The Tower of the Elephant - Remastered. (we actually looked into how long it would take to remaster the original, and realised that it'd take less time with a complete re-record, so here it is, a new updated recording, new images, more foley, more music, better quality - enjoy) This will be updated on our ‘Mature Fiction’ and 'Conan' playlists. If you have this saved on any personal playlists, please update as the original version shall be taken down (usually within 2 months of the remaster being premiered).
ya know with AI image generators being so good these days it would be easy to make the video with images that show more or less what is going on, might want to leave out color so people can imagine it still but vague representations are good tool. this is one of my favorite stories.
This is one of my favorites. Conan is a total bro. He's the ultimate example of "give respect, get respect". Also, the more civilized someone is, the more evil they become.
Civilisation is why the phone, pad or laptop on which you’re listening to this story came into being-and are also why you’re able to broadcast your opinion that it’s “evil “. Also, read Napoleon Chagnon’s account of the “fierce people” and then tell me civilisation is the source of evil.
Of course Howard's ideas about civilization are debateable but "and yet you live in a civilization, curious" is a poor reply. The Fierce People is of course an interesting book but not one that is uncontroversial in its research methodology.
Civilizations have existed for thousands of years in equilibrium and adaptability, and have fostered the best traits of humanity. Only until recently was this the case. But that is not because of civilization, it's because of an absence of civility.
I first knew this story through a marvel giant size Conan graphic novel. I had not had this story in text to read before. The graphic novel art was really great in only monochrome black n white. I can't remember the artist, but it was high quality style,very realistic. I don't recall the comic version being as detailed and complicated of story, it was quite abridged now that I know the original.
PS: the graphic art version I recall also hit me as very sad,it was one of the very few Conan stories where the adversary was not really what was expected and was actually a enslaved victim of a sorcerer. As a kid it wasn't the typical stories I read as it wasn't expected turn of the plot. It was one of the best stories, as it was quite emotional to be found in a sword and sorcery adventure story.
@@TheCybrarian I’d call it a dramatization since there were sound effects and more than just different voices for the characters. Conan’s voice was just what I would have expected. Ver well done!
Happily the first Conan story I listened to, and still my favorite. I hunted down a collection of Conan stories, all Howard's work. I have you to thank for introducing me to this marvelous series, and Robert E. Howard to boot. These audio books are excellent and I share them as often as I can.
I am so glad that I found your channel. I stumbled upon this story when I was 12 years old and was immediately hooked. I read everything Conan that I could find. During a terrible time in my life filled with abuse at home and bullying at school, these stories helped me to escape reality. Conan was fearless and unstoppable. I would pick up one of his stories and immediately be transported to a place where nobody could hurt me. I am 51 now and had almost forgotten about that magical place. Thank you for narrating these stories. I look forward to listening to many more .
"Dimly lighted 🕯️by no means he could ascertain" Dear 😮 God, this is simply amazing narration. The guy who speaks these stories is truly special, he is truly one of one
Listening to these old Howards stories makes one feel like theyre privy to secret and ancient histories, such a rich and full atmosphere man, great job!!
I have listened to a few of these now on long car rides and I have to say they are fantastic. The narration and voice acting really enrapture you in the story, thanks for doing this!
Listening to these all over again as I've binged pretty much everything on the channel 🤣 and something I didn't notice before, this is a story of a younger Conan and you being the genius you are, gave him a younger tone of voice in this one, he doesn't sounds as gruff as in the tales of his later exploits, brilliant!
I have another dramatization of that story,but you're better (better than the previous one here) because you kept all the words. As usual, really enjoyed the accents and sound effects. Good work!
Man, I thought that million-year-old, flying, alien, elephant demon? Would never die. I have expected the next line to be "Conan never heard the second half of the elephant's dying words as he had fallen asleep.." (great story and excellent reading by the way)
You did great work with this narration. The way you did this story was done so well, I know this spreads peace and happiness to whomever hears it, when you do your job this good, you're doing God's work, you blessed the human race with this one, God bless you and all your subscribers too
Just discovered Robert E. Howard recently and have been enjoying alot of his stories. Excellent narration I look forward to listening to the rest on your channel
I was actually looking up how to complete the tower of the elephant achievement on Xbox in Conan exiles. I had no idea this game was inspired by an actual book lol.
