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Conan the Barbarian
Two of the most famous contributors to the Conan legend write the official novel of CONAN THE BARBARIAN, the seminal fantasy film by John Milius.
The official adaptation of CONAN THE BARBARIAN, the seminal film written by John Milius and Oliver Stone, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Earl Jones. In the novel by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, the Cimmerian youth Conan witnesses the death of his parents at the hands of Thulsa Doom, a priest of Set. Enslaved, he is trained as a gladiator. Gaining his freedom he allies with Subotai, a Hyrkanian archer, and a skilled swordswoman thief named Valeria. Together they raid the Tower of the Serpent, then Conan breaks away to seek the cult of Doom—and revenge on the sorcerer who leads it.
The official adaptation of CONAN THE BARBARIAN, the seminal film written by John Milius and Oliver Stone, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Earl Jones. In the novel by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, the Cimmerian youth Conan witnesses the death of his parents at the hands of Thulsa Doom, a priest of Set. Enslaved, he is trained as a gladiator. Gaining his freedom he allies with Subotai, a Hyrkanian archer, and a skilled swordswoman thief named Valeria. Together they raid the Tower of the Serpent, then Conan breaks away to seek the cult of Doom—and revenge on the sorcerer who leads it.
181 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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About the author
L. Sprague de Camp
759 books312 followersLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction literature. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, both novels and works of non-fiction, including biographies of other fantasy authors. He was a major figure in science fiction in the 1930s and 1940s.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
December 13, 2021
This is a very good adaptation of an early version of the script of the first Conan film. Normally one is wise to be wary of works that have been through too many hands, but this is a nice exception to the rule. Conan, of course, was a swords & sorcery/heroic fantasy character created by Robert E. Howard who was at his best in pulp Weird Tales magazine in the 1930's. De Camp collected, edited, added to, and expanded Howard's originals for a series of hardbound volumes from Gnome Press in the 1950's, and then into a wildly popular twelve-volume chronological series from Lancer Books with the help of Lin Carter (and due to some covers by Frank Frazetta) in the 1960's and -70's. A popular comics version followed, as did more novels and stories from other authors, and then, inevitably, this film. The screenplay was credited to John Milius and Oliver Stone, and de Camp and Carter (with uncredited but significant contributions from Catherine de Camp, L. Sprague's wife) adapted it into this prose form. (Another uncredited detail worth mentioning is the name of the protagonist, Thulsa Doom, was taken from Howard pastiches written by another excellent heroic fantasy author, andrew j. offutt; he was justifiably quite proud of it.) The story is different from Howard's chronology (and from de Camp's), but it's a good novel, just slightly different from the filmed version, but with interesting added details. It's a worthy addition to the Conan shelf.
January 28, 2023
Full review soon.
January 1, 2025
This book is a very good adaptation of the movie.
Sprague & Lin Carter really nailed it how you do it. I was reading the novel and at the same time my mind was remembering the movie. There are some differences, per example King Osric fate, the love between Conan & Valeria is also more accentuated and passionate.
I really connected with Subotai & Valeria and we really get some more information on the places, on Cimmeria, Nordheim, Hyperborea and finally Zamora. We also get some informaiton on Hyrkania (Subotai birthplace). You all get the feeling that the Cimmerians are just nordic europreans which they are not - Those are Vanaheim, Vanir etc. It's an amazing world and really looking forward to reading all those dozens of novels set in that world.
Overall, it's an amazing world that they created and really brought the Conan to spotlight. Sprague de Camp is probably the reason today you know of Conan in the same vein that August Derleth is the reason you know Lovecraft. Probably they change here and there the vision of the writers but that was a small price to pay I guess.
Overall, really good adaptation with a rating of 85/100
Sprague & Lin Carter really nailed it how you do it. I was reading the novel and at the same time my mind was remembering the movie. There are some differences, per example King Osric fate, the love between Conan & Valeria is also more accentuated and passionate.
I really connected with Subotai & Valeria and we really get some more information on the places, on Cimmeria, Nordheim, Hyperborea and finally Zamora. We also get some informaiton on Hyrkania (Subotai birthplace). You all get the feeling that the Cimmerians are just nordic europreans which they are not - Those are Vanaheim, Vanir etc. It's an amazing world and really looking forward to reading all those dozens of novels set in that world.
Overall, it's an amazing world that they created and really brought the Conan to spotlight. Sprague de Camp is probably the reason today you know of Conan in the same vein that August Derleth is the reason you know Lovecraft. Probably they change here and there the vision of the writers but that was a small price to pay I guess.
Overall, really good adaptation with a rating of 85/100
November 12, 2016
Quite a long time ago, I got my hands on this book from somewhere. I am not even sure how it ended up in my collection, I think I received a bunch of books from somebody and this was one of them. It sat on my shelf a few years and I kept thinking about tossing it into the box I keep when I want to take books to a book store and trade them in. I felt bad for wanting to toss it before reading it even though I am into fantasy and science fiction and loved that movie; I was just wary of movie adaptions. But I thought I should give it a try, even if to justify my reasons for trading it: I was fully prepared to not like this book. And Crom! Was I surprised.
I had never read any L. Sprague de Camp before, even though I had seen that name, so this was my first introduction to his writing. After about the second chapter I was a hungry fan. He was able to capture the essence of what I loved about the movie (or was it the other way around? I suspect the movie came first), and he also added more details and storyline than what was on film. This gave me a desire to find out more about Conan and his creator and it led me on a two and a half year search for all those out of print Lancer/Ace books that came out in the late 60's and 70's.
What is amazing about the Conan character is his human quality. What I mean by this is that this is pure pulp writing. Pulp writing has strong male characters in adventurous settings, they always win and always get the girl at the end (as well as a few others in between, but I digress). Pulp writing is still with us today, but a lot of it has centered on action only and scant attention has been paid to character creation. I won't say that Conan is the best character fleshed out in literature, but for pulp writing, he is one of the best. He has his flaws, and those flaws have come back to haunt him. He has made rash decisions, costing people their lives, and in his later years, he comes to reflect on his immaturity as a youngster. Now all this is mainly in those out of print works, but L. Sprague de Camp was a contributor in those books, and he certainly brings that with him in this story. He knows his Howard's world.
