Literature Review: "The Farthest Shore" (1972)

Two years ago, I discussed Ursula K. LeGuin's seminal "A Wizard of Earthsea," and last year, "The Tombs of Atuan."

This week, I wanted to take a look at the next book in the Earthsea Cycle, "The Farthest Shore."

In a somewhat surprising move, the second entry in the Earthsea Cycle has a new main character!  Rather than Ged from "A Wizard of Earthsea," we follow the action through the eyes of Tenar, a young Kargish girl who is the high priestess to the "Nameless Ones" at the titular Tombs of Atuan.

The Tombs are the center of religious activity for the Kargish Empire (one of the antagonists in "A Wizard of Earthsea") and feature several different faiths that seem to get along quite well.  Oldest and most sacred (but also neglected) is worship of the "Nameless Ones" and their high priestess is the "undying" Arha- undying in the sense that every time the incumbent high priestess dies, the other priestesses find a girl child born at the same time, while apparently becomes the new vessel for the "undying" Arha.

As so it was with Tenar, taken as a child and raised in this strange place by strange women for this strange purpose.  She loses her name (becoming the new Arha) and grows up a lonely servant of a mostly neglected religion.

Ged does show up, but only half way into the book.  He has recovered half of the broken ring of the archmage Erreth-Akbe is looking for the other half, hidden in the Tombs of Atuan.  Once rejoined,  the ring will reveal the powerful magic rune of Peace.  Arha/Tenar manages to trap him in the underground labyrinth but will he escape?  No spoilers but this *IS* the second book in a trilogy...

After "A Wizard of Earthsea," I found "The Tombs of Atuan" to be rather disappointing.

Like its predecessor, this is another coming of age story.  However, unlike Ged, Tenar is a victim of kidnapping and brainwashing and has no special powers.  Unsurprisingly, she has very little agency and spends the most of the book simply reacting to other characters.  In fact, when she asks to become an apprentice sorcerer, Ged shoots down this idea and she simply accepts his judgment!

So, why exactly would young girls want to be her?

The tone and feel of  "The Tombs of Atuan" are also vastly different.  For example, there's no exploration, and very little sense of the magical world of Earthsea.   In addition, the pacing is quite slow for most of the book.

Another area where the story is weak is that, rather than presenting a more balanced view of the Kargish, they are still portrayed unambigiously as the bad guys.  They worship the clearly evil "Nameless Ones",  They are okay with child slavery.  They even banned literacy!

Doing so, LeGuin turns them into orcs.

Of course, "The Tombs of Atuan" does have good points.  It's well written and imaginative and it does shed light on some of the events in the first book.

However, if you are expecting another fantasy adventure tale, you will be quite disappointed, as "The Tombs of Atuan" is more a psychological character study of a pretty weak character.  There are also some horror aspects, but frankly, this is not a frightening tale as I never felt that Tenar or Ged were in serious danger.

Let her be Eaten?  Whatever. 

Literature Review: "Shadows in Zamboula" (1935)

It's been a while since I've covered anything Swords & Sorcery.  So, this week, I wanted to discuss another one of best Conan the Barbarian yarns, wherein Messr Howard skillfully blends both Swords & Sorcery and straight Horror elements, the classic tale "Shadows in Zamboula":

"PERIL hides in the house of Aram Baksh!"

So exhorts an elderly desert nomad to Conan, trying to warn the barbarian against staying in a suspiciously cut rate tavern in Zamboula, run by the aforementioned Aram Baksh.  However, Conan  is almost broke, having already sold his horse, and has already prepaid for the room so...

I typically prefer the Conan stories with everyone's favorite Cimmerian as a wandering adventurer rather than as a king/general.  "Shadows in Zamboula" falls into the former category, which finds our protagonist once again somewhat down on his luck in Zamboula, a melting pot of different peoples:

"Here, centuries ago, the armies of Stygia had come, carving an empire out of the eastern desert. Zamboula was but a small trading town then, lying amidst a ring of oases, and inhabited by descendants of nomads. The Stygians built it into a city and settled it with their own people, and with Shemite and Kushite slaves. The ceaseless caravans, threading the desert from east to west and back again, brought riches and more mingling of races. Then came the conquering Turanians, riding out of the East to thrust back the boundaries of Stygia, and now for a generation Zamboula had been Turan's westernmost outpost, ruled by a Turanian satrap."

Conan doesn't have to wait long for his next plot coupon as that very night, the local cannibals attempt to ambush the Cimmerian in the room that Aram Baksh cunningly trapped to assist the cannibals but the maneaters end up on the wrong side of a broadsword.  However, before the barbarian can even the score with the innkeeper he has to save a damsel in distress and then open up a big can of whoop ass on some evil cultists.

