Monday, December 29, 2014

Season 3, Episode 03 - Rattle of Bones

The host brought wine and food to the rough-hewn table and then stood back in the shadows, like a somber image. His features, now receding into vagueness, now luridly etched in the firelight as it leaped and flickered, were masked in a beard which seemed almost animal-like in thickness. A great nose curved above this beard and two small red eyes stared unblinkingly at his guests.
"Who are you?" suddenly asked the younger man.

"I am the host of the Cleft Skull Tavern," sullenly replied the other. His tone seemed to challenge his questioner to ask further.

"Do you have many guests?" l'Armon pursued.

"Few come twice," the host grunted."
  Kane started and glanced up straight into those small red eyes, as if he sought for some hidden meaning in the host's words...


Illustration by Gary Gianni

Greetings, fellow travelers! We trust your winter holidays were great, and hope that all is well with you as we hurtle headlong into a new year!

This week, we journey with Solomon Kane and Gaston l'Armon through the perils of the Black Forest. What sinister secrets does the innkeeper of the Cleft Skull Tavern keep within the walls of that foul place? This week's episode features the Solomon Kane story "Rattle of Bones" (read it on Project Gutenberg Australia).

Check out this blog entry by Mike Perry which contains excellent concept art and storyboards for "Rattle of Bones". Looks great! Makes us wish for some animated adaptations of Solomon Kane stories!

Our episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. 


Our closing theme for this episode is Engel by Rammstein. Some 90's German industrial metal to go along with our vengeance tale set in the Black Forest! All music was obtained legally; we hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work!


Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)


Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)


Follow us on Twitter! Or on Facebook!


Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! Don't forget Stitcher!

Monday, December 15, 2014

Season 3, Episode 02 - Red Shadows

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"Warily he advanced, his eyes striving to pierce the darkness that brooded under the trees. This was a wild and menacing country; death might be lurking under those trees. Then his hand fell away from the hilt and he leaned forward. Death indeed was there, but not in such shape as might cause him fear.

"The fires of Hades!" he murmured. "A girl! What has harmed you, child? Be not afraid of me."

The girl looked up at him, her face like a dim white rose in the dark.

"You--who are--you?" her words came in gasps.

"Naught but a wanderer, a landless man, but a friend to all in need." The gentle voice sounded somehow incongruous, coming from the man."
"Men will die for this..."

 Greetings again, fellow travelers on the Road of Vengeance! We embark once again down for another leg of our journey with Solomon Kane - this time our sojourn takes us from the hills and forests of France to the shores of Africa all in the name of vengeance! The story is Red Shadows (read it on Project Gutenberg Australia), and it was published in the August 1928 issue of Weird Tales. The world gets its first glimpse at Solomon Kane via this story, and we spend a significant amount of time dissecting it.

Next time - Rattle of Bones! (Read it on Project Gutenberg Australia!)

Some "One Things" for you to check out:

Satan is Alive: A Tribute to Mercyful Fate and Morbid Tales! A Tribute to Celtic Frost!

Treat yo'self to a Good Old Game at GoG.com.

Doom Patrol! (Merry Doomsmas!

Don't forget that you can support The Cromcast by signing up for your free trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/thecromcast. We recommend trying out one of their THOUSANDS of titles! 


Our episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 


Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. 


Our closing theme for this episode is The Turkish Song of the Damned by The Pogues. No explanation needed - The Pogues rock, and this is a song about supernatural nautical vengeance. Seems fitting, yes? All music was obtained legally; we hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work!


Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)


Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)


Follow us on Twitter! Or on Facebook!


Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! Don't forget Stitcher!

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Season 3, Episode 01 - Skulls in the Stars and Right Hand of Doom (An Introduction to Solomon Kane)



Greetings and well met, fellow travelers! We hope you are faring well as the seasons transition from fall to winter! As the cold northern winds bring the frosts and snows, let us journey with a man whose heart smolders with the flames of vengeance. Solomon Kane is a Puritan, God's avenging fist on earth, and is another interesting character created by Robert E. Howard during the heyday of pulp adventure stories. 

We spend some time introducing Solomon Kane, our impressions of the character, and the importance of his name in explaining his motivations and outlook. Then we discuss two stories: Skulls in the Stars (Project Gutenberg Australia) and Right Hand of Doom (No open source copy available - look for it in the Del Rey collection The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane!). 

