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The Dark Storm Conan Chronology #2
The Hyborian Age
When he was first conceiving of the story series that would eventually include the unforgettable character Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian), author Robert E. Howard put together a sketch outline of the fictional place and time he called the "Hyborian Age," which would serve as the setting for the series. This essay offers a fully fleshed-out description, and it brings a fascinating new dimension to the Conan stories.
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First published January 1, 1936
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About the author
Robert E. Howard
3,010 books2,652 followersRobert 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 27, 2023
Nice backstory to the world Conan inhabits. I would suggest you read this book before you start the Conan series; it is really a map of the world he inhabits. If you are a fan of Conan comics then this book will really add lots of context to the issues. I really was amazed by the level of detail here. Read this book before you read any other Conan book.
August 9, 2018
This is for the Skelos Press Edition.
Back in 1936 when "The Hyborian Age" made it's first appearance from the LANY Cooperative Publications who consisted of Russell J. Hodgkins, Don A. Wollhhelm, Forrest J. Ackerman and John B. Michal the price of the essay was 35 cents. Today this creation is available once again allowing today's reader into the historical events that led to the phenomenon that became Conan the Barbarian.
A bit of interesting and enlightening historical perspective.
Contents:
iii. - Introduction
V - "The Hyborian Age" Essay
X - Miller and Clark's "Probable Outline"
A letter sent to Donald A. Wollheim, accompanying the manuscript
01 - "The Hyborian Age" by Robert E. Howard
17 - A probable outline of Conan's career by P. Schuyler Miller & John D Clark PHD
Back in 1936 when "The Hyborian Age" made it's first appearance from the LANY Cooperative Publications who consisted of Russell J. Hodgkins, Don A. Wollhhelm, Forrest J. Ackerman and John B. Michal the price of the essay was 35 cents. Today this creation is available once again allowing today's reader into the historical events that led to the phenomenon that became Conan the Barbarian.
A bit of interesting and enlightening historical perspective.
Contents:
iii. - Introduction
V - "The Hyborian Age" Essay
X - Miller and Clark's "Probable Outline"
A letter sent to Donald A. Wollheim, accompanying the manuscript
01 - "The Hyborian Age" by Robert E. Howard
17 - A probable outline of Conan's career by P. Schuyler Miller & John D Clark PHD
September 25, 2022
Because Yay Conan is My Barbarian (YCiMBaS™) and stuff!
Okay, maybe NOT this particular Conan.
Now we're talking! That is much better indeed. Thank thee very much and stuff.
· Book 1: The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian ★★★★
· Book 2: The Bloody Crown of Conan ★★★★
· Book 3: The Conquering Sword of Conan ★★★★
Okay, maybe NOT this particular Conan.
Now we're talking! That is much better indeed. Thank thee very much and stuff.
· Book 1: The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian ★★★★
· Book 2: The Bloody Crown of Conan ★★★★
· Book 3: The Conquering Sword of Conan ★★★★
April 16, 2020
Glad I read this and perused a Hyborian world map before diving into the Conan stories. I've read a little Howard before and he does tend to throw around country, nation, race names a bit in his stories. Being unaware of who was who and where in the world they came from, I was quite confused. Not that knowing all that info is essential in enjoying the tales of barbarians slaying one another, as well as the occasional mythic monster. However, knowing a bit about the history and the peoples of his world adds another layer of enjoyment to Howard's work.
April 23, 2021
Nice for giving a sense of the background history of the world of Conan, but it does read like a dry history book with a long series of who invaded whom, and detailed listings of atrocities, wars, and conquests. The kind of thing that caused me to fall asleep in history class.
May 8, 2018
I read through all of conan in middle school and am planning a re-read of the whole lot soonish. I decided to start here as it has a libriVox recording. As someone who enjoyed the silmarillion more than the rest of Tolkein's work I really took to this. What I like about conan is that I always feel like, unlike most fantasy, that I've gone somewhere. Despite Howard's lack of tact he makes up for it in economy of words.
June 30, 2014
This essay prefaced everyone of the Lin Carter L Sprague DeCamp pastiches, so I've read this hundreds of times. The history of the Hyborian age.
June 20, 2024
”And I found that by adhering to the 'facts' and spirit of that history, in writing the stories, it was easier to visualize (and therefore to present) him as a real flesh-and-blood character rather than a readymade product.”