He also dispenses some frontier justice on Aram Baksh before leaving town.

As befits a ripping S&S yarn, "Shadows in Zamboula" features Howard's vigorous and imaginative writing.  The story leaps from the page with only an economy of words.  Conan murders a bunch of evil doers and also proves to be cleverer than he looks: throughout much of the novelette, the barbarian is seemingly led around by his penis, but in fact is nobody's fool, which leads to a nice twist ending.

A fun, fast pulp fiction romp, "Shadows in Zamboula" is filled with action and has a nice blend of mystery, horror, dark sorcery and a bit of nudity.  A must read for fans of Swords & Sorcery!

Literature Review: "The Black Cauldron" (1965)

This week, in honor of Lloyd Alexander's birthday on January 30th, I wanted to discuss the second book in my favorite fantasy series when I was growing up, "The Black Cauldron" from "The Chronicles of Prydain":

taking place more than a year after "The Book of Three," "The Black Cauldron" continues the story of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper.

he's a little older and wiser but still gets constantly trolled by
Ellidyr, Prince of Pen-Llarcau,

Newbury Honor book

By "favorite," I mean that I liked the Chronicles of Prydain more than any other fantasy work in grade school, including the Lord of the Rings.  To me, it was far easier to relate to being an Assistant Pig-Keeper than a hobbit or a Dúnadan ranger.  Now than I'm older, I appreciate and respect LoTR better but Prydain will always have a dear place in my heart.

Speaking of both series, Messr Alexander has sometimes been accused of ripping off Professor Tolkien's Middle Earth works but, in fact, both Prydain and Middle Earth draw inspiration from a number of the same myths and folktales, most notably the Mabinogion.

"The Book of Three" begins with an orphan named Taran who is on the cusp of manhood and who yearns to become a great hero.  Unfortunately for him, he's stuck on a remote farm that's also home to his guardian, retired soldier Coll, and the great wizard Dalben.  Taran is rather full of youthful arrogance and more than a bit bratty and naïve, which sounds more than a bit like this guy:

While Taran is grousing and daydreaming, Coll puts him in charge of Hen Wen, the oracular white pig.  Unfortunately, that same day,  Hen Wen runs away, despite Taran's best efforts, because she is realizes she is being hunted by the Horned King, the war leader of the Dark Lord Arawn!

Taran heads after Hen Wen to try to get her back and runs smack dab into his hero, the High Prince Gwydion!  An unexpected adventure ensues and, on the way, he meets various companions, faces darkness and danger, encounters extraordinary beings and learns that "being a hero" is rather different from his daydreaming.

"The Book of Three" an epic story of the struggle against a Dark Lord but is also filled with understandable and memorable characters facing very human problems.  Like Ursula K. Le Guin's wonderful "Wizard of Earth Sea" (which I discussed last year), "The Book of Three" creates a brilliantly realized fantasy world yet the writing is also sophisticated and the characters are grounded.


Messr Alexander is able to retain the fairy tale elements whilst also giving us characters who feel pain and yearning.  The best and most touching part of the book, IMHO, is at the end when maturity begins to dawn upon Taran, who, when asked about what reward he would like, chooses to leave childish things behind and merely wishes to return home.



it is



Far be it from me to contradict Messr Alexander (the person who actually coined the phrase "High Fantasy"), but this tale isn't how I usually think about the term:
non-gritty low fantasy, I think - magic is rare and the main characters aren't super-heroic

The cauldron-born are indeed very memorable




first multi-part fantasy series that unfolded over a series of years

Here is the The Chronicles of Prydain segment from the excellent Lloyd Alexander documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRQGPZt5Pc8

Literature Review: "The Tower of the Elephant" (1933)

This week, in honor of R.E. Howard's birthday on January 22nd, I wanted to give a shout out to another ripping yarn by the greatest of Swords & Sorcery authors, "The Tower of the Elephant":

adapted as part of the 1982 Conan the Barbarian film.


owned by the evil sorceror Yara

black magic


mystery

Ahead of him he saw, looming against the sky, the Tower of the Elephant. He mused, wondering why it was so named. No one seemed to know. He had never seen an elephant, but he vaguely understood that it was a monstrous animal, with a tail in front as well as behind. This a wandering Shemite had told him, swearing that he had seen such beasts by the thousands in the country of the Hyrkanians; but all men knew what liars were the men of Shem.

