The Kane The Mystic Swordsman Series and Others By Karl Edward Wagner

[BAYLOR]

I discovered the Kane saga around 1983 a now defunct bookstore in a mall. I had finished up the last Conan book in the 12 volume series and was looking for something new to read. I glanced down and saw the entire 5 book series on a shelf, the editions were published Warner books and had cover illustrations by Frank Frazetta. I picked up Bloodstone with no expectation at all, bought it, took it home, and was hooked from page 1. I blazed through the entire series. Kane was such an interesting character not really a hero , but in it for himself, Antihero. Wagner knew how to spin a really good tale. After that I read everything I could find by him Conan The Road of Kings which is the best Conan Pastiche ive read to date BRAN MAK MORN LEGION OF THE SHADOWS which is a really excellent Bran Mak Morn Pastiche. His excellent horror anthology book Killer which he co wrote with David Drake. The Echos of Valor Anthology books 1 to 3 where he put in print 3 stories by a very much unknown and excellent writer Nictzin Dyalhis( wrote only about 11 or 12 stories)

Then nothing for along time then In 1994 Elric Tales of the White Wolf an anthology in which other writers wrote Elric Stories. among them was the the Story Karl Edward Wagner A Gothic Touch In which Kane teams up with Elric of Melnibone. A new Kane story and I was so happy. But unfortunately it was to be the last Kane story he ever wrote. He had passed away in 1994.

The Kane books out print, are coming back into print in 2015


Thoughts on Wagner and his books ?

 

[BAYLOR]

Some years back they were supposed to adapt Death Angels shadow for the big screen , but it never happened.

 

[J Riff]

Good action/adventure tales indeed, easy to read. Kane is a great character. There was a thread on the board somewhere - but anyone who enjoys Conan will probably like the Kane stories.

 

[BAYLOR]

Good action/adventure tales indeed, easy to read. Kane is a great character. There was a thread on the board somewhere - but anyone who enjoys Conan will probably like the Kane stories.

Id like to have seen Dark Horse comics do the Kane books.

 

[Randy M.]

Hi, Baylor.

I've only read a couple of the Kane short stories. Enjoyed both ("Undertow" and "Two Suns Setting"). Recently read the first volume of Wagner's collected horror stories, Where the Summer Ends. If you like the darkness of his vision, you'd probably like that collection. There are stand-out stories in it, too, like "The River of Night's Dreaming," "Sticks" and, to bring in a thread from the horror forum, "Beyond Any Measure," a vampire story like no other I've come across.


Randy M.

 

[Vince W]

I've not read much Wagner beyond the Conan and Bran Mak Morn. I do remember enjoying them a lot. He had a real feel for the whole Sword and Sorcery genre. Glad to hear he's going to be reprinted. I'll definitely give them a look.

 

[BAYLOR]

Hi, Baylor.

I've only read a couple of the Kane short stories. Enjoyed both ("Undertow" and "Two Suns Setting"). Recently read the first volume of Wagner's collected horror stories, Where the Summer Ends. If you like the darkness of his vision, you'd probably like that collection. There are stand-out stories in it, too, like "The River of Night's Dreaming," "Sticks" and, to bring in a thread from the horror forum, "Beyond Any Measure," a vampire story like no other I've come across.


Randy M.

II read his horror Anthology series In a Lonely Place many years ago , which may have had those stories, I have read them of that im certain of that. Some of the best horror ive ever read.

 

[Randy M.]

II read his horror Anthology series In a Lonely Place many years ago , which may have had those stories, I have read them of that im certain of that. Some of the best horror ive ever read.

Agreed. Where the Summer Ends includes all the stories in In a Lonely Place plus two other, later stories. Pretty much all novella length. And I agree about the stories being among the best horror I've read.

Randy M.

 

[BAYLOR]

Agreed. Where the Summer Ends includes all the stories in In a Lonely Place plus two other, later stories. Pretty much all novella length. And I agree about the stories being among the best horror I've read.

Randy M.

He also co wrote the science fiction novel Killer with David Drake . It's a pretty good book.

 

[BAYLOR]

I've not read much Wagner beyond the Conan and Bran Mak Morn. I do remember enjoying them a lot. He had a real feel for the whole Sword and Sorcery genre. Glad to hear he's going to be reprinted. I'll definitely give them a look.

I can't say enough good things about Wagner . Kane is such an interesting character. There is only one other character in fantasy that remided me of kane , Gotrek Gurnnisson .

 

[The Ace]

I must be a bit of a Philistine, because I read, "Night Winds," years ago, and picked up most of the other Kane stuff in e-book form.