How old do you think Conan is supposed to be in this story? I always have pictured this as one of his earliest adventures from how unfamiliar he comes across in the beginning
@@billyrayvalentine8471 Side note; I think Thomas won the Shazam award for Best writer in his (and Barry Smith) adaptation of this story. That's why I enjoyed Robert Jordan early Conan novels. It was fun reading about a teenager Conan (who people kept underestimating because of his age.)
@@TheCybrarian thinking about it now, this experience with Yag-Kosha was probably a major formulative moment for Conan, revealing his true heritage as an Atlantean and setting him on the path to being king of Aquilonia
In "Red Nails" the sent of a black lotus only causes deep sleep. In this one it's instant death. Funny little incongruity in REH's world of sword and sorcery.
yeah, we noticed diff stories sometimes have diff colors of lotus and have odd differing effects (they're in queen of the black coast and other's too), think it's just all-purpose mcguffin
prob like an opiate, a little gets u high like the guys in slithering shadow, a bit more knocks u out like conan in queen of the black coast, and even more kills you like the lions in elephants tower
At least this is actually conan Robert e howards written not some person who thinks they can write him. Not L. Sprague de camp saying hey let me do a rewrite an edit take part stories. Use kull stories make them conan stories. Thanks well read
That is prob the only reason we haven't attempted it yet. We're considering some form of croudfunding for it in the future so we can cover all the extra time it would take and work on it alongside our usualy releases (so we're not just spending months doing only that).
eventually probably, but first we have to draft a print on demand book version with our own bio to attached it to due to audible guidelines, but before that it and other stories of ours are/will be available on bandcamp... thecybrarian.bandcamp.com/
Love the stories and narration. I hate and am irritated by the disclaimer. I began reading the Conan series when I was about 12/13,they never disturbed or upset me in any way whatsoever - quite the opposite in fact. The 21st century is becoming a distopian nightmare written about in the 20th - truth stranger than fiction? Not exactly but definitely becoming strange as fiiction.
R.E. HOWARD: "So I'm writing this story featuring a freakishly creepy alien being who is worshipped as a god by jungle tribes..." H.P. LOVECRAFT: "Fucking based!" R.E HOWARD: "...who turns to be a totally cool guy, cruelly and unjustifiably tortured by civilized men." H.P. LOVECRAFT: "Dude, WTF??" R.E. HOWARD: "Oh, and the jungle tribe people are pretty cool too." H.P. LOVECRAFT: "Nooooooo!!"
Unfortunately, we can't confirm that as we didn't put it together. We could write and perform our own music for these but fear it would take too long and we'd never finish anything. In the video description is the track list for all the music involved which is available from RUclips audio library, this is the track you mean... ruclips.net/video/ajhw4paxPCA/видео.html
That’s the one, thank you for replying! I read about every Conan book when I was younger, amongst hundreds of others, and to this day I believe they are captivating, exciting, the perfect length for a short read, etc. My mother played the dulcimer and the hammered dulcimer and I thought I noticed it and it worked perfectly in a genre of books that I would have never expected to find it. Thank you again for the good work, you picked the absolute perfect reading material.
I played it for my mother and she confirmed that it was with about 98% certainty a hammered dulcimer. Thank you again for the good work and for taking the time to reply. My mother got her dulcimers at the Berea arts fair in Kentucky. Interesting to hear an instrument born in Appalachia, played in an Arabian theme, at the beginning of a Conan book!
You guys really hit the nail on the head! I loved reading books so much for so many years. My favorite series of books were the Conan books obviously, the Piers Anthony Xanth series, and the Dragonlance Chronicles! Life is so busy and hectic these days that Conan may translate the best into audio format of the three.
