Next month, it'll be three years.* I don't have much to say, but I don't want to leave the day unmarked. I have a more traditional tribute planned, which will hopefully be up in a few days.
I've been re-reading "New Barbarians," a fantastic essay of his in the Cimmerian print journal: it is central to an upcoming post in the Aquiromians series, while I'm trying to decide just which of his many fantastic essays on Howard's work is "the best" for my REH analyses post. Damned hard to tell. Just going through his posts on The Cimmerian site alone and his 'zine Visions, Gryphons, Nothing & the Night should give you an idea.
Skål, sláinte, prost, and many, many cheers for Steve Tompkins.
*As Damon said, there's never a bad time to pay respects, though I'm a bit annoyed I got such an important date mixed up.
I never met Steve, but I dearly wish he were alive today, still cranking out essays on The Cimmerian. His writings at times flirted with genius, and were always unique, always must-reads. I'm looking forward to your piece, Al.
ReplyDeleteAl, buddy, you are a month early, but it is never too early to give the man his due respects.
ReplyDeleteARGH, I'm a numpty. I was getting confused because there's a somewhat related (personal) anniversary coming up. I guess I conflated the two months!
DeleteNonetheless, it'll let me get started on a proper tribute.
I will read his introduction tonight for the El Borak and other Desert stories. That was a good piece indeed, he wrote it in 2009. It looks at the at some of the real life characters that inspired the young Robert E.Howard when he was writing for the pulps in the day of intrigue and suspense in the middle east and also at some past conquerers like Alex the Great. Did not know him but read alot of his stuff in the TGR journals and other websites and he was easy to read and understand. He would have made one hack of a wordsmith.
ReplyDeleteSlancha Steve.
Dave,
ReplyDelete"One hack of wordsmith"? Is this meant to be a compliment? Perhaps your fingers slipped and meant to type "heck"?
And it's spelled "sláinte" not "slancha".
LOL, I type so quick and spell what I say literally as shown above G. I hate proof reading tbh.
ReplyDeleteYeah, again Slancha is how I pronounce it, but the spelling is used in old Gealic at times too:
roughly pronounced: Slancha ga sheil agat
Ban ir da vian agat
Toluv gan kis agat
Lanov gach blean agat
You are correct about my incorrectness, but Steve was a better wordsmith than the two of us by far it seems. ;)