gonzo, sci-fi elements

D&D adventure

meet up of PCs

Conan sensed the man's great belly shaking in laughter, but it was not derisive. "By Bel, god of thieves!" hissed Taurus. "I had thought only myself had courage to attempt that poaching. These Zamorians call themselves thieves—bah! Conan, I like your grit. I never shared an adventure with anyone, but by Bel, we'll attempt this together if you're willing."

compassion

Tears rolled from the sightless eyes, and Conan's gaze strayed to the limbs stretched on the marble couch. And he knew the monster would not rise to attack him. He knew the marks of the rack, and the searing brand of the flame, and tough­souled as he was, he stood aghast at the ruined deformities which his reason told him had once been limbs as comely as his own. And suddenly all fear and repulsion went from him, to be replaced by a great pity. What this monster was, Conan could not know, but the evidences of its sufferings were so terrible and pathetic that a strange aching sadness came over the Cimmerian, he knew not why. He only felt that he was looking upon a cosmic tragedy, and he shrank with shame, as if the guilt of a whole race were laid upon him.

Literature Review: "The Seven Geases" (1934)

This week, I wanted to give a shout out to a really interesting vintage Swords & Sorcery tale, "The Seven Geases":

Written by Clark Ashton Smith (one of the Big Three of the Golden Age of Weird Fiction, alongside RE Howard and HP Lovecraft), "The Seven Geases" is part of the Hyperborean cycle, a fictional prehistoric setting influenced by Smith's friends Lovecraft and Howard that mixes Cosmic Horror with Iron Age technology, and part of the Cthulhu Mythos.

The story follows Ralibar Vooz, a Commoriom noble out to hunt some Voormis, a race of yeti-like bipeds.  Unfortunately for the warrior, he interrupts a sorcerer in the middle of a casting a spell:

"Know that I am the sorcerer Ezdagor," proclaimed the ancient, his voice echoing among the rocks with dreadful sonority. "By choice I have lived remote from cities and men; nor have the Voormis of the mountain troubled me in my magical seclusion. I care not if you are the magistrate of all swinedom or a cousin to the king of dogs. In retribution for the charm you have shattered, the business you have undone by this oafish trespass, I shall put upon you a most dire and calamitous and bitter geas."

As a punishment for his insolence, Ralibar Vooz is magically forced to venture into the depths to seek out the toad-like god Tsathoggua and to offer himself as a sacrifice.  (Un)fortunately, Tsathoggua has no need for the noble as a sacrifice and places a second geas upon him to seek out the spider-god Atlach-Nacha and to offer himself as a sacrifice.  So, once again, Ralibar Vooz battle his way through the darkness and horror, only to have a THIRD geas placed upon him!

This happens four more times.

First published in the October 1934 issue of Weird Tales, this is a fun, witty and well-written read.  I would say that "The Seven Geases" is *TECHNICALLY* a Swords & Sorcery story (in the sense that there are swords and sorcery present) but there's relatively little action.  Instead, the focus is more on Horror and Weird Fiction, as Ralibar Vooz has to put up with a *LOT* of crap.  Moreover, there's a dark sense of humor to this yarn, especially with the highly unexpected ending!

Also, if you like High Gygaxian (e.g., the 1e AD&D DMG), this yarn is filled with obscure SAT words!  Just the first paragraph features scaurs, scoriac, blazonries, and catoblepas!

Speaking of D&D, actually, it's a bit surprising that Messr Smith is absent from Appendix N of the 1e DMG, especially given that Smith's friends Lovecraft and Howard are listed and that "The Seven Geases" is likely the inspiration for the 6th level Geas spell:

Geas (Enchantment/Charm)

Level: 6      Components: V     Range: Touch      Casting Time: 4 segments     Duration: Special      Saving Throw: None     Area of Effect: Creature touched

Explanation/Description: A Geas spell places a magical command upon the creature (usually human or humanoid) to carry out some service, or refrain from same action or course of activity, as desired by the spell caster. The creature must be intelligent, conscious, and under its own volition. While a Geas cannot compel a creature to kill itself, or to perform acts which are likely to result in certain death, it can cause almost any other course of action. The spell causes the geased creature to follow the instructions until the Geas is completed. Failure to do so will cause the creature to grow sick and die within 1 to 4 weeks. Deviation from or twisting of the instructions causes corresponding loss of strength points until the deviation ceases. A Geas can be done away with by a Wish spell, but a Dispel Magic or Remove Curse will not negate it. Your referee will instruct you as to any additional details of a geas, for its casting and fulfilment are tricky. and an improperly cast Geas is null and void immediately (cf. Wish).

That's pretty much how it goes in this story.  There are also other classic D&Disms (e.g., underground action, the astral plane, etc.)

