Conan of Venarium

[Bjorn the Barbarian]

I just found a book from Tor publishers called "Conan of Venarium" written by Harry Turtledove back in 2003.

Anyone read this, or know if it worth buying? I didn't know Harry Turtledove had even written a Conan book. :shock:

Thanks.

 

[FailedSpotCheck]

On conan.com I've heard it's pretty dreadful. Thus far, I've stayed away from pastiche.

 

[Valgrim Bragisson]

The subject line is not a typo. At one point in the book, young Conan goes to live with a sheep herder in another part of Cimmeria, and decides that he'd just love to spend the rest of his life as a shepard! Than the evil Aquilonians kill his first love, along with the rest of his village, and he fights at Venarium. The whole shepard thing was so bizzare I felt as if I were hallucinating when I read it!

MP

 

[VincentDarlage]

Dale Rippke's review of that novel says it all.

http://www.dodgenet.com/~moonblossom/Cmuse13.html

 

[The King]

I guess the next regional book on Cimmeria will use this novel for the background. I think the only good things are the depiction of the Cimmerian tribes and life.

I find totally silly though that Conan should receive his reknown at Venarium because of a revenge. Some people are naturally fierce in battles (barbarian celst, berserkers, etc) and really don't need any special reasons.

 

[The King]

The subject line is not a typo. At one point in the book, young Conan goes to live with a sheep herder in another part of Cimmeria, and decides that he'd just love to spend the rest of his life as a shepard! Than the evil Aquilonians kill his first love, along with the rest of his village, and he fights at Venarium. The whole shepard thing was so bizzare I felt as if I were hallucinating when I read it!MP

It is all the more surprising as Conan's father is a smith, i.e. a very appreciated profession, and most children used to take on the profession of their parents.
If one included the first Conan movie in the saga, it is said at the beginning that some smiths know the secret of steel-making which isn't given to everyone. And then later in the movie, Conan says that at his death he will face Crom who will ask him the secret of steel-making and that he will be banned if he can't answer.

Moreover I think it's Sprague de Camp who made Conan's father coming to Cimmeria after having banned in a Southern nation (could it be then Akbitana?)

 

[VincentDarlage]

I guess the next regional book on Cimmeria will use this novel for the background. I think the only good things are the depiction of the Cimmerian tribes and life.

Not if I write it. Not a guaranteed thing, but if I write a Cimmeria sourcebook, the Turtledove book will NOT be used as a source (I don't own a copy; after I read the reviews, I never bought it). Of course, if Mongoose has someone else write it, that is up to that author.

 

[The King]

I guess the next regional book on Cimmeria will use this novel for the background. I think the only good things are the depiction of the Cimmerian tribes and life.

Not if I write it. Not a guaranteed thing, but if I write a Cimmeria sourcebook, the Turtledove book will NOT be used as a source (I don't own a copy; after I read the reviews, I never bought it). Of course, if Mongoose has someone else write it, that is up to that author.

Facts is that there are not many info on Cimmeria, excepted perhaps in Conan the Valorous.

 

[Strom]

Also in the Turtledove book Conan fights the Aquiloians all the way to Tarantia after Vanarium- :shock:

The poem Cimmeria by Howard should dictate any flavor text needed for the Cimmeria sourcebook.

 

[VincentDarlage]

Facts is that there are not many info on Cimmeria, excepted perhaps in Conan the Valorous.

The fact is I can do better than Turtledove (and Valorous).

In fact, there is there is more information than you think - Marvel Comics has loads of stories that took place in Cimmeria, for example, Coleman wrote a trilogy of novels (filled with sentence fragments) that took place in Cimmeria. Further, I have an imagination and have a poem about Cimmeria by Howard and sprinkles of information throughout the stories about a certain Cimmerian by Howard. Even the recent Knaak novel had an exceptional excursion into Cimmeria.

Fact is, I don't need the Turtledove novel. The novel is contradictory toward much of what Howard wrote and does not match my vision of Cimmeria.

 

[The King]

Fact is, I don't need the Turtledove novel. The novel is contradictory toward much of what Howard wrote and does not match my vision of Cimmeria.

I didn't read the novel either but also saw the review from Dale Rippke.

Perhaps Conan.com and Tor Books should offer Conan pastiches to proven authors, that is those who can create good plots more than those who are used to produce for the mass market. I would like to see for example how Richard Feist would do because he has much talent for sophisticated plots like Howard had in his time.
I remember Richard A. Knack had wrote an excellent novel (The Legend of Huma) and perhaps his Hyborian trilogy has some value after all.

Anyway, you told in a previous post (month ago) that you were then not prepared to write a Cimmerian regional book, but I trust you if you are ready now.

 

[mouthymerc]

I would like to see for example how Richard Feist would do because he has much talent for sophisticated plots like Howard had in his time.

Do you mean Raymond E. Feist? He is the author of the many Midkenia books. If so, I have enjoyed many of his books.

 

[The King]

I would like to see for example how Richard Feist would do because he has much talent for sophisticated plots like Howard had in his time.

Do you mean Raymond E. Feist? He is the author of the many Midkenia books. If so, I have enjoyed many of his books.

Yes I do. He has much talents for excellent plots and I am sure he would perform pretty well if he were to work on a Conan novel.

 

[VincentDarlage]

Anyway, you told in a previous post (month ago) that you were then not prepared to write a Cimmerian regional book, but I trust you if you are ready now.

Oh, I still think a Cimmeria sourcebook should NOT be written (or at least be the last one written after all the other nations) and should be kept mysterious for players - but I also worry what another author would do to it (Turtledove's work, for example, even Conan the Valorous did not accomplish any real atmosphere, and I didn't like Coleman's vision of Cimmeria, either). Knaak's brief excursion into it was the only treatment of Cimmeria that felt like Howard's.

 

[FailedSpotCheck]

From a publishing standpoint, if there are a large number of consumers who would buy such a book on Cimmeria, or, in general, the Northern Countries, it would be foolish to dismiss such a concept. One could fill in a number of gaps, not just with pastiche (which, incidentally, I don't comfortably recommend), but by turning to what scant sources Howard himself might have had access to on Cimmeria (or with less focus, Terra Barbaria), such as Greco-Roman literature, supplemented with ample literature that people today would regard as "Celtic" source material. The only side-effect of the latter would be creating a book that has far more 'Celtic-ness' than Howard included in the saga, being tenuous at best.

 

[Valgrim Bragisson]

I really would like to see a book for Cimmeria and the other northern lands sooner rather than later. I also enjoyed Loren Coleman's Cimmerian Trillogy. His sentance structure didn't bother me. He certainly did a better job depicting Cimmeria than Turtledove!

 

[DourDeadlyPuritan]

What about Dark Horse's Cimmeria?

 

[Faraer]

It's one of the most accurate and widely available, and it should factor heavily in any detailed treatment of Cimmeria that uses existing pastiche work.

 

[Netherek]

I with Vincent on this, I'd rather not have Cimmeria done, at least until last. I would like a book on the Nordheimir sooner than later though. It's definately due.

 

[Strom]

It's one of the most accurate and widely available, and it should factor heavily in any detailed treatment of Cimmeria that uses existing pastiche work.

DH hasn't really done much with Cimmeria besides a few Born on the Battlefield issues. And those mostly dealt with Conan's early adventures. The look of Cimmeria by Greg Ruth certainly looks authentic but even that has it's detractors.

I would hate for the Conan RPG to end without a Cimmeria sourcebook. But if Vincent doesn't want to write it then I'm just left hating. :lol: