Sanctum Secorum

Tonight, in their 50th episode, the Keepers of Mystery are joined by guests Stephen Newton, Francis Roberts, and the Dark Master himself - Joseph Goodman. The Keepers and their guests discuss Joseph Goodman's favorite Appendix N work, Robert E. Howard's The Tower of the Elephant. In the Zamorian city of Arenjun,also known as the "City of Thieves,” a young Conan  is drinking in a rowdy tavern when he overhears a Kothic rogue describe a fabulous jewel known as the "Heart of the Elephant," which is kept in a tower by an evil sorcerer named Yara, of whom even the King of Zamora is afraid. Conan ventures into Yara's garden to steal the jewel and encounters Taurus of Nemedia, known as the "Prince of Thieves,” who has the same agenda. Taurus is wily and fat, but amazingly agile. Impressed by Conan's daring, Taurus agrees to work together. Also, be sure not to miss the information on how you may win the very last unclaimed copy of the Shadowed Grimoire, #10 of 10.

Join two of our Keepers of Mysteries as they examine Armor, by John Steakley. The planet is called Banshee. The air is unbreathable, the water is poisonous. It is home to the most implacable enemies that humanity, in all its interstellar expansion, has ever encountered. Body armor has been devised for the commando forces that are to be dropped on Banshee—the culmination of ten thousand years of the armorers’ craft. A trooper in this armor is a one-man, atomic powered battle fortress. But he will have to fight a nearly endless horde of berserk, hard-shelled monsters—the fighting arm of a species which uses biological technology to design perfect, mindless war minions. Felix is a scout in A-team Two. Highly competent, he is the sole survivor of mission after mission. Yet he is a man consumed by fear and hatred. And he is protected, not only by his custom-fitted body armor, but by an odd being which seems to live within him, a cold killing machine he calls “The Engine.”  Armor is the story of humanity’s war against an alien race whose foot soldiers are three-meter-tall insects, referred to as “ants”. It is also the story of a research colony on the fringes of human territory which is threatened by pirates. The two plots intertwine and finally join at the end, with each providing answers and insight into events of the other.

Tonight the Keepers of Mystery discuss a work by Lord Dunsany, The Charwoman’s Shadow. Published in 1926, before the term “fantasy” had ever been used to describe the genre. An old woman who spends her days scrubbing the floors might be an unlikely damsel in distress, but Lord Dunsany proves once again his mastery of the fantastical. The Charwoman's Shadow is a beautiful tale of a sorcerer's apprentice who discovers his master's nefarious usage of stolen shadows, and vows to save the charwoman from her slavery.

Join two of our Keepers of Mysteries as they examine The First Book of Swords, by Fred Saberhagen. For those wishing to support Ashraf Braden's first RPG release - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/424089/The-Kakondo Plus, tune in for our latest fantasy book give away! Originally broadcast live on the Goodman Games twitch channel on January 24, 2023.

The story picks up the saga of the two protagonists from the Face in the Frost, Prospero and, to a much lesser extent, Roger Bacon. In this adventure, war has come to the South Kingdoms and Prospero finds himself kidnapped and exiled on an island. While he manages to escape, he finds himself an unwitting captive a second time, with a situation even more dire. Meanwhile, he is unable to completely unravel why he was captured in the first place. Welcome to the Sanctum Secorum podcast. Tonight, the Keepers of Mysteries return from their long hiatus to discuss this unfinished work by John Bellairs.

The Keepers of Mysteries return to the Goodman Games Twitch channel with an all-new live show on Tuesday, December 20th at 9pm! Join Jen and Bob Brinkman as they take a deep dive into the progenitors and contemporaries of Appendix N. Burn, Witch, Burn! by Abraham Merritt isn't specifically listed on Appendix N, but certainly is an important work by this often overlooked author. As a writer, Merritt drew upon the works of earlier authors (such as Gertrude Barrows Bennett) to create dreamlike words and sinister antagonists. Join us as we close out the 1st Season of the Sanctum Secorum Reading Room, with our trademark discussions plus a number of listener giveaways - including a very special giveaway sponsored by Levi Combs and Planet X Games. Come for the Appendix N, stay for the holiday giveaways! Enter the Sanctum Secorum... and be inspired. Originally broadcast live on the Goodman Games twitch channel on December 20, 2022. Join us next month as we read The First Book of Swords.