So, if you want to read a terrifying tale from one of the greats of Weird Fiction, check out this  ripping yarn!

Literature Review: "The Tombs of Atuan" (1971)

Last year, I discussed a work that is both one of greatest fantasy novels AND one of greatest young adult novels, Ursula K. LeGuin's "A Wizard of Earthsea."  This week, I wanted to take a look at the sequel, "The Tombs of Atuan."

In a somewhat surprising move, the second entry in the Earthsea Cycle has a new main character!  Rather than Ged from "A Wizard of Earthsea," we follow the action through the eyes of Tenar, a young Kargish girl who is the high priestess to the "Nameless Ones" at the titular Tombs of Atuan.

The Tombs are the center of religious activity for the Kargish Empire (one of the antagonists in "A Wizard of Earthsea") and feature several different faiths that seem to get along quite well.  Oldest and most sacred (but also neglected) is worship of the "Nameless Ones" and their high priestess is the "undying" Arha- undying in the sense that every time the incumbent high priestess dies, the other priestesses find a girl child born at the same time, while apparently becomes the new vessel for the "undying" Arha.

As so it was with Tenar, taken as a child and raised in this strange place by strange women for this strange purpose.  She loses her name (becoming the new Arha) and grows up a lonely servant of a mostly neglected religion.

Ged does show up, but only half way into the book.  He has recovered half of the broken ring of the archmage Erreth-Akbe is looking for the other half, hidden in the Tombs of Atuan.  Once rejoined,  the ring will reveal the powerful magic rune of Peace.  Arha/Tenar manages to trap him in the underground labyrinth but will he escape?  No spoilers but this *IS* the second book in a trilogy...

After "A Wizard of Earthsea," I found "The Tombs of Atuan" to be rather disappointing.

Like its predecessor, this is another coming of age story.  However, unlike Ged, Tenar is a victim of kidnapping and brainwashing and has no special powers.  Unsurprisingly, she has very little agency and spends the most of the book simply reacting to other characters.  In fact, when she asks to become an apprentice sorcerer, Ged shoots down this idea and she simply accepts his judgment!

So, why exactly would young girls want to be her?

The tone and feel of  "The Tombs of Atuan" are also vastly different.  For example, there's no exploration, and very little sense of the magical world of Earthsea.   In addition, the pacing is quite slow for most of the book.

Another area where the story is weak is that, rather than presenting a more balanced view of the Kargish, they are still portrayed unambigiously as the bad guys.  They worship the clearly evil "Nameless Ones",  They are okay with child slavery.  They even banned literacy!

Doing so, LeGuin turns them into orcs.

Of course, "The Tombs of Atuan" does have good points.  It's well written and imaginative and it does shed light on some of the events in the first book.

However, if you are expecting another fantasy adventure tale, you will be quite disappointed, as "The Tombs of Atuan" is more a psychological character study of a pretty weak character.  There are also some horror aspects, but frankly, this is not a frightening tale as I never felt that Tenar or Ged were in serious danger.

Let her be Eaten?  Whatever. 

Literature Review: "The Quest of Iranon" (1921)

This week, in honor of H. P. Lovecraft's birthday on August 20th, I wanted to give a shout out to another classic yarn by the greatest of Weird Fiction authors, "The Quest of Iranon":

"Long have I missed thee, Aira, for I was but young when we went into exile; but my father was thy King and I shall come again to thee, for it is so decreed of Fate. All through seven lands have I sought thee, and some day shall I reign over thy groves and gardens, thy streets and palaces, and sing to men who shall know whereof I sing, and laugh not nor turn away. For I am Iranon, who was a Prince in Aira."

Written on February 28, 1921, and first published in the July/August 1935 issue of Galleon magazine, "The Quest of Iranon" is a mythic and romantic fantasy tale written in the style of HPL's literary hero, Lord Dunsany.  In this short story, the titular character, a golden-haired youth, wanders far and wide, singing and telling wondrous tales of the lost city of Aira, where he was prince.

However, few truly appreciate his stories, and Iranon moves on from place to place.  In his travels, the bard meets another disenfranchised lad, Romnod, who joins the party.  Years pass and Romnod ages normally, while Iranon remains exactly the same.  

More years go by and Romnod passes away from sleep apnea.  Iranon continues on his quest alone, finally encountering an old shepherd who reveals the truth of his past.

For those who only know Lovecraft for his Cthulhu Mythos, "The Quest of Iranon" is quite a departure.  Like "The Doom That Came to Sarnath," this story is part of HPL's Dream Cycle, a pre-history/alternate dimension that can be entered via dreams.  As such, it is a heartbreaking story about an earnest but possibly naïve search for perfection and for a place where people truly understand and appreciate beauty, song and art.

