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Cimmerian

Member Since 16 Mar 2003
Offline Last Active Apr 20 2012 05:41 AM

Posts I've Made

In Topic: De Camp and His Rewriting of Conan

20 April 2012 - 05:28 AM

I don't know that De Camp was lying.  I don't feel crucified, either. But I do think that many authors are improved by editing, and all writers are edited. I've never seen a side by side comparison of the unedited Howard work alongside the Ace/Lancer versions. I won't say De Camp's edited versions are superior, but I do appreciate the completeness that these books give the Conan saga. I guess it's because I started out with these volumes in the early '70s. I'm not a "purist" and I cannot find it in me to get righteous over sword and scorcery, as much as I love Howard/Conan/Lord/De Camp and anyone else who contributed. I mean, we're not talking Shakespeare, here. :)

In Topic: De Camp and His Rewriting of Conan

19 April 2012 - 04:43 AM

Thanks for sharing the experience thedave.  The fact that you were able to talk to DeCamp for so long is very insightful.  I must admit my view of DeCamp has changed since I joined this site, as I have tempered my opinion with the understanding that DeCamp really advanced Conan and Howard to the masses and I am personally grateful for that dedication


Amen! We owe the man a lot.

Let me add, to so many who get really incenced over the "editing" by de Camp; Howard was edited by lesser writers and editors when he initially submitted the stories to Weird Tales and ther magazines. All writers get edited. De Camp says he edited some of the stories just to get them published. As for Howard's fragments and outlines being fleshed out by De Camp in order to complete them, I enjoyed the Lancer books greatly. I don't think it was a crime.

Some of the later patisches, the ones written by other writers that had a different tone and a dimmer Conan, I stopped reading those eventually.

In Topic: Greetings Everyone!

18 April 2012 - 10:52 PM

Ahoy! I'm back after a spell. Thanks Jay for reactivating me. I have not read any Conan in about 8 years (or more), so I am getting back into it now and loving it with all the relish of the first time.

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