How is this story a criticism of nationalism? How does the elephant describe the lifespan of empires and nations? What is Howard trying to say about the belief that one particular nation is superior to another?
we're not sure, it could be that the endless lifespan of the elephant allows it to witness the rise and fall of nations and as the adage states 'treason is just a matter of dates' so are nations, they eb and flow as do views of them
Oh man! Your incredible voiceover of Howard's masterful prose truly brings his story to life, chapter 3 gave me goosebumps... Thank you for breathing new life into this classic Conan tale! ✨
![Conan - The Phoenix on the Sword [complete audiobook]](/img/1.gif)
The Tower of the Elephant - Remastered.
(we actually looked into how long it would take to remaster the original, and realised that it'd take less time with a complete re-record, so here it is, a new updated recording, new images, more foley, more music, better quality - enjoy)
This will be updated on our ‘Mature Fiction’ and 'Conan' playlists. If you have this saved on any personal playlists, please update as the original version shall be taken down (usually within 2 months of the remaster being premiered).
Yeah this guy is great
I love all of these, but this one is my fave
ya know with AI image generators being so good these days it would be easy to make the video with images that show more or less what is going on, might want to leave out color so people can imagine it still but vague representations are good tool.
this is one of my favorite stories.
This is one of my favorites. Conan is a total bro. He's the ultimate example of "give respect, get respect". Also, the more civilized someone is, the more evil they become.
Too true, civilisation breed greed n corruption n all sorts of unpleasentness.
Civilisation is why the phone, pad or laptop on which you’re listening to this story came into being-and are also why you’re able to broadcast your opinion that it’s “evil “.
Also, read Napoleon Chagnon’s account of the “fierce people” and then tell me civilisation is the source of evil.
Of course Howard's ideas about civilization are debateable but "and yet you live in a civilization, curious" is a poor reply.
The Fierce People is of course an interesting book but not one that is uncontroversial in its research methodology.
Civilizations have existed for thousands of years in equilibrium and adaptability, and have fostered the best traits of humanity. Only until recently was this the case. But that is not because of civilization, it's because of an absence of civility.
What are the others?
For me this is the classic Conan tale. Perfect sword and sorcery.
Wonderful, and so near the start of Conan's adventures.
I first knew this story through a marvel giant size Conan graphic novel. I had not had this story in text to read before.
The graphic novel art was really great in only monochrome black n white. I can't remember the artist, but it was high quality style,very realistic.
I don't recall the comic version being as detailed and complicated of story, it was quite abridged now that I know the original.
PS: the graphic art version I recall also hit me as very sad,it was one of the very few Conan stories where the adversary was not really what was expected and was actually a enslaved victim of a sorcerer. As a kid it wasn't the typical stories I read as it wasn't expected turn of the plot. It was one of the best stories, as it was quite emotional to be found in a sword and sorcery adventure story.
How can it not be classic? It's original writer 1930s can't get any more classic not like there's going to anymore real conan stories written
Robert E Howard was a truly gifted author. Your narration brings his story to life. Well done sir, I am honored to be a member of this audience.
Some of the finest 'readings' of the Conan stories I have ever heard. Truly excellent stuff!
Glad you enjoyed it! (yeah, we're never sure weather to call them audiobooks or dramatisations or what)
@@TheCybrarian I’d call it a dramatization since there were sound effects and more than just different voices for the characters.
Conan’s voice was just what I would have expected.
Ver well done!
@@MasterMalrubius yeah, we like the term dramatisations, but audiobook seems to get more search results, algorithms etc (all tech bafflement)
The creativity and surreal nature of this story being made in 1933 is as astounding to me as conan coming across yog- kosha
Oh yes, it hit us when we were doing the Solomon Kane story where he fights bat-men...more than 20 years before Batman was thought up.
It's crazy that we think of Lord of the Rings as being "old" yet it's actually pretty recent and new lol......
Happily the first Conan story I listened to, and still my favorite. I hunted down a collection of Conan stories, all Howard's work. I have you to thank for introducing me to this marvelous series, and Robert E. Howard to boot. These audio books are excellent and I share them as often as I can.
Thank you so much, keep spreading the word :)
I am so glad that I found your channel. I stumbled upon this story when I was 12 years old and was immediately hooked. I read everything Conan that I could find. During a terrible time in my life filled with abuse at home and bullying at school, these stories helped me to escape reality. Conan was fearless and unstoppable. I would pick up one of his stories and immediately be transported to a place where nobody could hurt me. I am 51 now and had almost forgotten about that magical place. Thank you for narrating these stories. I look forward to listening to many more .