From the Marvel Comics adaptation of The Right Hand of Doom. Art by Steve Gan

For next time - Red Shadows! (Read it on Project Gutenberg Australia). 


Don't forget that you can support The Cromcast by signing up for your free trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/thecromcast. We recommend trying out one of their THOUSANDS of titles! 


Our episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 


Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. 


Our somber closer for this episode is The Night part 2 by The Builders and The Butchers. They can throw down with the best of 'em, and produce some excellent folk-inspired music about the devil, murder, and vengeance. Seemed fitting for Solomon Kane! Check out their music! It's rad. All music was obtained legally; we hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work!


Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)


Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)


Follow us on Twitter! Or on Facebook!


Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! Don't forget Stitcher!

Friday, November 28, 2014

SEASON THREE: THE ROAD OF VENGEANCE

Greetings, travelers! We have a perilous road before us.... Season Three of The Cromcast will cover the stories of Soloman Kane! Will you join us on this journey?
Gary Gianni's Soloman Kane
We're going to be following text provided in the recent Del Ray edition of The Savage Tales of Soloman KaneOur reading list is as follows:

Skulls in the Stars
The Right Hand of Doom
Red Shadows
Rattle of Bones
The Castle of the Devil
Death's Black Riders
The Moon of Skulls
The One Black Stain (Poem)
The Blue Flame of Vengeance
The Hills of the Dead
Hawk of Basti
The Return of Sir Richard Grenville (Poem)
Wings in the Night
The Footfalls Within
The Children of Asshur
Soloman Kane’s Homecoming (Poem)

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Sword and Sorcery and Video Games, Part One

Hello Cromrades! Josh here. It has been on my mind for a while to explore the influence and prevalence of sword and sorcery in video games. I've decided initially to focus on games that were first released for the Nintendo Entertainment System during the 1980's.

Before delving into a discussion of the tropes and references found in these video games, perhaps a brief exploration of what constitutes sword and sorcery is in order. We know that Robert E. Howard popularized the genre with his heroes Kull, Conan, and Solomon Kane. We know further that the term was coined by Fritz Leiber, first in the April 1961 issue of Ancalagon as a response to Michael Moorcock's call for a name for the type of fantasy story typified by Robert E. Howard. In the July issue of Amra that same year, Leiber wrote the following (the embellishments are mine):
"I feel more certain than ever that this field should be called the sword-and-sorcery story. This accurately describes the points of culture-level and supernatural element and also immediately distinguishes it from the cloak-and-sword (historical adventure) story—and (quite incidentally) from the cloak-and-dagger (international espionage) story too!"
Lin Carter follows up on this idea later, in an essay titled "Of Swordsmen and Sorcerers" which serves as an introduction to the anthology Flashing Swords volume 1.
"...We call a story Sword & Sorcery when it is an action tale, derived from the traditions of the pulp magazine adventure story, set in a land or age or world of the author’s invention—a milieu in which magic actually works and the gods are real—and a story, moreover, which pits a stalwart warior in direct conflict with the forces of supernatural evil."
Carter's description is vague, and could be used to describe almost any fantasy story, but clearly there is some element that separates high fantasy from sword and sorcery. So, what are those "points of culture-level and supernatural elements" that distinguish sword and sorcery from other closely related genres? This is a point of contention, and a quick web search will result in several varied interpretations that usually mention a tough, often brooding hero, a treasure or magical artifact to serve as a MacGuffin which drives the quest, an elderly person who provides information or magical aid to the hero, Sometimes the quest might involve some kingdom-spanning peril, while most often the conflict is of a more personal nature. More often than not, magic users are people displaced in time or from an exotic locale, and they often have evil tendencies. Most descriptions focus on the intensity of action described through the story. In light of this framework, let's discuss the video game that kindled my love for fantasy tales, mythology, and gaming: The Legend of Zelda (1987).