Consequently, this tale is somewhat autobiographical, as Iranon's quest mirrors Lovecraft's own situation: the outsider filled with childish dreams and unrealistic fancies who never truly managed to grow up, despite growing old.  In addition, Iranon, like Lovecraft, is never acclaimed or recognized during his lifetime.

So, if you are a fan of Lovecraft, and are keen to read a beautiful, tragic and poignant tale with a  mythical and dreamlike narrative, check out "The Quest of Iranon"!

Literature Review: "Beowulf" (~1000)

This week, I want give a shout out to the greatest work of Old English literature, the epic poem about the legendary Scandinavian warrior king: "Beowulf":

"Beowulf" is a classic tale of the triumph of good over evil, whose titular character bravely faces monstrous foes time and again.  One of the earliest recognizable High Fantasy adventure yarns, in "Beowulf," our hero is a Geatish prince who sails to the aid of King Hrothgar of the Danes, whose realm is plagued by the monster Grendel.

Eschewing weapons because he wants a fair fight, Beowulf takes on Grendel hand-to-hand and rips off the poor bastard's arm!  Grendel flees and bleeds out.  Grendel's Mother seeks revenge, killing  Hrothgar's most loyal fighter, so our hero takes her out, as well.  Beowulf refuses kingship of the Danes and returns to his home, becoming king of his own people.  A half century later, a fearsome dragon threatens the kingdom and Beowulf, despite being an old man at this point, rides out for one last job.

Originally passed down through oral tradition, "Beowulf" was transcribed to manuscript form by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, referred to by scholars as the "Beowulf poet".  Although the epic poem was actually written down sometime around 1000 AD, the action takes place throughout much of the 6th century.  The poem blends both fact and fiction for entertainment purposes, including actual people and events, such as the Battle on the Ice of Lake Vänern.

When I note that "Beowulf" is a "epic poem," I don't just mean that it is a poem that is epic, but rather "epic poem" is a literature term of art:

"a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds, and events significant to a culture or nation."

An epic poem, of course, requires an "epic hero": a brave and noble hero with superhuman abilities who embodies traits that are important to their culture.  Other epic heroes include Achilles and Roland.

A key figure in the literary analysis of "Beowulf" is none other than Oxford scholar J. R. R. Tolkien (who, of course, in his spare time wrote the definitive high fantasy works "The Hobbit" (1937) and "The Lord of the Rings" (1954)), who noted the epic poem's place in the cultural history of Britain.  This, in turn, helped to re-popularize this ancient yarn.

It's no surprise that the good professor was a fan of "Beowulf".  For example, Tolkien said that the Dragon in Beowulf is one of only two *true* dragons in all of literature - the other being Fafnir.  It's also no surprise that "Beowulf" was a source of inspiration for the good professor.  For example, the Dragon in Beowulf responds to the theft of one of its shinies by going on a murderous rampage throughout the countryside...  In addition, "Beowulf" continues to inspire adaptations and reinterpretations even a millennium later.

So, if you are a fan of adventure, High Fantasy or fantasy generally, Norse mythology and culture, or history generally, you owe it to yourself to check out the adventures of one of the first dragon slayers, Beowulf!

Literature Review: "The Book of Three" (1964)

While this blog is primarily focused on Sword & Sorcery, I am carving out an exception for this most beloved of all High Fantasy and Young Adult works.  So, this week, in honor of Lloyd Alexander's birthday on January 30th, I wanted to discuss the first book in my favorite fantasy series when I was growing up, "The Book of Three" from "The Chronicles of Prydain":

By "favorite," I mean that I liked in grade school the Chronicles of Prydain more than any other fantasy work, including the Lord of the Rings.  To me, it was far easier to relate to being and empathize with an Assistant Pig-Keeper than a hobbit or a Dúnadan ranger.  Now than I'm older, I appreciate and respect LoTR better but Prydain will always have a dear place in my heart.

Speaking of both series, Messr Alexander has sometimes been accused of ripping off Professor Tolkien's Middle Earth works but, in fact, both Prydain and Middle Earth draw inspiration from a number of the same myths and folktales, most notably the Mabinogion.

"The Book of Three" begins with an orphan named Taran who is on the cusp of manhood and who yearns to become a great hero.  Unfortunately for him, he's stuck on a remote farm that's also home to his guardians, retired soldier Coll and the great wizard Dalben.  Taran is rather full of youthful arrogance and more than a bit bratty and naïve, which sounds more than a bit like this guy:

While Taran is grousing and daydreaming, Coll puts him in charge of Hen Wen, the oracular white pig.  Unfortunately, that same day,  Hen Wen runs away, despite Taran's best efforts, because she is realizes she is being hunted by the Horned King, the war leader of the Dark Lord Arawn!

