Philip Jose Farmer loved to write pastiches of other writers’ work. In Hadon of Ancient Opar, Farmer recreates the ancient city in the jungles of Africa, Opar. Tarzan had adventures in Opar and Farmer’s hero, Hadon, builds on those adventures. Farmer obviously loved Opar because he wrote two more books about it: Flight to Opar and the never before published The Song of Kwasin. All three of these books are being published in one grand omnibus volume by Subterranean Press next year with the title Gods of Opar: Tales of Lost Khokarsa. Pre-order it now! I did!
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His sense of fun was impossible to question or overestimate, I think…the most enthusiastic and accomplished fan-fictioneer ever, probably…outstripping the likes of Lin Carter easily, and through sheer mad production and diversity even such folks as Karl Edward Wagner or Michael Shea…
You’re right, Todd. Farmer read all those Doc Savage novels, all of Edgar Rice Burroughs, before he wrote those great pastiches. Even though Farmer’s great work, the Riverworld series, tails off at the end, you have to admire his capacity to Think Big.
I also pre-ordered this during the recent sale
I can’t wait to read that third book in the series, Scott.
Sometimes I just march to a different beat. The Riverworld series interested me for about half the first book, bored me for the rest of that one and the second book, I didn’t bother with the third one and gave the books away. I was so turned off I’ve not wanted to read any Farmer since then, which was about 1979 or so. I’ve seen a couple of these Opar books in used book stores, but since they were by Farmer, I wasn’t in the least bit tempted. Still aren’t.
I think that many times in Farmer’s work, his reach exceeds his grasp, Rick. Farmer comes up with marvelous ideas, but often his writing doesn’t deliver on the promise. In his shorter works like HADON OF ANCIENT OPAR, Farmer is far more effective.
I just found his pastiche using the character of Phileas Fogg from Verne’s adventure novel. He posits that Fogg is of an alien race. Sounded like great fun and I’m looking forward to reading it soon. I still keep looking for the one he wrote where his Tarzan version meets a Doc Savage rip-off (THE FEAST UNKNOWN). It’s really hard to find. I guess I could resort to the internet but I reserve that as a last resort for books I absolutley have to have. And this one I can wait on.
I’ve enjoyed all of Farmer’s pastiches, JF. You’ll enjoy The Other Log of Phileas Fogg. It’s not too hard to locate a used copy of A FEAST UNKNOWN online.
I read the two published Opar books years ago. I guess I’m going to have to order the Subterranean book.
I’m a big fan of SUBTERRANEAN’s books, Randy. You can’t go wrong buying their fine collections and omnibus volumes.
Agree on Farmer’s reach vs. grasp. Some of his novels have a somewhat wispy, unsubstanial feel to them, though I imagine he had a lot of fun writing them. On the other hand, he did produce some very good short stories.
You’re right, Drongo. Have you recovered from that incredible finish in the win over the Jets? Tebow is the Real Deal.
It’s almost spooky the way Tebow is able to will himself and the ball into the end zone as the game clock ticks down. I can’t quite process it all. And how clever was it to draft Von Miller? He has 9.5 sacks so far, and gave Mark Sanchez quite a beat-down. (Poor Sanchez. A few years ago I thought he was going to be a superstar. What happened to him?)
I know the Bills would have loved to draft Von Miller, Drongo. He’s an elite player. Sanchez is inconsistent. He can look really good, and then he can look very ordinary. Tebow is a game-changer.