After having read all of H.P. Lovecraft’s work, it felt only natural to face Robert E. Howard next. Perhaps starting with The Hyborian Age wasn’t the best choice to introduce me to his work, only because half of the time I was lost and didn’t know who was who. (Except for the Picts, which I had learned about through another book.) BUT! I was impressed by the depth of The Hyborian Age. If I didn’t know any better I would’ve believed it was a true historical account. What a sweeping epic for a backstory! I look forward to actually reading the stories that are founded on this elaborate essay.
After having read all of H.P. Lovecraft’s work, it felt only natural to face Robert E. Howard next. Perhaps starting with The Hyborian Age wasn’t the best choice to introduce me to his work, only because half of the time I was lost and didn’t know who was who. (Except for the Picts, which I had learned about through another book.) BUT! I was impressed by the depth of The Hyborian Age. If I didn’t know any better I would’ve believed it was a true historical account. What a sweeping epic for a backstory! I look forward to actually reading the stories that are founded on this elaborate essay.
September 10, 2025
Que forma tan breve pero efectiva de establecer el mundo en el que suceden todas las historias de Conan (y aparentemente de varios personajes más de los que no tengo mucha información)
June 25, 2022
A lengthy article by Howard detailing the lands and people of Conan's world and how it led to modern Europe.
So I have Cimmerian blood, who knew?
So I have Cimmerian blood, who knew?
March 2, 2014
The Hyborian Age is an essay by Robert E. Howard pertaining to the Hyborian Age, the fictional setting of his stories about Conan the Cimmerian. It was written in the 1930s but not published during Howard's lifetime. Its purpose was to maintain consistency within his fictional setting. It sets out in detail the major events of the prehistorical period, before and after the time of the Conan stories. In describing the cataclysmic end of the Thurian Age, the period described in his Kull stories, Howard linked both sequences of stories into one shared universe. Other stories would establish links to real life as well - The Haunter of the Ring, set in the modern age, contains a Hyborian artifact, and Kings of the Night brings King Kull forward in time to fight the Roman legions.
December 5, 2017
Well put together essay about how the Hyborian realm was crafted by Howard. Used as a reference for this tales of Conan. Glad it was not lost. Good example of how to build a world for future writers.
January 8, 2021
Yay backstory!!
I love how this can fit within Lovecraftian universe as well, among other universes. It’s vast but also very specifically geologically and temporally situated as to be a self contained unit with hints at present events.
I love how this can fit within Lovecraftian universe as well, among other universes. It’s vast but also very specifically geologically and temporally situated as to be a self contained unit with hints at present events.
November 17, 2015
A labor of love. Wonderful to have this, as well as the associated articles/essays, in one place.
January 3, 2018
Gives fictional historical context to his writings. I couldn't help but draw a big convoluted map as I read along, which was fun in and of itself.
June 20, 2020
Well, I mean on one hand, I suppose this really wasn't intended for public consumption, and it's pretty neat that Howard was concerned enough about internal consistency to create a detailed backdrop for his stories to take place upon. And I suppose it was probably pretty new for someone to do this, not to mention explore the weird fertile landscape of pre-prehistoric savagery.....
On the other hand though...ugh...even relatively short, this thing is an odious slog. It's like reading the mindless ramblings of a precocious, fairly racist, bloodthirsty 12 year old. Which yeah...the race stuff....you gotta sort of take that kind of thing as a given with pretty much any old fantasy, but here what's usually a problematic, though relatively negligible element in a story comes right to the foreground and shoves itself right in your face at every turn. Not that it's as bad as it could be - still not as rough as a lot of things Lovecraft wrote, but it's pretty hard to just ignore, especially at this time.
Even setting aside the race problem - if you can - this thing is still a dull, mostly pointless chore. Howard describes the ever changing rise and fall and rise again of a dozen or so varying civilizations that are distinguishable only by their names and whatever stereotype he's decided to attach to them. There's nothing to relate to, nothing to be interested in, just ya know "first this barbarian race came and wiped out this other decadent empire, then there was a cataclysm and they became barbarians, to be swept away by these other barbarians who formed an empire or whatever."
Further, while the setting is ripe with potential, Howard fails to take advantage of it. Instead of cooking up some strange, truly alien fantasy realm of the past, he instead gives us a childish mashup of ancient and medieval history - some vague approximation of the pre-modern world written by someone who read a few very general history books and really only cared about the battles. It's just "the Romans did this" then "the Mongols did that" and then "the Vikings came and did that," except he's replaced all the names with sillier ones. Honestly, the whole thing reads like someone explaining how one of their games of Civilization played out.
I really don't want to be too hard on this thing. Again, it's really a source document for Howard's own use, not written for a mass audience, and considering that fact, there are parts that are actually remarkably well written. Here and there some actually interesting paragraphs poke through the repetition and show that this was a guy with an interesting imagination who could actually (sort of) write. But you're far better off just picking up a Conan story if you want proof of that.
On the other hand though...ugh...even relatively short, this thing is an odious slog. It's like reading the mindless ramblings of a precocious, fairly racist, bloodthirsty 12 year old. Which yeah...the race stuff....you gotta sort of take that kind of thing as a given with pretty much any old fantasy, but here what's usually a problematic, though relatively negligible element in a story comes right to the foreground and shoves itself right in your face at every turn. Not that it's as bad as it could be - still not as rough as a lot of things Lovecraft wrote, but it's pretty hard to just ignore, especially at this time.
Even setting aside the race problem - if you can - this thing is still a dull, mostly pointless chore. Howard describes the ever changing rise and fall and rise again of a dozen or so varying civilizations that are distinguishable only by their names and whatever stereotype he's decided to attach to them. There's nothing to relate to, nothing to be interested in, just ya know "first this barbarian race came and wiped out this other decadent empire, then there was a cataclysm and they became barbarians, to be swept away by these other barbarians who formed an empire or whatever."
Further, while the setting is ripe with potential, Howard fails to take advantage of it. Instead of cooking up some strange, truly alien fantasy realm of the past, he instead gives us a childish mashup of ancient and medieval history - some vague approximation of the pre-modern world written by someone who read a few very general history books and really only cared about the battles. It's just "the Romans did this" then "the Mongols did that" and then "the Vikings came and did that," except he's replaced all the names with sillier ones. Honestly, the whole thing reads like someone explaining how one of their games of Civilization played out.
I really don't want to be too hard on this thing. Again, it's really a source document for Howard's own use, not written for a mass audience, and considering that fact, there are parts that are actually remarkably well written. Here and there some actually interesting paragraphs poke through the repetition and show that this was a guy with an interesting imagination who could actually (sort of) write. But you're far better off just picking up a Conan story if you want proof of that.
October 21, 2024
An impressive piece of world-building that provides rich backstory to the world of Conan the Barbarian. I’m giving it 4 stars because of how deeply it immerses you in the history, geography, and cultures of the Hyborian world. Howard's writing draws you into an ancient age of shifting kingdoms, powerful rulers, and legendary battles, creating a vivid and detailed setting that feels alive.
What I appreciated most was how Howard structured the evolution of different civilizations, showing the rise and fall of kingdoms over centuries. It reads almost like an ancient historical text, but with a fantastical flair. The descriptions of barbarian tribes, decaying empires, and the constant struggle for survival were engaging. While the narrative itself isn't character-driven, it sets a strong foundation for the Conan stories to come.
The only reason it doesn’t get a full 5 stars is that at times, the text can be a bit dense, reading more like a historical chronicle than a traditional story. Still, for anyone interested in the lore behind Conan or fans of epic fantasy world-building, this is a must-read. Howard’s vision of the Hyborian Age is incredibly detailed and remains one of the most compelling settings in fantasy literature.
And I also have to mention yet once again that Howard's world-building here echoes the influence of Plato's descriptions of Atlantis in works like Timaeus and Critias. Both create mythical civilizations that rise and fall, reflecting the cyclical nature of history. Like Plato’s Atlantis, Howard’s ancient kingdoms, such as Aquilonia and Stygia, blend history and myth, emphasizing the fragility of even the greatest empires. While Plato’s world-building is philosophical, Howard’s is action-driven, but both draw on the idea of lost ages and the inevitable decline of civilizations.
And also the one fact that Howard does pretty much perfectly here that other authors follow blindly Plato's example is that Howard strays away and puts his own touch by blending fiction from reality and history, changing events and putting a fantastical and out of this world reason behind historical events and characters. Which you will truly love along the line if you follow his stories.