The world can be real harsh n we all need a place to escape to. You're always welcome here.
Your voice was made for heroic fantasy. Truly a joy to listen to this classic tale all Howard fans are familiar with.
"Dimly lighted 🕯️by no means he could ascertain" Dear 😮 God, this is simply amazing narration. The guy who speaks these stories is truly special, he is truly one of one
Listening to these old Howards stories makes one feel like theyre privy to secret and ancient histories, such a rich and full atmosphere man, great job!!
Very nice voice for Yag-Kosha there. Finally getting a decent sense of his age and agony!
This is amazing. I can't believe we get such excellent content for free. You are such a legend 🤘
His prose is very descriptive, yet not overwrought. He writes as if he intended it to be filmed❤
REH does so well at doing more with less
Or Illustrated.
This is my first Conan story, from back in the SSOC days
it was one of the first written, and shows Conan at his youngest
One minute in and it's already a masterpiece, bravo!
Well done, I have the whole collection of Howard's Conan stories in a giant book. Your narration was fantastic.
This was excellent. My favorite Howard tale.
I have listened to a few of these now on long car rides and I have to say they are fantastic. The narration and voice acting really enrapture you in the story, thanks for doing this!
I read this story in Jr high. One of my favorite. Thank you.
Listening to these all over again as I've binged pretty much everything on the channel 🤣 and something I didn't notice before, this is a story of a younger Conan and you being the genius you are, gave him a younger tone of voice in this one, he doesn't sounds as gruff as in the tales of his later exploits, brilliant!
ye, think we tried to lean into that more in the remaster, thanks
This is my favorite Conan story.
Thanks so much! Tower of the Elephant is my favorite Conan story and your reading is so perfect.
I have another dramatization of that story,but you're better (better than the previous one here) because you kept all the words.
As usual, really enjoyed the accents and sound effects. Good work!
Marvellous. First read these as a kid in the 70's. Memories are made of these. Much thanks!
The background sounds and music really help me focus on these. Thank you!
Man, I thought that million-year-old, flying, alien, elephant demon? Would never die.
I have expected the next line to be
"Conan never heard the second half of the elephant's dying words as he had fallen asleep.."
(great story and excellent reading by the way)
Another great reading!
Im so glad i discovered your channel. I just started getting into the Conan series. This was well narrated
This is such a good narration, plus that angle of Lovecraft Elder Gods + Conan always never disappoints!
it is odd and wonderful the REH makes us sympathetic toward a Lovecraftian outer god
@@TheCybrarian Lend a lot more depth to Lovecraft's short story 'the Outer Gods' - proves that we humans are capable of great evil
Crazy that this story is over 90 years old
You have brought this to perfect life! Very skillful and thoroughly entertaining! Magnificent reading and sound effects! Thanks!
You did great work with this narration. The way you did this story was done so well, I know this spreads peace and happiness to whomever hears it, when you do your job this good, you're doing God's work, you blessed the human race with this one, God bless you and all your subscribers too
Spectacular, again and again.
I remember this as a strip story in 'The Savage Sword of Conan' magazine. Always been my favourite Conan story. Great reading. Thank you. 👏👏🐘🗡️
One my favorites been waiting for this version
Wow, nice work!
Your voice acting is fantastic! Subscribing, and then going to binge your conan readings
Welcome aboard!
try the playlists...
ruclips.net/p/PLlFcav_ti8rkUvq2sqnHxKQ6AmeSN-2QK
Great story telling and great visual effects. I just came across this channel 2 days ago and it's a great channel.
Welcome aboard!
Plenty more to enjoy.
Great Yag-kosha voice in this, really hard thing to capture just reading the text, it takes a lot of imagination to interpret it
I usually don't like audio versions of Howard's work, but this is pretty good.
I actually adapted this story as well with my buddy Matt Schmitz
Terrific .
Great voice for the elephant! Really similar to John Hurt's performance in David Lynch's The Elephant Man.
wow, we hadn't thought of that, but yeah, the breathy gasping nassle effect is what we tried to go for
Well done.
