Conan is one of those great literary characters whose true nature has been swallowed up in the morass of media reinterpretation. Howard's Conan the Cimmerian is a giant of a man, yes, but he is not the lumbering bear he later became in the popular consciousness; Schwarzenegger is not to blame for that, as this understanding had become the common one long before his films were made (check out the earlier comic book versions), and he merely played the character as the script demanded. Howard's Con...

Oh Conan. I was wrong about you, and I am so very thrilled that I was.You're not a macho fantasy devoid of interesting ideas that I'd always cast you as. Instead you're the meeting point between the childhood hot cocoa of sword and sorcery tales, and some dark and strange new way of telling stories. You lulled me with a world full of ancient mysterious ruins, bustling desert towns, and cosmic glittering treasure. Around every corner lurks another pretty girl, or evil sorcerer, or a band of ruthl...

Having finally decided to read Robert E. Howard's Conan stories, I am glad I had the good fortune to purchase the three volume, fully illustrated, Del Rey collection. Unlike the numerous Lancer/Ace paperbacks available to me in the '60's and '70's—the ones with the really cool Frank Frazetta illustrations--this edition does things right.One of the reasons I never explored Conan's world is that every Lancer/Ace volume I examined in the bookstore sported the name of at least two authors, sometimes...

Just fantastic, original fantasy that has so obviously inspired so many writers ever since. You cannot help but be immersed totally in these stories that span the long life of Conan. Robert E. Howard is undeniably a brilliant writer and his effective prose is so smooth and riveting. Can't wait to get to the next volume.

It just goes to show, things are not always as they seem. My conception of Conan the Barbarian came from Arnold and a long line of imitators using the name in the franchise for the cheapening of literature for the sake of nude, panting women in print.Robert E. Howard, the original prolific writer who had died VERY young, had kept food on the table by writing these stories, and while he sometimes did the market thing, he was very conscious of and headstrong in his craft. He was about the farthest...

What it is that makes Howard so much more compelling than his many imitators? To the untrained eye, it may be hard to see differences, since his faults are sometimes more readily apparent than his virtues, though he has plenty of both. Some might try to 'salvage him' from his pulp origins, but despite all his literary aspirations, I'm happy to call him a pulp author, and one of the best.I have a great deal of praise for this edition in particular, volume one of a three-part series which collects...

Collection of early Conan stories by his late creator Robert E Howard, including:- Cimmeria - 3/5 - brief poem describing Conan's homeland- The Phoenix on the Sword - 4/5 - Conan's first appearance is a Game-of-Thrones-esque plot to overthrow the barbarian king - The Frost-Giant's Daughter - 3/5 - initially rejected for publication and eventually published posthumously, this brief tale exhibits mythological elements of Conan's world- God in the bowl - 3/5 - Also rejected during Howard's lifetime...

Buddy Read with ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ and Evgeny, with some occasional guest appearances by other friends (we spread this out over the course of about 6 months).The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian is the first of a definitive three-volume set featuring Robert E. Howard's stories about the titular barbarian, arranged in the order they were written (not necessarily the same order in which they were originally published). The stories in this particular volume were written between approximately March 1932 (tech...

This is probably considered heresy, but Conan < Solomon Kane

I've now discovered that the best way to read Robert E. Howard's Conan stories is in big, undiluted doses. Do yourself a favor and avoid any of the stories completed or edited by L. Sprague de Camp. Trust me, you'll be glad you did. And don't dip your toes into Conan's world, plunge into it headfirst and stay a while. Taken as individual snacks, each Conan story has its sweet spots and its bitter bits. But taken as a meal, several Conan stories can provide a rich feast. The Coming of Conan the C...