What I appreciated most was how Howard structured the evolution of different civilizations, showing the rise and fall of kingdoms over centuries. It reads almost like an ancient historical text, but with a fantastical flair. The descriptions of barbarian tribes, decaying empires, and the constant struggle for survival were engaging. While the narrative itself isn't character-driven, it sets a strong foundation for the Conan stories to come.
The only reason it doesn’t get a full 5 stars is that at times, the text can be a bit dense, reading more like a historical chronicle than a traditional story. Still, for anyone interested in the lore behind Conan or fans of epic fantasy world-building, this is a must-read. Howard’s vision of the Hyborian Age is incredibly detailed and remains one of the most compelling settings in fantasy literature.
And I also have to mention yet once again that Howard's world-building here echoes the influence of Plato's descriptions of Atlantis in works like Timaeus and Critias. Both create mythical civilizations that rise and fall, reflecting the cyclical nature of history. Like Plato’s Atlantis, Howard’s ancient kingdoms, such as Aquilonia and Stygia, blend history and myth, emphasizing the fragility of even the greatest empires. While Plato’s world-building is philosophical, Howard’s is action-driven, but both draw on the idea of lost ages and the inevitable decline of civilizations.
And also the one fact that Howard does pretty much perfectly here that other authors follow blindly Plato's example is that Howard strays away and puts his own touch by blending fiction from reality and history, changing events and putting a fantastical and out of this world reason behind historical events and characters. Which you will truly love along the line if you follow his stories.
January 4, 2023
Listened to the audio version of this from "The Cybrarian" YouTube channel. I'm rather regretting I didn't begin here first as my foray into Conan, but in a series with such depth and scope as Conan the Barbarian, it was nice I got a taste of the lore via Youtube lore videos; Darth Matu's Holocron has an excellent playlist about Conan and he even recommended this essay.
The Hyborian Age is less of a book and moreso of an essay, detailing the fictional history of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian setting. It's a fantastical, pre-historical age set millennia before any real world nations and people existed, in this age, these peoples would become the ancestors to real world ethnic groups.
I love how Howard blended myth0logy with his fiction to create the tapestry of his world-- the Nordic Aesir and Vanir peoples, the savage and barbaric Picts, alongside the apocalyptical kingdoms of Atlantis and Lemuria, weaving the downfall of these civilizations into the greater story.
I know that for some this kind of "lore dump" is boring and doesn't do anything for the direct story, but for a history and lore nerd like myself, it's great! A lot of the names of these fictional kingdoms are references to their real world counter parts, such as the land of Shem and the clearly Levant inspired culture.
The movement of these people groups and nations gives context and livability to the world of Conan the Barbarian, making the story feel richer and alive. One is reminded of JRR Tolkien's Silmarillion, a similar foundational piece of literature that sets the historical foundation and lore of it's respective setting. I enjoy both works, but the Silmarillion feels more fantastical and mythological, with Elves and gods walking about in its world, plus the very overt Christian imagery and storytelling delivered by Tolkien. The Hyborian Age by Howard feels like a lost history, and while there are a slew of strange beings and fantasy elements like elder gods, lizardmen and magic, the story focuses moreso on humanity and their struggles.
The Hyborian Age is less of a book and moreso of an essay, detailing the fictional history of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian setting. It's a fantastical, pre-historical age set millennia before any real world nations and people existed, in this age, these peoples would become the ancestors to real world ethnic groups.
I love how Howard blended myth0logy with his fiction to create the tapestry of his world-- the Nordic Aesir and Vanir peoples, the savage and barbaric Picts, alongside the apocalyptical kingdoms of Atlantis and Lemuria, weaving the downfall of these civilizations into the greater story.
I know that for some this kind of "lore dump" is boring and doesn't do anything for the direct story, but for a history and lore nerd like myself, it's great! A lot of the names of these fictional kingdoms are references to their real world counter parts, such as the land of Shem and the clearly Levant inspired culture.
