Leonard Carpenter

[Supplement Four]

Carpenter, I believe, is the most prolific of the Tor Conan pastiche writers. I've read a few of his books, and, from what I've read, he strays away from "typical" Conan vs. Socerer stories. Instead, he writes more interesting stuff with plots that take Conan into exciting adventures.

As an example, I am now about half way through Conan The Raider, a book Carpenter wrote to fill in the gap between Howard's story The Man-Eaters of Zamboula and deCamp & Carter's follow-up to that short, The Star of Khorala.

Carpenter's story takes us deep into Shem, into a city-state of Abaddrah, that lies in a valley that merges with the northern bank of the great river Styx. On a clear day, from up upon higher ground, one can see into ancient and evil Stygia itself.

The book has a very interesting, very non-standard plot. The characters are interesting, from Otsgar, the Vanir innkeep and tomb raider, to Horaspes, the renegade Stygian priest, self-exiled and proclaimer of the coming of the Day of Doom, to Nitokar, the city's queen and chief healer t the king, who may just be slowing poisoning the king ranther than helping him survive his ailments.

This all sounds to make a very intersting and involving story for our favorite barbarian to wade his way through.

So...why do I not look forward to continue reading Carpenter's tale?





I've been here before with Carpenter. All the elements are there to make for an excellent, irresistable tale of the Hyborian Age, and yet...yet, I'm a bit bored.

Carpenter gets so many things "right", that I can't put my finger on why he doesn't grab me with his tales.

Maybe its his pace (but, looking at it non-passionately, the pace looks fine). I'm just not intrigued.

Why?

Every Conan novel that Carpenter has written, of those I've read so far, has left me in the same place.

It would seem that I would really enjoy Carpenter's Conan tales.

But, I don't. They just don't "grab" me.

Anybody else feel this way about his work?

 

[VincentDarlage]

He used to write articles for Dragon Magazine back in the old days. To me, his Conan novels just feel like an AD&D player's attempt to write a fantasy novel. Certainly he does better than Roland Green and Steve Perry, but he's not one of the top pastiche authors because his work lacks real passion, but is full of formula. I think that is why his writing leaves you lacking. He has the ingredients (the formula), but lacks the passion and fire (the page-turning excitement). Imagine, if you would, a baker making bread. This guy has all the ingredients and mixes them into a bowl - but doesn't turn on the oven and give it fire.

There are people who can follow a recipe in their kitchen and make a servicable meal - then there are chefs who can create masterpieces regardless of the ingredients around them. Leonard Carpenter falls in the first category. He has his recipe and he follows it to the letter, never experimenting, never discovering, never growing.

 

[Supplement Four]

He has his recipe and he follows it to the letter, never experimenting, never discovering, never growing.

I think there may be some truth to what you say (the passion), although I disagree about the recipie.

One of the things that's caught my eye about Carpenter is that his tales aren't the norm for pastiche writers. Too many tales have Conan fighting an all-powerful mage. I find Carpenter's plots to actually take Conan into some interesting situations--except, as I said, they're not interesting.

I think you're right, though, about his passions. Take Robert Jordan's pastiche, Conan The Invincible. That book is very much a by-the-numbers-Conan-versus-the-mage pastiche, but it's also a damn good read in spite of the plot!

It's the writing.

Jordan writes a fun, albeit not as dark Conan, while Carpenter, it seems, having spent all his creativity on the plot, has none left for his main character.

It's a neat plot that's written by-the-numbers.

Passionless.

I think that's why I don't crave to return to Carpenter's tale. He's set up a good adventure but doesn't tell it well.