The Complete Chronicles Of Conan: Centenary Edition

Conan the Cimmerian #1-3

by Robert E. Howard, Stephen Jones (Foreword)

Conan the Cimmerian: the boy-thief who became a mercenary, who fought and loved his way across fabled lands to become King of Aquilonia. Neither supernatural fiends nore demonic sorcery could oppose the barbarian warrior as he wielded his mighty sword and dispatched his enemies to a bloody doom on the battlefields of the legendary Hyborian age.

Collected together in one volume for the very first time, in chronological order, are Robert E. Howard's tales of the legendary hero, as fresh and atmospheric today as when they were first published in the pulp magazines of more than seventy years ago.

Compiled by and with a foreward and afterword by award-winning writer and editor Stephen Jones.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Short Stories, Adventure, Sword and Sorcery, Pulp

952 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 1936

About the author

Robert Ervin Howard was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. Howard wrote "over three-hundred stories and seven-hundred poems of raw power and unbridled emotion" and is especially noted for his memorable depictions of "a sombre universe of swashbuckling adventure and darkling horror."

He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.

—Wikipedia

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Graeme Rodaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet."

And so it was...

The best of the collection are ...

The Tower of the Elephant
The Pool of the Black Ones
Queen of the Black Coast
The Devil in Iron
The People of the Black Circle
A Witch shall be Born
Beyond the Black River, and
The Hour of the Dragon.

(Reviewed from last to first...)

15/May/20: 26, 27, 28. Afterword ...: There is an extensive afterword about the career of Robert E. Howard. Well worth a read.

15/May/20: 26, 27, 28. The Snout in the Dark (Draft), Hall of the Dead (Synopsis), The Hand of Nergal (Fragment): Are very much just that, half-written drafts, notes, etc - not rated.

04/May/20: 25. Wolves Beyond the Border (Draft): More of technical interest than to be enjoyed as a story, as the final act was in a summary outline form. Also, the big guy was completely off stage. At best, 3 'Howard's Prep Techniques on Show,' stars.

30/Apr/20: 24. The Vale of Lost Women: Lost Ophirian princess Livia flees a tribe of savages while Conan takes a few heads. Wandering aimlessly in the night, she falls into the hands of a tribe of soulless women and a 'Devil from the Outer Dark.' Fortunately, Conan followed her tracks and sends the foul horror back to the cosmic realm whence it came. Kinda ho hum .... 3 'Let the Cosmic Horror Win Next Time,' stars.

24/Apr/20: 23. Drums of Tombalku (Draft): Kinda a replay of '#7. The Slithering Shadow' where a lost city is filled with a degenerating people and a fell 'cosmic,' horror. Conan is off scene and his 'boon companion,' Amalric the Aquilonian is front and center stage. Ended in a hurry with a sense that more needed to be said. 3 'Still a Draft,' stars.

22/Apr/20: 22. The Frost Giant's Daughter: So, this faery king has a beautiful, but cruel daughter... Conan, weary, spent, the sole survivor of a furious battle encounters the daughter of a God, who asks ...

"'Am I not beautiful, oh man?' 'Like Dawn running naked on the snows,' he muttered, his eyes burning like those of a wolf."

Filled with a divinely inspired raging desire, Conan gives chase, but to little avail as hot mortal lust will not be quenched by a cosmic maiden of ice. 3 'Beware Uncanny Maidens Stalking Blood-Drenched Fields,' stars.

21/Apr/20: 21. The Black Stranger: Frack! For half this tale, the mighty Cimmerian is off scene, and even worse the key dimensions of conflict swirl around him. Once Conan arrives, it's with his blood-soaked cutless swinging, but he can't save this tale from its lack of focus. 3 'Where's the Beef?' stars.

24/Mar/20: 20. The God in the Bowl: The keystone cops Nemedian police catch Conan in the middle of pilfering a rich man's horde. Murder has been done, and baseless accusations fly, until they all realize they are far from alone. 4 'Cosmic Horror,' stars.

18/Feb/20: 19. The Hour of the Dragon: The horseshoes hit the road in a massive pursuit story. Ancient wizards are resurrected, kingdoms are lost and won, battles are fought, slaves freed, rival priests conduct magic war over a terrifying artifact, fell tyranny is practiced by ambitious princes, there are ghouls, vampires, giant serpents, fell cults, wise women, and over all, majestic themes of revenge, justice, loyalty, perseverance, courage and love. 5+ epic fantasy stars. (Best of book so far).

26/Jan/20: 18. Red Nails: A divided house will fall, and so it does for the ill-fated inhabitants of the lost city/castle of Xuchotl. Supposedly one of R.E Howard's more famous stories I was underwhelmed. There's a massive Deus Ex Machina in the last three pages that rescues Conan and Valeria from certain death at the hands of a life-sucking vampiress... 3 'assisted by undead ghouls' stars.

Deus Ex Machinas and Villainous Gloat speeches are personal pet hates of mine. On reflection, this reminds me of the -T-Rex vs Velociraptors scene in Jurassic Park. You Know the one. The humans are surrounded, no weapons, and about to become snacks, when T-Rex wanders on stage from a closet just off screen, slaughters the velociraptors, and roars mightily while the amazingly lucky humans scamper away to safety....

14/Jan/20: 17. Shadows in Zamboula: Not Howard's best work. A little bit by the numbers tale, where Conan outwits and out-fights the locals in Zamboula. Add in a dark priest's brew of potions, illusions, stranglers, greedy inn-keepers, a deceitful dancer, and a posse of lumbering cannibals and we have a story worthy of 3 chin-scratching stars.

07/Jan/20: 16. Beyond the Black River: A moving tale of courage against insurmountable odds. Long prosper the shades of Balthus and Slasher. I wasn't sure what sort of story I had here until the end. It kept me guessing all along, and like the war-weary woodsman who remarks to Conan at the end of the story - I also find civilization to be a thin and fragile veneer. 5 courageous against all odds stars.

22/Dec/19: 15. Jewels of Gwahlur: A baffling tale of scheming mercenaries, hidden temples, lost humanoids of terrifying violence, a fabled, mystical treasure, religious fanatics, cryptic clues, secret doorways, an actress, and a goddess - although the goddess might be optional, she kept appearing and disappearing like the pea in a shell game. Not R.E's best work. It kept losing me because I had to think too much... 3 baffling stars.

