HYPERBOREA » All time best?

Rastus_Burne · 2/13/2015 6:25 am

Recently I've been devouring Howard and Lovecraft. Prior, I had been dubious that they'd live up to the hype, however I have not been disapointed. Continuing this theme of swords & sorcery I have others on my list I have not yet read: Moorcock, Leiber, Vance, C.A. Smith, (others?). If you were to offer a 'best' story by each of these authors (and any I'm missing) what would it be? Once I get finished with my Howard and Lovecraft compilations I intend to begin with some of these authors. But the question is who to begin with, and what stories? Something is drawing me to CAS at this stage, though I'm unsure why.

Blackadder23 · 2/13/2015 8:27 am

Smith, definitely. "The Seven Geases" is one of his best stories IMO, but really any of his Hyperborea and/or Zothique stories would be a great place to start.

Handy Haversack · 2/13/2015 8:48 am

Blackadder23 wrote:
Smith, definitely. "The Seven Geases" is one of his best stories IMO, but really any of his Hyperborea and/or Zothique stories would be a great place to start.

Agreed. Also, "The Monster of the Prophecy." Has an amazing ending.

Edit:
With Leiber, start with the Fafhrd and Grey Mouser. Read them all. Great stuff.

Vance is one of my favorites. It's hard to go wrong, at least if you have my particular brain wrinkles. But read the Dying Earth stories and the Planet of Adventure books: those are the *most* gaming related, I'd say. The Alastor books are fantastic. Cadwal Chronicles. Maske: Thaery. There are more. Get in there and start reading!

Last edited by Handy Haversack (2/13/2015 8:52 am)

Chainsaw · 2/13/2015 9:33 am

If I had to pick a favorite of each, then, in no particular order...

REH - Red Nails
CAS - The Tale of Satampras Zeiros
HPL - At the Mountains of Madness
KEW - Bloodstone
JV - The Eyes of the Overworld
FL - Ill Met in Lankhmar

The_Great_Lestrade · 2/13/2015 10:21 am

REH - The Slivering Shadow
CAS - The Seven Geases
HPL - Polaris
JV - Eyes of the Overworld

joseph · 2/13/2015 11:06 am

For the past year I have also been catching up on Appendix N authors that I should have read years ago - Moorcock, Vance, Lieber, CAS, Merritt to name a few. Howard and HPL I have been reading for ages...

Some of my favorites:
REH - Beyond the Black River
HPL - Dreams in the Witch House
CAS - The Seven Geases is the most "Hyperborea" story, but I really enjoyed the Averoigne series for its pseudo-historical setting, which is right up my alley
Merritt - The Moon Pool
Lieber - of what I have read, Ill Met in Lankhmar is very good, but I am enjoying Thieves House quite a bit at the moment.

Algernon Blackwood & Arthur Machen shouldn't be skipped over.

If you want to try a ton of pulp short stories, I recommend the podcast called Protecting Project Pulp - some horror/fantasy to be found there along with detective tales, scifi and everything else. Plenty of Appendix N authors.

Also look into Librivox for readings of pulp novels.

So many other authors to dive into still...

Rastus_Burne · 2/13/2015 4:09 pm

Thanks for the suggestions guys. When I get my Howard and Lovecraft stuff finished I'll pick up some CA Smith stuff and a story or two from the others and go from there. Chainsaw who is KEW?

Handy Haversack · 2/13/2015 4:25 pm

A lot of CAS is available electronically for free:

http://www.eldritchdark.com/

So is a lot of Lovecraft:

http://www.hplovecraft.com/

Edit: Oh, KEW = Karl Edward Wagner.

http://hyperborea.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=53

Last edited by Handy Haversack (2/13/2015 4:26 pm)

Rastus_Burne · 2/13/2015 4:31 pm

Handy Haversack wrote:
A lot of CAS is available electronically for free:

http://www.eldritchdark.com/

So is a lot of Lovecraft:

http://www.hplovecraft.com/

Edit: Oh, KEW = Karl Edward Wagner.

http://hyperborea.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=53

This will be keeping me busy!

Chainsaw · 2/13/2015 6:05 pm

Handy Haversack wrote:
Edit: Oh, KEW = Karl Edward Wagner.

Yep.

I know KEW's Kane stories aren't a big driver for AS&SH or AD&D Appendix N, but I think he's a blast and fits in easily.

Also, if you like HPL, definitely check out KEW's horror short story Sticks (Wheggi recommendation to me originally - thanks!).

Rastus_Burne · 2/13/2015 8:06 pm

This thread is excellent.

Ghul · 2/14/2015 4:09 pm

I'm going to list a short story by each of my three favorite authors:

REH -- "Worms of the Earth"
CAS -- "The Tale of Satampras Zeiros"
HPL -- "Colour Out of Space"

Short stories from my next tier of favorites include the following:

Vance -- "The Last Castle"
Leiber -- "Ill Met in Lankhmar"

I could do a whole new list of novel-length favorites.

Handy Haversack · 2/14/2015 4:17 pm

Ghul wrote:
I'm going to list a short story by each of my three favorite authors:

REH -- "Worms of the Earth"
CAS -- "The Tale of Satampras Zeiros"
HPL -- "Colour Out of Space"

Short stories from my next tier of favorites include the following:

Vance -- "The Last Castle"
Leiber -- "Ill Met in Lankhmar"

I could do a whole new list of novel-length favorites.

If you could--do!

I'll second "The Tale of Satampras Zeiros," too. Love that story.

Now I'm re(re-re-re-re-re)reading Vance's Planet of Adventure books because of this thread.

Rastus_Burne · 2/14/2015 6:21 pm

Regarding CAS does anyone have a recommendation for a collected work that will include the must-reads?

Ghul · 2/14/2015 6:40 pm

Rastus_Burne wrote:
Regarding CAS does anyone have a recommendation for a collected work that will include the must-reads?

For a great sampling and general introduction to many of his works, I recommend this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor_of_Dreams

Rastus_Burne · 2/14/2015 6:44 pm

Ghul wrote:
Rastus_Burne wrote:
Regarding CAS does anyone have a recommendation for a collected work that will include the must-reads?
For a great sampling and general introduction to many of his works, I recommend this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor_of_Dreams

Thanks!

Blackadder23 · 2/14/2015 9:54 pm

I believe "Worms of the Earth" is Howard's single finest story.

Ghul · 2/14/2015 10:35 pm

Blackadder23 wrote:
I believe "Worms of the Earth" is Howard's single finest story.

I concur!

OK, for novel length works, here goes:

REH -- Hour of the Dragon
HPL -- At the Mountains of Madness

Moorcock -- Elric of Melnibone
Vance -- Planet of Adventure
Merritt -- The Moon Pool
Burroughs -- The Venus Series
K.E. Wagner -- Bloodstone
Doyle -- The Lost World
Herbert -- God Emperor of Dune

Rastus_Burne · 2/14/2015 10:37 pm

Ghul wrote:
Herbert -- God Emperor of Dune

I've had the Dune series for close to ten years, and finally read the first (Dune) just last year. I know it's well-acclaimed, but I wasn't that inspired by it for some reason.

Ghul · 2/14/2015 10:43 pm

Rastus_Burne wrote:
Ghul wrote:
Herbert -- God Emperor of Dune
I've had the Dune series for close to ten years, and finally read the first (Dune) just last year. I know it's well-acclaimed, but I wasn't that inspired by it for some reason.

It's definitely an acquired taste. Some friends of mine are rabid fans; others are bored to tears.