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Episode 508 - Skulls in the Stars (Patreon)

Published:
2020-07-17 16:30:39
Imported:
2021-07

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Content

Solomon Kane makes his debut on the show - it's Skulls in the Stars!

Special thanks to reader Lyle Erickson. There are a few haunted house versions of Pitch Black Manor's MONSTER CLASSICS left - go preorder one before it's too late!

Next up: The Shadow Kingdom 

Comments

Anonymous

I’ve been waiting for the return of Thew-ly for years! I haven’t started listening to them yet because I want no distractions, but I just saw that The Shadow Kingdom is up next! I’ve recommended that multiple times so I can’t wait to hear your takes!

Anonymous

To say that Kane fought with his "arms, feet and hands" I imagine more than just a few punches and a choke hold. I imagine a full on Pro Wrestling match, as if the strap was on the line! Kane's jumping off tree branches, like it's the third rope, to drop elbows on this ghost!!

Anonymous

You’re absolutely right. The Children of the Night are actually supposed to be the interbred descendents of the Serpent Men of Valusia (who you’ll meet next week!). The Worms of the Earth are also part of the same lineage. So yeah, regular human racism aside the COTN are literally not entirely human.

Anonymous
>>40528576

I’ve recommended that story as well. Along with Red Shadows and Rattle of Bones, it was included in a Pre-Conan section of a collection of Conan stories I have. Another great story that I wish they would cover at some point is The Scarlet Citadel. That last gruesome image is awesome and always sticks with me. I won’t ruin it, so you’ll have to read the story to find out what it is.

Anonymous

Out on the wily, windy moors I'd choke and punch a ghost You had a temper, after Ezra's deed ... Yeah, that's all I got.

Anonymous

I like how Solomon Kane uses his religion to justify his thrill-seeking. He’s more emotionally complicated than Conan, but I feel like that’s still a result of Howard’s understanding of civilization. “Civilized” characters in Conan stories are usually depicted as justifying their base desires using the culture they’ve known from birth, and Solomon Kane is doing the same exact thing. When these characters show up on Conan stories they seem dishonest and uptight because we’re comparing them to Conan. When one of these characters is the protagonist of their own story they seem complex and interesting instead.

Anonymous

I am certainly a bigger fan of Solomon Kane than of Conan. The big C just reminds me too much of Ayn Rand-ish glorification of selfishness. Kane is at least trying to perform selflessness. I was so happy to hear a my favorite double-meaning adjective in this episode, gents! Twice! horribly murdered horribly mutilated Sure, I understand the intended meaning - that a murder or mutilation was especially horrific in gore, cruelty, and infliction of pain - but I can't help but giggle at the the other interpretation: that the murder and mutilation were clumsily done. I love the idea of Solomon looking over a corpse and sniffing, "What an amateur. Geez, would you look at all the glancing blows. Bet this guy hardly felt the 'beat down' he was getting. And these cuts? What did the ghost use, a Nerf sword? Hell, near as I can tell this fella probably just laughed himself to death or shuffled off this mortal coil as an ironic middle finger to his would-be killer. This is just shoddy work."

Anonymous

Laserballs, lazerballs, laserballz or lazerballz?

Anonymous

The idea of cleansing the sinful yet saved from their dross is actually very Catholic- that's what Purgatory is about. I always felt it was odd to hear that from the Puritan Kane.

Anonymous

The point in the podcast where Summit Entertainment is discussed really veered off,at first I thought “Summit” was a meeting not the name of a company and then all I remember about Mr. and Mrs, Smith was that the stars romance was probably the reason it became number 1.Welcome to “Excess Hollywood” Chad and Chris’s new side podcast.

Anonymous

A friend of mine's son is really into Warhammer 40K, and I regularly ruin his fun by looking at his carefully painted miniatures, asking a couple questions about them, letting him drop some deep lore on me, and then telling him "Oh, that's from Lovecraft," or "Oh, that's from Dune", as the 40K universe is basically just a recapitulated hodgepodge of all the sci-fi, fantasy and horror I grew up with in the 80's and 90's. How the creators haven't been sued into oblivion by IP lawsuits is something I can't quite understand. Thanks to today's story, I can't wait for the pandemic to be over so I can make a trip up and tell him that his Imperial Witch Hunters are just sexy, gender-swapped Solomon Kanes. Uncle Buzzkill rides again!

Anonymous

Guys come on surely the saying is Don’t judge a spook by its cover!

Anonymous

I do like the writing I particularly enjoyed the first encounter of the ghost with its victim Kane doesn’t see it through the fog he hears it. Describing the sounds makes it all the mire creepy

Anonymous

Good to hear more of Chad’s water-fighting exploits - Keating from “A Story Told by the Sea” would be cheering!