Taran heads after Hen Wen to try to get her back and runs smack dab into his hero, the High Prince Gwydion!  An unexpected adventure ensues and, on the way, he meets various companions, faces darkness and danger, encounters extraordinary beings and learns that "being a hero" is rather different from his daydreaming.

"The Book of Three" an epic story of the struggle against a Dark Lord but is also filled with understandable and memorable characters facing very human problems.  Like Ursula K. Le Guin's wonderful "Wizard of Earth Sea" (which I discussed last year), "The Book of Three" creates a brilliantly realized fantasy world yet the writing is also sophisticated and the characters are grounded.

Messr Alexander is able to retain the fairy tale elements whilst also giving us characters who feel pain and yearning.  The best and most touching part of the book, IMHO, is at the end when maturity begins to dawn upon Taran, who, when asked about what reward he would like, chooses to leave childish things behind and merely wishes to return home.

For lovers of fantasy and young adult literature, "The Book of Three" and, indeed, the rest of the Chronicles of Prydain are must reads.  The Chronicles of Prydain was the first American fantasy work to win the respect of British critics and is arguably the first series of fantasy  novels.  It is also one of the first works of children's literature that presents an ongoing, multi-part story that unfolds over many years.

As a quick introduction, here is the The Chronicles of Prydain segment from the excellent recent Lloyd Alexander documentary:

Literature Review: "Beyond the Black River" (1935)

This week, in honor of R.E. Howard's birthday on January 22nd, I wanted to discuss one of my favorite Swords & Sorcery yarns, the classic Conan the Barbarian tale "Beyond the Black River":

Although a ripping Sword & Sorcery tale (with gory action, savage imagery and fell magic), "Beyond the Black River" is also unusual and noteworthy for a Conan story in a number of ways.

Firstly, the viewpoint character for much of this tale is a young man named Balthus (likely the author's self-insert) who has travelled to the very edge of the civilized world to seek his fortune rather than everyone's favorite Cimmerian murder machine.  This allows us to see Conan from a somewhat different perspective.  Anyway, unfortunately, this is the worst possible time to visit Conajohara, the newest province of the Kingdom of Aquilonia carved out of the lands of the Picts, since an irate sorcerer named Zogar Sag is uniting thousands of Pictish warriors to wreak bloody vengeance!

Taking along his new sidekick, Conan discusses the rapidly deteriorating situation with Governor Valannus, and Valannus decides their own hope is to find the sorcerer in the jungle beyond the Black River and terminate him with extreme prejudice.  Accompanied by a dozen handpicked rangers, Conan and Balthus head off on their kill mission into the heart of darkness to prevent an apocalypse now.

As in Francis Ford Coppola's acclaimed retelling of Joseph Conrad's acclaimed novella, the plan quickly goes off the rails for Conan and Co, and young Balthus finds himself fighting for his life!

Much death and mayhem ensues.

“Civilization is unnatural. It is the whim of circumstance. And barbarism must ultimately triumph.”

One of the major themes of Conan's tales, the struggle between civilization and barbarism, is front and center in "Beyond the Black River."  Indeed, it drives the action since the two are in actual direct conflict.  However, there's a philosophical level as well: This is an unusually moody and reflective Conan story and the normally taciturn barbarian waxes at length about on the topic.    

For example, in his opinion, this latest Aquilonian land grab is dangerous and foolhearty and the barbarian explains to Balthus, "you Hyborians have expanded as far as you'll be allowed to expand."  There are signs of impending disaster, just like Aquilonia's last attempt to colonize barbarian lands, the southern marches of Cimmerian.

In another unusual move, Conan also reveals something of his past, that he was one of the reavers that sacked the fort-town Venarium, even though he hadn't reached 15 winters.  Testosterone practically oozes from the pages.

Another interesting point about "Beyond the Black River" is how much it resembles tale of the Old West, another great love of Messr Howard.  In fact, remove sorcerer Zogar Sag and the other supernatural elements and this story reads much like Howard's westerns, with the Picts standing in for Native Americans.

All in all, "Beyond the Black River" is one of Messr Howard's finest works, filled with both classic pulp action and melancholy philosophical ruminations.  It provides arguably the clearest picture of Conan, both in thought and in action.   Every fan of Swords & Sorcery should take a look!

Literature Review: "Ill Met in Lankhmar" (1970)

Happy Holidays!