'Baffled wrath confused the brain of Conan the Cimmerian.'

Yes, Conan - you and me both.

18/Dec/19: 14. A Witch Shall be Born: Ahh... yes! The iconic Conan on the cross scene biting a vulture's head off finally raises its bloodied head. This story is rich in themes of revenge and justice with multiple interesting character arcs. 5 vengeful stars.

14/Dec/19: 13. The People of the Black Circle: More rightly, the Shapeshifting Wizards of the Black Circle ... In the longest tale I've read so far, Conan is beset by multiple adversaries in a wonderfully layered novella. I believe we have an early instance of horcruxes on display - was J.K.Rowling a Conan fan? 5 Wizarding Stars.

08/Dec/19: 12. The Devil in Iron: Brilliantly written. The images leap off the page like Conan himself. A cosmic horror haunts a lost island in an inland sea. Only a magic dagger made of sky iron can harm it. Conan wins the girl and sends the fell creature back to the dark dimension whence it came. 5 iron giant stars.

28/Nov/19: 11. Queen of the Black Coast: Conan and his squeeze, Belit, 'Queen of the Black Coast,' reave across a dozen kingdoms until they embark upon a quest for a nameless lost city along a poisoned river. Conan prevails against a foe fallen from greatness into degeneracy in one of those scenarios where 'nuke 'em from orbit,' was the better option. Ends on a rare elegiac note of pale fire over a burnished sea. 5 love lost stars.

23/Nov/19: 10. Shadows in the Moonlight: Conan rescues a lost princess (Olivia) and rows across a sea, encounters an island harboring the revenge of a god, an anthropomorphic horror, and reckless, ruthless pirates. Mayhem ensues. Loved how this connected together and progressed smoothly through the whole story, plus there is some remarkable poetic imagery in this story. 5 lost island of horror stars.

'The sun sank like a dull-glowing copper ball into a lake of fire. The blue of the sea merged with the blue of the sky, and both turned to soft dark velvet, clustered with stars, and the mirrors of stars.'

09/Nov/19: 9. Rogues in the House: A Nobleman, a Priest, and a Cimmerian walk into a Pub... Conan teams up with a nobleman, and a priest to escape a deadly trap. In the end, there is no honor amongst thieves. Not Howard's best work. 4 beast-ape-man stars.

01/Jul/19: 8. The Pool of the Black One:

"He watched with the calm alertness of a wolf, and when he struck it was with the devastating suddeness of a thunderbolt -"

With echoes of Sun Tzu, The Odyssey, and Sinbad the Sailor, this story hits a new high, evoking a genuine sense of mysterious horror that threatens not just the body but the soul itself. 5 mysteriously evocative stars of dark horror.

27/Jun/19: 7. The Slithering Shadow: Conan and his current squeeze Natala stumble upon a fabulous high-tech (radium illumination, vivifying liqueurs, advanced narcotics) lost city peopled by drug addicts and a nameless shadowy horror. The dark humor and gritty battles left a smile on my face. 5 stars of mirth laced bloody mayhem.

24/Jun/19: 6. Black Colossus: A demonic cosmic horror, a lich-like ancient sorcerer, a tremendous battle of armies that made me think of Erikson's Malazan. A beautiful princess in need of rescuing - this ticked all the boxes, however I'm pinging a star for the villain's 'gloat speech,' at the end - I hate those with a passion. 4 dungeons and dragons inspiring stars.

08/Apr/19: 5. The Tower of the Elephant: 5 Cosmic Horror Tragic stars. This is a ripper of a story. OMG! Spiders ... I hate spiders - especially giant ones... . Simple thievery becomes a rescue mission and the original thrust of the story is turned on its head in a third act climax worthy of the name. Brilliant in both brevity and completeness of technique. This story is a showcase of story telling ability that could be used as a text-book example of 'how to do it.'

07/Mar/19: 4. The Scarlet Citadel: Captured, imprisoned in a fell dungeon, surrounded by cosmic horrors, escape, a massive pitched battle, wizards - by Crom! What a story. 5 blood drenched stars.

03/Mar/19: 3. The Phoenix on the Sword: A good start, but later in Conan's life when he is King of Aquilonia. He thwarts an assassination attempt complicated by "cosmic horrors." 4 spectral stars torn from an abysmal realm of blasphemous horrors and made such flesh that only a talisman bound sword could kill.

01/Mar/19: 2. Cimmeria (verse): Poetry is not really my thing. 3 'huh, poetry!' stars.

01/Mar/19: 1. The Hyborian Age: Simply genius world building in action. This fictional/historical essay sets the stage for what comes next. 5 genius stars.

01/Mar/19: 0. : This book just arrived on my doorstep. Leather bound, beautiful paper, a work of art in its own right. Joy!

Sadly - postponed for a week as the eBook seller (Dymocks - may you rot in bankruptcy...) eReader is a crashy bit of spam software that should be consigned to bit hell.

I then went to the angels (Angus & Robertson) and paid for the hardcover version. The Complete Chronicles Of Conan (9780575077669) Hardback Robert E. Howard should arrive by the end of February.

Strongly Recommended: 5 'sets the bar high heroic fantasy,' stars.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexist. Racist. Culturally imperialist. But, you know what . . . I had a dang fun time reading them! What? It's pulp fiction about a barbarian who doesn't understand "civilization" and has a personal code of ethics and the swordarm to enforce it among the "civilized" people of the mythical Hyborean age. Were you expecting Shakespeare?

[Andrei(Drusca) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy the book

[Olivier Delaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m glad I finally got around to reading the Conan stories, even if I did take my sweet time to do it. The reason for my delay is twofold: firstly, I thought these stories hadn’t aged well considering that they had been published for the most part in 1934, which is three years before The Hobbit itself was published (so to those out there who think that Tolkien created modern Fantasy, well, sorry guys, but even if his contribution is hugely seminal, Howard was there first. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Tolkien’s work, but I think we should be fair and give credit where credit is due. That said, The Lord of the Rings is and will remain the most perfect piece of Fantasy literature the world has ever seen, and that’s my truth.); secondly, I wasn’t (and still isn’t) particularly attracted to Conan as a character, who, or so I thought, had about as much charisma as, say, a fruit fly, or even a yumushi (and for those out there who don’t know what yumushis are…well, let’s just say that you don’t know how lucky you are!!!).