This is great! I wish the Conan stories were numbered in order , I am having a hard time finding which to listen to next.
We have a playlist with all current conan stories in chronology for the character...
ruclips.net/p/PLlFcav_ti8rkUvq2sqnHxKQ6AmeSN-2QK
...enjoy.
Super, thanks so much, and I will sir!
another great reading , cheers
This was Great story, The narrator gets a 👍 from me. I love Conan stories. Please 🙏 continue with the great work.
Many more to come!
Hell of a story, well told.
Just discovered Robert E. Howard recently and have been enjoying alot of his stories. Excellent narration I look forward to listening to the rest on your channel
welcome, you'll have a lot to get through, it'd be great to experience these for the first time again.
Excellent, again.
A very fine reading. Nice music, pics & soundfx. Impressive. Thanks for the posting & the great work.🪓
This is fantastic.
Very well done, man.
This is incredible!
Korgoth of Barbaria
Superb, thanks!
One of your best, sir.
That was great. Thank you.
I was actually looking up how to complete the tower of the elephant achievement on Xbox in Conan exiles. I had no idea this game was inspired by an actual book lol.
Poss more parts of the game here...
ruclips.net/p/PLlFcav_ti8rkUvq2sqnHxKQ6AmeSN-2QK&si=RgMu2G9AQsWDftdo
Thank you, well done
Outstanding!
Dramatized. Nice. Keep it unabridged. 👍👍
How old do you think Conan is supposed to be in this story? I always have pictured this as one of his earliest adventures from how unfamiliar he comes across in the beginning
We think he's barely 20, if that
I've always understood him to be 18 or so. I believe Roy Thomas pegged him for 18 here. Still fairly ignorant of the ways of civilization.
A whelp, no doubt, but a keen and agile one.
@@billyrayvalentine8471 Side note; I think Thomas won the Shazam award for Best writer in his (and Barry Smith) adaptation of this story.
That's why I enjoyed Robert Jordan early Conan novels. It was fun reading about a teenager Conan (who people kept underestimating because of his age.)
@@TheCybrarian thinking about it now, this experience with Yag-Kosha was probably a major formulative moment for Conan, revealing his true heritage as an Atlantean and setting him on the path to being king of Aquilonia
1933? Wow i cant get my head around that.
i know, right?
so much great work, 90 years ago, and all before the author was 30
Good one !
Id love to hear you cover "the flower women" by Clark Ashton Smith !
We've had CAS reckommended several times and we shall get to him and lovecraft in due course, thanks.
Brother! I grew up on those 12 Books!
And the Cover Artists🤟❤️🇨🇦🍻
Excellent Canada!
In "Red Nails" the sent of a black lotus only causes deep sleep. In this one it's instant death. Funny little incongruity in REH's world of sword and sorcery.
yeah, we noticed diff stories sometimes have diff colors of lotus and have odd differing effects (they're in queen of the black coast and other's too), think it's just all-purpose mcguffin
prob like an opiate, a little gets u high like the guys in slithering shadow, a bit more knocks u out like conan in queen of the black coast, and even more kills you like the lions in elephants tower
I love it, I feel like I was never civilised, as much as I try
Nothing short of great
Bro for real u guys are badass
Back again. 🍻Hope your feeling better.
thank you
Damn that was good
"are you going to touch me again?" 😢 that poor creature
At least this is actually conan Robert e howards written not some person who thinks they can write him. Not L. Sprague de camp saying hey let me do a rewrite an edit take part stories. Use kull stories make them conan stories. Thanks well read
oh yes, we only use original REH
Woah.... I subbed
The Emperor in his more belligerent phase of life
Man id really like you to read the hour of the dragon, it is 8 hours long though...
That is prob the only reason we haven't attempted it yet. We're considering some form of croudfunding for it in the future so we can cover all the extra time it would take and work on it alongside our usualy releases (so we're not just spending months doing only that).
@@TheCybrarian not going to lie, id be up for it
@@bouganhagain8131 well when it happens, we'll shout about it all over the channel, so you'll hear it coming, thanks
torches flared murkily.