The movement of these people groups and nations gives context and livability to the world of Conan the Barbarian, making the story feel richer and alive. One is reminded of JRR Tolkien's Silmarillion, a similar foundational piece of literature that sets the historical foundation and lore of it's respective setting. I enjoy both works, but the Silmarillion feels more fantastical and mythological, with Elves and gods walking about in its world, plus the very overt Christian imagery and storytelling delivered by Tolkien. The Hyborian Age by Howard feels like a lost history, and while there are a slew of strange beings and fantasy elements like elder gods, lizardmen and magic, the story focuses moreso on humanity and their struggles.
July 16, 2024
Conan! My secret weapon for hitting my Goodreads challenge this year. This first short entry is nothing more than an introductory world building exercise, Conan doesn’t even appear. Hyborian Age wears its age on its sleeve, grouping people into races of “savage barbarians,” “black kingdoms,” “gypsies,” and “Aryans,” which was probably pretty vogue in Howard’s day. Equally vogue are the lost continents of Atlantis and Lemuria - they always seem to rear their heads in older pulp stuff.
But to give Howard credit, he does manage to slip in a little bit of anti-imperialist sentiment into the short 20 page run time, and packs in a surprising amount of modern-sounding world building history for what I had always assumed was going to be a lighter Moorcock or Vancian style (it’s strange describing an earlier work as being reminiscent of a later work, but that’s just the way I’m reading these). And he does all that without any annoying overly-explanatory writing habits. Though that’s not to say there’s much characterization to go along with the history here. He’s got me flipping back to the map page constantly because besides geography, there’s not much to distinguish one group of invaders from another. The Picts versus the Hyrkanians doesn’t really give me much to hold on to, the guys on the left side of the map versus the guys on the right side gives me just a little bit more.
But I like how the sense of the familiar comes together at the end.
But to give Howard credit, he does manage to slip in a little bit of anti-imperialist sentiment into the short 20 page run time, and packs in a surprising amount of modern-sounding world building history for what I had always assumed was going to be a lighter Moorcock or Vancian style (it’s strange describing an earlier work as being reminiscent of a later work, but that’s just the way I’m reading these). And he does all that without any annoying overly-explanatory writing habits. Though that’s not to say there’s much characterization to go along with the history here. He’s got me flipping back to the map page constantly because besides geography, there’s not much to distinguish one group of invaders from another. The Picts versus the Hyrkanians doesn’t really give me much to hold on to, the guys on the left side of the map versus the guys on the right side gives me just a little bit more.
But I like how the sense of the familiar comes together at the end.
February 24, 2021
What do we know of mankind's road to civilisation other than records of civilisations advanced enough to set down their conquests for prosperity?
In this essay, The Hyborian Age, Robert E. Howard sketches out a fanciful timeline of clans, tribes and races not only fighting against each other, but also against the 'cataclysms' that shaped the planet's surface as we know it today.
The timeline of Howard's 'history' predates the Mesopotamian era by several thousand years, then leaps forward in bursts of 500 or 1,000 years, relating snapshots of the populated, if not civilised, world at those times.
Terrible tribes from across the known and unknown convoluting continents evolve and regress, fight and conquer (a lot of fighting and conquering) other tribes until only the strongest survive.
The survivors, including the Cimmerian race that bears forth Conan the Barbarian, form the clans of Britons, Celts and other races that the topography of the world reflects today.
A fascinating, fantastical read that—who knows—may hold more truth than fossils from around the globe have us believe and set our stall against?
In this essay, The Hyborian Age, Robert E. Howard sketches out a fanciful timeline of clans, tribes and races not only fighting against each other, but also against the 'cataclysms' that shaped the planet's surface as we know it today.
The timeline of Howard's 'history' predates the Mesopotamian era by several thousand years, then leaps forward in bursts of 500 or 1,000 years, relating snapshots of the populated, if not civilised, world at those times.
Terrible tribes from across the known and unknown convoluting continents evolve and regress, fight and conquer (a lot of fighting and conquering) other tribes until only the strongest survive.
The survivors, including the Cimmerian race that bears forth Conan the Barbarian, form the clans of Britons, Celts and other races that the topography of the world reflects today.
A fascinating, fantastical read that—who knows—may hold more truth than fossils from around the globe have us believe and set our stall against?