Anyway, I’m pleased to admit that I was wrong on both accounts. The Conan stories haven’t aged much, or rather not as badly as I feared; and Conan isn’t as dumb and transparent a character as I erroneously thought. All in all I was agreeably surprised by Howard’s talent and found myself completely drawn into his world, leaving my apprehensions well behind after just a few pages into the first story. And speaking of stories, I won’t go through each of them––as there are simply too many in this book––but will instead share with you three of my favorite ones.

A WITCH SHALL BE BORN is IMHO the best of the bunch. The story is about a bitch––uh, sorry, a witch––who manages to take her twin sister’s place as queen of Khauran, a powerful city state, and turns into a blood-thirsty tyrant, allowing all kinds of atrocities to be carried out against her people and enemies. Thank the Gods, Conan is here to save the day, and it is with unfeigned relish that us readers get to see the evil witch get her comeuppance. The writing is misleadingly simple and straightforward, peppered at times with a touch of archaism which falls right into place with the literature genre we’re dealing with here. A total winner.

In RED NAILS we follow Conan and his pirate lover Valeria as the couple travels through a deadly jungle to a mysterious jade city which at first seems deserted. Ancient history somewhat reminiscent of that of the pre-Columbian Americas, adventure, sorcery, treachery, human sacrifices, last-minute rescue, everything here mingles and commingles in one hell of a good story which is considered by many to be Howard’s best effort. I can hardly disagree.

JEWELS OF GWAHLUR follows Conan as our pea-headed barbarian is searching for the titular jewels in the lost city of Alkmeenon. I particularly like this one because of where it’s set (a sort of Fantasy Africa), because of its plot twists, and because toward the end we get to see that Conan also has a heart (which I find salutary), and not only three hundred pounds of muscle and a big sword. A good story through and through.

OLIVIER DELAYE
Author of the SEBASTEN OF ATLANTIS series

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

8/05/2011

Right. So I'm re-reading (and in a number of instances reading for the first time) the original Conan canon courtesy of this handsome volume (albeit my copy is a bit cat-scratched in a manner that actually makes it more befitting of its battle-scarred subject). I'll be updating this review with my comments on the stories as I read them.

The Phoenix On The Sword: It begins near the end. Near the end of Conan's career as a wandering thief, mercenary and pirate, when he has finally settled down as king of Aquilonia, one of the lands in what roughly corresponds to modern-day Europe in Howard's map of the Hyperborean age. Conan in maturity is a formidable man, invested with all the experience and authority of a man who has clawed his way to the top in a savage, perilous world; and he still has more than a touch of the worlds-defying, against-all-odds bravado of the barbarian. He needs it, because a cabal of conspirators is scheming to overthrow him. There's some weird sorcery, some stirring battle scenes and interesting asides on the power of the poet, a figure even Conan respects for his ability to move people's hearts in a way he cannot. Suffers a little from a deux ex machina ending.

The Scarlet Citadel: Is set in the same era as its predecessor and roughly the same plot - a conspiracy against King Conan, but everything is taken up a notch or two - the enemies are more, and more deadly, the wizardry is more weird and powerful and Conan battles against ever more insurmountable odds. Again, sorcerous intervention saves Conan at the end, but this time it is honestly won when Conan rescues a trapped sorcerer. Once again, Howard shows that he is equally adept at conjuring scenes of high weirdness, such as the scenes in Tsotha's dungeons, and stirring action, including a truly magnificent large-scale battle. Much as I liked The Phoenix In The Sword I think this story takes everything it did well and does it even better.

The Tower Of The Elephant: Takes us back to Conan's years as a wandering rogue. This is where the quintessential Conan stories really begin, even though I like the early tales of Conan. Begins with a vintage display of Howard's scene-painting abilities, in a vivid snapshot of a seedy tavern in the thieves' quarter of a Zamoran city. This is the story where Howard's theme of the difference between civilized man and a barbarian, and the superiority of the latter, really begins to be developed. Conan is brash, impulsive, deadly when crossed, but also clever, resourceful and ultimately capable of acting according to a moral code that has its own rigour even if it has little respect for worldly laws. Less action than the last two stories, even though Conan does slay a lion, and a plot that hinges on elements of cosmic weirdness that are next-door to science fiction at times. Also has a tinge of the genuinely tragic. I felt that Howard's prose was evolving and has shed the occasional clunkiness of the last two stories for a leaner, more sinewy style that effortlessly keeps pace with its irrepressible protagonist. It's also where Howard really starts giving us a sense of the larger world surrounding Conan.

12/05/2011

Black Colossus
The last story took us back into the long backstory to Conan's eventual kingship, changing the focus of the series to Conan's wandering-rogue years, thereby establishing the milieu that this character is most associated with. This story brings back the martial setting of the first two stories, and adds one more element that was to become a hallmark of the series: the wench. In this case, a princess, no less, who is being taunted in a manner fraught with erotic tension by a mysterious sorcerous stalker. An appeal to the god Mitra suggests she go out on the streets and entrust the fate of her fraught kingdom to the first man she meets; the man of course turns out to be Conan. A touch of humour in the depiction of Conan's rough-and-ready table manners, an undercurrent of erotic suggestion, memorable opening in a lost city, a knock-out epic battle, an evil sorcerer and a sexy pay-off - this story has it all. Equally important, even though Conan's involvement in the story is somewhat the product of chance (or Destiny?), his victory is mainly his own, the product of superior tactics on the battlefield.

The Slithering Shadow Howard ups the erotic tension in this one with suggestions of depraved orgies and a girl-on-girl whipping scene. He also furthers his theories re: civilization and barbarism by contrasting the effete ineffectualness of a highly sophisticated but decadent civilization with Conan's rough and ready dynamism. This time, Conan runs up against a truly weird enemy, described in terms that HP Lovecraft would have approved of (and surely did). A creepy, almost claustrophobic interlude that doesn't outstay its welcome.

The Pool Of The Black One While this tale introduced Conan-the-pirate, it does very little else for me. Conan is depicted as an amoral opportunist to an extent that does not go well with the essential gallantry that is alluded in tales such as the last two, the weird menace is a little too generic to really stand out, and very little is really achieved except that Conan outpaces a monster, gains control of a pirate ship and wins another interchangeable wench. Not a highlight.