If you loved the movie (1981 version) then you will certainly enjoy this book. But this just might be the gateway drug into the world of Conan. If you are like me, you will go in running and screaming like a wild Pict.
I had never read any L. Sprague de Camp before, even though I had seen that name, so this was my first introduction to his writing. After about the second chapter I was a hungry fan. He was able to capture the essence of what I loved about the movie (or was it the other way around? I suspect the movie came first), and he also added more details and storyline than what was on film. This gave me a desire to find out more about Conan and his creator and it led me on a two and a half year search for all those out of print Lancer/Ace books that came out in the late 60's and 70's.
What is amazing about the Conan character is his human quality. What I mean by this is that this is pure pulp writing. Pulp writing has strong male characters in adventurous settings, they always win and always get the girl at the end (as well as a few others in between, but I digress). Pulp writing is still with us today, but a lot of it has centered on action only and scant attention has been paid to character creation. I won't say that Conan is the best character fleshed out in literature, but for pulp writing, he is one of the best. He has his flaws, and those flaws have come back to haunt him. He has made rash decisions, costing people their lives, and in his later years, he comes to reflect on his immaturity as a youngster. Now all this is mainly in those out of print works, but L. Sprague de Camp was a contributor in those books, and he certainly brings that with him in this story. He knows his Howard's world.
If you loved the movie (1981 version) then you will certainly enjoy this book. But this just might be the gateway drug into the world of Conan. If you are like me, you will go in running and screaming like a wild Pict.
July 12, 2016
Gives a great movie more flavour
29 March 2012
When I saw this book in the second-hand bookshop I thought it was one of Howard's original Conan stories, and that maybe it was the first - it turned out not to be the case. This is one of the reasons I like reading introductions to the books because I can learn something about the authors and the book itself, no matter how short the book (or the introduction) is. Robert Howard, the creator of Conan, was an odd character, and his stories can be considered pre-Tolkien fantasy. However, most of his stories either remained unpublished or in note form, and those that had been published had been consigned to the realm of science-fiction magazines.
The one day Sprague de Camp came across a box full of Howard's manuscripts, purchased the rights to them, and began to release many of the unpublished stories, and completed many of the stories that were in note form. If it wasn't for de Camp, Conan probably would have gone the way of many of the other stories of the early 20th century (like John Carter of Mars). Some (okay one person) has suggested that de Camp butchered the stories as he set them in a direction that he wanted them to go (namely fantasy adventure as opposed to stories more like Cthulu), but others admire de Camp for bringing these stories into the spotlight.
This book is not one of the originals, in fact it is the novelisation of the Milius movie. I loved the original Conan movie and while I initially baulked at reading another novelisation, I decided to give it a go and I must say I quite enjoyed it. In a way it has made me want to get my hands on the Fight Club novelisation (though I have since discovered that this is not a novelisation as the book was written three years before the movie was released), however as I look at the plethora of novels on my shelf, and think of the others on their way from the United States, I sort of shrug my shoulders and think 'maybe not at this time'.
This novelisation adds a lot more to the story behind the movie and creates a lot more colour than what was able to be done in the film. The film was mostly narrated, however the book does not come out in a similar style. We know that the wizard is narrating, but the story runs like a standard fantasy novel. There are a few changes, such as Conan escaping from the pit fighters as opposed to being set free, and the existence of the beastmen in Thulsa Doom's mountain, but it mostly follows fairly closely to the plot as it is in the movie. It is easy to get images of the film as we read through the book, but the descriptions that de Camp uses seems to add a lot more colour.
I really liked the movie and the story behind it, and de Camp does do a good job of bringing the story into the form of a novel. However at this stage I have not read any of Howard's original stories so it is very difficult to compare them. First I wonder if Valaria is mentioned in any of the stories, and also if the thief and the wizard also appear. I loved the wizard from the movie, though he does not seem to come across the same in the book. The other thing that I noticed was that de Camp creates Conan as being somewhat more intelligent and literate than he appears in the film. We are told in the film that during his pit fighting days his master is teaching his literature and retorical skills, but that is missing from this book. However we do learn that Conan is apt at picking up languages.
The problem with movie novelisations is that they are connected to another medium, and that medium is always sitting at the back of my head. It is sort of like the novelisation of the recent Tintin movie. To me you cannot novelise a Tintin book. They were always graphic novels and to me the only medium that Tintin works in is the graphic novel. Some have scoffed at me for that statement namely on the basis of the film, however the film was not Herge, but if anything can be considered a tribute to Herge. However I have wondered off track here a lot and will simply finish off by suggesting that Arnie never really seemed to come across as an intelligent Conan.
29 March 2012
When I saw this book in the second-hand bookshop I thought it was one of Howard's original Conan stories, and that maybe it was the first - it turned out not to be the case. This is one of the reasons I like reading introductions to the books because I can learn something about the authors and the book itself, no matter how short the book (or the introduction) is. Robert Howard, the creator of Conan, was an odd character, and his stories can be considered pre-Tolkien fantasy. However, most of his stories either remained unpublished or in note form, and those that had been published had been consigned to the realm of science-fiction magazines.
The one day Sprague de Camp came across a box full of Howard's manuscripts, purchased the rights to them, and began to release many of the unpublished stories, and completed many of the stories that were in note form. If it wasn't for de Camp, Conan probably would have gone the way of many of the other stories of the early 20th century (like John Carter of Mars). Some (okay one person) has suggested that de Camp butchered the stories as he set them in a direction that he wanted them to go (namely fantasy adventure as opposed to stories more like Cthulu), but others admire de Camp for bringing these stories into the spotlight.
This book is not one of the originals, in fact it is the novelisation of the Milius movie. I loved the original Conan movie and while I initially baulked at reading another novelisation, I decided to give it a go and I must say I quite enjoyed it. In a way it has made me want to get my hands on the Fight Club novelisation (though I have since discovered that this is not a novelisation as the book was written three years before the movie was released), however as I look at the plethora of novels on my shelf, and think of the others on their way from the United States, I sort of shrug my shoulders and think 'maybe not at this time'.