I want to focus on the first game of the series, using only the material I would have had at my disposal as a 6 year old opening the cartridge and playing the game for the first time. That includes any story elements from the game, along with information from the manual which included this background to the game:
"A long, long time ago, the world was once in an age of chaos. In the midst of this chaos, in a little kingdom in the land of Hyrule, a legend was being handed down from generation to generation, the legend of the "Triforce", golden triangles possessing mystical powers. One day, an evil army attacked this peaceful little kingdom and stole the Triforce of Power. This army was led by Ganon, the powerful Prince of Darkness who sought to plunge the World into fear and darkness under his rule. Fearing his wicked rule, Zelda, the princess of this kingdom, split up the Triforce of Wisdom into eight fragments and hid them throughout the realm to save the last remaining Triforce from the clutches of the evil Ganon. At the same time, she commanded her most trustworthy nursemaid, Impa, to secretly escape into the land and go find a man with enough courage to destroy the evil Ganon.
Upon hearing this, Ganon grew angry, imprisoned the princess, and sent out a party in search of Impa. Braving forests and mountains, Impa fled for her life from her pursuers. As she reached the very limit of her energy she found herself surrounded by Ganon's evil henchmen. Cornered! What could she do? ... But wait! All was not lost. A young lad appeared. He skillfully drove off Ganon's henchmen, and saved Impa from a fate worse than death.
His name was Link. During his travels he had come across Impa and Ganon's henchmen. Impa told Link the whole story of Princess Zelda and the evil Ganon. Burning with a sense of justice, Link resolved to save Zelda, but Ganon was a powerful opponent. He held the Triforce of Power. And so, in order to fight off Ganon, Link had to bring the scattered eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom together to rebuild the mystical triangle. If he couldn't do this, there would be no chance Link could fight his way into Death Mountain where Ganon lived."
This provides a sense of the scope and breadth of this adventure. We have several elements of a fantasy tale: An evil wizard, a good princess, a wise woman, an altruistic sword-wielding hero with a sense of justice, and a quest to find a magical artifact which is the only thing that can stop the antagonist's scheme. So, is The Legend of Zelda a fairy tale, or a sword and sorcery story? Let's compare some tropes from the Conan stories to those found in the Legend of Zelda.

  • Antagonist: An evil wizard seeks to "plunge the World into fear and darkness under his rule," and only a magical artifact can stop him. (cf. Black Colossus and Thugra Khotan. See also The Hour of The Dragon and Xaltotun's motivations, as well as The Heart of Ahriman.)
  • The Initiation of The Quest: Link's quest is initiated by Impa, who represents the wise elder in our story. However, during the course of the game, Link meets an old man who often gives him magical weaponry or hints as to how to proceed (refer to Epimetrius from The Phoenix on The Sword, and Pelias from The Scarlet Citadel.)
  • Unnatural monsters: Ganon's minions include ghosts, skeletons, and other monsters beyond comprehension (see the pits of Tsotha-lanti, and Thog from The Slithering Shadow.)
  • Magical items: There is a magical item that is necessary to inflict damage upon Ganon during the game's climactic boss battle, the Silver Arrows (refer to the phoenix-marked sword from The Phoenix on The Sword.)
  • Medicine: A beverage that Link can find or purchase during his quest will completely or partially heal his wounds (see the golden liquid found in Xuthal from The Slithering Shadow.)

I am not saying that Shigeru Miyamoto was directly influenced by Robert E. Howard for his game. Instead, I am suggesting that Robert E. Howard's influence on the genome of fantasy literature was so pervasive that elements from his stories became tropes in the genre, and they were expressed in The Legend of Zelda as a result. While later entries in the Legend of Zelda franchise feel more mythic, more like high fantasy, I believe that the quest Link undertakes to reunite the pieces of The Triforce, to rescue Princess Zelda, and deliver the kingdom of Hyrule from Ganon's tyranny are closer in nature to the writings of Robert E. Howard than to J.R.R. Tolkien. 

I ran across some art by David Palumbo (here's a link to his blog) that casts Link in a gritty, pulp fantasy inspired way. Picture these in your mind's eye the next time you play The Legend of Zelda, and see if they capture the nature and feel of the game in a way that feels very natural. 


What do you think? Is The Legend of Zelda a fairy tale, or an example of the influence of sword and sorcery in the early days of 8-bit gaming? Sound off in the comments, or send us an email (thecromcast at gmail dot com).

Until next time!


Monday, November 17, 2014

Season 2 Episode 7: Finale to the Road of Queens!


Greetings, adventurers!!! Here we are, at another crossroad. What have we learned on the Road of Queens? What did you have to say? We tie things together here for the stunning conclusion of Season 2! We discuss some of the women in Robert E. Howard's work and life, and get into a deep mailbag. A BIG THANKS to everyone for your comments! We will undoubtedly return and tread the paths that we discovered branching from the Road of Queens someday. But for now, we must move along yet another road toward other adventures...