While adequate - and without the nagging, "Could do better," that marks a lot of Moorcock and Stephen Donaldson - I never found them all that remarkable, the sort of thing you read once and move on.

 

[BAYLOR]

I must be a bit of a Philistine, because I read, "Night Winds," years ago, and picked up most of the other Kane stuff in e-book form.

While adequate - and without the nagging, "Could do better," that marks a lot of Moorcock and Stephen Donaldson - I never found them all that remarkable, the sort of thing you read once and move on.

Ive read most of the eternal Champion books by Moorcock , The only one by him I didn't like were the Jeremiah Cornelius chronicles . Donaldson can be a bit long winded.

 

[j d worthington]

@BAYLOR: Poor Jerry! Yes, he falls between the cracks with most readers of sff... yet I would venture to say that some of these (particularly The Cornelius Chronicles/Quartet) are among Moorcock's best. They are delightful "ironic comedies"... which is a phrase terribly misunderstood by so many. It seldom means "comic" in the usual sense, but rather a handling of aspects of humanity of which, in Cabell's words, it is "needful [...] to speak of these [...] with flippant levity, because such enormities grow unbearable when regarded seriously"....

 

[BAYLOR]

@BAYLOR: Poor Jerry! Yes, he falls between the cracks with most readers of sff... yet I would venture to say that some of these (particularly The Cornelius Chronicles/Quartet) are among Moorcock's best. They are delightful "ironic comedies"... which is a phrase terribly misunderstood by so many. It seldom means "comic" in the usual sense, but rather a handling of aspects of humanity of which, in Cabell's words, it is "needful [...] to speak of these [...] with flippant levity, because such enormities grow unbearable when regarded seriously"....

I gave to series several tries and just could not get into it. I did manage to get through the first book. I didn't like the main character, at all.

One of the books was made into a not very good film back in the 1970's.

 

[j d worthington]

I gave to series several tries and just could not get into it. I did manage to get through the first book. I didn't like the main character, at all.

One of the books was made into a not very good film back in the 1970's.

Yes, I know. As I said, the Cornelius stories tend to fall between the cracks with so many sff fans, which is a pity. As for liking J.C. himself... well, I think Miss Brunner summed it up when she called him (in The English Assassin, if I remember correctly) a "silly ******". His heart is often in the right place, but he is (as Clute has pointed out) someone who sees himself as Harlequin and is actually Pierrot.....

I've seen the film you mention. Serious problems (particularly the way they changed the ending), but I think it also has its good points; one of the best being Finch as Cornelius. He got the character pretty much spot on, and that's not an easy thing to do....

Incidentally, I assume you are aware that the first two sections (excluding the prologue) to The Final Programme are actually rewritings in modern terms of the first two Elric stories, "The Dreaming City" and "While the Gods Laugh"?....

 

[BAYLOR]

Yes, I know. As I said, the Cornelius stories tend to fall between the cracks with so many sff fans, which is a pity. As for liking J.C. himself... well, I think Miss Brunner summed it up when she called him (in The English Assassin, if I remember correctly) a "silly ******". His heart is often in the right place, but he is (as Clute has pointed out) someone who sees himself as Harlequin and is actually Pierrot.....

I've seen the film you mention. Serious problems (particularly the way they changed the ending), but I think it also has its good points; one of the best being Finch as Cornelius. He got the character pretty much spot on, and that's not an easy thing to do....

Incidentally, I assume you are aware that the first two sections (excluding the prologue) to The Final Programme are actually rewritings in modern terms of the first two Elric stories, "The Dreaming City" and "While the Gods Laugh"?....

On the Final Program, I wasn't aware that they were rewordings.

 

[j d worthington]

On the Final Program, I wasn't aware that they were rewordings.

Not to continue taking the thread off topic, but yes, Moorcock decided to retell the first Elric stories in terms of a modern character in order to both comment on and send up certain aspects of the times, just as Elric had allowed him to address certain aspects of his own experience and growing thought.

 

[BAYLOR]

Getting back on track, Wager was supposed to do a sequel to Bran Mak Morn Legion of the Shadow Queen of the Night?

 

[BAYLOR]

Im also surprised that Marvel hasn't adapted Kane.

 

[j d worthington]

Getting back on track, Wager was supposed to do a sequel to Bran Mak Morn Legion of the Shadow Queen of the Night?

As I recall (I no longer own my copies of the magazine) yes, and such was even announced as forthcoming within the next 2-3 months. I believe the announcement appeared in an old sff magazine titled Galileo, from the late 1970s or early 1980s....