Original D&D Discussion - Francis Xavier Gordon

« Francis Xavier Gordon »

Welcome Guest. Please Login or Register.
May 21, 2013, 9:20pm

Original D&D Discussion :: Other :: Howard and Hyboria :: Francis Xavier Gordon

Author

Topic: Francis Xavier Gordon (Read 296 times)

Ghul
Level 8 Warlock

member is offline

[avatar]

AS&SH

Joined: Mar 2008
Gender: Male

Posts: 778
Location: Hyperborea
Karma: 47

Francis Xavier Gordon
« Thread Started on Sept 5, 2011, 12:46pm »

So, I've read all the Kull, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, and Conan yarns. I've also read a few collections of horror tales. The Conan yarns perhaps three times over since my preteen years. I should re-read the Kull and Solomon Kan tales, simply because it's been so long (maybe 20 years) and I fear that I've forgotten a lot, though I'm sure most of you experience the same as I do when re-reading a book you assume to have forgotten much about -- the synapses connect, and like good times with old friends, it all begins to come back to you. I digress. The one book on my shelf that haunts me is El Borak. Francis Xavier Gordon is a Howard character I know little to nothing about. Any fans here?

Link to Post - Back to Top IP:

Logged

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea -- A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Fantasy.

arcadayn
Level 5 Thaumaturgist

member is offline

Joined: Sept 2009
Gender: Male

Posts: 225
Location: Des Moines, Iowa USA
Karma: 3

Re: Francis Xavier Gordon
« Reply #1 on Sept 5, 2011, 5:04pm »

El Borak is one of my favorites. I have a compilation book from Ace called, Son of the White Wolf. It's very inspiring for a pulp era campaign.

Link to Post - Back to Top IP:

Logged

kesher
Level 10 Necromancer

member is offline

[avatar]

Hobbyist of the Absurd & Recumbent Strategist

Joined: Jan 2008
Gender: Male

Posts: 2,327
Location: New Hope, MN
Karma: 93

Re: Francis Xavier Gordon
« Reply #2 on Sept 7, 2011, 11:15am »

Huh---I don't think I've ever heard of El Borak! Awesome.

Kull is really my all-time favorite. Kicks ass like Conan, but is a philosopher at heart. The Mirrors of Tzune Thune may be the best story he ever wrote (imo).

Link to Post - Back to Top IP:

Logged

"He was one hundred seventy days dying and not yet dead."

SANDBOX EMPIRE

scribbledehobble

Morandir
Level 5 Thaumaturgist

member is offline

[avatar]

Apostate

Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 299
Location: Misery
Karma: 12

Re: Francis Xavier Gordon
« Reply #3 on Sept 7, 2011, 2:22pm »

The El Borak stories are great; if you have an e-reader you can find them at Project Gutenberg Australia for free. Definitely worth reading!

Link to Post - Back to Top IP:

Logged

Archaeology is nothing like Indiana Jones. I've never once gotten to punch a Nazi!

Ghul
Level 8 Warlock

member is offline

[avatar]

AS&SH

Joined: Mar 2008
Gender: Male

Posts: 778
Location: Hyperborea
Karma: 47

Re: Francis Xavier Gordon
« Reply #4 on Sept 8, 2011, 8:02pm »

Sept 7, 2011, 11:15am, kesher wrote:

Despite Conan being one of my favorite characters in any fiction (genre or otherwise), I think my favorite Howard tale might be Worms of the Earth.

Link to Post - Back to Top IP:

Logged

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea -- A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Fantasy.

rabindranath72
Level 4 Theurgist

member is offline

Joined: Jun 2008
Gender: Male

Posts: 103
Karma: 3

Re: Francis Xavier Gordon
« Reply #5 on Sept 16, 2011, 5:14am »

Sept 8, 2011, 8:02pm, Ghul wrote:

Sept 7, 2011, 11:15am, kesher wrote:

Despite Conan being one of my favorite characters in any fiction (genre or otherwise), I think my favorite Howard tale might be Worms of the Earth.

+1
Plus, Hour of the Dragon. Brilliant stuff.

Link to Post - Back to Top IP:

Logged

Finarvyn
Administrator

Dungeon Master
member is online

Joined: Jun 2007
Gender: Male

Posts: 4,674
Location: Near Chicago
Karma: 178

Re: Francis Xavier Gordon
« Reply #6 on Sept 16, 2011, 5:24am »

My top three REH characters are probably Conan, Soloman Kane, and Francis Xavier Gordon. My order of preference changes with my mood.

Gordon lives in a more modern era (not sure REH pins down an exact date but probably around 1900 or so, I'd guess) in Afghanistan. The setting reminds me a lot of those old French Foreign Legion movies. There are basic rifles but no automatic weapons, and Gordon uses knives and swords a lot as well. Really great action-adventure pulp tales of treasure hunting, damsel-in-distress saving, and so on.

I'd reccommend the stories quite highly!

Link to Post - Back to Top IP:

Logged

Marv / Finarvyn
DCC playtester (2011) C&C playtester (2003)
I'm partly responsible for the S&W WhiteBox
Builder of the TrollBridge
Master of Mutants; MA since 1976
OD&D Player since 1975

"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!"
- Dave Arneson

Click Here To Make This Board Ad-Free