Random 'One Things' for this episode:

Jon: Space Ghost Coast to Coast

Josh: Leslie Klinger's The New Annotated Dracula

Luke: John Scalzi's Old Man's War

Other web-resources you may find helpful:

Check out Skulls in the Stars' essay on Robert E. Howard's correspondence regarding his views on women in history (and women in general). 

Jessica Amanda Salmonson's Amazons and Amazons II!

Jeanne D'Angelo's art can be found on her Instagram account and also on her blog!

Chris Hutson's art can be found on his blog. Here's his art inspired by Conan story, "People of the Black Circle!"

Matt Smith's Barbarian Lord and other art can be found on his website(s)!

Terence Handley's Tellers of Weird Tales is an amazing resource for the creators of the weird pulps! 

Finally, check out the Averoigne inspiration (from Clark Ashton Smith) for the Dungeons & Dragons module, Castle Amber, back in the day! (Thanks for the voicemail, Matt!)

And, what do we have in store for Season 3?


Art by Tim Truman

SOLOMON KANE - The Avenging Puritan himself! Get into it! Much of the original Kane content is available in the public domain, or you can check out a more comprehensive collection released by Del Rey! We'll be using the Del Rey as our authoritative text which has the stories listed in order of completion, not publication. We'll be starting with Skulls in the Stars, which you can read on Project Gutenberg Australia.

Final bits:

Don't forget that you can support The Cromcast by signing up for your free trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/thecromcast. We recommend trying out one of their THOUSANDS of titles!

Our episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. 

Our epic closer is a portion of Kvelertak's Evig Vandrar, or, The Eternal Wanderer, from their second album, Meir. These Norwegian guys turn it up to ELEVEN. And we're pretty sure they broke the knobs off the amps.... 'Cause they keep that eneit there. Check out both their first and second albums... If you like the metal, you won't be disappointed. All music was obtained legally; we hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work!

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)

Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)

Follow us on Twitter! Or on Facebook!

Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! Don't forget Stitcher!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Cromtober, Part III: Robert E. Howard's "The Cairn on the Headland"



Oh, hello there! Good evening. It's such a pleasant night here on the headland, isn't it? I do so much enjoy being here in the evenings. My doctor tells me the ocean air is good for my convalescence, so I try to make it out here before the sun sets. It's so peaceful, an almost timeless quality to the landscape, don't you agree? It's almost unbelievable to think of the barbarous battle that spilt so much blood here nearly a millennium ago...
Hugh Frazer's Battle of Clontarf (1826)
And so our Cromtober 2014 shenanigans draw to a conclusion! In our third episode we tackle Robert E. Howard's The Cairn on the Headland! It was first published in Strange Tales in 1933. If you don't have a copy of the story to read, check it out here for free! While you're at it, make sure you read up a little bit on the Battle of Clontarf! Or listen to Dan Carlin's Hardcore History episode on this era of history. That guy knows his stuff!!!

And we had a plethora of spooky 'One Things' as we head into the homestretch for Halloween....

Jon: the zany Bruce Campbell vehicle, Bubba Ho-Tep!

Josh: the Paul W.S. Anderson cult favorite, Event Horizon!

Luke: Another seasonal text, The Book of Hallowe'en!

Don't forget that you can support The Cromcast by signing up for your free trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/thecromcast. We recommend trying out one of their THOUSANDS of titles!

Our episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ The spooky organ intro comes from (we think) the public domain (via the YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2RP1GivOqo). Our epic closer is the tail-end of Agalloch's Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires. Agalloch are AMAZING, and their song absolutely fits into our pagan Norse discussions, don't you think? We hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work! All music was obtained legally. And seriously, go pick up some of Agalloch's discography. Check out Marrow of the Spirit or, their newest, The Serpent and the Sphere!

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)

Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)

Follow us on Twitter! Or on Facebook!

Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! Don't forget Stitcher!

Monday, October 13, 2014

Cromtober, Part II: "The Music of Erich Zann" by Howard Phillips Lovecraft


Greetings, young scholar. I'm glad you found my advert in the newspaper!