August 23, 2025
This is not a classic Conan story, but this essay by R. E. Howard outlines the fictional prehistory of Earth where the Conan stories take place, spanning thousands of years before recorded history. It begins with the fall of Atlantis and the rise of early civilizations, setting the stage for the Hyborian kingdoms. Howard details the migrations, wars, and cultural shifts that shape the continent, including the rise and fall of empires like Aquilonia and Nemedia. The narrative serves as a mythic backdrop for the Conan stories, giving context to the world’s peoples, geography, and conflicts. It ends with the eventual decline of the Hyborian Age and the emergence of historical civilizations.
The Hyborian Age is a fascinating and imaginative piece of world-building that showcases Robert E. Howard’s talent for crafting epic mythologies. Though written as an essay, it reads like a sweeping historical saga, rich with detail and drama. It adds depth and coherence to the Conan universe, making the stories feel grounded in a larger, believable world. The scope and ambition of the timeline are impressive, especially considering its brevity. For fans of fantasy lore and immersive settings, this is a rewarding and insightful read, especially for those who want to understand the background of some of the countries int eh Conan stories.
The Hyborian Age is a fascinating and imaginative piece of world-building that showcases Robert E. Howard’s talent for crafting epic mythologies. Though written as an essay, it reads like a sweeping historical saga, rich with detail and drama. It adds depth and coherence to the Conan universe, making the stories feel grounded in a larger, believable world. The scope and ambition of the timeline are impressive, especially considering its brevity. For fans of fantasy lore and immersive settings, this is a rewarding and insightful read, especially for those who want to understand the background of some of the countries int eh Conan stories.
November 8, 2019
Por fin leí una de las más importantes obras de mi autor favorito en su idioma original.
Este relato corto cuenta la historia del mundo desde el amanecer del tiempo y los primeros humanos hasta el tercer cataclismo que le dió al mundo la forma que tiene actualmente.
El relato nos habla de las primeras civilizaciones por allá de veinticuatro mil años en el pasado, después vino el primer cataclismo y el undimiento de la Atlántida, después de eso las civilizaciones cambiaron algunas regresaron a un estado de barbarie y otras se elevaron y evolucionaron solo para caer de nuevo en con el segundo cataclismo.
Robert E. Howard nos presenta una versión alternativa de la historia del mundo y sus civilizaciones, de como han caído imperios y como otros se han levantado sobre sus restos solo para también caer y ser olvidados.
Y todo esto sirve como escenario a sus relatos y a sus personajes, Kull el Conquistador siendo el máximo gobernante durante la eraando peldaños en la civilización solo previa al primer Cataclismo y Conan el Bárbaro él héroe más grande de la era Hyborea, la era previa al tercer cataclismo.
Una historia que suena tan probable y realista que quizá todo esto si paso en realidad.
Este relato corto cuenta la historia del mundo desde el amanecer del tiempo y los primeros humanos hasta el tercer cataclismo que le dió al mundo la forma que tiene actualmente.
El relato nos habla de las primeras civilizaciones por allá de veinticuatro mil años en el pasado, después vino el primer cataclismo y el undimiento de la Atlántida, después de eso las civilizaciones cambiaron algunas regresaron a un estado de barbarie y otras se elevaron y evolucionaron solo para caer de nuevo en con el segundo cataclismo.
Robert E. Howard nos presenta una versión alternativa de la historia del mundo y sus civilizaciones, de como han caído imperios y como otros se han levantado sobre sus restos solo para también caer y ser olvidados.
Y todo esto sirve como escenario a sus relatos y a sus personajes, Kull el Conquistador siendo el máximo gobernante durante la eraando peldaños en la civilización solo previa al primer Cataclismo y Conan el Bárbaro él héroe más grande de la era Hyborea, la era previa al tercer cataclismo.
Una historia que suena tan probable y realista que quizá todo esto si paso en realidad.
January 7, 2025
In the introduction to this essay, Robert Howard explains that he wanted to outline the background history of the imaginary world where the events of all his novels and novellas take place. But this is also a nontrivial and interesting exercise in its own right: to build an alternative story of humanity's movements over several thousand years.
Robert Howard possessed a clear and potent understanding of how the history of human civilizations works, what the main transforming powers are, and why the periods of refinement and sophistication are substituted by the dark ages of ignorance and decay. Interestingly enough, the Picts played one of the prominent roles in many of the drastic social changes during that times. Robert Howard also considers the non-human transforming forces, such as changing climates and great destructive modifications brought about by the movements of the earth's mantle itself. These are the times when the mountains reduce to plains, and plains become the sea-floors or ocean abysses.
