OK, Conan pretty much ROCKS

[shilsen]

And while it really isn't REH flavor, the valkyrie Valeria in the last fight helping him take down Rexor rocks.

Actually, that's right out of REH. I always thought that bit was a copy of the scene from "Queen of the Black Coast", where Belit returns for a moment from the dead to help Conan in a similar way.

 

[David Howery]

Actually, that's right out of REH. I always thought that bit was a copy of the scene from "Queen of the Black Coast", where Belit returns for a moment from the dead to help Conan in a similar way.

and Howard stole that scene from a H.R. Haggard story, "The Ivory Child"... had a really similar scene at the end of it...

 

[Orius]

I see, I never read that particular story (only about half of REH's stuff), so I missed it.

 

[Chaldfont]

Check out the Governor's face after Subotai tells him that HIS god lives over Crom, Conan's god.

Priceless. Actually that whole scene pretty much slays me.

We almost pulled out Kull the Conquerer on DVD (top that geekiness, EnWorld!) tonight, but got distracted by Old School on TBS.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

If you enjoy the Conan collections you might want to think about picking up the Solomon Kane and Bran Mak Morn collections also.
In addition, a collection of the Kull stories will be released this October.

Oooo...niftastic about the Kull stories, I'd like to read those.

I wasn't terribly fond of Bran Mak Morn, but Solomon Kane...oh, Solomon Kane rocks on toast. I remember reading the story with the relic Sumerians on my trip back from San Diego, sitting on the tarmac in Colorado Springs waiting for a nasty thunderstorm to pass.

I think it helped that there was enough in the Solomon Kane collection that he was able to bring in some continuity and consistency.

Brad

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Yeah, the Solomon Kane stories are cool. The unending, over-the-top racism gets to grating on me, though.

 

[shilsen]

Yeah, the Solomon Kane stories are cool. The unending, over-the-top racism gets to grating on me, though.

There's a fair bit of racism in everything REH wrote. I just write it off as a manifestation of the time, but I know what you mean about the Solomon Kane stories having a particularly overt version thereof, whereas it's more muted in Conan or Bran or the others.

 

[David Howery]

the upcoming Kull book sounds cool. Any others planned in the series? I'd like to see collections of his general weird stories, historical action stories, El Borak, etc.... they could do quite a few...

Incidentally, I've been collecting these through the Science Fiction Book Club... in glorious hardcover....

 

[Felon]

There's a fair bit of racism in everything REH wrote. I just write it off as a manifestation of the time, but I know what you mean about the Solomon Kane stories having a particularly overt version thereof, whereas it's more muted in Conan or Bran or the others.

I actually recall reading some Howard fantasy tales about a super-warrior from a race called the Aryans (although I think it was spelled differently to give it that pseudo-fantasy touch). Had a little black savage sidekick that was physically and mentally inferior to the great white hero, but fierce and loyal like pit bull. The sidekick actually saves the hero's life by distracting a monster for a second, but is crushed to a pulp for his efforts (being physically inferior and all). Be pleased to know the hero feels a touch of sadness, like he'd lost a beloved pet.

It's important to remember that anyone who's travelled at all has likely had more life experiences than Howard did, who lived out most of his rather short life in one tiny Texas town.

 

[David Howery]

yeah, it's sad that such powerful ideas were linked with such virulent racial stereotypes.... in REH's stories, orientals are mysterious and insidious, Arabs/Turks/etc. are cruel slavers.... and blacks are given the worst treatment of all, being lazy, superstitious, prone to being mentally defective... I can recall only two 'honorable' black characters in all his works... one being the shaman in the Solomon Kane in Africa stories (sorry, his name escapes me at the moment), and the other being the warchief in "Black Vulmea's Vengeance"...