Yes, I still have a room to let. It's up the stairs here. In fact, it's are right below the top floor. One Mr. Zann holds the room above you. Have you heard of him? I'm told he's a viol player of some repute.
Looks like a student of metaphysics to us!
In our second Cromtober episode of 2014 we tackle H.P. Lovecraft's The Music of Erich Zann! It was first published in The National Amateur in 1922. If you haven't read this story, we really recommend it. If you don't have a copy of it, read it here for free

Artwork by Andrew Brosnatch used for publication of the story in Weird Tales in 1925
And we had a plethora of spooky 'One Things' as we prep ourselves for Halloween....

Jon: Weird Kentucky (and the larger Weird US series)!

(Note - Check out some of the Kentucky ghosts and monsters we mentioned! The Pope Lick Monster, and Bobby Mackey's Music World.) 
Hail, Goatman!
Josh: The Black Wings of Cthulhu (there's a follow-up, too)!
Luke: The Best Horror of the Year, Volumes Four & Five!

Our Cromrade Whiskey51 shared a link to an audio play version of this story with us. You can find it on archive.org! (Thanks for sending us the link!)

Don't forget that you can support The Cromcast by signing up for your free trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/thecromcast. We recommend trying out one of the The Best Horror of the Year anthologies!

Our episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ The spooky organ intro comes from (we think) the public domain (via the YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2RP1GivOqo). The disconcerting violin interludes are Alexey Voytenko's The Music of Erich Zann, composed for violin in 2009. These were accessed via the Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAwSxtaD4II). We hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work!

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)
Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)
Follow us on Twitter! Or on Facebook!
Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! Don't forget Stitcher!

Monday, October 6, 2014

Cromtober, Part I: "The End of the Story," by Clark Ashton Smith



Hile, traveler! I bid you, please come out of the storm. Here... Have a hot meal and some tasty wine before we retire to the library to discuss 'many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore.' What's that, you ask? Pay no mind to that parchment! 

"It is better not to ask.. . There is a curse on the pages that you hold in your hand: an evil spell, a malign power is attached to them, and he who would venture to peruse them is henceforeward in dire peril both of body and soul." 


In our first Cromtober episode of 2014 we tackle a Clark Ashton Smith story! It's The End of the Story, first published in 1930 in Weird Tales. If you don't have a copy of it, read it here for free!

And we had some spooky 'One Things' as we prep ourselves for Halloween....

Jon: Reader's Digest's Mysteries of the Unexplained
Josh: Colin Wilson's The Occult: A History
Luke: Ray Bradbury's The October Country

Don't forget that you can support The Cromcast (we need to eat too) by signing up for your free trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/thecromcast. We recommend trying out the CAS Anthology, "The End of the Story," which includes the eponymous tale.

Finally... Jonesin' for some additional CAS discussion? Don't forget to check out The Double Shadow!

Our episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ The spooky organ intro comes from (we think) the public domain (via the YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2RP1GivOqo). The ending music is a portion of Type O Negative's "Blood and Fire" (Out of the Ashes Remix). Used without permission. RIP Peter Steele! All music was obtained legally (Oh yeah.... Who remembers the Mortal Kombat OST)?!?! We hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase their work.

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)
Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)
Follow us on Twitter! Or on Facebook!
Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! Don't forget Stitcher!

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Cromtober



Hello all! Our favorite time of year is upon us! The ambiance of the diminishing daylight hours and the leaves steadily changing colors and falling from the trees have combined to trigger our need for some scary stories!

Last year (all the way back in Episode 9!), we covered Pigeons From Hell and The Haunter of the Ring! This year, we are expanding Cromtober, and will be covering a story from the Weird Tales gurus we've mentioned most often. Here they are!

1. Clark Ashton Smith - The End of the Story

2. Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Music of Erich Zann 

3. Robert Ervin Howard - The Cairn on the Headland

Three masters. Three classic tales. Three back to back to back episodes of The Cromcast!

Let us know what you think of these stories! 859-429-CROM! thecromcast at gmail dot com!

Happy Cromtober!

JJL

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Season 2 Episode 6:The Cromcast versus Red Sonja 1985 (or, The She-Devil with a Mullet)



This week, your loyal Cromcasters get into movie critique mode and direct their gaze toward the Brigitte Nielsen/Arnold Schwarzenegger sword and sorcery film Red Sonja from 1985.

Does this film capture the essence of the strong female sword and sorcery character in the same way as the Howard and Moore stories we've discussed so far this season? Do you enjoy this film? Let us know!

