A Tribute to Conan and Robert E Howard

 

I  have not made a secret of the fact that I love Robert E Howard's Conan. In fact, it is probably my favorite work of fantasy. Conan's stories were written like campfire tales. The sort of things soldiers toast around a bonfire, or sung of by bards in taverns. The kinds of stories whispered in the dark of night with only candlelight to see by. Tales that told of a forgotten time, by people in a forgotten time.

I started a project some time ago, adapting Howard's story "The Tower of the Elephant" into a script. I had no plans to see it filmed, I just wanted to try my hand at scriptwriting. As such, I imagined a pair of silhouettes before an ancient fireplace. An old man and a teenager. 

The old man was wrapped in robes. He had a grey beard and a turban on his head. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to the teen, a prince, dressed in fine purple and red. He had a wrap around his head with rubies and feathers displayed. The boy was bored, and the old man was telling him stories to educate and entertain him. 

That was the format in which I imagined the short film to be made. An old man telling a young prince of the history of the world, of an age undreamed of. I wrote a lot of dialogue for the two. I hated the idea that no one would ever see it the way I did, so I took the liberty of creating a sort of audio play using AI voices. A tribute to Robert E Howards glorious Conan stories, and hopefully leaving people feeling that same excitement a young boy would feel hearing of Conan for the very first time. 

You will find that tribute HERE.