It is a recommended reading for all the fans of Conan the barbarian and his adventures.
Robert Howard possessed a clear and potent understanding of how the history of human civilizations works, what the main transforming powers are, and why the periods of refinement and sophistication are substituted by the dark ages of ignorance and decay. Interestingly enough, the Picts played one of the prominent roles in many of the drastic social changes during that times. Robert Howard also considers the non-human transforming forces, such as changing climates and great destructive modifications brought about by the movements of the earth's mantle itself. These are the times when the mountains reduce to plains, and plains become the sea-floors or ocean abysses.
It is a recommended reading for all the fans of Conan the barbarian and his adventures.
August 22, 2024
Eccomi arrivato al volume finale di questa raccolta, che comprende solo racconti usciti dalla penna di L. S. De Camp e Lin Carter. Le storie qui raccolte coprono la piena maturità - dire vecchiaia riferendomi a Conan mi suona implicitamente sbagliato - del cimmero, ormai consolidato sovrano di Aquilonia, il quale lungi dall'appendere la spada al chiodo, continua a vivere avventure mirabolanti, in cui si salva solo grazie alla sua forza, cocciutaggine e barbarico sprezzo del pericolo. Tutto sommato le storie sono piacevoli da leggere, anche se mi è capitato di pensare a come Howard avrebbe sviluppato certe parti di trama. La parte finale dell'ultimo racconto mi ha fatto pensare a Ulisse che, dopo avere sconfitto i Proci e riconquistato Itaca, sospira "talatta, talatta" e riprende il mare. Mi consola sempre l'idea che gli eroi, e le forme di pensiero che incarnano, sono immortali.
August 23, 2021
This is a must-read for any Conan enthusiast. Howard's fleshes out the entire world Conan lives in, among other characters of Howard's. The fantasy history is well thought out. Considering Howard's small world he lived and used as background, this is quite something. Well written and interconnecting so many species of beings Howard writes about.
His limitations is caught in one significant detail: All Howard wrote about could alter in just 500 years. His lack of understanding the ease of great changes usually happen in 50 years or less has his timeline hardly believable.
Yet, this is all fantasy and a writer can make up as he pleases.
Bottom line: I recomend this book. 6 out of ten points.
His limitations is caught in one significant detail: All Howard wrote about could alter in just 500 years. His lack of understanding the ease of great changes usually happen in 50 years or less has his timeline hardly believable.
Yet, this is all fantasy and a writer can make up as he pleases.
Bottom line: I recomend this book. 6 out of ten points.
April 27, 2018
Perhaps better in reverse. That would give you a clearer picture of why you might care during the journey. Librivox audio book had a good volunteer, but his pronunciations made me cringe. If you have no interest in Conan this is just blah, blah, fake history, blah. It did cause me to speculate that Howard was somewhat of a Biblical Scholar, but not a true believer.
September 19, 2022
Howard wrote this as a history or map of the world Conan lives in detailing the past peoples, events, etc. to serve as a reference basis for his Conan stories. It is the fictional setting for the Conan stories. This also places Howard's Kull and other related stores into the same historical framework as the Conan ones.
It is short and presents a history of the world Conan inhabits.
It is short and presents a history of the world Conan inhabits.
November 26, 2022
A dry overview of the history of the world Conan the Barbarian occupies. It was probably a trendsetter at the time, but I didn't find the world building terribly interesting. Also has a strange preoccupation with what fictional races mixed together. It's themes are in line with the Conan the Barbarian stories, but the short stories are much more evocative.
January 27, 2023
A good and somewhat brief introduction to the world of Conan the Cimmerian, it alters real history a bit to fit and mix the made-up with the true.
It’s a product of its time, but not as sinister.
I still don’t know what straight-featured as a facial descriptor is meant to be, but sure, whatever.
It’s a product of its time, but not as sinister.
I still don’t know what straight-featured as a facial descriptor is meant to be, but sure, whatever.
August 9, 2018
I bet I read this before. I'm a huge Howard fan, so don't see how I could have missed it. Great background info on the world Howard used for many of his stories. I read the copy here out on Gutenberg's site: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42182/...
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