This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Ending theme: "Redhead Walking"; R.E.M, album: Accelerate. Used without permission.

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)
Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)
Follow us on Twitter! Or on Facebook!
Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! Don't forget Stitcher!

The music included in this episode's discussion is used without the permission of the creators. All music was obtained legally. We hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase their work. Support the artists!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Season 2 Episode 5: The Black God's Kiss by C.L. Moore



Greetings and well met, fellow Cromrades! Are you prepared for a journey to a surreal land of light and darkness, where your worst nightmares dwell, in order to wreak terrible vengeance upon a tormentor? If so, you'll enjoy our story this week! In our latest episode, we discussed CL Moore's first Jirel of Joiry tale, "The Black God's Kiss"! It marks the first time we've covered a story not originally written by Robert E. Howard, and the first time we three had read a CLM story! It's great, and if you haven't read it, please do so and let us know what you think!

If we have whetted your palate for more CL Moore, we recommend reading up on her interesting life story. You can start by checking out Kirkus Review's excellent blog post on Moore, then head over to IO9, and maybe end with her entry in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Then get started picking through her catalog of tales.

If you want to learn more about real-life warrior women you should check out the new research on how involved Viking women were in the invasions of Eastern England. Thanks to Cromrade Mike for the tip!

If you want to learn more about the Green River Killer and the depths of human evil check out the graphic novel that Jon mentions as his One Thing or hit this Radio Lab episode up: http://www.radiolab.org/story/180166-why-be-bad/

Luke's one thing was Dale Bailey's "The End of The End of Everything." Bleak, and awesome.

Josh talked up the wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. Try it if you need a break from the mainstream!

Check out the artwork of Chris Hutson! http://chrishutsonart.com/

Dissecting Worlds - Matt and Kehaar break down topics pertaining to the social sciences in fantasy settings. It's worth your time! http://dissectingworlds.wordpress.com/

Don't forget that you can support The Cromcast (we need to eat too) by signing up for your free trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/thecromcast. We recommend trying out their rendition of Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser! (Thanks for the question, Matt!)

Are you a Luddite hoarder VHS collector like Josh? You should check out El Goro's discussion of VHS Collecting on Talk Without Rhythm Podcast! http://tworpodcast.blogspot.com/2014/05/tworp-aside-adjust-your-tracking-untold.html

So. Much. Content!

This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Ending theme: "Jirel of Joiry" by Leslie Fish from the album Magic, Moondust & Melancholy. Used without permission.

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)
Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)
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The music included in this episode's discussion is used without the permission of the creators. All music was obtained legally. We hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase their work. Support the artists!

Monday, August 25, 2014

Season 2 Episode 4: The Shadow of the Vulture (Or, Suleiman's Big Day Out)

 
 
 
It was a woman, dressed as von Kalmbach had not even seen the dandies of France dressed. She was tall, splendidly shaped, but lithe. From under a steel cap escaped rebellious tresses that rippled red-gold in the sun over her compact shoulders. High boots of Cordovan leather came to her mid-thighs, which were cased in baggy breeches. She wore a shirt of Turkish mesh-mail tucked into her breeches. Her supple waist was confined by a flowing sash of green silk, into which were thrust a brace of pistols and a dagger, and from which depended a long Hungarian sabre. Over all was carelessly thrown a scarlet cloak.

This surprising figure was bending over the cannon, sighting it, in a manner betokening more than a passing familiarity, at a group of Turks who were wheeling a carriage-gun just within range.

“Eh, Red Sonya!” shouted a man-at-arms, waving his pike. “Give ‘em hell, my lass!”


And thus are we introduced to a new character along the Road of Queens, Red Sonya! While she may not be the She-Devil with a Sword that is popular in contemporary culture, she is the most compelling character in our story for the week, “The Shadow of the Vulture.”



So, grab your favorite liquor and join us as we venture back to the days when the Ottoman Empire flourished under the steady hand of Suleiman the Magnificent and the days of Christian Europe appear to be numbered! Let Howard paint for you a picture of the bloody Stand of Vienna, albeit peppered with the fictional but dastardly Mikhal Oglu, the drunken Gottfried von Kalmbach, and the deadly Red Sonya of Rogatino.



You can read the story here: The Shadow of the Vulture



Or you could enjoy it as part of the Del Rey collection, Sword Woman and Other historical Adventures!



