tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post8107575958145641082..comments2024-03-18T20:22:06.331-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Pulp Fantasy Library: FlamesongJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-32200961749192992422011-08-05T17:28:15.787-04:002011-08-05T17:28:15.787-04:00An obvious difference: Tolkien loved his people, B...An obvious difference: Tolkien loved his people, Barker doesn't seem too keen on European civilisation or religion.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01173759805310975320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-6318964557959858722011-08-02T13:42:46.607-04:002011-08-02T13:42:46.607-04:00Trey - actually, as far as I could tell from an ex...Trey - actually, as far as I could tell from an examination of the source materials, DAW didn't do very much editing to either <i>Man of Gold</i> or <i>Flamesong</i>. You really have some of Prof. Barker's players at the time for the editing of <i>Flamesong</i>.<br /><br />Captain Jack - they aren't session logs, at all. One of the things that Prof. Barker has done consistently over time is to separate the action in his game from the action in his novels. Which is why one of my player-characters was taken over by Prof. Barker... (ah, well)Victor Raymondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05928494560036528653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-44690394972825775982011-08-02T00:51:47.697-04:002011-08-02T00:51:47.697-04:00The latter Tekumel novels don't seem to have t...The latter Tekumel novels don't seem to have the charm of the first two. To me they read more like RPG session logs. Man of Gold and Flamesong are definitely worth seeking out by any Sword and Planet fan. I would only recommend the others to hard core Tékumelani.Captain Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10682678777940123469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-28446255320315751442011-08-01T23:01:13.176-04:002011-08-01T23:01:13.176-04:00I enjoyed both Man of Gold and Flamesong. We don&#...I enjoyed both Man of Gold and Flamesong. We don't really get much fantasy on the exotic bejewelled ancient uncanny side of things, much less science fiction or gaming stuff over there. So it was really nice to have that atmosphere.<br /><br />However, my first reading of Flamesong and my second reading of Man of Gold benefitted from my having obtained by then a copy of one of the Tekumel gaming books. (Although I think Flamesong explains certain background matters better than Man of Gold.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-13701659814645397252011-08-01T19:29:50.810-04:002011-08-01T19:29:50.810-04:00Until grodog mentioned it last week I hadn't r...Until grodog mentioned it last week I hadn't realized that there were any other novels besides Man of Gold and Flamesong. I will now have to track down the 3 he published in the 21st century. I am more of a nostalgia fan of Petal Throne than a follower of Barker's work. The map, the box set, the articles in early Dragon magazines always intrigued me, though I have never campaigned in the setting.Jason Zavodahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109502376214104276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-22691679461262899122011-08-01T17:57:48.540-04:002011-08-01T17:57:48.540-04:00Finding Flamesong on a used bookstore shelf in 199...Finding Flamesong on a used bookstore shelf in 1992 is what kicked off my fascination with Tekumel. I'm with Anthony on enjoying the digressions in this and MoG as they were my window into that setting. <br /><br />Both books read better than the three sequels, the editing feels crisper and the pacing better. Yet re-reading them this year I noticed how clunky the "third act" is in each of them they feel a little meandering toward the end. <br /><br />I love the fact that some characters and even some parts of the book evolved out of actual play. The back-stories add something to my appreciation of it, though I really don't care for gaming fiction in general.Chris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-33373199792222013612011-08-01T17:39:09.001-04:002011-08-01T17:39:09.001-04:00I enjoyed all the Tekumel novels, though non-fans ...I enjoyed all the Tekumel novels, though non-fans of Tekumel as a world may not find them terribly compeling as you suggest. The last three are more meandering the last two are more meandering than the first two, as I recall; I think the Professor benefited from the editorial hand of a major publisher.Treyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04647628467658839351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-33777436524313464672011-08-01T17:25:45.004-04:002011-08-01T17:25:45.004-04:00I enjoyed both Flamesong and Man of Gold quite a b...I enjoyed both Flamesong and Man of Gold quite a bit, the latter a bit more than the former, ironically for the reasons you mention as problematic. (I loved the digressions into history and other matters.)Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-18890642456782125982011-08-01T16:54:18.403-04:002011-08-01T16:54:18.403-04:00I really enjoyed Flamesong, & what I admired a...I really enjoyed Flamesong, & what I admired about Trinesh is MAR Barker's quickness in putting forward alternate codes of morality. It isn't hard to imagine a pulp reader embracing Thumis as a "good god," but Trinesh is a worshiper of the Chaos pantheon! That is like springing one of the Nazgul into a leading role in the LotR's sequel, or it could be, in less deft hands.mordicaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05713766652793265867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-10219628364458036642011-08-01T16:49:21.104-04:002011-08-01T16:49:21.104-04:00I recently read Man of Gold and enjoyed it - it wa...I recently read Man of Gold and enjoyed it - it was my first substantive introduction to Tékumel, though I've read and wondered about it for decades - so your review of Flamesong is timely. I'll go get myself a copy to read.Rick Marshallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01707062453047354335noreply@blogger.com