My first time reading Robert.E.Howard stories. These tales had so much passion and energy. I was totally enamored.The stories switch back and forth in time. Some of them have Conan as a King while in others he is a travelling mercenary for hire or a pirate. Howard is not too big on plotting. But the descriptions of spectacular cities, palaces, jungles, islands, other worldly beings, violent battles and passionate men and women are what makes these stories worthwhile.There is a marked attempt to

Great series of books. I love the Conan character. Conan what is best in life...I'll be back!Oops! Right actor wrong character. My two favourite characters Arnie played on screen. I love the Conan books and the first film; not the rubbish remake with the Game Of Thrones actor in it; Conan The Barbarian starring Arnold Swartzenegga in it was brilliant. Shame he never made a third film before he got all wrinkly like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky 37. Oh! That was a pun in the film aeroplane 2. Showin...

The first 13 REH Conan stories complete with his poem "Cimmeria", drafts, synopses, artwork by Mark Schultz, notes, maps, and Howard's sprawling "The Hyborian Age" history are included in this remarkable book. But the major highlights are the stories and the gems like "The Tower of the Elephant" in which a young Conan attempts to steal from an impregnable tower in the seedy city of Zamora and comes across more than he ever thought possible in his world in elephantine Yag-kosha" along with "Quee

*** NOTE: Lesson number 4 above was inspired by Ceridwen’s legendary review of Ulysses and the even more legendary comment section following it....The Guest Speaker doesn't know it but the real goal of lesson #4 is to help the instructors spot and weed out incurable ASSHATS.5.0 stars. This was my first in depth experience with Robert E. Howard’s Conan and IT…….WAS…….PULPTASTICALLY ……DELICIOUS. However, not only was it more fun than a dungeon full of giant snakes, but it was also very instruc

This is the first time I have ever read (listened) to a series of Conan stories that were all by Robert E. Howard, undiluted by his imitators and diminishers, and what a revelation. Howard's work was not the pulpy trash of his followers; it was accomplished, vital, deep and rich in characterization, and some of the finest world building ever achieved. It was that thing I love most: a novel in short stories. Listening to this collection, one gets a full picture of Howard's Cimmerian. Not the "bar...

⚔ Me Like Me Some Yummy Barbarian Cimmerian for Breakfast Buddy Read (MLMSYBCfBBR™) with the Scarlet Citadel Hordes of Doom (SCHoD™), namely My One and Only Male Hatchling and The Most Dreaded Overlord ⚔Mathematically Computed Overall Rating: 3.917640615 stars.So. Before reading this Slighty Very Bloody Shrimping Entertaining Collection (SVBSEC™), my knowledge about Conan was limited to this:Yes yes yes, I know, I should be disgustingly ashamed of myself. And I am, actually. Most revoltingly ash...

Note, May 23, 2021: When I wrote this review, I stated that no one had ever published a complete collection of Howard's poetry. Actually, though I didn't know it then, one was published in 2009, so I've just updated the review to reflect this.Conan the Barbarian is undoubtedly the best-known of the several series protagonists created by pulp-era giant Robert E. Howard; his corpus of Conan stories essentially created the whole sub-genre of "swords-and-sorcery" fantasy. I came to REH's work relati...

You know, I used to think I hated Conan stories. That was before I realized that what I had read were in fact imperfect pastiches written by other writers in the 60's and 70's who hoped to cash in on the iconic popularity of the character.This volume presents the stories of Conan the Cimmerian as they were written by his creator, Robert E. Howard, and a better group of dashing, creepy, brooding sword & sorcery tales couldn't be wished for. The stories are presented in the order they were written...

- Keldon Warcaller - Aaron Miller (MTG, Wizards of the Coast, 2018) In this world men struggle and suffer vainly, finding pleasure only in the bright madness of battle; dying, their souls enter a gray misty realm of clouds and icy winds, to wander cheerlessly throughout eternity. (...) I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content. Now mercenary, then pirate, sailor, and thi...

What needs to be said? It's Conan. If you've only seen the movie...do yourself a favor and take a look at these pulp greats.Like many Conan is one of my first introductions into fantasy and Conan personifies the Sword and Sorcery sub-genre of fantasy. He was great to read when Howard came up with him and he's still a great read today.This is volume one of a three volume set released with Howard's original texts. It contains:"The Phoenix on the Sword" "The Frost Giant's Daughter" "The God in the