Some years back I decided that if I was serious about writing fantasy I’d best understand the roots of the genre, and I threw myself into reading work by its founding fathers and mothers. I came away with a deep appreciation of a number of authors I’d never explored in much detail before (Robert E. Howard, Lord Dunsany, Clark Asthon Smith, Poul Anderson, C.L. Moore, and others) and a better understanding of the kind of fantasy I most enjoyed. Some call it heroic fiction, and others have tried other labels, but the one that seems to have stuck the most …
About
I’m the author of The Desert of Souls (Thomas Dunne Books 2011), a historical fantasy set in the 8th century Abbasid caliphate featuring my characters Dabir and Asim, who’ve been appearing in a variety of short fiction venues since 2000. My Pathfinder novel, Plague of Shadows, appeared in March of 2011. My collection of Dabir and Asim short stories, The Waters of Eternity, became available in e-form from Thomas Dunne Books in November of 2011. More Dabir and Asim novels will follow, and I have recently signed to write a sequel to Plague of Shadows.
I’m proud to have been the driving force behind the rebirth of interest in Harold Lamb’s historical fiction, and have assembled and edited 8 collections of Lamb’s work for the University of Nebraska Press. I’ve served as Managing Editor of Black Gate magazine since 2004.
When not helping run my small family farm or spending time with my amazing wife and children, I can be found hunched over my laptop or notebook, mumbling about flashing swords and doom-haunted towers. I’ve worked variously as a TV cameraman, a book editor, a recycling consultant, and most recently, as a writing instructor at a mid-western college.
Scheduled Appearances
Epic Confusion — Detroit, MI — January 20-22, 2012
World Fantasy — Chicago, — August 30 – Sept. 3
Contact Information
I am represented by the talented Bob Mecoy of the Bob Mecoy Literary Agency.
If you want to drop me a note, I can be reached at joneshoward (at) insightbb.com. Depending upon how close I am to deadline, some responses will be faster than others, although I’m unlikely to be interested in wiring money to Nigeria or taking you up on your low cost prescription drug offers at any time.