Karavansara

East of Constantinople, West of Shanghai

Tag Archives: Robert E. Howard


by Leave a comment

Savage Scrolls: a brief review

I promised a review of Savage Scrolls, a collection of Hyborian lore by Fred Blosser.
Here we go.

Blosser’s book is a thorough survey of Conan’s Hyborian world, expanding to include many other Robert E. Howard characters and cycles. The basic idea is to take all the details Howard scattered through his stories, and collate them into a curated history book.
Culture, history, politics, natural sciences… the book covers all the bases, in a straightforward, engaging tone.
We meet characters, we visit cities and wild jungles, we learn the history of the Hyborian era. We discover connections, influences, references.
We catch a glimpse of Conan’s wolrd before and after Conan.
And where the original stories don’t go – or where Howard actually offered conflicting takes on certain elements – Blosser interpolates and speculates, filling the blanks with plausible hypotheses, doing a wonderful job.

The book reads in a breeze, it’s quite fun and it will probably send you back to your Conan collection for a re-read of some of the stories referenced.

Savage Scrolls is a good addition to the REH bookshelf, and apparently the first in a series – and we can only hope Volume 2 will be as good and solid as volume 1.


by Leave a comment

Hyborian Lore: Savage Scrolls

51NbxDlPurL._SY346_Then of course something happens that throws all your plans in disarray.
In this case, was the discovery of Savage Scrolls, the first volume in a wide and deep study of all things R.E. Howard.
The book, written by Fred Blosser, was published early this week, and it’s a steal at about 4 bucks in ebook.

Coupled with my current total lack of interest for writing (I’m going through one of my bouts of dark moods and insomnia), spending the next 36 hours reading the “speculative essays” contained in this volume looks like a nice way to get my brain back in working order.
I’ll let you know what I think of the book ASAP.


by

Worldbuilding, in fantasy long and short

This is going to be long.
As readers of this blog might have noticed, I have sort of a personal interest in worldbuilding – both for professional reasons (building worlds pays mt bills) and as a sort of hobby of mine. I like imaginary worlds, which probably explains why I read and write imaginative fiction, or the other way around.

worldbuilding-small1

Now, as I was browsing the web in search for some documentation, I chanced upon an old article from The Guardian, whose title caused me to pause and take some time reading.
The article, that was published in May 2015 and you will find here, is called Fantasy cannot build its imaginary worlds in short fiction.
To which my basic reaction is, really? Continue reading →


by Leave a comment

Offutt does Howard

51b9y98wpol-_sy346_A very quick heads-up – The Sign of the Moonbow, by fantasy legend Andrew J. Offutt, is free today in Kindle, and it’s well worth a read.
I’m planning a review ASAP, but I wanted to signal this offer while it still lasts (and I don’t know how long it will last, actually).
The Sign of the Moonbow is a story featuring Cormac Mac Art, one of Conan’s brethren, created by Robert E. Howard.
Offutt is enjoying (if that’s the word) a bout of new popularity due to the biography published by his son, in which his activity as a pornographer is described in lurid detail.
I never read any porn book by Offutt, but I read his fantasies – and the guy was a solid entertainer, with a certain sense of humor and a good pacing.
Check out The Sign of the Moonbow.


by 27 Comments

Robert E. Howard, 80 years after

Robert E. Howard died eighty years ago today.
He was a troubled young man, and a writer – not necessarily in that order.
At his worst, he was not very good – but still enjoyable, and entertaining.
At his best, he was a master storyteller and had an extraordinary control over his prose. He infused such an energy in his stories, that it was impossible not to get caught and carried along, dragged along screaming, almost, by the plot, the action, the imagery.

carried away

Howard’s role in the development of imaginative fiction and of fantasy in particular cannot be summarized in a single post on a backwaters blog like this.

But I’m going to list a few good stories – because that’s what we always do, right, when we talk about an author we love?
We suggest a few good titles for the uninitiated to check out and see what it’s all about.
And please, do the same, in the comments, and list your favorite Robert Howard stories. Continue reading →


by Leave a comment

Shameless adventures

adventure_19350815Do you mind if I rant?
You see, I don’t always call other people cretins, but when I do, it is usually because they pretend to know what they are talking about when they in fact they do not know.

Yesterday I was told that adventure stories – and genre fiction in general – is a second-rate form of cheap entertainment, aimed at housewives and blue-collar working-class brutes that can’t appreciate a good, solid, proper “real novel”.
And the word cretin erupted through my lips before I could think about something more scathing and cruel.

Then I launched in a long-winded rant the gist of which I will now inflict on Karavansara readers.
Because like a guy once said, I suffered for my art, now it’s your turn. Continue reading →