[Lee Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly one of my favorite authors/characters/books of all time !!!

Conan!!!!

By Crom, Conan kicks ass. One of the original and still one of the best fantasy characters out there!
This book collects all of Robert E Howards original Conan stories together into one mighty tome. Each story is a standalone but by the end they tell the tale of several parts of Conans life, from his adventurous beginnings to his rise to the crown of Aquilonia.
If you have never read any of Howards original Conan stories, stop whatever you are doing right now and read some. You will not regret it.
This is one of my all time favorite books and have re-read cover to cover it 4 maybe 5 times now and it just doesn't get old.
I look forward to reading it again soon, it is a massive inspiration to me. I cant say enough good things about it, so go discover Conan's adventures for yourself.

Thanks for reading
Lee

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936) lived a short live but created some brilliant characters, for example Solomon Kane the puritan swashbuckler & Kull. Most famous is his creation of Conan the Barbarian. About whom he wrote between 1932 & 1934, lots of short stories and one whole novel "The hour of the Dragon" and while that book did borrow somewhat from his earlier stories it did have the excitement and tension of the shorter Conan stories.

This book contains most short stories as well the afore mentioned novel as written by Robert E. Howard. And is well worth your time and money.

I had my first encounter with Conan in the b/w comics of the Savage Sword of Conan comics. I then proceeded to find more about this character and found that there had been a few other writers who had worked with the character but none was as good as the original writer. When I got my first Conan paperback in English I found that it was sometimes poetry and adventure at the same time.

Over the years I did return to Conan on a regular basis and with this book it made reading the variety of tales about the Cimmerian Barbarian a pleasure. He has been a companion in my bookcase for most of my life this book is a welcome addition to my selection of novels. If you have not read any Conan this is a great start as well as a complete collection. ( and then find the b/w Savage Sword of Conan comics, they are really great.)

[Sotiris Karaiskos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I have seen most of the films about the adventures of Conan the Barbarian so far I had not read the first stories by Robert E. Howard as I believed were some stories of not very high literary value so I did not think reading them was something urgent. Reading the first of the stories in this collection, I was thinking that the impressions I had before were fully in line with reality, giving me the impression that they were too short, written in haste, exaggerated, repetitive, and generally characterised by immaturity and thus I could not call them anything more than teenage fantasies. But as I moved from one to the other, progressing in time, I found that there was a continuous improvement, with stories becoming more and more ambitious, more and more complex, more mature, ending on some that I really could call them objectively very good and so my final impression from this collection is positive. Of course there are also weaknesses in them, but that does not change the fact that anyone who likes such readings will have a very good time by reading these fascinating adventures that always end up in heroic, bloody, breathtaking fights.

As for Conan, along with the upgrading of the quality of the short stories, there is an upgrading of their hero, which starts from something very simple, from a combination of all these characteristics of the ideal warrior but also of the perfect male, at least as they perceived at that time to end up to something more complete, to a man who has thought behind all his actions and a complete perception of the world around him. Interesting is also his so-called barbarism which at first is just an element that emphasises his frivolity, but ends in a complete system of values that gives the writer the opportunity to use it to make a critique of "civilized" society. As for the world were our hero moves, the author takes elements and names from many cultures to create a bygone era, where war was a permanent state and many powerful warriors and magicians competed for power. Conan tries to get what this world offers him, without necessarily understanding it, with his barbaric nature preventing him from settling somewhere and stop his wanderings. In other words, the author created a modern hero who draws his origins from classical mythology and has all the features that were capable of making him a reference point for the genre of epic fantasy and that I think is of the greatest importance in these short stories.

Αν και έχω δει τις περισσότερες ταινίες που αναφέρονται στις περιπέτειες του Κόναν του βάρβαρου ως τώρα δεν είχα διαβάσει τις πρώτες ιστορίες από τον Robert E. Howard καθώς πίστευα ότι πρόκειται για κάποια διηγήματα όχι ιδιαίτερα υψηλής λογοτεχνικής αξίας οπότε δεν θεωρούσα ότι η ανάγνωσή τους ήταν κάτι το επείγον. Διαβάζοντας τις πρώτες από τις ιστορίες που υπάρχουν σε αυτή τη συλλογή σκεφτόμουν ότι οι εντυπώσεις που είχα από πριν ανταποκρίνονταν πλήρως στην πραγματικότητα καθώς μου έδιναν την εντύπωση ότι ήταν πολύ σύντομες, γραμμένες πρόχειρα, υπερβολικές, επαναλαμβανόμενες και γενικότερα να διακατέχονται από μία ανωριμότητα και έτσι να μην μπορώ να τις χαρακτηρίσω κάτι περισσότερο από εφηβικές φαντασιώσεις. Καθώς όμως προχωρούσα από τη μία στην άλλη, προχωρώντας μπροστά στο χρόνο, διαπίστωσα ότι υπήρχε μία συνεχής βελτίωση, με τις ιστορίες να γίνονται όλο και πιο φιλόδοξες, όλο και πιο περίπλοκες, όλο και πιο ώριμες, φτάνοντας σε κάποιες που πραγματικά μπορώ να τις χαρακτηρίσω αντικειμενικά πάρα πολύ καλές και έτσι η τελική μου εντύπωση από αυτή τη συλλογή είναι θετική. Φυσικά ακόμα και σε αυτές υπάρχουν αδυναμίες αλλά αυτό δεν αλλάζει το γεγονός ότι όποιος αρέσκεται σε τέτοια αναγνώσματα θα περάσει πολύ καλά διαβάζοντας αυτές τις συναρπαστικές περιπέτειες που καταλήγουν πάντα σε ηρωικές αιματηρές αναμετρήσεις που κόβουν την ανάσα.

