Robert E. Howard Readers discussion

So, for December, we're reading Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane story, The Moon of Skulls. It's one of Kane's African adventures.

You'll find it in many Kane collections, in addition to the two posted on the Group home page. Also available to be read on the internet here and here.

Will you read Kane stories one after another ?

I just got Savage Tales of Kane and plan to read the whole collection in early january.

If you are talking about the stories you are reading, i can join in.

No, we generally read one short story per month, which is easier to fit in, and I list a couple of volumes in which that story can be found.

Of course, that doesn't stop you from reading the whole of The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane, leaving your views on "The Moon of Skulls" in the Group Read thread and making comments on other stories in new threads in the Solomon Kane folder.

Heh okay.

Im more of collection at a time reader. Since i get the books as new from Del rey and co.

Having ripped through a couple of new Christmas books, I'm going to start on this month's Group Read. I've read The Moon of Skulls before, but have it in a new (to me) book with the last of the Kane stories I haven't yet read, so I'm looking forward to it.

The Moon of Skulls is one of Kane's African adventures, explaining why he was in Africa at all (at least on this occasion; I think it could be his second visit): (view spoiler)[to rescue the abducted daughter of an old friend. (hide spoiler)]

If Howard can be accused of re-using a hackneyed storyline - lost city of an ancient civilization found in "darkest Africa" - he can't be accused of not doing it well. Kane is grim and implacable (he's been years on this mission and sees that the end, one way or another, is in sight) and there's a fight on a narrow bridge spanning a chasm that put me in mind of Indiana Jones.

There's also a nice link to the Kull stories, with Atlantis and the old Valusian gods being invoked.

Although not my favourite Kane story, I'd still give this one 4/5 stars.

I've been thinking about this story again, and the villainess of the piece, Negari, reminds me somewhat of Tascela from the Conan story, Red Nails. Both are on the borderlands of insanity, if not actual permanent residents there, both decadent, or degenerate in Howard's view, with a certain lesbian vibe to their whip-wielding predilections when it comes to their female captives.

Not that I've been dwelling on images of a couple of flagellant lesbian queens, you understand: it was just a stray thought that came to me.

Im reading this right now and it feels pace wise a bit too long. I enjoyed the first part alot. Climbing the crags, facing the black warriors, the vampire queen first scenes.

Its not in the level of Red Shadows so far. I have alittle left of this story to read.