This novelisation adds a lot more to the story behind the movie and creates a lot more colour than what was able to be done in the film. The film was mostly narrated, however the book does not come out in a similar style. We know that the wizard is narrating, but the story runs like a standard fantasy novel. There are a few changes, such as Conan escaping from the pit fighters as opposed to being set free, and the existence of the beastmen in Thulsa Doom's mountain, but it mostly follows fairly closely to the plot as it is in the movie. It is easy to get images of the film as we read through the book, but the descriptions that de Camp uses seems to add a lot more colour.
I really liked the movie and the story behind it, and de Camp does do a good job of bringing the story into the form of a novel. However at this stage I have not read any of Howard's original stories so it is very difficult to compare them. First I wonder if Valaria is mentioned in any of the stories, and also if the thief and the wizard also appear. I loved the wizard from the movie, though he does not seem to come across the same in the book. The other thing that I noticed was that de Camp creates Conan as being somewhat more intelligent and literate than he appears in the film. We are told in the film that during his pit fighting days his master is teaching his literature and retorical skills, but that is missing from this book. However we do learn that Conan is apt at picking up languages.
The problem with movie novelisations is that they are connected to another medium, and that medium is always sitting at the back of my head. It is sort of like the novelisation of the recent Tintin movie. To me you cannot novelise a Tintin book. They were always graphic novels and to me the only medium that Tintin works in is the graphic novel. Some have scoffed at me for that statement namely on the basis of the film, however the film was not Herge, but if anything can be considered a tribute to Herge. However I have wondered off track here a lot and will simply finish off by suggesting that Arnie never really seemed to come across as an intelligent Conan.
June 10, 2012
This is the novelization of the original Arnold movie from 1982. It was actually nice to see the little details left out from a movie I have seen countless times. There was nothing left out that changes the story, but a few points that may help clarify some things the film does not explain too well. Well worth it for fans of Conan or just the sword & sorcery genre.
October 17, 2024
The novel Conan the Barbarian by L. Sprague De Camp and Lin Carter is the official motion picture adaptation of the movie released starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, directed by John Milius, and written by Milius and Oliver Stone. The character of Conan the Barbarian was created in the 1930s during the Golden Age of pulp fiction by Robert E. Howard. From the time of Howard’s death at the age of 30 from suicide in 1936, and for many decades after, various writers wrote Conan stories. The task finally rested most firmly with L. Sprague De Camp and Lin Carter who wrote the bulk of the Conan novels and who are responsible for most of the mythos as it is described today.
For the most part, the book is exactly what it claims to be; a slightly fleshed-out version of the movie from 1982. There are a few changes to the narrative from the film; they are small, but help propel the story forward. Conan is born among the Cimmerians, ancestors of the Atlanteans, whose land was destroyed. The Cimmerians are nomadic and expertly skilled at crafts such as that of sword-making. Conan’s home is attacked one day by the followers of Set, a snake cult that is slowly slithering across the land. Both of Conan’s parents are slain in front of him, and his father’s beloved sword is taken by the leaders of Set.
Conan is thrown into slavery for most of his childhood. He is then recognized for his enormous strength and sold to a group of pit fighters who roam the land making their livings by staging fights across the country. Conan, surprise surprise, is an excellent pit fighter. Conan is joined by the thief Subotai, and a female ex-pit fighter named Valeria. The trio breaks into a palace of Set and steals many valuable gems. They are enjoying their findings when they are captured by men belonging to King Osric. He wants to pay heavily for Conan, Subotai, and Valeria to sneak into the depths of the Set stronghold and steal back his kidnapped daughter, Yasamina. Whether or not Conan and his friends can pull off such a task makes up the second half of the novel.
When reading fantasy, we are to expect magic, wizards, cults, and all sorts of surprising plot points that push our ability to believe. For the most part, Conan the Barbarian sticks to the formulas and is action-packed throughout. There is an extended scene in which three heroes appear to stave off an approaching army that strains credibility as far as it can go, but this is Conan, and we should expect the impossible. The novelization of Conan the Barbarian is part of Titan Books’ Heroic Signatures line of books. If it has been a while since you saw the movie, it is time to crank up the soundtrack and read the book.
For the most part, the book is exactly what it claims to be; a slightly fleshed-out version of the movie from 1982. There are a few changes to the narrative from the film; they are small, but help propel the story forward. Conan is born among the Cimmerians, ancestors of the Atlanteans, whose land was destroyed. The Cimmerians are nomadic and expertly skilled at crafts such as that of sword-making. Conan’s home is attacked one day by the followers of Set, a snake cult that is slowly slithering across the land. Both of Conan’s parents are slain in front of him, and his father’s beloved sword is taken by the leaders of Set.
Conan is thrown into slavery for most of his childhood. He is then recognized for his enormous strength and sold to a group of pit fighters who roam the land making their livings by staging fights across the country. Conan, surprise surprise, is an excellent pit fighter. Conan is joined by the thief Subotai, and a female ex-pit fighter named Valeria. The trio breaks into a palace of Set and steals many valuable gems. They are enjoying their findings when they are captured by men belonging to King Osric. He wants to pay heavily for Conan, Subotai, and Valeria to sneak into the depths of the Set stronghold and steal back his kidnapped daughter, Yasamina. Whether or not Conan and his friends can pull off such a task makes up the second half of the novel.
When reading fantasy, we are to expect magic, wizards, cults, and all sorts of surprising plot points that push our ability to believe. For the most part, Conan the Barbarian sticks to the formulas and is action-packed throughout. There is an extended scene in which three heroes appear to stave off an approaching army that strains credibility as far as it can go, but this is Conan, and we should expect the impossible. The novelization of Conan the Barbarian is part of Titan Books’ Heroic Signatures line of books. If it has been a while since you saw the movie, it is time to crank up the soundtrack and read the book.
October 3, 2021
Such a classic! Looooove this book.
The movie is amazing too minus Arnold's lack of English language lol the book is actually so much better because it goes deeper into the character development.
