CONAN and the THING in the CRYPT !!!

[@kdj3000]

This is one of the pastiche stories that stuck with me. I enjoy it quite a lot. I didn't know the history of the story, so I appreciate you sharing that.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks KDJ, for a pastiche story with no REH input (a lot of the pastiche in this series has significant chunks of writing by Howard which shows) it's one of the better ones.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

This was a pretty good Thongor story.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

It would have been a Stellar Thongor story on the Lin Carter scale! Thanks for checking out the video Michael! There's admittedly a huge difference (like the Grand Canyon) between REH's writing and de Camp's and Carter's.

[@thekeywitness]

Are you guys going to team up on this topic? You should!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

@@thekeywitness In a way we kind of are already. Because it's Cimmerian September! A reading event created by Michael!

[@joaoelvas8951]

Another thing, I have to say, You're my favorite book reviewer on the platform, super underappreciated! Cheers!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Joaoelvas! That is much appreciated!

[@zednumar6917]

I remember reading the story as a kid, and I did not realize it was not an actual tale by Robert Howard. It fit so well into the character of Conan and his mythos.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Same here Zed, when I first read these I didn't realize there were three different authors writing them!

[@LiminalSpaces03]

Incredible video! I loved seeing all the iterations of this particular idea in movies and in fiction!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Liminal!

[@occultdetective]

Great video. The Thing in the Crypt is a solid story. Not surprising to see it have lasting impact. as for The Northman, well, it's arguably my favorite movie. Eggars did a terrific job of adapting the original Saga that inspired Hamlet, and placing an homage to Milius' Conan the Barbarian in it.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Bob and I just may have to rewatch the Northman tonight!

[@richelliott9320]

I picked up the Conan books after reading Tolkien as a teenager in 1977. I saw the map and decided to try it! I was glad I did lol I reread them several times

[@GrammaticusBooks]

They were great! They were my introduction to Conan, pastiche and all.

[@redrivertheatre]

love the story and the comic book version.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Both are really good. But I can't help wondering what the comic would have looked like if John Buscema had drawn it.

[@PeculiarNotions]

Great deep dive into this story and its various incarnations and adaptations. I second your recommendation of The Northman.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Love the Northman, I may have to rewatch it tonight!

[@ElBorak2]

Robert E. Howard was an accomplished boxer, I think that visceral quality made him more suited to writing battle/action sequences that De Camp could not.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

He definitely could write action better than de Camp!

[@2plus2isfive]

I couldn't agree with you more! It was a really great story. I just picked it up to read after you posted this video. I do think de Camp perfected story in the film adaptation book, especially putting a nice bow on the wolf pursuit, by having Conan kill, skin, and wear their furs after leaving the cave. Really enjoying your Cimmerian September. Keep going!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks 225! And thanks for checking out the video...the wolf skin outfit was a nice touch!

[@johnwalsh4857]

Thing in the Crypt was party shown in the Conan the Barbarian movie when Conan goes into the tomb of the Giant King and gets his sword while running away from wolves.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

You are correct! And it makes an appearance in the 2022 movie The Northman.

[@buckocean7616]

@@GrammaticusBooks Wait. What? Didn't you say that in the vid? Or did you edit that in? Either way, great review.

[@johnwalsh4857]

As for Thing in the Crypt read it first time in 84 when I bought the 83 Ace edition of Conan during the LA 84 Olympics in a Los Angeles B Dalton book store.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

The good old B Daltons...I think they're all gone?

[@JosephReadsBooks]

Great review! I need to look up that story and give it a read.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Would love to hear your take on it Joseph! You can knock this story out in 20 minutes. For a pastiche, with zero REH input to boost it up, it's one of the better ones in my opinion.

[@joaoelvas8951]

It's sad that so little people got the northman reference, I was freakin out when I watched that! :D And yes, it's a great movie!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

A fantastic movie! I need to watch that one again.

[@redwawst3258]

Pretty good story. I got no complaints . 😊

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Especially for de Camp pastiche too!

