Welcome to Sherwood!


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Robin Hood and
The Bells of London


Robin Hood and
The Beasts of Sherwood


Murder and Mandrake:
The Robin & Marian Mysteries


Royal Hunt:
A Robin & Marian Mystery



Why Robin Hood?

Art
Pencils by Frank Emery
Inks and Colors by Ken Penders
Click for full size
Robin Hood and Little John by Frank Emery and Ken Penders


"Welcome to Sherwood"

(I always wanted to say that.)

Robin Hood was why I started writing.  After reading way too many retellings, I found myself whining, "Why doesn't someone write some NEW adventures?"  Then, "Why not me?"

25 years later, I'm still at it, off and on.

Since you're a fan of The Fox of Sherwood too, I've posted some stories, links to my books, and other treasures you might enjoy.

In no particular order...

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Buy the Ebook

Robin Hood
and the
Bells of London

Panic, pogroms, and peril
in the mean streets
of London!
Robin Hood and The Bells of London by Clayton Emery

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Read Robin Hood Stories online free.
Robin Hood Stories Online

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See the Fashions
of Robin Hood's Time


Check out the rare and dazzling plates of English Medieval Clothing taken from the 1906 book by Dion Clayton Calthrop.
A Woman of the Time of Richard I by Dion Clayton Calthrop

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Buy the Ebook

Mandrake and Murder

The Complete R&M Mysteries

Robin and Marian
track the deadliest killers
of the Dark Ages!
Mandrake and Murder - The Robin & Marian Mysteries by Clayton Emery


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Find a world of information at
Allan Wright's
Robin Hood - Legendary Links

Allen Wright's Bold Outlaw Robin Hood

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Buy the Ebook

Robin Hood
and the
Beasts of Sherwood

Swords, spirits, and sorcery
assail the Merry Men,
Women and Children
Robin Hood and The Beasts of Sherwood by Clayton Emery

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See the
Chronology of Robin Hood's Life

A running file of Robin Hood's life as presented in my books and stories.
Robin Hood

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Buy the Ebook

Royal Hunt

A Robin & Marian Mystery

The unflagging foresters uncover
a witch cult bent
on the ultimate sacrifice!
Royal Hunt - A Robin & Marian Mystery by Clayton Emery

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Laugh at
The Man with the Aching Back

A fabliau, the complete play from
ROBIN HOOD AND
THE BELLS OF LONDON

The Man with the Aching Back - A Fabliau

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Meet the
Merry Men and Women of Sherwood

Meet the Merry Men and Women of Sherwood

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Blow up the cover of
THE FANTASTIC ADVENTURES
OF ROBIN HOOD

The Fantastic Adventures of Robin Hood

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Check out my screenplay adaptation of
ROBIN HOOD AND
THE BEASTS OF SHERWOOD

(PDF file)

Maid Marian

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Read critical reviews of
Clayton Emery's
TALES OF ROBIN HOOD
Clayton Emery's Tales of Robin Hood Critical Reviews

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And more...

Wonder - Why Robin Hood?

Short answer: because he's a terrific hero and no one was writing any new stories.

I've always loved Robin Hood, was inspired by the old Richard Greene TV show, and loved to play RH in the woods as a kid. Robin lived in the forest, followed his own rules, helped people, punished the wicked, and did it all with a laugh and style.

Richard Greene is Robin Hood

One great memory? Stuck with a bunch of Norman soldiers as prisoners, Robin Hood needs to alert his Merry Men out of the trail. Does he yell, "Hey, guys, we're over here!"? Of course not. He orders the soldiers to sing. "Sing, Summer is A'Coming In." Pricked, they sing, confusing them and the Merry Men, while Robin just laughs.

I've since learned that story is "The Traitor".  It and many of The Adventures of Robin Hood are available from www.oldies.com.


And look at Erroll Flynn. Who else but Robin Hood would waltz into the Sheriff's banquet with a dead deer over his shoulders, calmly drop the carcass on the table, rip off a chicken leg, and proceed to lecture the sheriff on his evil ways - while soldiers bolt the doors and draw their steel? No other hero has the gall, balls, or brass. No one.

Errol Flynn is Robin Hood


And Robin is an egalitarian. Whether he was born of peasant or noble stock makes no difference. Robin treats everyone the same, high and low, as an equal. He's a thorn in the king's side because he not only steals the king's deer and robs his officials, but because he SPEAKS to the king as an equal. Robin even has a woman in his band. Maid Marian is one of the first strong female characters in English literature, riding and shooting and fighting alongside the best of English warriors. Using her as an example, I added two or three more "fighting women" to the band.

Robin Hood has it all. He lives in a cool place, the deep dark forest, even in TREES. He has loyal friends that will go anywhere and fight anyone. He has a nifty weapon, the wicked longbow, that makes for great visuals and tricks. He can move well: galloping on horses, swinging in trees, swinging from chandeliers, jumping down onto carriages, plunging into rivers, diving into moats. Robin is so versatile he can fit virtually any adventure, as I've demonstrated by having Robin solve medieval mysteries, fight in real historical situations, and encounter "real" magical elements and monsters.


Everyone loves Robin Hood and the IDEA of Robin Hood. He's easily the most recognizable figure on the planet. Even a silhouette of a man in a feathered cap shooting a bow is enough to identify him. There are only a few other such universally-recognized characters: Superman, Mickey Mouse. Robin Hood is popular in many forms. There have been dozens of movies made since like 1910. And there are scores of imitators. Every comic book company has a longbow character, Green Arrow being the most famous and unkillable. DC had to bring him back because fans demanded him. Part of the appeal is the Man Who Stands Up for the Underdog, which everyone loves.

In fact, the whole backwards appeal of Robin Hood shows up continually in many forms. The basic premise is "a good man in a corrupt world must break odious laws for a greater good." Think how many Westerns and crime movies are based on that idea. How many movies star heroes who BREAK local laws for a larger good. Answer: Like half of them. People long for basic fairness in life. The smallest child can tell you what's fair and what isn't.

If, like me, you were a kid who burned for justice and fairness, some days it seemed only Robin Hood could provide it. Even now I get shivers - and a urge to write stories of this greatest of heroes.

For years I collected RH stories, but found them all the same rehashings of the legend. One day, asking the question "Why doesn't someone write new stories?" got me started scribbling. So far I've written many Robin Hood stories, both historical fantasies (magic really works) and medieval mysteries (always a logical explanation).

Some stories are written, some only planned, and some are posted here. Keep checking back for new tales of our old hero.