There's some things that are different in the book than in the movie but I'm not going to name them all. Like the way character dies might be different lol I 'm avoiding spoilers.
kruuuuuuuuuuuuum!
The movie is amazing too minus Arnold's lack of English language lol the book is actually so much better because it goes deeper into the character development.
There's some things that are different in the book than in the movie but I'm not going to name them all. Like the way character dies might be different lol I 'm avoiding spoilers.
kruuuuuuuuuuuuum!
June 12, 2022
Just realised I hadn't shelved this movie adaptation novel. I've probably been over-generous in giving it a three-star rating - 40 years on from having read it, it's hard to remember. That I didn't keep it despite being a massive Conan fan when it came out probably indicates it should be a lower rating but, nostalgia...
February 6, 2024
Είναι στην ουσία το σενάριο της πρώτης ταινιας; Ε και;
Άλλωστε όπως θα έλεγε και ο Κόναν:
Το καλύτερο στη ζωή είναι παρά τα χιλιάδες βιβλία στα ποδια σου, εσύ να διαβάζεις και πάλι τα ίδια και τα ίδια και να ακούς το κλάμα της γυναίκας σου (που βλέπει τις στοίβες με τα αδιάβαστα να μεγαλώνουν συνεχώς)!
Conan! What's best in life?
Crush your enemies
See them driven before you
And hear the lamentation
Of their women
Και εννοείται πως για όσο το διαβάζεις, επιβάλλεται να ακούς το soundtrack του Βασίλη Πολυδούρη, αλλιώς...to hell with you!
Άλλωστε όπως θα έλεγε και ο Κόναν:
Το καλύτερο στη ζωή είναι παρά τα χιλιάδες βιβλία στα ποδια σου, εσύ να διαβάζεις και πάλι τα ίδια και τα ίδια και να ακούς το κλάμα της γυναίκας σου (που βλέπει τις στοίβες με τα αδιάβαστα να μεγαλώνουν συνεχώς)!
Conan! What's best in life?
Crush your enemies
See them driven before you
And hear the lamentation
Of their women
Και εννοείται πως για όσο το διαβάζεις, επιβάλλεται να ακούς το soundtrack του Βασίλη Πολυδούρη, αλλιώς...to hell with you!
July 28, 2017
5 stars for the original film, with a review of the others too.
Conan the Barbarian (1): scary as hell portrayal of mystic cults throughout time, from a dytopian version of Atlantis to post-hippie-orgy Charles Manson. Grad-level sociology courses are dedicated to this theme, so it's not some mere anti-pagan/go to church diatribe. The antithesis of softcore-porn Fabio or derp Van Damme nonsense. Gorgeous score too. One of the rare films that benefits from a TV-edit because of the excessive gore at times.
Conan the Destroyer: hiring cartoon artist Fleischer? (ok, not him, but might as well have been) warns what this is: live-action Popeye and Ali Baba "Salami/Baloney/Salami/Baloney".... Same with 1985's Red Sonja film. Roy Thomas got CTD story co-credit, but iirc his script was replaced for a Hollywood-script-churner-type--exactly the stereotype Howard broke.
Conan live tv series: really not that bad. Better than Hercules/Xena in that it didn't go on and on, at least. Kinda a strange hybrid of the first two films in terms of tone: oil and water just waiting to come apart but semi-working for a short time.
Conan the Barbarian remake. Utter schlock meant to cause illiteracy. Major career and ethics mistake by Ron Perlman to offer his iconic mug for this offensively soulless tripe, much like 2009's Solomon Kane.
in sum, only a rare genius like John Milius--WITH a perfect storm of gifted crew--can do silver-screen-justice to genius Howard's stories. Same with Lovecraft via "Alien 1," Butch Cassidy in space via "Star Wars 1977," King via Kubrick's "The Shining," Conrad via "Apocalypse Now," and Burgess via "A Clockwork Orange." Jeez, are there really that few? Oh yes, Ellison via "The Road Warrior"-- I saw that back-to back with "Conan 1" in theaters: action bliss for an athletic teen!
Conan the Barbarian (1): scary as hell portrayal of mystic cults throughout time, from a dytopian version of Atlantis to post-hippie-orgy Charles Manson. Grad-level sociology courses are dedicated to this theme, so it's not some mere anti-pagan/go to church diatribe. The antithesis of softcore-porn Fabio or derp Van Damme nonsense. Gorgeous score too. One of the rare films that benefits from a TV-edit because of the excessive gore at times.
Conan the Destroyer: hiring cartoon artist Fleischer? (ok, not him, but might as well have been) warns what this is: live-action Popeye and Ali Baba "Salami/Baloney/Salami/Baloney".... Same with 1985's Red Sonja film. Roy Thomas got CTD story co-credit, but iirc his script was replaced for a Hollywood-script-churner-type--exactly the stereotype Howard broke.
Conan live tv series: really not that bad. Better than Hercules/Xena in that it didn't go on and on, at least. Kinda a strange hybrid of the first two films in terms of tone: oil and water just waiting to come apart but semi-working for a short time.
Conan the Barbarian remake. Utter schlock meant to cause illiteracy. Major career and ethics mistake by Ron Perlman to offer his iconic mug for this offensively soulless tripe, much like 2009's Solomon Kane.
in sum, only a rare genius like John Milius--WITH a perfect storm of gifted crew--can do silver-screen-justice to genius Howard's stories. Same with Lovecraft via "Alien 1," Butch Cassidy in space via "Star Wars 1977," King via Kubrick's "The Shining," Conrad via "Apocalypse Now," and Burgess via "A Clockwork Orange." Jeez, are there really that few? Oh yes, Ellison via "The Road Warrior"-- I saw that back-to back with "Conan 1" in theaters: action bliss for an athletic teen!
September 25, 2015
This is a book based on a film that was based on a series of books. The original Conan tales by Robert E. Howard will never be equaled in my view, though I enjoyed both the 1982 "Conan the Barbarian" film and this novel by L. Sprague de Camp.
