tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post2971039871365959532..comments2024-03-19T05:48:34.142-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Pulp Fantasy Library: The Tower of the ElephantJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-66573817643925177502010-12-30T18:28:35.644-05:002010-12-30T18:28:35.644-05:00Conan slays a Kothian who mocks him for his youthf...<i>Conan slays a Kothian who mocks him for his youthful bravado</i><br /><br />Just to clarify that Conan only draws his sword after the Kothian draws his and threatens to kill Conan: Conan didn't kill him for the crime of mocking him. Not saying that's what you were implying, just that someone might misread that sentence.<br /><br />I tend to think of Conan stories in tiers: the best, the great, and the mediocre. I think even the mediocre stories have some elements that elevates them: "Iron Shadows" has the fantastically written fight with the ape, the weird menace of the statues and Conan's incredible entrance; "Zamboula" has one of the iconic moments in the Baal-pteor confrontation. Even "The Vale of Lost Women" has some really nice moments.<br /><br />But the best Conan stories hang with the best Howard stories, and "Tower," in my opinion, is in the top tier. I wouldn't call any one story my favourite either, but if asked to choose - say - my five favourites, "Tower" would definitely be among them.Taranaichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02176999342965850175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-66834123905904806772010-12-29T23:27:48.857-05:002010-12-29T23:27:48.857-05:00That'd make sense because there's a few re...That'd make sense because there's a few references to Zamorian royal guards and so on in the tale. Interesting!fantasygamebookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05240994072742026340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-11381681591747301142010-12-29T19:16:30.424-05:002010-12-29T19:16:30.424-05:00Judging from several instances in the REH Conan ya...Judging from several instances in the REH Conan yarns and letters, the city is named "Zamora". Howard did the same thing with Valusia, the City of Wonders (and capital of the empire of Valusia), in the Kull tales.<br /><br />DeuceDeucehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00240457596421236288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-65786469900490872742010-12-28T23:58:37.405-05:002010-12-28T23:58:37.405-05:00"There's a lot to appreciate in this stor..."There's a lot to appreciate in this story, which describes one of Conan's early adventures in an unnamed city in Zamora."<br /><br />Wow, never realised before that the city is never named in the story. De Camp says it's Arenjun, the City of Thieves in the 1967 Conan collection, but there's nothing in the text to corroborate this. Cool!fantasygamebookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05240994072742026340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-6197695297208242162010-12-27T21:50:05.073-05:002010-12-27T21:50:05.073-05:00Excellent review of an excellent story. And you d...Excellent review of an excellent story. And you didn't even have to mention the Elephant itself!Rodneyliveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476187929555342435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-48712737356335397162010-12-27T18:33:12.837-05:002010-12-27T18:33:12.837-05:00@faoladh: Thanks for the info@faoladh: Thanks for the inforadnoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11006466605445207729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-39534359492519764312010-12-27T16:32:34.447-05:002010-12-27T16:32:34.447-05:00Nicely said.
Another aspect is that the other cha...Nicely said.<br /><br />Another aspect is that the other characters - even the thieves - all seem to represent Civilisation. Conan wants what they have, even learns from them, but he isn't them. (More here: http://zornhau.livejournal.com/132818.html#cutid1)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-9432345680201251562010-12-27T16:05:13.002-05:002010-12-27T16:05:13.002-05:00"Tower" is one of my favorite Conan stor..."Tower" is one of my favorite Conan stories. In fact, I think it's the one that introduced me to the character and the setting "way back when."Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-21466079511913654402010-12-27T16:04:32.510-05:002010-12-27T16:04:32.510-05:00radnoff: As a bit more useless trivia, the Seabury...radnoff: As a bit more useless trivia, the Seabury Quinn story is "The Thing in the Fog".faoladhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691952430041394614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-86189129256325212982010-12-27T16:02:12.416-05:002010-12-27T16:02:12.416-05:00Yeesh! It's like asking what bite of that file...Yeesh! It's like asking what bite of that filet mignon did you like best.<br /><br />Off the top of my head, I would have to say "The Scarlet Citadel" and "Queen of the Black Coast".toddroehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05668825555921002430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-59345435629026910762010-12-27T15:59:11.817-05:002010-12-27T15:59:11.817-05:00Sweet, a story review on here from something I'...Sweet, a story review on here from something I've actually read! I feel so learned now.Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09358099916267465455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-2347222104281813502010-12-27T14:15:27.829-05:002010-12-27T14:15:27.829-05:00>>leaving aside a couple of real stinkers, l...>>leaving aside a couple of real stinkers, like "Shadows in the Moonlight" and "Man-Eaters of Zamboula,"<br /><br />Man-Eaters is considered a stinker? It's one of my favorites... but then it probably helps that my first exposure to the story was drawn by Neal Adams...<br /><br />Anyway, favorite Conan story is A Witch Shall Be Born.JimLotFPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992397707040836366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-2497347920644982152010-12-27T12:03:24.413-05:002010-12-27T12:03:24.413-05:00Tower of the Elephant was the first Conan story I ...<i>Tower of the Elephant</i> was the first Conan story I ever read. And it, of course, got me hooked. <i>Pool of the Black One</i> and <i>Queen of the Black Coast</i> are major doses of Howard goodness.<br /><br />As a bit of useless trivia...notice the writer who got the cover of the issue of <i>Weird Tales</i> in which TOE appeared? It's Seabury Quinn. If you can make out the blurb on the cover it says, "a powerful werewolf story by Seabury Quinn." Quinn garnered more Weird Tales covers than Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, or Lovecraft (Lovecraft had zero). And it was Quinn that was voted best of the Weird Tale authors among readers of the magazine. He certainly gets my vote as the most under appreciated (as of today) writer of the pulp era. You could do a lot worse than having Quinn as the inspiration for some of your rpg adventures.radnoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11006466605445207729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-43740618203694517942010-12-27T11:39:47.058-05:002010-12-27T11:39:47.058-05:00That Taurus guy was totally overhyped.That Taurus guy was totally overhyped.Pekkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13104355467265113471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-16478406904237312302010-12-27T10:48:54.503-05:002010-12-27T10:48:54.503-05:00Conan's observations in the courtyard of the p...Conan's observations in the courtyard of the philosophers could just as easily be applied to Dungeons and Dragons and elements of the OSR community.Wheggihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08514479185531072412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-5922257301711549682010-12-27T09:58:51.115-05:002010-12-27T09:58:51.115-05:00"Tower of the Elephant" is one of my fav..."Tower of the Elephant" is one of my favourites, but I agree that choosing <i>one</i> favourite among Howard's Conan tales is difficult, if not impossible.<br /><br />The stories mentioned by Geoffrey, "Beyond the Black River" and "Red Nails" are also excellent, as is "Hour of the Dragon" (and...).Akrasiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08734103159691571156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-77495688863651435152010-12-27T09:40:40.516-05:002010-12-27T09:40:40.516-05:00Depending on my mood, my favorite Conan story is e...Depending on my mood, my favorite Conan story is either "Beyond the Black River" or "Red Nails".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-44217456673650039852010-12-27T09:39:43.246-05:002010-12-27T09:39:43.246-05:00For those who want to read it, it is available onl...For those who want to read it, it is available online in a couple of places. For instance <a href="http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600831h.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> in html, or <a href="http://www.feedbooks.com/book/4574/the-tower-of-the-elephant" rel="nofollow">here</a> in pdf or some ebook formats.faoladhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691952430041394614noreply@blogger.com