[@JohnM-cd4ou]

Even before you showed the Draugr from Skyrim, i was thinking that this story reflects the storyline of every ancient Nord tomb in that game. Also reminds me of Amleth's battle with the Nordic iron age king in the barrow in The Northman. You are absolutely right that this taps into some sort of ancestral memory, especially of northern Europe. That's why the barrow wight scene from LOTR always stuck with me so strongly.

[@JohnM-cd4ou]

Edit: you end up mentioning the northman, great minds think alike

[@GrammaticusBooks]

You know I almost went back to reread the Barrow Wight chapter from Fellowship after I filmed this!

[@saintdonoghue]

In my heart, the real Thing in the Crypt will always be ... Grammaticus ...

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Hah! ... At least someone will have seen fit to give me a proper burial!

[@jamesabbiati5775]

By Crom! Love the Conan vids. More please!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

It is Cimmerian September!

[@jamesabbiati5775]

@@GrammaticusBooks Yes it is!! I'll be getting to Robert Jordan's pastiches soon as I wrap up my Sci-Fi Summer... and a library loan that just popped up. Any idea where I can buy some extra time? PS - keep up the good work. One of my fav channels.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

@@jamesabbiati5775 Actually I do have an idea on how to buy extra time! Have you ever tried audio-books? I have a long commute into work and audio books are a godsend. Although I would say there's a 10% drop off in retention from an hardcopy.

[@jamesabbiati5775]

@@GrammaticusBooks I am a huge HUGE fan of audiobooks. Mandatory for yardwork, exercise, and commutes! Great suggestion, but already taking advantage of that big time. They are definitely a different animal than the actual book. A few rare magical ones are even better than the books...

[@MourningConstitution]

Thanks!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

You are most welcome!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks for checking it out MC!

[@vintagesf]

Remember the Conan comics from the late 1970s but never picked them up. Think I'll start with "The Northman". Sounds interesting. Thanks for the recommendations!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

The Northman is an excellent movie Richard! It is very grim though. Much in line with the tone of the old Sagas rather than Hollywood.

[@thurianknight]

Yep, I remember reading this one many years ago, before I knew what a pastiche was or that L Sprague de Camp had "filled in" a bunch of gaps in the Conan timeline with stories like this. But I did really enjoy the story, and I loved its appearance in Conan the Barbarian (the movie), though I was disappointed that the skeleton didn't actually stand up and fight with Conan. 🙂

[@GrammaticusBooks]

It would have been great to get that fight scene. We did in a way though in 2022 with the Northman.

[@thurianknight]

@@GrammaticusBooks It's funny, I saw that movie and cannot for the life of me remember any scene like that. Wish I could!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

@@thurianknight If you're referring to the Northman, it's about halfway through. You can KZbin it as well. Just google Northman movie amleth draugr scene.

[@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn]

The Thing in the Crypt isn't a bad story. The Marvel comic adaptation is very enjoyable. I love your enthusiasm in this one Grammaticus. On to the next! 😉

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Sometimes when you're dealing wit Lin Carter and de Camp, "not bad" is about as good as it gets!

[@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn]

We're in agreement on that score. 😏

[@douglasdea637]

Love the shout-out to Karl Edward Wagner. His Kain stories don't get enough respect. Also I think about that copy of Lucifer's Hammer on the shelf. Back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s Niven and Pournelle were huge. I read most of their stuff. Sadly, today Booktubers never talk about them and I almost never see their works on Best lists. Maybe Mote in God's Eye, but that's it. Dream Park is a particular favorite. Gods how I wish that whole system became real.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Those were great decades for fiction Douglas! I have not yet reviewed any of Niven and Pournelle's collaborations but I have done a number of videos on Niven's books. One fairly recent, on Draco Tavern. You may enjoy those videos. I'll need to reread Mote in God's Eye here soon.

[@PeculiarNotions]

I read Bloodstone by KEW recently and was impressed with how well done the whole novel is.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

@@PeculiarNotions Bloodstone is my favorite Kane, after his short stories in Death Angel's Shadow (I'm a sucker for a set of good short stories!)

[@StevenEverett7]

GREAT review Grammaticus! You really did get into it didn't you? 😊Yes, I do remember reading it years ago and I really did like it.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

It's a fun quick read Steven and a decent start to the series.

