This October we're going to be doing something fun.
These posts all share the theme of being reviews of horror-related material. These will all be from independent authors, including one you may have seen on this blog more than once before. I've been looking for an excuse to give this reviews more of a highlight than usual, so this will be the perfect opportunity.
October is the official month of horror, after all.
To give a bit of a preview of what is to come, one of the things I read was Nathan Dabney's version of Phoenix on the Sword by Robert E. Howard.
Check it out Here!
Unfortunately, I've not read as much Howard as I would like, and this story was not among those I have. On the plus side, this made me appreciate Howard's work all the more. Dabney's version is as close to the original text as I could find (it isn't edited like the L. Sprague de Camp editions that I refuse to touch) and includes an afterward the his attempt was preserve Howard's work to its purest essence. Reading through this story, I could definitely appreciate how great a storyteller the creator of Conan really was.
As can be assessed by the great cover, this is a Conan story--in fact the first Conan story. Conan is a king and is dealt a rough hand as he has to deal with both a treacherous plot to usurp him and a hellish beast summoned from another world at the same time. It's a short five chapter story, but it packs in quite a good deal of intrigue and action. Those who know Conan as "the big barbarian guy" might be surprised to see the horror elements at play in this tale.
If you have not read this story before, or Conan at all, this is a great place to start. It is a brisk, yet very engaging read, in a packaging that gives the material the attention it absolutely deserves.
Highly recommended.
Next week I'll be taking a look at the work of another independent author, and a strangely unique idea for a book.
Until then, keep it creepy!
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