Next time, we journey into territory undreamed of! What happens when the Robert E. Howard podcast reads and discusses a story by another author? That is precisely what will happen next time, when The Cromcast covers the first Jirel of Joiry tale by C.L. Moore, "The Black God's Kiss!" Join us!
 
This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/



Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0


Ending theme: "Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by They Might Be Giants. Used without permission.


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The music included in this episode's discussion is used without the permission of the creators. All music was obtained legally. We hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase their work. Support the artists!

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Season 2, Episode 3: Blades for France (Or, The Cromcast Apologizes to the Nation of France)




I found myself in a small chamber, without visible doors or windows, though there must have been some subtle system of ventilation. A hooded lanthorn lit the room with a vague and ghostly light. Nine figures huddled against the walls on settles – nine figures wrapped closely in dark cloaks, feathered hats or black morions pulled low to meet the black masks which hid their faces. Only their eyes burned through the holes in the masks. None moved nor spake. It was like a conclave of the damned.

Jehan did not speak, but motioned me to take my place on a settle, and then he glided across the chamber and drew back another panel. Through this opening stalked another figure, masked and cloaked like the rest, but with a subtly different bearing. He strode like a man accustomed to command, and even in his disguise, there was something faintly familiar to me about him. 

He stalked to the center of the small chamber, and Jehan motioned toward us on the settles, as if to say that all was in readiness. The tall stranger nodded and said: “You received your instructions before you came here. You know, all of you, that you have but to follow me, and obey my commands. Ask no questions; you are being well paid; that is sufficient for you to know. Speak as little as possible. You do not know me, and I do not know you. The less each man knows of his mates, the better for all. As soon as our task is completed, we scatter, each man for himself. Is that understood?”
 
 
Cromrades, we have returned yet again to provide the insightful discussion, poor French pronunciation, and delightful non sequitur you've come to expect! This time, your three humble sword arms bring you Blades for France! No open source copy this time, but you can find this story in a few collections, including the Del Rey Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures.
 
There is a kiss that happens during this story, and we ponder the significance of this scene. Read, listen, and let us know what you think!
 
Next time, we will journey to Istanbul and Vienne with Red Sonya of Rogatino. It's Shadow of the Vulture (Read it on Project Gutenberg Austrailia) on the next episode of The Cromcast. Join us, won't you?


This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Ending theme: "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Suede. Used without permission. Purchase their album here!

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)

Call us! (859) 429-CROM!

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The music included in this episode's discussion is used without the permission of the creators. All music was obtained legally. We hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase their work. Support the artists!

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Season 2, Episode 2: Sword Woman

 


"Aye, Dark Agnès!” said Étienne, lifting himself on elbow. “A star of darkness shone on her birth, of darkness and unrest. Where ever she goes shall be blood spilling and men dying. I knew it when I saw her standing against the sunrise that turned to blood the dagger in her hand.”

“I have paid my debt to you,” I said. “If I placed your life in jeopardy, I have bought it back with blood.” And casting his dripping sword at his feet, I turned toward the door.
Guiscard, who had been staring like one daft, shook himself as if from a trance, and strode after me

“Nails of the Devil!” quoth he. “What has just passed has altered my mind entirely! You are such another as Black Margot of Avignon. A true sword-woman is worth a score of men. Would you still march with me?”

“As a companion-in-arms,” I answered. “I’m mistress to none.”

“None save Death,” he answered, glancing at the corpses.


Art by Stephen Fabian
Art by Ken Kelly



Art by John Watkiss


Hail, Cromrades! We have returned from the pages of deep history to discuss another thrilling adventure with you! This time, we join the swashbuckling sword woman Agnes de Chastillon on her quest. Does she search for lost gold, or magical artifacts? Nay, brave traveler, she seeks that most elusive treasure - equality.

We weren't able to find an open source copy of this tale for you this time. However, you can snag a copy from eBay or Amazon.com, or better yet, peruse your local book store. Luckily, these Dark Agnes tales aren't hard to find!

Next time, we'll cover the second Dark Agnes tale, Blades for France! Join us!


This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Ending theme: "Violence of the Red Sea" by Earthless. Used without permission. Purchase their album here!

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)

Call us! (859) 429-CROM!

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The music included in this episode's discussion is used without the permission of the creators. All music was obtained legally. We hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase their work. Support the artists!