12:46
Will this become available again on Audible in the UK? The product is no longer available!
eventually probably, but first we have to draft a print on demand book version with our own bio to attached it to due to audible guidelines, but before that it and other stories of ours are/will be available on bandcamp...
thecybrarian.bandcamp.com/
Love the stories and narration. I hate and am irritated by the disclaimer.
I began reading the Conan series when I was about 12/13,they never disturbed or upset me in any way whatsoever - quite the opposite in fact. The 21st century is becoming a distopian nightmare written about in the 20th - truth stranger than fiction? Not exactly but definitely becoming strange as fiiction.
Subbed!
Welcome!
R.E. HOWARD: "So I'm writing this story featuring a freakishly creepy alien being who is worshipped as a god by jungle tribes..."
H.P. LOVECRAFT: "Fucking based!"
R.E HOWARD: "...who turns to be a totally cool guy, cruelly and unjustifiably tortured by civilized men."
H.P. LOVECRAFT: "Dude, WTF??"
R.E. HOWARD: "Oh, and the jungle tribe people are pretty cool too."
H.P. LOVECRAFT: "Nooooooo!!"
WHAT REGION AND CITY WAS THE TOWER of the ELEPHANT ?
the Zamorian city of Arenjun, also known as the "City of Thieves", based on Persia, especially Baghdad.
(as per wiki and sword of REH sources)
@@TheCybrarian THANKS
32:27
Ulster Plantation?
A tragic story
we all feel sorry for the tortured god😓
@@TheCybrarian On a neat side it shows that humans too can be monsters
Humans are usually the problem. The reason there's monsters is coz humans have worshipped it or something.
@@TheCybrarian now that is untapped power
schumitush counterfeiter with his hooked nose and curled blue black beard.
kicked out of that bar 109 times
yup, gets rough out there
Is that a hammered dulcimer at the intro music?
Unfortunately, we can't confirm that as we didn't put it together. We could write and perform our own music for these but fear it would take too long and we'd never finish anything. In the video description is the track list for all the music involved which is available from RUclips audio library, this is the track you mean...
ruclips.net/video/ajhw4paxPCA/видео.html
That’s the one, thank you for replying! I read about every Conan book when I was younger, amongst hundreds of others, and to this day I believe they are captivating, exciting, the perfect length for a short read, etc. My mother played the dulcimer and the hammered dulcimer and I thought I noticed it and it worked perfectly in a genre of books that I would have never expected to find it. Thank you again for the good work, you picked the absolute perfect reading material.
I played it for my mother and she confirmed that it was with about 98% certainty a hammered dulcimer. Thank you again for the good work and for taking the time to reply. My mother got her dulcimers at the Berea arts fair in Kentucky. Interesting to hear an instrument born in Appalachia, played in an Arabian theme, at the beginning of a Conan book!
@@bigj2518 Fantastic. Yeah, we loved that Eastern, almost Sitar, feel.
You guys really hit the nail on the head! I loved reading books so much for so many years. My favorite series of books were the Conan books obviously, the Piers Anthony Xanth series, and the Dragonlance Chronicles! Life is so busy and hectic these days that Conan may translate the best into audio format of the three.
How is this story a criticism of nationalism? How does the elephant describe the lifespan of empires and nations? What is Howard trying to say about the belief that one particular nation is superior to another?
I need help answering this question
we're not sure, it could be that the endless lifespan of the elephant allows it to witness the rise and fall of nations and as the adage states 'treason is just a matter of dates' so are nations, they eb and flow as do views of them
They always describe Conan as having brown skin as if he was black
he's just always running about exotic countries with no clothes on,
he's the color of a truckers arm or something
Oh man! Your incredible voiceover of Howard's masterful prose truly brings his story to life, chapter 3 gave me goosebumps... Thank you for breathing new life into this classic Conan tale! ✨
50:27
52:07
The cybrarian you just got you self a new fan. Excellent
thither he glid.
With Yag-Kosha and his people coming from an alien world out in the stars, we have a Science Fiction Conan story... of a sort.
absolutley, its all cosmos cthulhu, we love it
Thank you, great stories great rendition.
Gotta appreciate the accents. Nemedian sounding German.