Almuric (Planet Stories) in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Dec 05, 2020 Clint rated it liked it

Shelves: reh-and-reh-pastiche, pulp-studies, science-fiction

I shall stick with my original 3 star rating. I agree with the introduction in this edition by Joe Lansdale, it’s a shame that REH abandoned this and never finished it. Lansdale suggests that REH could have started a Sword & Planet series to rival ERB’s Barsoom books. I think all but the last chapter were by REH, but I believe if REH finished it, there would have been at least three more chapters.

Alas, we shall never know. What is here is three star worthy and if finished by Howard, may have be ...more

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May 05, 2015 Frankie Roxx rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: robert-e-howard

Ahhh Almuric. As far as I know this is the only full length novel of Howard's that off the top of my head I can think of. While in general I prefer his short stories as the compacted space seemed to better fit his unique style Almuric is by no means a bad book. Quite the opposite in fact. While it's pretty clear that Howard was (heavily) inspired by Burroughs EXCELLENT Barsoom books he does manage to add his own unique style and twist. Enough so that the book holds up as a solidly entertaining r Ahhh Almuric. As far as I know this is the only full length novel of Howard's that off the top of my head I can think of. While in general I prefer his short stories as the compacted space seemed to better fit his unique style Almuric is by no means a bad book. Quite the opposite in fact. While it's pretty clear that Howard was (heavily) inspired by Burroughs EXCELLENT Barsoom books he does manage to add his own unique style and twist. Enough so that the book holds up as a solidly entertaining read and one I'd recommend to any Howard fan that wanted to read more than just his Conan stories.

Almuric, in short, is about a human, Esau Cairn, that after murdering a fellow earthman finds himself hunted by the law. As can only happen in a story like this from a simpler time he just so happens to find a scientist that has the means to transport him to another world from whence he can never return. Esau, knowing his life on earth is doomed already and having never fit in to begin with, accepts the offer without so much as the bat of an eye. I mean if it were you or I we'd at least have to take a minute or two to think this over right? Right. But that's the simplistic charm of the pulp era of writing. Instead of spending twenty pages hemming and hawing it over our man Esau readily agrees and is soon on a path of adventure the likes of which no earthman (aside from John Carter....) has seen before.

I won't go too in depth as to the story as others should read this entertaining little book for themselves. Suffice to say on his journey he encounters many new, and dangerous, forms of life. Be it rabid dog headed men, winded “devils”, ravenous spiders, giant electric slugs (how great is that?) and, of course, hairy ape men that are what passes for the humans on the planet of Almuric. Oddly, and amusingly, enough the female of this species exactly resembles earth females. It's that kind of convenient plot device that always entertains when it comes to the pulp writers.

Is the book without flaws? Of course not. The pacing can be off at times. More than likely due to the fact that Howard was more used to penning short stories. The book does have themes of racism and chauvinism and while , yes, I absolutely understand these things aren't good in any way I also understand that these were penned in a different time when the world was a much different place. The criticism I see over these factors of Howard's writing always make me shake my head. If you're reading the work of Howard, or any other pulp writer from the 20's and 30's, and are seeking “political correctness” and enlightenment than you probably shouldn't be reading that particular genre.... As noted above this genre and era aren't for everyone but if you can simply enjoy the stories for what they are—rousing adventures with some of the best battle scenes to be found (as only Howard could do) then I highly recommend this book as well as his other works.

In closing while it's not by any means my favorite of Howard's works, those spots are reserved for his tales of Solomon Kane and El Borak, it's worth reading in my humble opinion. Does it stack up to the Barsoom books? Well no but to compare one book to a series that had time to develop is silly to begin with. Just give it a read and enjoy Howard. 'Nuff said.
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Dec 18, 2022 Steve Goble rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy

Imagine A PRINCESS OF MARS, but written by Conan creator Robert E. Howard, and this book is pretty much what you would get. Howard tells the tale of an Earthman mysteriously conveyed to a savage, low-technology world where he must rescue damsels and survive by his sword and brutish strength.

I much prefer Edgar Rice Burroughs for this sort of thing. Burroughs wrote much earlier, and his vivid tales have a higher sense of romance and chivalry and sweeping prose of a sort no one writes today, makin ...more

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