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Post by johnnypt on Aug 22, 2017 13:14:09 GMT -5
Well, looks like I ordered this one just in time, according to the Foundation website, this book is unfortunately sold out (did I get the last copy?) It's unfortunate because this book is as vital to REH as any of the Del Reys. We've often bemoaned the fact they didn't do a version of this book (Deuce offered the title Celtic Adventures), but this book is comprehensive in a way that one likely couldn't (ex., I see Kings of the Night being a casualty). I've been on this kick since I got the book but I have to bring it up again here: Rusty's intro talks about Steve Tompkin's idea that in his own way, Howard created a rich alternate history similar to that of Tolkien's. This is the volume that makes those connections abundantly clear. With the inclusion of Kings of the Night, Dark Man and the Allison stories, you can then make your way outward into the greater REH world in either direction, back to Kull, Conan and the Hyborian Age or forward to the horror tales. The Oriental adventures of the Crusaders and El Borak I believe are also tied together through those lost jewel caches, but I'd have to do more work on that.
I'd like to get a hold of the complete Marchers of Valhalla as an addendum, was that ever made available to the general public? |
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Post by johnnypt on Nov 10, 2017 8:23:13 GMT -5
After working my way through this volume, the two El Boraks and the historical adventures (along with some of the various paperbacks I've picked up), I reread the Bran Mak Morn volume this week and I was struck how much of a companion volume Swords of the North is to it. It should be obvious with the inclusion of several stories in both, but the amount of influence the Picts are in SotN is striking. The Lost Race and Men of the Shadows could have easily found a place in this volume (but not Worms of the Earth surprisingly), and their appearances in the James Allison and Cormac Mac Art stories tie into BMM at least tangentially.
I am SO glad my girlfriend insisted I get this when I did! Is there a possibility of another printing if there's enough interest? I suspect it'd have to be substantial, like 200 guaranteed orders, and at this point that's unlikely.
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Nov 10, 2017 9:09:20 GMT -5
After working my way through this volume, the two El Boraks and the historical adventures (along with some of the various paperbacks I've picked up), I reread the Bran Mak Morn volume this week and I was struck how much of a companion volume Swords of the North is to it. It should be obvious with the inclusion of several stories in both, but the amount of influence the Picts are in SotN is striking. The Lost Race and Men of the Shadows could have easily found a place in this volume (but not Worms of the Earth surprisingly), and their appearances in the James Allison and Cormac Mac Art stories tie into BMM at least tangentially. I am SO glad my girlfriend insisted I get this when I did! Is there a possibility of another printing if there's enough interest? I suspect it'd have to be substantial, like 200 guaranteed orders, and at this point that's unlikely. Sadly, I missed out on this one. It seems to be the most talked about REH Foundation printing. |
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Post by Jason Aiken on Nov 15, 2017 0:30:47 GMT -5
If you own all the Del Reys this kind of serves as the unofficial final volume for that series. That may be why the buzz around it was so high. Plus, I wonder if fans of the Bison Press Harold Lamb collections picked it up by accident  |
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Post by johnnypt on Nov 15, 2017 7:40:51 GMT -5
If you own all the Del Reys this kind of serves as the unofficial final volume for that series. That may be why the buzz around it was so high. Plus, I wonder if fans of the Bison Press Harold Lamb collections picked it up by accident
If it were available on Amazon, I could see a mistaken click, then cracking it open: "Wait, Harold Lamb wrote Bran Mak Morn?"
The arrangement of the stories is also similar to the Del Reys (Rusty had a pattern and stuck to it), the stories are grouped but in a sort of linear fashion, while the miscellanea is by character.
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