Conan Ace Edition

[boot]

I guess this goes in the "pastiche" forum, given all the re-writing and added works L. Sprague de Camp & Company contributed to these volumes.


I just re-read The Thing in the Crypt.  I think this is my third time to read the story.  I read it back in the 80's originally.  Then, I read it about 10-15 years ago.  And, I read it again a couple of days ago.


I don't know what changed...


The first time I read the story, I thought it was OK and not memorable.  Of course, I was in High School, and I had just discovered D&D.  The story didn't quite give me what  wanted back then.

On my reading a decade or so ago, I read it again and felt much the same.  It was OK.  It didn't rock my world.

But, for some reason, on my reading a few days ago...I just loved it.  I really dug it.

I guess mood has a lot to do with it?  Being "ready" to read something and it delivering along your expectation?

I knew the story but had forgotten some of the details.

I would also say that my reading habits have become a lot more visual in my old age.  I can hear different voices when I read and really visualize the action.  It's a movie in my head--my previous readings were not quite like that.  I've found this way a lot more enjoyable.

One thing I couldn't quite picture, though.  When Conan kicks the thing away from him, and it goes into the fire.  It seems, from the reading, that the thing comes from behind.  But, then Conan kicks at it.  Maybe Conan does a 180 right before kicking?  Or, maybe Conan drops to a push-up position and kicks out from the ground?  I don't know.  It's not clear.

Still...I absolutely loved the story.

[terryallenuk]

I thought it the best of the pastiche stories. The shorter ones seemed to work better than the novels.

[thedarkman]

May 5, 2020 13:27:58 GMT -5 terryallenuk said:

I thought it the best of the pastiche stories. The shorter ones seemed to work better than the novels.

I definitely feel the short pastiche tales are far better than the novel length stories. I like most of the stories in Conan The Swordsman, and some of the fix-up stories like Flame Knife read pretty good. I know I will never re-read Spider God or Liberator, but I will most certainly read the shorts again.

[Grim Wanderer]

I remember reading the Ace books in the 80s and they were pretty hit and miss for me. I lost them in a flood a number of years ago and have always intended to track them down again just to have them in my collection. Maybe I'll try reading them again once I have them.