[@GholaMuadDib]

This is my favorite non Howard Conan story. I was wondering if you were going to bring up the original Viking Saga version. I liked that DeCamp put the actual story in movie novelization of Conan The Barbarian.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

That's right Ghola! I forgot about the novelization!

[@DDB168]

I was wondering why the story sounded so familiar, it was in the film ! The Northman is pretty good. I'm reading Conan the road of Kings by Karl EW at the moment.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Would love to hear what you think of Road of Kings DDB.

[@johnwalsh4857]

For me the best Conan pastiche story is the Flame Knife from Conan book 4 The Wanderer which is actually a near copy of a Howard El Borak story.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Yup, de Camp just changed the names from another REH story...which is probably why it reads so well!

[@MusicMike939]

Off topic a bit. I wish he would do something on ace doubles. To me they are closer to the pulps. I was too young for pulps. Some of my favorite writers were published in ace doubles. Some that never really appear anywhere else.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

You know I don't think I own a single Ace Double...not because I avoid them. But I don't think I've ever come across one in the wild!

[@buckocean7616]

@@GrammaticusBooks They could be wonderful. Two painted book covers. Just flip the book and viola. I still remember a story, possibly by Eric Frank Russell, that had the concept of astronauts landing on a world where the people seemed to be frozen in time. Turns out that they were moving imperceptibly slowly. The concept of two civilizations existing in the same place but living their lives in separate realities fascinated this young, at the time, reader.

[@jeffmanjarrez1087]

Always thought this story was great. First ran across it in the pages of the Conan comic. Was very excited to have seen it adapted in the Milius movie. As luck would have it, I have used elements of this story in a Hyborian RPG I am running tonight. This time it is a tomb of a king from the Elder Days. I also need to quit procrastinating and watch 'The Northman.'

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I don't think the Northman will disappoint! Great movie, very grim. And I'm jealous you're running an active Hyborian RPG (Age of Conan?) tonight! Have fun with it!

[@jeffmanjarrez1087]

@@GrammaticusBooks Ha ha!! Would love to have you sit in, if it was at all possible. I took Shadowdark RPG and modified it for Hyborian play. My PC's are currently enjoying pirate life on their ship 'Ye Old Slut,' based out of Tortage in the Barachan Isles.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

@@jeffmanjarrez1087 That sounds fantastic Jeff! Perhaps they will run into the Wastrel on the High Seas?!?!

[@jeffmanjarrez1087]

@@GrammaticusBooks Ha ha!! Oh man! That's a great idea. Earlier, they had a close brush with Bêlit and the Tigress on their way to raiding Sadoria.

[@secretfirebooks7894]

I don't care how flimsy this theory is, but, that ancient king was totally Kull and no one can change my mind.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I would not argue too strongly with that SFB! And the sword, the fabled Atlantean sword!

[@Talwyn22]

The Draugar is the name of the type of undead creature.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

You are correct, it is also the name of the Sword Amleth has to retrieve in the movie the Northman. A bit of a nod by the director Eggers to the undead king Amleth has to fight.

[@Talwyn22]

@@GrammaticusBooks love the work you do BTW and your bookshelves have a lot of the same books as I do

[@GrammaticusBooks]

@@Talwyn22 You have good taste in books sir!

[@deeebeee1758]

Good one. This was a pretty good story. I haven't reread the non REH stories in a while but I remember also liking The Curse of the Monolith. How does that one stand up?

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I've been ranking the pastiche stories as I go and I gave Curse of the Monolith a solid 8.

[@deeebeee1758]

@@GrammaticusBooks I missed that one. I'm going to go check it out. Cheers.

[@deeebeee1758]

@@GrammaticusBooks I cannot find that vid. What's it called?

[@GrammaticusBooks]

@@deeebeee1758 Oh it's not out yet! I'm keeping track as I go through all the Ace/Lancer books. I'm on 10 of 12 right now.

[@deeebeee1758]

@@GrammaticusBooks Oh, Ha! Okay. Oh well, I am just discovering your back catalogue and I'll look forward to that one. I know you dig Richard Corben; he did I nice little illustration of The Curse of the Monolith. Cheers!