I occasionally see the folk from Caliver at wargame shows and conventions - I'll mention the apparent problem with US orders next time I run into them and see what they have to say for themselves.

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Balesir
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- Eschew Obfuscation!

Conan was basically a Super-Human (!* in almost every stat).

Sorry, that didn't make much sense - !* is the common keyboard fumble spelling for 18

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Hmm Gurthang. What a nice name for a sword....

Should be able to use nearly anything for Ilvirites. They are pretty heterogenous. Any kind of madmen should work for your stereotypical Ilvirite, but they really could look like anybody.

<added later>Ooops. Wrong forum methinks.

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"Rules are GOOD. Rules help control the fun!" -Monica Geller, Friends

To bring this thread back again...

I just finished reading The Briar King by Gregory Keyes. Excellent characters in a world setting with a rich history. Some high magic elements but presented in a very believable way. All in all a very good read.

Allen Andrews wrote Castle Crespin, a wonderfull book about men, forrest and animals in 13-th century France. The beast are intelligent and have high moral standards compared to the humans. There's also a very interesting plot based on medival hierachy and the fear of ordinary men-at-arms.

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To the final drop of blood!

I'm reading The Booke of Days and it's great! It's also makes good material for my upcoming campaign. Thanks to whoever recommended it, oh, and to the library of Malmö, where I finally found it.

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"The greatest sport ever: the Biathlon - cross-country skiing interspersed with rounds of shooting Russians." - HierophantX on Finnish winter sports

Another book I am just getting into (about a hundred pages or so) is The Sheriff of Nottingham by Richard Kluger. Maybe this one was mentioned already but if not, it is an excellent resource. The historical research involved is obvious from the first page. The relationships and obligations of the Nobles, the Sheriffs, the Reeves, all the way down to the serfs is explained in eye-opening clarity. If your P-Harn is low down and gritty, get this book!

Thanks for the recommendations of Katherine Kerr and David Gemmel. Daggerspell and Waylander rock!

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"Rules are GOOD. Rules help control the fun!" -Monica Geller, Friends

I would also recommend the "Song of Ice and Fire" books by George RR Martin (Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings, Storm of Swords). The books are set on an island loosely based on medieval Britain, and also loosely based on the War of the Roses.

They have a very gritty medieval feel (the author has really done his homework on everything from economics to tournaments) and reflect the splendour and cruelty of the age. They also have lots of political machinations, some great campaign ideas!

I feel compelled to second Daelda's reccomendation. I recently picked up all three, and could not stop reading until I finished them all. They are absolutely amazing, and have renewed my interest in the fantasy genre (and increased my interest in 15th Century England). I only wish I could find more books like those :-/... Anyone know of some?

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ex nihilo, nihil fit

It has one of the "best" bad guy in it.

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Með kveðju, Thorvald
http://www.last.fm/user/hrafnsbjarg

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked it up on Amazon.com, and found many books by Robb that reference Owen the Archer. Is it a series? If so, which do you reccomend most from the series? If not, is Owen the Archer the actual title of the book?



Very rarely. I've been spending most of my free computer time researching different aspects of medieval life and times. I've a new found interest in the War of the Roses, so I'm spending quite a bit of time looking for information regarding 15th century England. And thanks, it's nice to see you too

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ex nihilo, nihil fit

Thanks

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ex nihilo, nihil fit

Ditto, what period are they?

Early Norman or Angvien (sp)?

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Roy Denton - the title says Baron, but Queen for a year. (Cheselyne I)

"Nathamh na hoibre an t-eolas"
(Knowledge comes through practice)