Όσο για τον Κόναν, παράλληλα με την αναβάθμιση της ποιότητας ��ων διηγημάτων υπάρχει και μία αναβάθμιση του ίδιου του ήρωα τους, ο οποίος ξεκινάει από κάτι πολύ απλό, από μία συνένωση όλων αυτών των χαρακτηριστικών του ιδανικού πολεμιστή αλλά και του τέλειου αρσενικού, τουλάχιστον όπως το αντιλαμβάνονταν εκείνη την εποχή, για να καταλήξει σε κάτι περισσότερο ολοκληρωμένο, σε έναν άνθρωπο που έχει σκέψη πίσω από όλες τις πράξεις του και να έχει ολοκληρωμένη αντίληψη του κόσμου γύρω του. Ενδιαφέρον έχει και η αποκαλούμενη βαρβαρότητα του που στην αρχή είναι απλά ένα στοιχείο που τονίζει τη μαχητικότητά του αλλά καταλήγει σε ένα ολοκληρωμένο σύστημα αξιών δίνει την ευκαιρία στον συγγραφέα να το αξιοποιήσει για να κάνει μία κριτική της "πολιτισμένης" κοινωνίας. Όσο για τον κόσμο που κινείται ο ήρωας μας, ο συγγραφέας παίρνει στοιχεία και ονομασίες από πολλές κουλτούρες για να δημιουργήσει μία περασμένη εποχή, όπου ο πόλεμος ήταν μια μόνιμη κατάσταση και πολλοί ισχυροί πολεμιστές και μάγοι συναγωνίζονται για την απόκτηση δύναμης. Ο Κόναν προσπαθεί να πάρει ότι του προσφέρει αυτός ο κόσμος, χωρίς απαραίτητα να τον κατανοεί, με τη βάρβαρη φύση του να τον εμποδίζει να κατασταλάξει κάπου και να αφήσει τις περιπλανήσεις. Με άλλα λόγια ο συγγραφέας δημιούργησε έναν σύγχρονο ήρωα πού αντλεί την καταγωγή του από την κλασική μυθολογία και έχει όλα τα χαρακτηριστικά που ήταν ικανά να τον κάνουν σημείο αναφοράς για το είδος της επικής φαντασίας και αυτό νομίζω ότι έχει και τη μεγαλύτερη σημασία σε αυτά τα διηγήματα.

[Scott Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to make adequate comment on a writer whose work created an entire genre and the larger creative industry that genre spawned. Conan the Barbarian means different things to different people, because the character exists in so many different versions — the original Robert E. Howard stories; the de Camp and Carter pastiches that expanded on Howard's vision and popularity; the new generation of books that the original pastiches inspired; the Marvel comics that pushed sword-and-sorcery into the pop-culture mainstream; the Dark Horse comics that revitalized and revisualized the character; the 1982 film that first set Arnold Schwarzenegger on the path to pretending to be an actor. As a result, it's entirely possible to "know" Conan without really knowing the original stories in their original forms — a problem that this weighty collection addresses nicely.

The Complete Chronicles pulls together all of the original Howard stories in their original forms (including those edited as a part of the Howard/de Camp/Carter paperback collections that cemented the character's popularity). Unlike previous multi-part Conan collections, this book anthologizes the stories in the order Howard wrote them, rather than in chronological order according to the character's history. This means a lot of jumping around through the different ages of the character (the first two Conan stories Howard published are actually two of the last Conan stories, both taking place when Conan is king of Aquilonia; the familiar thief, barbarian, slayer, et al came later). However, i prefer this arrangement because it shows off how Howard's own understanding of the character changed and grew over time, the narrative and the character becoming more and more complex.

Some of the Howard stories are better than others; some are more properly about the world than the character. (A surprise to a lot of people who read the Howard pieces for the first time is how often Conan appears only after other secondary characters have set the story up.) Many of the stories show their 30s pulp origins a little too strongly (most commonly with lines like " 'By the gods!" Conan ejaculated.'). But taken all in all, the Howard canon creates a haunting and memorable mythology that stands the test of time, and which can't help but make one wonder to what greater heights Robert E. Howard might have taken the character and the world of the Hyborian age if he'd had more time.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conan is like heavy metal in literary form.

Bearded badass warriors. Terrifying monsters. Haunting apocalyptic landscapes and ruins. Evil satanic cults. Scantily clad sorceresses, witches and pirate queens. Dark magic, ultra-violent battles and a world painted in blood, vengeful gods and alien monstrosities. What's not to love?

I read all of Robert E. Howard's original Conan tales about three years ago and was surprised by how grim, cunning and engaging they were. I felt like giving them a reread and still find them to be highly enjoyable in spite of how simplistic the central conflicts of each story often are. I remember expecting them to be corny and outdated by today's standards, yet they were often surprisingly philosophical, amoral and exciting given the time they were written in. Robert also has some brutal and awesome prose that Stephen King himself described as "so highly charged with energy that it nearly gives off sparks." I have to agree. It gives me the same type of adrenaline rush as many of my favorite metal albums.

Conan himself is a brooding existentialist in a nihilistic world. He openly condemns modernization, royals, political organizations and societal conformity. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty to accomplish his goals and he doesn’t hesitate to kill those who insult his god and homeland.

Contrary to many classic fantasy protagonists, he isn’t noble, honorable or pure hearted at all. He has no higher purpose or chosen destiny. He has no connections to royalty or higher beings. He’s often harsh, selfish, immoral and lives a dangerous life on a day by day basis. He’s constantly throwing himself in harm's way for gold, treasure, women and to find a purpose in his suffering by facing hundreds of otherworldly abominations, sorcerers, cultists, armed rogues and corrupt nobles. In many ways, he almost seems to wish for something worthy enough to bring about his own death.

Conan was grimdark before the genre was properly defined. These stories are written in a very unconventional style compared to most modern fantasy, but that’s honestly part of what makes the series so appealing in my opinion. Each story is a standalone adventure that depicts a different phase of Conan’s life. From a vagabond warrior, pirate, raider, soldier, thief, mercenary and even a king.

Worth a read for anyone that wants to see how much darker the original Conan is compared to many of the more modern interpretations of his character.

My rating: 4.7/5

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great collection of Robert E. Howard's stories centering around Conan the Cimmerian (a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian). A very complete appearance of his published Conan stories and of The Hyborian Age, an article describing the peoples and regions of Hyboria. The stories are among the most influential of fantasy, and a must for serious fans of the genre.
Also included are story drafts, a fragment, and synopsis for works that were not completed during Howard's life. A valuable addition to fans of Robert E. Howard is an afterward by Stephen Jones, which describes the circumstances of Howard's life under which his writing and publishing occurred.

[J.G. Keely · Rating 3 out of 5]

A handsome binding (regrettable use of the papyrus font notwithstanding), but I still prefer the Del Rey editions, which use Howard's original manuscripts, untouched by magazine editors or later, inferior authors like de Camp.