Like the film, this book borrows several elements and characters from various tales by Mr Howard, while adding new themes. Several authors have endeavoured to fill in the gaps of Conan's history, of which L. Sprague de Camp has proven to be the most dedicated. Whether he's produced the best new writings is arguable, but no one can deny his desire to be faithful to the original Howard approach.
I read "Conan the Barbarian" first when in my early teens and again in my mid-twenties. I can state that I enjoyed this tome as a boy and as an adult.
Like the film, this book borrows several elements and characters from various tales by Mr Howard, while adding new themes. Several authors have endeavoured to fill in the gaps of Conan's history, of which L. Sprague de Camp has proven to be the most dedicated. Whether he's produced the best new writings is arguable, but no one can deny his desire to be faithful to the original Howard approach.
I read "Conan the Barbarian" first when in my early teens and again in my mid-twenties. I can state that I enjoyed this tome as a boy and as an adult.
January 1, 2009
This was so "not" Conan that I could hardly stand to read it. I would have liked it better if it had been about an original character.
August 28, 2023
The literary adaptation of the film of the same name and for this reason it is a book that has its usefulness. As you know, there are some things that a movie can't show, unlike a book. So in the first chapters we have a more complete picture of the process of the hero's coming of age, about the feelings and all that shaped his character. But from a certain point on I feel that there is more of a reproduction of the events of the film than an attempt to tell a story, and that was not the best. Of course the main quality of the book is that it complements the film in some way and as such I think it works very well.
Η λογοτεχνική μεταφορά της ομώνυμης ταινίας και για αυτό είναι ένα βιβλίο που έχει τη χρησιμότητα του. Όπως είναι γνωστό υπάρχουν κάποια πράγματα που μία ταινία δεν μπορεί να δείξει, σε αντίθεση με ένα βιβλίο. Έτσι στα πρώτα κεφάλαια έχουμε μία πιο πλήρη εικόνα της διαδικασίας της ενηλικίωσης του ήρωα, για τα συναισθήματα και όλα αυτά που διαμόρφωσαν το χαρακτήρα του. Από κάποιο σημείο και μετά όμως νιώθω ότι περισσότερο υπάρχει μία αναπαραγωγή των γεγονότων της ταινίας παρά μία προσπάθεια αφήγησης μιας ιστορίας, και αυτό δεν ήταν ότι καλύτερο. Φυσικά το βασικό προσόν του βιβλίου είναι ότι συμπληρώνει με κάποιο τρόπο την ταινία και ως κάτι τέτοιο νομίζω ότι δουλεύει πάρα πολύ καλά.
Η λογοτεχνική μεταφορά της ομώνυμης ταινίας και για αυτό είναι ένα βιβλίο που έχει τη χρησιμότητα του. Όπως είναι γνωστό υπάρχουν κάποια πράγματα που μία ταινία δεν μπορεί να δείξει, σε αντίθεση με ένα βιβλίο. Έτσι στα πρώτα κεφάλαια έχουμε μία πιο πλήρη εικόνα της διαδικασίας της ενηλικίωσης του ήρωα, για τα συναισθήματα και όλα αυτά που διαμόρφωσαν το χαρακτήρα του. Από κάποιο σημείο και μετά όμως νιώθω ότι περισσότερο υπάρχει μία αναπαραγωγή των γεγονότων της ταινίας παρά μία προσπάθεια αφήγησης μιας ιστορίας, και αυτό δεν ήταν ότι καλύτερο. Φυσικά το βασικό προσόν του βιβλίου είναι ότι συμπληρώνει με κάποιο τρόπο την ταινία και ως κάτι τέτοιο νομίζω ότι δουλεύει πάρα πολύ καλά.
June 6, 2025
“Men shall DIE for this!”
Full review coming soon to dis-member.com, but generally, pretty ding-dang fun. And a very interesting “uncut” look at what this seminal dork movie started out as on the page!
Camp and Carter are pretty tried and true hands at Conan and his exploits (and even were back in the 80s when this originally dropped) but I was genuinely really impressed with how much “new” stuff and feeling this operates with. As well as like just this hugely expanded scope and scale and goriness that only somewhat gets translated into the film (which I do love a lot, don’t get me wrong).
But it’s like, if the movie is a mood piece that only kinda gets Conan’s deal, this is very much like, meat and potatoes (yet weird and horror-tinged and shockingly verbose) Conan adventuring.
Hell yeah, says I.
Full review coming soon to dis-member.com, but generally, pretty ding-dang fun. And a very interesting “uncut” look at what this seminal dork movie started out as on the page!
Camp and Carter are pretty tried and true hands at Conan and his exploits (and even were back in the 80s when this originally dropped) but I was genuinely really impressed with how much “new” stuff and feeling this operates with. As well as like just this hugely expanded scope and scale and goriness that only somewhat gets translated into the film (which I do love a lot, don’t get me wrong).
But it’s like, if the movie is a mood piece that only kinda gets Conan’s deal, this is very much like, meat and potatoes (yet weird and horror-tinged and shockingly verbose) Conan adventuring.
Hell yeah, says I.
January 8, 2021
I wouldn't argue with anyone who disagrees with my rating on this one. As the novelization of one of my favorite fantasy movies, though, how can I not love it? It also has a few different details from the movie, which was interesting to see.
December 4, 2023
Held up surprisingly well from when I first read it at 13. So much fun, even if not strictly Conan.
January 6, 2024
Just like the movie that it’s based upon, it’s a fun romp through old standard fantasy storytelling. This is “low art” of the best type - crafted for appeal and not necessarily awards.
October 28, 2024
I enjoyed this novelization far more than the movie. Conan is slightly out of character, but that happens in the de Camp/Carter versions from time to time.
August 9, 2024
3.5
While Robert E Howard's Conan will always be the only real Conan stories, for a bit of apocrypha, this isn't half bad.
While Robert E Howard's Conan will always be the only real Conan stories, for a bit of apocrypha, this isn't half bad.
February 28, 2018
Well-written. Engaging. And much longer than the shorter stories, which I prefer.
