What are you reading in 2024?

[Ralif Redhammer]

REH actually wrote more humorous stuff than S&S and weird horror over the years, and did a pretty good job of it too. Dorgan's a prime example, although I think I like Breckenridge Elkins slightly better. Pugilist sailors are cool but hillbillies are even cooler, and they're both nigh-indestructible lunkheads. Reminds of the Tick a bit, honestly.

Which is funny, given the way many people who haven't read Conan assume he's a lot dumber than he actually is. Tarzan Syndrome all over again.

"Me Tarzan, you Jane? Sir, I taught myself to read English as young child and speak a multitude of languages, both African and European. I suggest you hire someone to revise this script before I'm consumed by red rage and call my agent. And I'll thank you to call me Lord Greystoke when I'm not on set, if you please."

I've yet to read any of the Elkins stories, but they are on my list to get to eventually.

It's funny how much the popular conception of Conan is taken from Schwarzenegger's portrayal, particularly Conan the Destroyer. As much as I enjoy that movie, it's a shame.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

I've yet to read any of the Elkins stories, but they are on my list to get to eventually.

I just discovered there's a webcomic. As adaptations go it's pretty much as good as it gets.

 

[overgeeked]

I've yet to read any of the Elkins stories, but they are on my list to get to eventually.

It's funny how much the popular conception of Conan is taken from Schwarzenegger's portrayal, particularly Conan the Destroyer. As much as I enjoy that movie, it's a shame.

There were a couple of cut scenes from Barbarian that showed a more thoughtful, well-spoken side. They even tried to make the point with the learning montage. But nope. Big dumb fighter is the stereotype. But he’s wicked smart in the stories.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I just discovered there's a webcomic. As adaptations go it's pretty much as good as it gets.

Man, back at a time where he was paid by the word and was typing manually into a typewriter, choosing the name "Breckenridge" was definitely an example of Howard sacrificing for his art

 

[Nellisir]

I agree. There's certainly some roleplaying potential to many of the mystery plots, and Dee and his assistants would make quite plausible patrons or even PCs. Also surprising how being often being competent at swordplay while investigating crimes is, although the action aspect is still much less of a focus (and more realistic) than the films.

Yeah, to be clear (and from what I recall, since it's been a while since I read the books) most of them had a core mystery (haunted temple); a secondary mystery (someone died); major (wealthy merchant) and minor (thieves) antagonists; and with some investigation, a connection between them all became clear (wealthy merchant hired thieves to harass his rivals; they are from Out Of Town and holed up in old temple; and he killed the (servant, neighbor, courtesan) who discovered what he was doing. That and some good NPCs is what you need.

 

[Irlo]

I finished re-reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest -- it's been about 30 years -- after seeing the movie for the first time last month. Passages are brutal, immediate, and visceral.

I just started Babel by R.F. Kuang, after the Hugo fiasco drew my attention to it. Only two chapters in. I'm enjoying the style, so I imagine I'll finish it up pretty quickly if I can stop scrolling through these forums.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I just discovered there's a webcomic. As adaptations go it's pretty much as good as it gets.

Neat!

There were a couple of cut scenes from Barbarian that showed a more thoughtful, well-spoken side. They even tried to make the point with the learning montage. But nope. Big dumb fighter is the stereotype. But he’s wicked smart in the stories.

The smell of blueberries scene is an interesting one. But I get why it was cut, even though it shows Conan's philosophical side.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

I finished Rivers of London last night. Where it was good, it was very good. But mostly the sense I got was that it was a first novel and that writing something funny is really hard, especially if it's only supposed to be funny sometimes. (I know Aaronovitch had a screenwriting background, and my sense is, giving him the benefit of the doubt, writing jokes for television fiction and writing jokes for prose fiction are different skills.) I am intrigued enough to see if the series pays off the promising parts, but I'll take a detour into my backlog before digging into the next book.

 

[Autumnal]

I seem to have confused Audible some.

I’m not sure if Butler in the style of Burroughs is funnier than Burroughs in the style of Butler or vice versa. I would read a volume of either, though.

 

[overgeeked]

Still slowly working my way through Open Veins of Latin America between other, lighter reads. It’s a fantastic book that helps explain a lot of why things south of the US border are the way they are. Short answer: continual colonialism since 1492. If you want to understand more about Latin America, this is a great book. But, as I said before, it’s up there with People’s History of the US as a rage-inducing history book that will not be a comfort read for most people. Cannot recommend enough. But suggest reading it in chunks between lighter stuff.