My Fantasy Book Suggestions

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very handsome edition collecting all of Howard's wonderful Conan stories. I've read them all before over the years in various versions, but it's nice to have them all in a single volume. This one would be on my list if I were to be marooned on an island for a year and could only pick five books to take with me.

[Rachel the Book Harlot]

Story 1: The Phoenix on the Sword - rating: 4 stars
Story 2: The Scarlet Citadel - rating: 4.5 stars

[Susan Laine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conan is my favorite hero, and sword & sorcery has been a favorite genre of mine since I was a kid. I have read all these stories before in other anthologies, some in English, some in Finnish, but it's good to have them all in one book. My favorite stories in this are The Tower of the Elephant, The Slithering Shadow, Red Nails, and The Pool of the Black One. Highly recommended!

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a 91 year anniversary of Conan's first appearance in his own story in Weird Tales magazine.
It is a 41 year anniversary of Arnolds break through movie Conan the Barbarian.
It is a 31 year anniversary of Conan the Adventurer animated show.
It is a 12 year anniversary of Jason Momoa's laughable portrayal of this character. (Couldn't even get the year right. It's always the second year of a decade, smh...)

"Conan was a Cimmerian by birth, one of those fierce moody hillmen who dwelt in their gloomy, cloudy land in the north. His saga, which had led him to the throne of Aquilonia, was the basis of a whole cycle of hero-tales."

So. Almost a century. Precedes Tolkien's Hobbit by 5 years.
A lot if you're stuck at a job you don't like. Meaningless when those years pass.

But, one might even argue how Conan was more influential for the genre of Epic Fantasy (given how Robert E. Howard is considered as a father of Sword and Sorcery genre) than all of Tolkien's Rings, especially when we take in consideration the flourishing of the Grim Dark in last 30-40 years or so.

One should do a serious research before claiming that.

Me? I'm here to reap the benefits of the legacy of both of these magnificent specimens and enjoy.
____________________________________

There are just too many of these short stories, so I'll have to keep track of them individually, through updates.

1. The Phoenix on the Sword - first story in this collection, published in 1932.

Originally named: By This Axe I Rule! and having entirely different protagonist, this story was rejected for publication back in 1929, after which it was edited and rewritten and published in 1932, under new name with new protagonist.

Considering I had very low expectation for this entire collection, this story is surprisingly good.
Aged King Conan, mowing down unfortunate souls attempting coup on him.
Decent introduction with a lot of action and foreshadowing future events, much like prologues in most of fantasy literature today.

On the fact that this story was originally rejected tells me how publishers back in 20's of 20th century had much higher standards than they have today.

Should I name few? No, let's keep it civil.

Biggest highlight still is Robert E. Howard's explanation on worldbuilding, basically foreseeing my future rants about inconsistencies in worlbuilding and calming me down.
I mean, Atlantis, Asgard, Picts, together with Cimmeria etc. - oh, there would be a rant, for sure.

But he had a great explanation, so I will let that go.
____________________________________

2. The Scarlet Citadel - second story in this collection, published in 1933.

Story where side characters are more interesting than Conan himself. While Conan serves the purpose of a brute with a purpose and vengeance on his mind - running from one battle through freeing himself of shackles of captivity, only to finish this tale with another battle - the main duel is between two opposing sorcerers.

Over the years, while sporadically reading reviews for Conan series, I would often see prose and structural narrative criticised, especially in first stories.
Although both could have been improved, I would disagree with any harsh criticism on this.
____________________________________

3. The Tower of the Elephant - third story in this collection, published in 1933.

A heist story, where Conan is nothing short of a valid candidate to join Ocean's 13 gang of misfits.
____________________________________

4. Black Colossus, fourth story in this collection, published in 1933.

Finally a female protagonist. I'm surprised there was no sexism involved. A bit of forceful dependency and need for protection as story progressed, but arguably that wasn't necessarily due to sexism.
I expected outdated views on male/female relationships, because in most of reviews I have read, that was highlighted, however in this first story where we have a prominent female character that is most definitely not the case.

Prose is also very good, something that goes strong from the very first story and hasn't dropped in quality. Descriptions are vividly detailed.
____________________________________

5. Slithering Shadow - fifth book in this collection, published in 1933.

From a worldbuilding, history and lore point of view, probably the best story so far.
Ancient city built in Oasis populated by fatalist people who chose to sleep and dream. Sounds tempting, until you learn how evil god lurks the city and eats you while you dream, once in a while.

Here, female protagonist are prominent as well, but there's this unfortunate pattern how they need to fall in love with Conan by the end of the story. Or middle.
Anyhow, jealousy as driving point of contempt between female protagonist, effectively making a love triangle - oh don't we all "love" that.
____________________________________

6. The Pool of the Black One - sixth story in this collection, published in 1933

Conan swims the ocean to board a ship and become a pirate. Gets accepted, works twice as hard, sings, dances, cooks, genuinely becomes loved by the crew. Enjoys the "rrrrrr" of his new career.
Is this start of a new Conan?
Absolutely not. Because our Cimmerian Jack Sparrow is on a secret mission. And he is hunting.
Little does he know tho, unrelated to his pirate career and his mission, he will soon become the prey.

We continue to explore the world, with each new story, we go to a different culture and geographical surrounding. And while some are direct continuation of the previous one, there's almost never correlation between the characters. Each story is like a new episode of the Simpsons.
This... works so far. Although I'm wondering why this approach if almost all of these stories so far were published in the same year.
____________________________________

7. Rogues in the House - seventh story in this collection, published in 1934.

Yet another story where Conan for majority of it is just a silent spectator, who conveniently lends his hands only when violent force was needed and end the story in brutish deus ex machina.
It's like Robert wanted to tell the stories of ordinary and not so ordinary people in this world, but knew he needed Conan in these stories to sell them.

I'm at 25% of the book, and just started reading third year of Conan publication stories, but already I can see what "Northern Barbarian Hero Trope" Steven Erikson tried to dishevel with his character Karsa Orlong in Malazan Series; something which he failed by the end of the series, given the abundant similarities between the two.
____________________________________

8. Shadows in the Moonlight - eight story in this collection, published in 1934.

Possibly the weakest story so far. Not sure what happened with dialogues, especially in first few pages. These unnaturally long monologues spoken in archaic language are ridiculous. Such a sudden change.
Also there were some logical fallacies with characters actions throughout the story, that I'm hoping whatever happened with Robert while writing it, will not affect his future ones. Because he was really good so far.
What can change tho, is female protagonists desperately falling in love with Conan.