A predecessor to Howard’s Conan the barbarian, Solomon Kane is a somber-looking Puritan who wanders the world with no apparent goal other than to vanquish evil in all its forms. Returning to Africa, Solomon Kane's old friend N'Longa (the witch doctor from "Red Shadows") gives the Puritan a magic wooden staff, the Staff of Solomon, which will protect him in his travels. Kane enters the jungle and finds a city of vampires.With his faith in god, the magic of N’Longa, and his wits, Kane must destroy them all.  This is a sequel to the first Solomon Kane story published, Red Shadows. Welcome to the Sanctum Secorum podcast. Tonight, the Keepers of Mysteries return with a special guest, Judge Eric Young!

Join two of our Keepers of Mysteries as they take a look at The House on the Borderland, by William Hope Hodgson - a story praised by both H. P. Lovecraft and Sir Terry Pratchett, as well as being influential for Clark Ashton Smith. Be sure to check out the music of Electric Wizard and their song The House on the Borderland. Plus, tune in for our latest fantasy book give away! Originally broadcast live on the Goodman Games twitch channel on November 15, 2022. Join us next month as we read Burn, Witch, Burn!

In a special Halloween episode, Keepers Jen and Bob dive in to the delightfully spooky seasonal tale, A Night in the Lonesome October, by Roger Zelazny. Plus, tune in for our latest fantasy book give away! You could win a copy of Jack of Shadows (details in the show). Originally broadcast live on the Goodman Games twitch channel on Oct 30, 2022.

Join the Keepers of Mystery for a special episode of the Sanctum Secorum, recorded live. Joining us to discuss his new book, as well as his lengthy career and more is Michael Moorcock. This special extended cut includes a small amount of material that didn't make it into the livestream due to technical issues. Originally broadcast live on the Goodman Games twitch channel on October 8, 2022.

Join two of our Keepers of Mysteries as they take a look at the non-Lankhmar works of Fritz Leiber, specifically the short story collection Horrible Imaginings. Join them as they explore often overlooked stories by the man who coined the term "sword & sorcery". Plus, tune in for our latest fantasy book give away! Originally broadcast live on the Goodman Games twitch channel on Sept 20, 2022.

Join two of our Keepers of Mysteries as they discuss one of the earliest (and longest) works of Clark Ashton Smith, The Black Diamonds. Written by a 14 year old Smith, this 1,001 Arabian Nights-inspired story is a wild ride indeed! Plus, tune in for our latest fantasy book give away! Originally broadcast live on the Goodman Games twitch channel on Aug 23, 2022.

Join two of our Keepers of Mysteries as they discuss a story written in 1666 (yes, 1666). Tonight, as part of our series exploring the women progenitors of Appendix N, we examine The Blazing World by by Her Grace, Margaret Lucas Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Buckle up! Originally broadcast live on the Goodman Games twitch channel on July 19, 2022.

The Keepers of Mysteries return to the Goodman Games Twitch channel with an all-new live show tonight! Join Jen and Bob Brinkman as they take a deep dive into the tomes of Appendix N. The Sanctum Secorum Reading Room plumbs the depths of Appendix N, introducing readers to inspirational materials. This month, they continue their series of episodes looking at the women of Appendix N (and those who inspired it), examining Zenna Henderson's "Pilgrimage: The Book of The People". Enter the Sanctum Secorum… and be inspired.

The Keepers of Mysteries return to the Goodman Games Twitch channel with an all-new live show tonight! Join Jen and Bob Brinkman as they take a deep dive into the tomes of Appendix N. The Sanctum Secorum Reading Room plumbs the depths of Appendix N, introducing readers to inspirational materials. This month, they continue their series of episodes looking at the women of Appendix N (and those who inspired it), examining Margaret St. Clair's novel The Dolphins of Altair. Enter the Sanctum Secorum… and be inspired.