Anonymous

I wonder why Robert E. Howard went with "Skulls in the Stars" instead of "A Skull Among the Stars," a phrase which appears earlier in the story. Perhaps Ezra shrieking about skulls, plural, is meant to imply that he is being pursued not only by Gideon's ravenous specter, but also by the ghosts of all those who died on the moor in his place. Or, maybe someone gave Howard that title and he altered an already written story to fit. Either way, interesting protagonist, scary monster, satisfying denouement!

Devin Trim

Hey Chad, would you say that getting water dumped on you by your roommates in that door/bucket prank had anything to do with your indifference to braving that flooding bathroom? I remember you telling that story at some point too. Your total indifference when you walked past your roommates soaking wet always stuck with me. Very respectable move, sir. Passing thought, but I would pay extra for an occasional “Chris & Chad Storytime” episode where you told personal stories and shared life advice. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Anonymous

Fun story - did you see the film with James Purefoy? That was my first exposure to Solomon Kane. I wonder if Howard's stories continue to use wolf or other canid comparisons for Kane, as compared to all the panther/feline comparisons for Conan... It makes sense to me, as I picture canids as lankier, wiry, and more inclined towards a tenacious hunting power, which matches Kane's aesthetic. This is the first Kane story I've read though, so I could be totally wrong and the others are full of comparisons to leopards etc. Also, when I listened to the show I realized I am conditioned to think that abstract hate could only be defeated by an abstract emotion like love or compassion, which is very much NOT in Kane's aesthetic. Kind of a polar opposites kind of thing. But thinking on it further, courage as an ideal could work, because in the right place or for the right reasons, courage could contain or be motivated by love/compassion/generosity. Although I think Kane's courage was more motivated by arrogance in never leaving a fight and not wanting to lose to a ghost.

Anonymous

I love you guys.

Anonymous

Conan is great, no doubt about it but Kane is the only pantherman for me, and a Puritan pantherman at that! Great story choice and reader - may we all have the opportunity to punch a ghost at some point in our lives.

Anonymous

I really enjoyed this episode guys. Your review and analysis of the story were both insightful and entertaining as usual, but I especially appreciated your examination of Kane's character. I've heard other podcasts that simply write him off as a one-dimensional fundamentalist zealot or a 16th century Conan, but neither one of those interpretations gives credit to the nuance Howard infused into his character. So I was so glad that you both appreciated and examined the complexities and contradictions that apparently come with being an unconsciously-thrill-seeking Puritan who drops elbows on yammering ghosts and leads the most sympathetic and reasonable mob in history.

Anonymous

Has anyone seen the Solomon Kane movie that came out around 10 years ago? It nearly works but you can tell the point when they ran out of money. There was a legal issue which delayed the US release and I remember reading that the producers were considering pumping more money in in the meantime to finish it up properly. I don't think that ever happened, though. From what I recall there are worse ways to spend 100 mins, though I suppose it depends on how forgiving you are on low(ish) budget hack and slash.

Anonymous

The beginning is great, but it kind of turns into a dreary brown and gray slog by the end. I searched for it for years before it was officially released in the US and was a little disappointed by my expensive Region Free DVD viewing. Haha. That being said there are some really great elements, I just don't understand why none of these Robert E. Howard character based films are actually adaptations of the original stories. Some of those stories could be adapted pretty easily and would look great on screen.

Anonymous
>>40681948

I enjoyed that film from what I remember of it. I don't think I knew it was based on REH stuff at the time though, I'm just generally down to watch someone fight some monsters thought that does mean I end up watching some bad films. (the Last Witchhunter springs to mind).

Anonymous
>>40744373

All I remember is that apparently a constant downpour was the extent of heavy special effects. I wanted to like it, but just couldn't.

Anonymous
>>40745080

Because some writer (or studio execs) always think they know better than some weirdo mama's boy Texan who never went anywhere. How so very wrong they prove themselves to be over and over. Howard bascially wrote screenplays. I know we'll probably never get any Costigan coverage here, but god could Robert write a fight sequence where every blow was as clear as any Scorsese or Tarantino bloody fist fest.

Anonymous

Just finished listening to both the episode and the new Monster Classics album! Loved them both! I need more Solomon Kane, and I need more PBM! Still waiting on that Silver John album Chad!

Anonymous
>>40559067

To be fair, I’d be shocked if Howard had any exposure to actual Puritan theology...

Anonymous

Solomon Kane May be my favorite Howard character. He’s so glum compared to Conan. He’s not really much of a Puritan, but he’s very aware of his flaws, even when he indulges them.

Anonymous

I know I'm way late with this comment, but I'm so glad you guys decided toncover this story. It is my favorite Solomon Kane story.