Also, I noticed in all these stories so far, there's somewhat a lack of identity and belonging with Conan's stories.
He is Cimmerian.
But what does that mean to a reader if with each new story we are introduced with a character that lived a life-worth of events unrelated to previous story just so we can catch up with current events.
We are never at the same place, but there's almost always new 5000 soldiers that he lost, often from an entirely different country.
Or we find him shackled, or on a ship, or as a king, or a drunkard or any other outlandish setting for which simply takes a lifelong time to get to.
Conan of Cimmeria. Could be Conan of Mars, it matters little.
____________________________________

9. Queen of the Black Coast - ninth story in this collection, published in 1934.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn how Robert had some unnatural fear of snakes and... apes?
In almost each story so far, Conan attacked or was attacked by a giant serpent or an ape.

"I have known many Gods. He who denies them is as blind as he who trusts them too deeply. I seek not beyond death. I know not nor do I care. Let me live deep while I live. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content."

There's an interesting conversation on theology, which left much bigger impression on me than a flying ape.
____________________________________

10. The Devil in Iron - tenth story in this collection, published in 1934.

This time Conan fights a robot. Thank god for that forward by Robert E. Howard on worldbuilding, so I was prepared "that the world is as is". He had much better explanation than that, but the gist of his message was just to relax and don't overthink it.
And to be honest, I was more surprised to learn that Conan was a pirate than that through ages of this world there was a time robots roamed the world.
____________________________________

11. The People of the Black Circle - eleventh story in this collection, published in 1934.

This is a short novella, published in 3 parts of 1934, and as such, although short in its structure, longer than most of Robert's stories he was publishing so far.
And it shows. Predominantly in building main characters and developing them.
____________________________________

12. A Witch Shall be Born - twelfth story in this collection, published in 1934.

Finally a story from which legendary scene was pulled out for movie in 1982.
One of the better paced story so far.
____________________________________

13. Jewels of Gwahlur - thirteenth story in this collection, published in 1935.

Conan as Indiana Jones.
That's it.
____________________________________

14. Beyond the Black River - fourteenth story in this collection, published in 1935.

"Barbarism is the natural state of mankind. Civilization is unnatural; it is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph."

Western with a touch of Beastmaster.
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15. Shadows of Zamboula - fifteenth story in this collection, published in 1935.

Conan against cannibals. And closest to a horror story I have read in this collection.
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16. Red Nails - sixteenth story in this collection, published in 1936.

Once again, Robert shows that short novellas are better suited for him than short tales.
And for the first time in this collection, this story is the closest to a direct continuation of a previous story I'll get.
This is also the bloodiest, goriest and most disturbing story of them all, so far. Considering the Great Depression, his personal issues additionally burdened by lack of financial support by magazine who published his story so far - I completely understand why he chose to write a story about decadence of society.
Sadly, this is his last story he finished before his suicide.
____________________________________

17. The Hour of Dragon - seventeenth story in this collection, published 1935 - 1950.

Loosely based on previously published stories, most notably The Scarlet Citadel and The Phoenix on the Sword, but with much more content, which makes this a full novel. And it is Robert's best work.
____________________________________

18. The God in the Bowl - eighteenth story in this collection, published in 1952.

Conan in a murder mystery. Murder is in a museum. If only Conan was a professor of Symbology from a Harvard University and wears Harris Tweed jacket, oh the joke would write itself.
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19. The Black Stranger - Nineteenth story in this collection, published in 1953.

Conan as a revolutionist against buccaneers. Man through his career was more pirate than barbarian and king combined.
Yet another story where events are connected with previous stories, mainly in conquering the throne of Aquilonia, throne upon which we found him in the first story in this collection.
____________________________________

20. The Frost-Giant's Daughter - twentieth story in this collection, published in 1953.

And finally Conan entangled with Norse mythology, against Frost Giants.
____________________________________

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of Howard's Conan books was a nice and low-cost pickup for my Kindle Fire. Each story is pretty short, easy to read in a single night save for a pair of longer tales. I read a few Conan stories when I was in school but its been so long they are all pretty fresh.

For those only familiar with Conan from the movies, the character will be surprising. He prefers to wear heavy armor when he can, he's a lot more clever and subtle than the film character, and he is very learned by the time he's king.

Howard's worldview of the primitive and barbaric being superior to the civilized and soft pours off each page like a sermon, but I didn't find it troubling because it was presented in such an entertaining and exciting way. OK Conan heals better, sees better, has better instincts, is stronger etc because he's a barbarian, fair enough.

There are some elements in these stories that can be awkward or shocking to modern sensibilities. The innate superiority of whiteness is presumed in a strong way, with African characters treated as natural servants or simply beneath notice. Women tend to be strong, but still victims most of the time and even the best are of course shamed by Conan's mighty thews and barbaric nature. That's not to say the women are all weak - some are very capable and deadly, and they surprise Conan. But in the end, everyone on earth cowers at his feet so perhaps its not a fair comparison.

Conan would be the worlds most obnoxious "Mary Sue" type character because he's so capable and skilled and superior. But he doesn't just walk over everyone. He fails, he makes mistakes, he gets defeated, he needs rescuing, he is too dumb or distracted to notice what he should. In short, he's not invincible or obnoxious, just very capable and powerful.

Overall, very entertaining and enjoyable stuff to read and I recommend it to any fan of swords and sorcery. I should note that most of these books were written and published long before both Narnia and Lord of the Rings. The Conan stories are truly the first fantasy novels written, although there were "faerie stories" and magical romances published earlier. If you want the roots of fantasy, here's your place to start digging. Howard established most of the patterns and themes we take for granted in fantasy literature long before The Hobbit was penned.