July 2, 2025
Fa sempre piacere leggere "nuove" storie con protagonista Conan, innegabilmente. In questo volumetto si rispettano, da un lato fin troppo, i canoni stabiliti da Howard, il che ci può stare, salvo però il fatto che ad esempio in "La dea d'avorio" si ripropone pari pari l'espediente inventato da Howard stesso. D'altra parte, ma posso capire anche questo, ci sono dei (rari) momenti in cui Conan non parla come ha sempre fatto, ma per esempio si concede degli "ehm" che intaccano un po' l'essere sempre e comunque un barbaro tutto d'un pezzo; o anche far pronunciare un preoccupato "tesoro!" a uno dei personaggi femminili, che a mio modo di vedere ha conferito un'aria in qualche modo svampita. Ma queste sono piccolezze in fin dei conti, che poco o nulla tolgono al piacere di viaggiare nuovamente nel meraviglioso mondo dell'epoca hyboriana.
June 21, 2012
"Conan! What is best in life?"
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."
Aside from the inevitable violence wrought by the infamous Cimmerian and the impressive production value, the thing I always enjoyed about the Conan the Barbarian movie was its dialogue. Whether they were the brutish lines spoken from Schwarzenegger's Conan or the stately and eloquent words uttered by Thulsa Doom though James Earl Jones' wonderfully redolent voice, the dialogue Oliver Stone and John Milius wrote breathed life into these memorable characters.
"There comes a time thief when the jewels cease to sparkle, when the gold loses its luster, when the throne room becomes a prison, and all that is left is a father's love for his child."
When Max Von Sydow's King Osric speaks these words to Conan, it's moments like this scene I feel the writers have captured the essence of Robert E. Howard's world of Hyboria. So I found it rather strange that the weakest component of L. Sprague de Camp's novelization was the dialogue. Often, de Camp would deviate from the normal line putting his own twist on it and it actually fails. Not horribly. But it doesn't seem as powerful as the original lines the characters spoke. At times, it almost felt as though de Camp were changing words needlessly in at attempt to stay away from writing the dialogue verbatim to the script. It didn't feel as natural and there were times the characters were actually a bit more verbose. I felt brevity was much more effective than elaboration. When Thulsa Doom speaks to Conan about the Riddle of Steel, it doesn't feel as insightful. When Doom speaks to his followers, he isn't as charismatic as his film equivalent. It may be that I hold a bias towards the novel's character quotes because I was exposed to the film's dialogue first, but this is just the way I feel and it is the reason I took away a star. As to why I rated it four stars in the first place - L. Sprague de Camp's narrative description is nothing short of awesome.
The prose is very reminiscent of Robert E. Howard's short stories on the legendary barbarian. de Camp's words are just poetic at times and the vistas he paints are clear. And I don't think this is because I've seen these vistas in the film before either. There were times I had to reread a few lines of description they were that delicious. You can practically smell the land. You can feel the strength in Conan's swing. And I've always liked the origin story of Conan (or rather the possible origin as related to us by the wizard) and though de Camp's story adheres very closely of course, it does deviate at times and often to actually strengthen the tale. But there is no Thorgrim (to my great regret.) I suppose as long as there's a Rexor and he gets his ass kicked, I should be grateful. This is a short and really entertaining read. Even if you know what is coming because of your familiarity with the Milius' film, it's still just fun to read Sprague de Camp's take on it and as this was my first time reading a de Camp novel, I definitely want to read more of his work. If you like walking the streets of Shadizar upon sandaled feet, give this tale a try.
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."
Aside from the inevitable violence wrought by the infamous Cimmerian and the impressive production value, the thing I always enjoyed about the Conan the Barbarian movie was its dialogue. Whether they were the brutish lines spoken from Schwarzenegger's Conan or the stately and eloquent words uttered by Thulsa Doom though James Earl Jones' wonderfully redolent voice, the dialogue Oliver Stone and John Milius wrote breathed life into these memorable characters.
"There comes a time thief when the jewels cease to sparkle, when the gold loses its luster, when the throne room becomes a prison, and all that is left is a father's love for his child."
When Max Von Sydow's King Osric speaks these words to Conan, it's moments like this scene I feel the writers have captured the essence of Robert E. Howard's world of Hyboria. So I found it rather strange that the weakest component of L. Sprague de Camp's novelization was the dialogue. Often, de Camp would deviate from the normal line putting his own twist on it and it actually fails. Not horribly. But it doesn't seem as powerful as the original lines the characters spoke. At times, it almost felt as though de Camp were changing words needlessly in at attempt to stay away from writing the dialogue verbatim to the script. It didn't feel as natural and there were times the characters were actually a bit more verbose. I felt brevity was much more effective than elaboration. When Thulsa Doom speaks to Conan about the Riddle of Steel, it doesn't feel as insightful. When Doom speaks to his followers, he isn't as charismatic as his film equivalent. It may be that I hold a bias towards the novel's character quotes because I was exposed to the film's dialogue first, but this is just the way I feel and it is the reason I took away a star. As to why I rated it four stars in the first place - L. Sprague de Camp's narrative description is nothing short of awesome.
The prose is very reminiscent of Robert E. Howard's short stories on the legendary barbarian. de Camp's words are just poetic at times and the vistas he paints are clear. And I don't think this is because I've seen these vistas in the film before either. There were times I had to reread a few lines of description they were that delicious. You can practically smell the land. You can feel the strength in Conan's swing. And I've always liked the origin story of Conan (or rather the possible origin as related to us by the wizard) and though de Camp's story adheres very closely of course, it does deviate at times and often to actually strengthen the tale. But there is no Thorgrim (to my great regret.) I suppose as long as there's a Rexor and he gets his ass kicked, I should be grateful. This is a short and really entertaining read. Even if you know what is coming because of your familiarity with the Milius' film, it's still just fun to read Sprague de Camp's take on it and as this was my first time reading a de Camp novel, I definitely want to read more of his work. If you like walking the streets of Shadizar upon sandaled feet, give this tale a try.
May 8, 2011
Adapted from the screenplay by Oliver Stone and John Milius, De Camp and Carter score high marks with this well thought out novelization. While they could have been complete hacks and provided the bare bones minimum, the two go out of their way to weave an origin story for Conan that succeeds by appearing to be written by Robert E. Howard at his best. (Die-hard fans argue that many of his Conan stories are actually poorly written, despite the genius behind Conan, Cimmeria, Hyborea, et. al.)
