Swords, Sandals, Sex and Sin

annis · Post by **annis** » Mon September 13th, 2010, 9:14 pm

Feeling like a break from serious classical reading? Here are a couple of entertaining Amazon lists of trashy/and or salacious fiction set in the ancient world put together by Joe Kenney, who runs the Glorious Trash blog

"Swords, Sandals, Sex, and Sin: Good & Trashy Historical Fiction"
http://www.amazon.com/Swords-Sandals-Se ... H7FLA6HSJD

"More Swords, Sandals, Sex and Sin"
http://www.amazon.com/More-Swords-Sanda ... 0L99HPW7Q4

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Mon September 13th, 2010, 11:09 pm

It's a good thing I'm not much for the ancient world or I'd be toast with those lists. Like the blog and his categories. Toga porn indeed

annis · Post by **annis** » Mon September 13th, 2010, 11:51 pm

I was rather disappointed in John Jakes’ Veils of Salome, which turned out to be quite boringly moralistic and tame, so I might be tempted by a couple of these- though I have to confess that I've read several of the novels on the SSS&S lists already

Kingdom of the Wicked by Anthony Burgess sounds good:

"1985. High literature meets superb trash as the early Church confronts Nero's Rome. Gladiatorial combat, orgies, and a cynical modern tone -- the narration is like a bitchier version of Robert Grave's "I, Claudius." Author John Crowley labelled this book as "glitterature" in the New York Times."

I’ve just read Burgess’ clever, cynical novel about Elizabethan playwright Kit Marlowe, A Dead Man in Deptford, and was impressed. I’d read Clockwork Orange years ago (as you did then) , but hadn’t tried his HF till now.

On the other hand The Shattered Horse by S. P Somtow sounds intriguing - how could you resist the mummy of Akenhaton?

“1986. Historical fantasy reworking of the Aeneid, with Hector's son Astyanax replacing Aeneas, walk-ons from most of the Olympian gods, rites and rituals straight out of Frazer's Golden Bough, and the mummy of Pharoah Akenhaton."

SGM · Post by **SGM** » Tue September 14th, 2010, 6:50 pm

[quote=""annis""]

Kingdom of the Wicked by Anthony Burgess sounds good:[/quote]

Kingdom of the Wicked was originally a TV script and shown on TV as AD. Kingdom of the Wicked was written to accompany the programme.

He also wrote the English version of the libretto for Carmen for the ENO. I heard him interviewed about the problems of writing for opera and it was fascinating. His books on the English languagee are interesting too.

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Tue September 14th, 2010, 7:46 pm

Hmmm... I am rather tempted to find of those titles now. I do so enjoy the Ancient World.

Too bad they're all out of print.

annis · Post by **annis** » Tue September 14th, 2010, 7:57 pm

Posted by Nefret

Too bad they're all out of print.

Yes, and you might feel a bit diffident about asking the library to interloan you some of these ones

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Tue September 14th, 2010, 8:05 pm

[quote=""annis""]
Yes, and you might feel a bit diffident about asking the library to interloan you some of these ones

[/quote]

It is for.... um, research?

Russ Whitfield · Post by **Russ Whitfield** » Wed September 15th, 2010, 9:01 am

I didn't make it to the long-list!?!

Gutted....

annis · Post by **annis** » Wed September 15th, 2010, 8:18 pm

Posted by Russell Whitfield

I didn't make it to the long-list!?!
Gutted....

Hey, Russ, I thought about nominating Gladiatrix as being trashy in a good way, like Richard Blake's Aelric series and HBO's Rome, which I love, but wasn't sure if you'd see it as a compliment

Luke Devenish nominated himself for his Empress of Rome series, btw, so that might be an option, lol!

cw gortner · Post by **cw gortner** » Wed September 15th, 2010, 9:57 pm

I was just going to say, why is Gladiatrix not up there? It's sin and blood and sex at its best

I have one of the Messalina books in a storage box somewhere - and Child of the Sun, too. From what I recall, Child of The Sun is pornographic.