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A review by old_odd_biscuit
The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane by Robert E. Howard
3.0
These are mostly tales of horror and the supernatural. Puritan Adventurer Solomon Kane encounters ghosts, vampires (which seem more like generic undead hordes), creatures that inspired Jason and the Argonauts's harpies, and in a tale reminiscent of M.R. James's 'The Ash Tree', a wizard-controlled dismembered hand that crawls like a giant spider to strangle an enemy in his bed.
They're set during the late 1500s but there's little period detail to make you feel like you're there. This is especially true when the setting is England, Germany or Italy, because we have an idea what those places looked like in the 16th century and nearly none of that is here. Several of the stories take place in Africa but in generic jungles. These are fantasy stories that, lacking real world detail, feel only slightly closer to our world than the Conan stories do. (One noticeable difference from reading Conan is that Howard is here less preoccupied with describing muscular men in scanty loincloths or leather breeks.)
There is some uncomfortable period racism, but if you know what to expect from other writing of this time and genre it isn't surprising. When he wrote these stories in the 1920s, Howard was a young, small town man who had never gone far from his home. He wrote about the far reaches of the world and the peoples living there with nothing but the culture of his time and place to inform him.
I do find interesting, in light of this, that one time Howard is saying a foreign villain is "contemptuous of the rights of others", he slips in an admission that Western kings are like that too.
Howard wrote quickly to earn his living, which is likely why his writing doesn't seem laboriously crafted. I think 'The Moon of Skulls', in particular, reads like Howard was making the story up as he went along.
Some stories have a fun formula: Solomon encounters a dead or dying person, learns of an injustice and then he declares aloud, "They'll pay for this!" I enjoyed every time it happened.
More than one story describes Solomon spending years in a pursuit, crossing many countries before finally tracking down his quarry. This leaves room for you to imagine many other adventures. He mentions being in parts of the world we don't get stories of, like China. It's also possible, like with some Sherlock Holmes stories, to place a story during the time frame of another.
Solomon eventually acquires a signature weapon, a magic staff of mysterious origin which can vanquish demons that mortal weapons cannot harm. It's "older than the world" and could be the same staff used by Moses and King Solomon. People guess that the name Solomon Kane comes from King Solomon and Cain (of Cain and Abel), but I suggest that it's because he's fated to carry King Solomon's cane.
If this sounds like your cup of tea, I do recommend these stories. The quality varies but the good ones are really good and I think they all make a fun package.
They're set during the late 1500s but there's little period detail to make you feel like you're there. This is especially true when the setting is England, Germany or Italy, because we have an idea what those places looked like in the 16th century and nearly none of that is here. Several of the stories take place in Africa but in generic jungles. These are fantasy stories that, lacking real world detail, feel only slightly closer to our world than the Conan stories do. (One noticeable difference from reading Conan is that Howard is here less preoccupied with describing muscular men in scanty loincloths or leather breeks.)
There is some uncomfortable period racism, but if you know what to expect from other writing of this time and genre it isn't surprising. When he wrote these stories in the 1920s, Howard was a young, small town man who had never gone far from his home. He wrote about the far reaches of the world and the peoples living there with nothing but the culture of his time and place to inform him.
I do find interesting, in light of this, that one time Howard is saying a foreign villain is "contemptuous of the rights of others", he slips in an admission that Western kings are like that too.
Howard wrote quickly to earn his living, which is likely why his writing doesn't seem laboriously crafted. I think 'The Moon of Skulls', in particular, reads like Howard was making the story up as he went along.
Some stories have a fun formula: Solomon encounters a dead or dying person, learns of an injustice and then he declares aloud, "They'll pay for this!" I enjoyed every time it happened.
More than one story describes Solomon spending years in a pursuit, crossing many countries before finally tracking down his quarry. This leaves room for you to imagine many other adventures. He mentions being in parts of the world we don't get stories of, like China. It's also possible, like with some Sherlock Holmes stories, to place a story during the time frame of another.
Solomon eventually acquires a signature weapon, a magic staff of mysterious origin which can vanquish demons that mortal weapons cannot harm. It's "older than the world" and could be the same staff used by Moses and King Solomon. People guess that the name Solomon Kane comes from King Solomon and Cain (of Cain and Abel), but I suggest that it's because he's fated to carry King Solomon's cane.
If this sounds like your cup of tea, I do recommend these stories. The quality varies but the good ones are really good and I think they all make a fun package.