Although it is well established that the world of Conan is not complete, or even properly organized in any way – a result, no doubt, of Howard’s untimely death, as well as health issues during his life that prevented him from created a cohesive fantasy world (like Tolkien or Martin) – there is no doubt that American fantasy would be the poorer without him. When it comes to dark sword and sorcery, look no further than Howard and his greatest fictional creation, Conan, for inspiration. He, like Tolkien, sets the bar high.
Although it is well established that the world of Conan is not complete, or even properly organized in any way – a result, no doubt, of Howard’s untimely death, as well as health issues during his life that prevented him from created a cohesive fantasy world (like Tolkien or Martin) – there is no doubt that American fantasy would be the poorer without him. When it comes to dark sword and sorcery, look no further than Howard and his greatest fictional creation, Conan, for inspiration. He, like Tolkien, sets the bar high.
February 10, 2013
This was a really quick read, which is what I want out of a Conan story.
There's nothing like a good sword and sorcery novel in the imagination of the right author. L. Sprague De Camp does great justice to Robert Howard's Conan character, but few can match the energy that Howard imbues in every scene.
Conan is a beastly man who thrives on blood lust, sexual lust, and just all around lust. He embodies pure passion and inhabits a world that calls for pure passionate responses.
In this tale, he meets up with a thief and a sexy lady named Valeria and they help him find and kill Thulsa Doom, a powerful evil wizard who murdered Conan's family and stole his father's prized possession.
The setting is vast and uncharted. Evil sorcerers and witches scatter the land and perform evil rites to their own wicked avail. Warriors of every shape and make traverse distances to fulfill destinies with brute strength and honorable codes of ethics.
If you're interested in wild, passionate dreamscapes then look no further than Conan.
There's nothing like a good sword and sorcery novel in the imagination of the right author. L. Sprague De Camp does great justice to Robert Howard's Conan character, but few can match the energy that Howard imbues in every scene.
Conan is a beastly man who thrives on blood lust, sexual lust, and just all around lust. He embodies pure passion and inhabits a world that calls for pure passionate responses.
In this tale, he meets up with a thief and a sexy lady named Valeria and they help him find and kill Thulsa Doom, a powerful evil wizard who murdered Conan's family and stole his father's prized possession.
The setting is vast and uncharted. Evil sorcerers and witches scatter the land and perform evil rites to their own wicked avail. Warriors of every shape and make traverse distances to fulfill destinies with brute strength and honorable codes of ethics.
If you're interested in wild, passionate dreamscapes then look no further than Conan.
February 13, 2025
Love conquers all, and is even stronger than Steel. But for the cultic fervor of youth, some things are stronger still, until you take your last breath for it.
This reads well, with a sometimes poetic prose that gives a lot of quotable parts. I wonder if De Camp and Carter (or De Camp and his wife) would trade off writing sections, because even though it was all well-written, some sections seemed a little more chaotic than others. The tale itself has much to chew on outside of the entertainment value, relatable to the waves of the world and how cultures clash. The newest cult of personality and sorcery enchant the youth, turning them against their parents, even as far as murder. It's interesting that Conan's drive is to avenge the death of his parents while Thulsa Doom uses the youth to murder their own parents. Conan stands alone in many ways, within Howard's creation, and in Milius' cinematic version, as well as in this book's version. Here he is honoring his parents where others do not, clashing with their civilized savagery. King Osric represents that aged demographic that wants the new-age persecution to be combatted but he has no strength for it. Conan is the vintage youth that still resonates with the ancient heroics of inspiration, standing separately from the cult of modern youth. The promises given to most youth do not tempt Conan. Doom intentionally creates sacrificial death-children but unintentionally created a dealer of death who resists Doom's fanatical ways.
Praise, criticism, and a Neutral trade-off:
As far as praise goes, the characters of the movie enrich the tale along with Conan: Subotai, Mako, Valeria, Thulsa, Rexor, Thorgrim, and Conan's fight-til-the-end mother with the hypnotic eyes. Here, like in the movie, the three thieves are diverse with different perspectives but at no point do you feel overstated ethnicity, gender, or politics are forced into the milieu. Each character is real, capable, and susceptible to manipulations and fear. Unfortunately, one of these secondary film characters is left out of the book. This effects some of the scenes for me where I am expecting a certain degree of bravado when opposing forces square off. I'm talking about . Where this book added more to the characters and descriptions of the land/mythos, they also traded off in not having the feel of Basil Paledouris' score to drive you along the battlefield, or to coax you through the orgy of cannibalism and cultic decadence. In the film, Conan's moment of defeat and acceptance of Thulsa Doom's words quickly reversed with Conan's wordless chopping of Doom's neck is a powerful moment of redemption and satisfaction, followed by the somber distinguishing of the serpent's flames as the acolytes trudge to the fountain to throw the candles down, and meander away. In the book, it somewhat goes that way, but certainly lacks the emotion and luster of vengeful silence and the loss of perverted faith.
Forward
Prologue
1. The Sword
"When you have mastered the mysteries of steel, my son, your sword will be your very soul."
"... out of suffering is born strength; only through pain and deprivation does a human heart become as strong as steel."
2. The Wheel
"Nurtured by the fires of rage, a new-found pride, and the courage to endure, Conan grew into a man."
3. The Pit
4. The Witch
"With such a blade, no destiny would be too high for a warrior to aspire to! With such a blade, even a barbarian slave, a Pit fighter scorned and marked for death, might hack his way to an honored Place among the rulers of the earth."
"It is good to have a friend at your back when trouble comes."
5. The Priestess
"Always it is the same: they lure the young and innocent into their toils - innocents who forsake husbands, sweethearts, and family to make love with serpents and mad priests, in orgies of foulness."