[Viel Nast · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is hardback with black leather and gold artwork celebrating a century from the birth of R E Howard. The book contains all of his stories published or not without editing or changes, the stories the great man wrote himself. There are countless other stories edited finished or changed by many authors but here are only his own Conan stories. The reader can watch the birth of sword and sorcery and the iconic barbarian that nearly a century after his creation is fresh and relevant. The clash of civilization with a simpler life was then and is certainly now a great issue. Where technology is helping and when it is harassing our lives. The noble savage (Conan) will use his mighty sword arm his unforgiving instincts and unmovable resolutions to solve problems where other men have failed. For some maybe the repetition of a ruined city a might artifact an evil wizard or primitive monstrosity and half-naked princes will seem boring but for me, the stories touch the same subject every time with a different angle a different narrative style and each is unique and beautiful. Nearly a thousand pages of relentless adventure and non-stop action. In the end of the book, there is some information concerning the writer and his world as a finishing touch to a masterpiece. The only blemish against Howard is how the man who wrote about strength and a never-ending battle against adversities couldn’t face the death of his own mother and took his life at the age of thirty refusing us his genius and his further works. I will never forgive him for that.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I've only read about five stories from this edition (so far), I've read most of the Conan stories before in various collections over the years. I already know that it's going to get five stars because most of the stories are great. Those that aren't are still good and are not going to detract from overall high standard of this collection.

This collection contains all the Conan stories written by Robert E Howard in the order they were published including those published posthumously and unfinished drafts and fragments. The stories are in their original form, unedited and unfinished by Sprague De Camp and Lin Carter which is one of the reasons I wanted this collection. It also contains some nice illustraions.

Ultimately this is something you buy if you already know you love Conan and just want the ultimate collection. If you haven't read any before and are looking to try, I would suggest something like this: Conan the Warrior which contains three good quality stories.

[John Montagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good old Conan. You love this work or you hate it. I consider them classics so to review it would inevitably repeat much of what has been said by countless others. Personal opinion, I love it. It is straight forward escapism. Character development? Not so much... is it needed? Not so much... I always loved Howard's history of Conan's world, in fact, I have just as much enjoyment reading about the world and the tribes as much as the stories. And this particular book is a work of art, a leather tome with gilded pages - fitting for reading about the mighty barbarian!

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

The woman who became my wife gave me this as the first birthday gift from her in 2006. I'd better get around to reading this soon, as I've been reading bits and pieces of it over the years since...

[Σταύρος Μητσιάνης · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's conan the barbarian.
What more do I need to say?
10/5

[Helmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wüsste nicht, was es da zu meckern gäbe

Diese Ausgabe ist sehr gelungen. Eine sehr schöne Aufmachung, mit Lederimitat und geprägten Goldlettern, qualitativ sehr hochwertigem, schweren Papier und gelungenen Illustrationen (die Aufmachung ist identisch zu der Gesamtausgabe von Lovecrafts Werk aus dem selben Verlag). Für mich als Sammler endlich die Möglichkeit, alle Conan-Stories von Howard in einem Band ins Regal stellen zu können.

Wer Conan nicht kennt, hat etwas verpasst und sollte das schnellstens nachholen. Howards Geschichten erzählen von einer Welt vor unserer Zeit, die voller Gewalt und Magie ist - es ist aber nur zum Teil eine erfundene Welt, denn sie ist voller bekannter Eigenschaften, die dazu führen, dass sie glaubwürdig ist wie keine zweite Fantasywelt.
Conan selbst ist ein Charakter, mit dem sich viele identifizieren können - er lebt sein Leben, ist nicht abhängig von den Umständen und reist durch eine Welt voller Abenteuer. Dabei geht der eine odere andere Knochen zu Bruch, und kein Autor nach Howard hat es geschafft, Action so perfekt auf Papier zu bannen. Viele Fantasyautoren lesen sich eher gemächlich und sind auf epische Abenteuer aus; Howard beschreibt echtes Leben, blutige Schwertkämpfe und rasante und atemberaubende Abenteuer. Wein, Weib und Gesang...

Der Hauptteil des Inhalts dieses Bandes sind Kurzgeschichten, die sich dem Tempo der Erzählung besser eignen als Romane. Ein Klassiker, der in keinem Bücherregal fehlen sollte.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally bought this tome for a friend for christmas, but whilst wrapping it up i thought i'd give it a quick look and found myself instantly enthralled. Over the next few months i would i constantly ask myself 'where has conan been all my life?'
Up until Conan, i, and im sure the rest of you, have had to make do with whoosy lead characters who are described as tough but dont do anything?! And when they do finally kick back their chair and roll up their sleeves, they take one smack on the chin and go down like a sack full of hammers. Or characters that are super human (especially recently) and have amazing powers that do all the fighting for them.
Conan does not. Conan has no super powers and he never backs down, 'There is nothing in the world cold steel wont cut!'
He is bigger, stronger and faster than any other man alive. He is wyly like fox and as ferocious as a timber wolf. Throughout this book i found myself not scared that he's gonna die (as i usually am with other heroes in other books) but on my feet cheering him on with every ounce of my being!! 'Go conan, go!'

If only more heroes were like Conan.

[Krzysztof · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Conan stories are great, even though many of them follow a very similar pattern, and some even "copy-and-paste" sentences between them. The language of the stories is terrific, however, despite some words being archaic as this point. It certainly cracks you up when Conan 'ejaculates' (shouts). The quality of the stories is pretty constantly high, with some of them a bit weaker than others. None of them aren't bad in any way, however.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to all who haven't read Conan stories yet. This is great sword & sorcery, even if it lacks ambitious plots and surprising twists. Conan has an innate strength in him, which shines through the pages of Howard's stories.

[Libromaniac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Howard gets short shrift in any discussion of important 20th century authors. He founded an entire genre of literature, and is indirectly responsible for Arnold Schwarzenegger being governor of Kahlifohnia. While this collection, when read in it's entirety, points up the somewhat formulaic nature of Howard's writing, it never fails to thrill. Mildly sexy and exuberantly violent, these tales make for an excellent escape from humdrum modernity, where life's Gordian knots cannot be simply hewn asunder with a mighty sword stroke.

[Dan McClure · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once you get past all the racism and misogyny (but be warned - there's a lot), you can easily see why Howard is the father of sword and sorcery fantasy. He wrote as if in a fever dream (he likely was) and the resulting Conan stories pull the reader along like his hero drags distressing damsels past their various plights, usually naked. You don't have to be naked to read it, but I recommend the no-pants option.

[Heath Lowrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, it's Conan, the ORIGINAL Conan, by Robert E. Howard. So hell yeah, I loved it. If you're interested you can find my entire review here: http://psychonoir.blogspot.com/2014/0...