Howard, Tolkien and Lovecraft Comparative Studies (III)

[Mark Dunder]

I haven't read anymore of that series in a long time. I thought it had ended? Hoping I could start picking up the books at half price and use them as bedtime stories for my grandchildren.

 

[Bregales]

One of the guys I play with complained in December of last year about the continuation of the series, he thought after 12 or so books that Jordan was beginning to finish it, but the latest book left him wondering.

I only read the first book in the series and found it abominably poor writing, interesting characters but plodding along, and I have ranted about his horrible lack of use of a thesaurus; he just couldn't just use another word just once?

I really had to just grit my teeth when I opened a Conan paperback set in Zamora as I'd recognized references to it in the Shadizar boxed set. As I'd written in that thread's reviews, his characters were interesting, it's just that his writing of Conan was IMO way off the mark for the time he placed Conan in Shadizar and his behaviors in general. But most of the other characters were all right.

 

[The King]

To all I recommand the movie Spartacus (with Kirk Douglas) about a slave revolt in the Roman Republic. Rome senators are all corrupted and this corruption enabled the coming of Caesar who proclamed sometime later a dictatorship (empire).

I don't remember if you had brought it up originally, but The Decline And Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon was brought up in this forum and when I remembered I had 3 mouldy volumes on my bookshelves (Washington Square Press s/c ed.1962, abridged by D.M. Low) I decided to pick it up and start. As I'm the slowest living reader on Earth at the moment, I'm very early on, but find the book(s) a great read and would recommend them also.

I heard about this book. Unfortunately I am stuck with the ancient Greek culture at the time being and bought several books on the subject. But this is a title I keep in mind.

 

[Bregales]

I heard about this book. Unfortunately I am stuck with the ancient Greek culture at the time being and bought several books on the subject. But this is a title I keep in mind.

Sorry I'm such a slow reader or I could give a better review. At the least it's very interesting. My version's editor (1962) notes that while subsequent historical studies, novels & essays have refuted some historical facts, this book is the basis for all consideration regarding the peoples, customs and attitudes of the Roman Empire. As my book begins post-Christ, it does make references to the way the Senate behaved before the first Caesar took power, and how such kings as Augustus consolidated control while deigning the Senate to maintain certain prerogatives, this version effectually starts at the height of old Rome showing how it's empire was controlled and maintained to the limits conceded in the book.

I tend to think of king Conan as like Augustus in many ways, certainly NOT like him in others, but so far much of Conan's governance of Aquilonia can be compared to the historical Augustus I. Hmmm, would love to read up on ancient greek culture, my last being the Ionian advancements circa 500 BC IIRC. (You'd know better than I can recall if I'm mislabeling, I'm referring to the greatest scientific civilization to have existed in the western world [[before the 1700s, Industrial Revolution, modern era??]]).

Okay, I'll shut up here and log off the boards for now.

 

[The King]

My version's editor (1962) notes that while subsequent historical studies, novels & essays have refuted some historical facts, this book is the basis for all consideration regarding the peoples, customs and attitudes of the Roman Empire. As my book begins post-Christ, it does make references to the way the Senate behaved before the first Caesar took power, and how such kings as Augustus consolidated control while deigning the Senate to maintain certain prerogatives, this version effectually starts at the height of old Rome showing how it's empire was controlled and maintained to the limits conceded in the book.

This is what is interesting in combining RPG and Conan: political power that is usually not so developped in other setting and D&D doesn't have enough realism with all its races to enjoy such intrigues.

I tend to think of king Conan as like Augustus in many ways, certainly NOT like him in others, but so far much of Conan's governance of Aquilonia can be compared to the historical Augustus I. Hmmm, would love to read up on ancient greek culture, my last being the Ionian advancements circa 500 BC IIRC. (You'd know better than I can recall if I'm mislabeling, I'm referring to the greatest scientific civilization to have existed in the western world [[before the 1700s, Industrial Revolution, modern era??]]).

Generally I use either Gurps bibliographical sources (they are often excellent and there is a distinction between fiction, non fiction and mythology) or a specific search on Amazon.