6. The Thief.
7. The Gem.
8. The Mission.
"Each generation is weaker than the one before. Today's young wallow in this snake cult - this false religion. They yearn to be slaves and beggars, drugged dreamers. When I was young, boys strove to be heroes, not parasites and destroyers." - King Osric
9. The Road.
10. The Mountain.
"He made one more attempt to reassert his authority and to impress the stubborn youth, whose body was in chains but whose soul remained free."
"What is it to me that you have power over fools and weaklings? You have never met a real man on equal terms and fought him face to face or hand to hand." - Conan
11. The Tree.
12. The Cleft.
13. The Cavern.
14. The Rescue.
15. The Parting.
"Conan held her against his breast, and their wet hair mingled blonde beneath black and the golden light of the rising sun. A wind sprang up from the Vilayet Sea."
16. The Battle.
17. The Avenging.
"You have seen the sunrise. It drives away the tears of the dark, and from its light foul things that love the darkness cower and hide. You must be the sunrise of Zamora."
A waxing on Heroic Adventure:
This reads well, with a sometimes poetic prose that gives a lot of quotable parts. I wonder if De Camp and Carter (or De Camp and his wife) would trade off writing sections, because even though it was all well-written, some sections seemed a little more chaotic than others. The tale itself has much to chew on outside of the entertainment value, relatable to the waves of the world and how cultures clash. The newest cult of personality and sorcery enchant the youth, turning them against their parents, even as far as murder. It's interesting that Conan's drive is to avenge the death of his parents while Thulsa Doom uses the youth to murder their own parents. Conan stands alone in many ways, within Howard's creation, and in Milius' cinematic version, as well as in this book's version. Here he is honoring his parents where others do not, clashing with their civilized savagery. King Osric represents that aged demographic that wants the new-age persecution to be combatted but he has no strength for it. Conan is the vintage youth that still resonates with the ancient heroics of inspiration, standing separately from the cult of modern youth. The promises given to most youth do not tempt Conan. Doom intentionally creates sacrificial death-children but unintentionally created a dealer of death who resists Doom's fanatical ways.
Praise, criticism, and a Neutral trade-off:
As far as praise goes, the characters of the movie enrich the tale along with Conan: Subotai, Mako, Valeria, Thulsa, Rexor, Thorgrim, and Conan's fight-til-the-end mother with the hypnotic eyes. Here, like in the movie, the three thieves are diverse with different perspectives but at no point do you feel overstated ethnicity, gender, or politics are forced into the milieu. Each character is real, capable, and susceptible to manipulations and fear. Unfortunately, one of these secondary film characters is left out of the book. This effects some of the scenes for me where I am expecting a certain degree of bravado when opposing forces square off. I'm talking about . Where this book added more to the characters and descriptions of the land/mythos, they also traded off in not having the feel of Basil Paledouris' score to drive you along the battlefield, or to coax you through the orgy of cannibalism and cultic decadence. In the film, Conan's moment of defeat and acceptance of Thulsa Doom's words quickly reversed with Conan's wordless chopping of Doom's neck is a powerful moment of redemption and satisfaction, followed by the somber distinguishing of the serpent's flames as the acolytes trudge to the fountain to throw the candles down, and meander away. In the book, it somewhat goes that way, but certainly lacks the emotion and luster of vengeful silence and the loss of perverted faith.
Forward
Prologue
1. The Sword
"When you have mastered the mysteries of steel, my son, your sword will be your very soul."
"... out of suffering is born strength; only through pain and deprivation does a human heart become as strong as steel."
2. The Wheel
"Nurtured by the fires of rage, a new-found pride, and the courage to endure, Conan grew into a man."
3. The Pit
4. The Witch
"With such a blade, no destiny would be too high for a warrior to aspire to! With such a blade, even a barbarian slave, a Pit fighter scorned and marked for death, might hack his way to an honored Place among the rulers of the earth."
"It is good to have a friend at your back when trouble comes."
5. The Priestess
"Always it is the same: they lure the young and innocent into their toils - innocents who forsake husbands, sweethearts, and family to make love with serpents and mad priests, in orgies of foulness."
6. The Thief.
7. The Gem.
8. The Mission.
"Each generation is weaker than the one before. Today's young wallow in this snake cult - this false religion. They yearn to be slaves and beggars, drugged dreamers. When I was young, boys strove to be heroes, not parasites and destroyers." - King Osric
9. The Road.
10. The Mountain.
"He made one more attempt to reassert his authority and to impress the stubborn youth, whose body was in chains but whose soul remained free."
"What is it to me that you have power over fools and weaklings? You have never met a real man on equal terms and fought him face to face or hand to hand." - Conan
11. The Tree.
12. The Cleft.
13. The Cavern.
14. The Rescue.
15. The Parting.
"Conan held her against his breast, and their wet hair mingled blonde beneath black and the golden light of the rising sun. A wind sprang up from the Vilayet Sea."
16. The Battle.
17. The Avenging.
"You have seen the sunrise. It drives away the tears of the dark, and from its light foul things that love the darkness cower and hide. You must be the sunrise of Zamora."
A waxing on Heroic Adventure:
February 2, 2013
This was actually the first Conan story I ever read, having acquired it after seeing the film. From there, I was captivated by the character and had amassed around 50 books, which I still have to this day. I can only imagine how many I have missed since then. Howard did, what later, Tolkien would perfect. Building a world around his characters. The addition of the appendix, "The Hyborean Age", which is added to many of the stories, was a way to bring out the world in which Conan lived and give it some form of pseudo-authenticity. All of the stories are worth the read as escapist fiction and allows the reader to delve into a whole other world.
January 23, 2014
I also thought this was one of Howard's original Conan stories, and thought "wow the movie adapted the book in amazing detail! =) haha, it wasn't until I finished the book and then noticed that the introduction said it was a novelisation of the movie. There were a few details added and Conan came off as a bit more intelligent (definitely a lot more talkative than newly arrived Schwarzenegger) all in all a fun quick read and makes me want to rewatch the film
January 21, 2010
I am embarrassed to say I was very surprised to enjoy this book for the second time, at age 39. Howard's writing style and short story collection of the not-so-bright barbarian brute was a nice diversion...
June 13, 2008
Who doesn't love Conan, even if it's in secret? Vegetative fun.
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