This week, in honor of Fritz Leiber's birthday on December 24th, I wanted to discuss one of the most famous stories by the man who literally coined the phrase "Swords & Sorcery", "Ill Met in Lankhmar":

Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novella, "Ill Met in Lankhmar" is a prequel to more than thirty years of stories about the adventurous duo.  It is filled with Leiber's trademark twists and turns and shows off his economical yet witty style.  There's humor in his tongue-in-cheek tone and his world building is excellent, as the city of Lankhmar comes to life in these pages.

This ripping yarn  reveals "[t]he second and decisive meeting of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser," two of the most famous figures in Swords & Sorcery.  One dark night, two members of the Thieves' Guild steal some valuable jewels but are, in turn, bushwhacked by a pair of independent operators, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.  After getting really drunk, the new soul mates (there's a clear bromance brewing) decide to behead Krovas, Grandmaster of the Thieves' Guild, at the behest of their girlfriends, despite Krovas being one of the most powerful mortals in the world.

Of course, it all goes horribly wrong.

I really wanted to like this story but I couldn't get past that we are meant to treat Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser as heroes, when they are not nice guys.  Setting aside that they are murderhobos (all they do in kill people and take their stuff), the adventurous duo exhibit some sociopathy in this story, including the murder of a helpless child.  Plus, there's the fact that Fafhrd is a deadbeat dad who abandoned his baby mama for some girl he randomly meets.

However, Leiber glosses all this over in the interest of presenting them positively.

Given Leiber's influence on the development of Dungeons & Dragons (see Appendix N of the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide), another point that should have been in the story's favor is how much it reads like an RPG session.

Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser meet randomly when they are independently trying to rob the robbers.  There's no real reason why they should trust each other and form a party.  This is fine for an RPG but not so much for a story.

Further, there's the adventurous duo plan and disguises to infiltrate the Thieves' Guild.  Both are unbelievable and if there was any realism to "Ill Met in Lankhmar", Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser would have been immediately made, outed and executed.

If I was the DM, I would ask the players *REALLY* want to do this.  If they insisted, as an Old Schooler, I would let the dice fall where they may and then explain that the players need to roll up new characters.

Literature Review: "A Wizard of Earthsea" (1968)

This week, I wanted to give a shout out to a work that is both one of greatest fantasy novels AND one of greatest young adult novels, Ursula K. LeGuin's "A Wizard of Earthsea."

The first entry in the Earthsea Cycle, "A Wizard of Earthsea" is the origin story of Ged, the titular character and perhaps the greatest magician of all time in Earthsea.  However, this tale is set long before he becomes dragonlord and Archmage and the reader follows Ged, also known as Sparrowhawk, from simple village child through his training at wizard school on the island of Roke up to his stunning victory against a fearsome creature of undeath.

What starts off as a coming of age story turns into an epic quest that spans a good chunk of this brilliantly realized and wonderfully original fantasy world that reflects the author's clear love of history and anthropology.  Just her innovative system of magic is a great achievement in and of itself.  Indeed, LeGuin pulls off a scale of world building that many consider rivals Tolkien's Middle Earth and Herbert's Dune.  Except she does it in a mere novella!

However, although LeGuin does a marvelous job of creating a rich background and history to Earthsea, what's even more impressive is that she tells a fundamentally human tale of ambition, pride, childish foibles, courage and maturity.  It is easy for a reader to see a bit of themselves in both Ged's missteps and triumphs.

Although widely regarded as a classic of young-adult literature, LeGuin writes with a sophistication that challenges anyone and infuses the text with poetic wit and sensibility.  For example:

“It is no secret. All power is one in source and end, I think. Years and distances, stars and candles, water and wind and wizardry, the craft in a man's hand and the wisdom in a tree's root: they all arise together. My name, and yours, and the true name of the sun, or a spring of water, or an unborn child, all are syllables of the great word that is very slowly spoken by the shining of the stars. There is no other power. No other name.”  

Here the author herself reads from part of the book and discusses a bit of the impetus behind it (forward to 10:55 in the video):

We shall not speak of the horrific Sci Fi channel adaptation.

Literature Review: "The Doom that Came to Sarnath" (1920)

This week, in honor of H. P. Lovecraft's birthday on August 20th, I wanted to give a shout out to one of my favorite story stories by this preeminent practitioner of Weird Fiction, "The Doom that Came to Sarnath":

There is in the land of Mnar a vast still lake that is fed by no stream and out of which no stream flows. Ten thousand years ago there stood by its shore the mighty city of Sarnath, but Sarnath stands there no more.

With two sentences, Lovecraft quickly sets the mood for the piece: mythic, cryptic and bizarre.  A tale of murder, hubris and otherworldly vengeance follows.  Plus, it has space aliens, weird gods and dread prophecy.  What's not to like? 

An early work by Lovecraft, "The Doom that Came to Sarnath" is still a classic.  Influenced by one of Lovecraft's favorite authors, the great Lord Dunsany, this yarn is set in a fictional pre-historic Earth and is associated with Lovecraft's Dream Cycle stories. 

A wandering group of shepherds establish Sarnath "[n]ot far from the grey city of Ib" and take an immediate homicidal dislike to their neighbors, who "descended one night from the moon in a mist."  Some sacking and pillaging happens, combined with a big dose of ethnic cleaning, and the Sarnathites bring back the idol of the Bokrug, worshipped by the newly massacred beings of Ib, as a token of their conquest.

Ten centuries later, "[t]he wonder of the world and the pride of all mankind was Sarnath the magnificent."  The reigning superpower is at its height and about to celebrate "the feast of the thousandth year of the destroying of Ib. For a decade had it been talked of in the land of Mnar, and as it drew nigh there came to Sarnath on horses and camels and elephants men from Thraa, Ilarnek, and Kadatheron, and all the cities of Mnar and the lands beyond."

As for what happens next, let's just say payback's a bitch.

You can find the full text of the story here.  Alternately, here is a wonderful reading of the same by Nick Gisburne:

Literature: "Elric of Melniboné" (1972)

This week, let's take a look at Michael Moorcock's seminal Swords & Sorcery novella "Elric of Melniboné":

Elric of Melniboné follows the eponymous protagonist, Emperor of the titular island nation of  Melniboné, fend off the multiple blatant and unclever attempts of his cousin Yrkoon to usurp the crown.

The story works both as a straightforward Swords & Sorcery yarn, but also as a deliberate deconstruction of the genre: Elric is physically weak and dependent on drugs, highly flawed and a master of dark sorcery.  This is where the novella shines, as Moorcock is intentionally playing against the archetype.

There's also an interesting gothic and moody vibe with the protagonist as the doomed ruler of a doomed people.

Unfortunately, Moorcock shatters my sense of disbelief with an unbelievable (in several senses of the word) own goal at the very end: he tries to play up the tragic angle by making Elric a complete moron and by making the Melnibonéans completely unrealistic: placing would-be usurper Yrkoon as regent should rightly shatter confidence in Elric and his government.  Furthermore, Yrkoon's heel-turn is telegraphed from approximately a bazillion miles away.

I realize that Moorcock is trying to show that Elric is different from the rest of his people because he is thoughtful and capable of mercy.  However, by flying in the face of common sense and basic self-preservation, he merely comes across as unbelievably stupid.   For example, Elric pointedly ignores the prudent advice of his trusted advisors, while offering nonsensical counterarguments.

I also realize that this work was written over 40 years ago, but if one attempts to defend the above idiocy on those grounds, they are admitting that the story is horribly dated, as successful modern authors are typically far more sensible on matters of political science (at least post-Babylon 5).  I mean, even Ned Stark would do the smart thing and kill Yrkoon!

Literature: "Queen of the Black Coast" (1934)

Today, I wanted to touch upon a vintage Swords & Sorcery tale, the great "Queen of the Black Coast" (1934) by R. E. Howard:

While this is ripping yarn generally acknowledged as one of R. E. Howard's finest Conan of Cimmeria entries and while I generally agree with this assessment, something about this story has always irked me.  Specifically, at the beginning, Conan walks into the courthouse open carrying his broadsword and apparently no one tried to relieve him of his obviously lethal instrumentality.  One might argue that the court staff was cowed into submission...except that the judge's behavior obviously indicates otherwise.

This utter lack of self-awareness or sense of self-preservation by the court staff broke my suspension of disbelief.

ಠ_ಠ

Next, Conan brutally murders the judge in cold blood because the latter dared to ask the barbarian displeasing questions.  Leaving aside the issue of the Cimmerian's obvious sociopathy in killing an innocent person, making the court staff unbelievable stupid is, well, unbelievable.  Really, the whole beginning reads like Howard's revenge porn against some authority figure that irked him personally.

Howard then resorts to massive Plot Armor in order to prevent the logical conclusion of this scenario (i.e., Conan's capture and execution).

O_o

Thereafter, "Queen of the Black Coast" kicks into high gear and becomes a fine heroic fantasy story, featuring perhaps the most interesting supporting character in all of the original Conan works, Bêlit, "the wildest she-devil unhanged."

But that first speed bump is a doozie.