Conan: The Thief, The Conqueror, The King: The Collected Adventures of the World's Greatest Barbarian

by Robert E. Howard

Newly updated edition with beautiful custom illustrations!Join Conan the Barbarian on his many adventures from mercenary and thief to conqueror and king as he smites demons, fights wizards, slays monsters, unearths forgotten treasures, battles against all odds, journeys to exotic lands, loves and lusts, uncovers hidden mysteries, and always refuses to yield!This epic collection contains all 18 of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories published during his lifetime.These stories were originally published in Weird Tales magazine between 1933 and 1936.The Conan stories included in the collection 1. Gods of the North (The Frost Giant's Daughter) (1934)2. The Tower of the Elephant (1933)3. Rogues in the House (1935)4. Shadows in the Moonlight (Iron Shadows in the Moon) (1934)5. Black Colossus (1934)6. Queen of the Black Coast (1934)7. The Slithering Shadow (Xuthal of the Dusk) (1934)8. A Witch Shall Be Born (1934)9. The Devil in Iron (1934)10. The People of the Black Circle (1934)11. Shadows in Zamboula (Man-Eaters of Zamboula) (1935)12. The Pool of the Black One (1934)13. Beyond the Black River (1935)14. Red Nails (1936)15. Jewels of Gwahlur (The Teeth of Gwahlur) (1935)16. The Phoenix on the Sword (1932)17. The Scarlet Citadel (1933)18. The Hour of the Dragon (Conan the Conqueror) (1935)As an added bonus, also included in the set Hyborian Age—Conan's World (This is Howard's background essay on the world of Conan) (1936), andThe Shadow Kingdom and The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune (These are two of Howard's early Kull of Atlantis stories that predate and strongly influence his later Conan works.) (1929)For ease of navigation, the anthology includes an interactive table of contents. The stories in this collection are ordered roughly in chronological order from Conan's first adventures as a young mercenary adventurer and thief to his final epic clashes as a king and are based on the Rippke chronology.About Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films (including Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer), television programs (cartoon and live-action), video games, role-playing games and other media. The character was created by writer Robert E. Howard in 1932 via a series of fantasy stories published in Weird Tales magazine.Conan the Conan is a Cimmerian. From Robert E. Howard's writings (The Hyborian Age among others) it is known that the Cimmerians were based on the Celts or Gaels. He was born on a battlefield and is the son of a village blacksmith. Conan matured quickly as a youth and, by age fifteen, he was already a respected warrior who had participated in the destruction of the Aquilonian outpost of Venarium.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Anthologies, Horror, Short Stories, Adventure, Speculative Fiction

738 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2020

About the author

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

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

—Wikipedia

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

Reviews

[David Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

All this for only $0.99. Tons of Conan adventures. Loved it.

[John Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

You want to get your mind blown?

How 'bout Howard exploring the idea of the multiverse from his Texas Home in the 1930s? He doesn't dive into it, but there are lines that read as if they were from Stephen King's Dark Tower series.

I can't compare this collection to any other, but I've enjoyed reading these stories immensely.

He writes action very well and during the rest of the story you feel immersed and invested.

If sword and sorcery is your thing and you haven't given Robert E. Howard (arguably the progenitor of the genre) a try, this is a great way to dive in.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting to finally tackle all of the Conan stories and see where the character came from. Not at all surprised that Howard and Lovecraft were buddies (yikes Rob, just yikes) but you can definitely see his influence on the sword and sorcery genre from the characters, to world building, and story beats

[Allan Ashinoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kid I always liked Conan. As an adult, having read Howard concept without the interpretation of an artist, I appreciate Conan even more. From the comics I had no idea that any, let alone so much, science fiction was woven into the backstory. Fun reading.

[david fileger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conan, read it before, and it's still great all these years later.

I read these books years ago and I was very happy to be able to enjoy them again. It would have taken forever to find the originals.

[Kate C · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Hour Of The Dragon", was my read from this volume of stories.

Conan, the King and Conqueror. Bloody battles, sorcery, intrigue. King Conan loses a battle and a kingdom. Then fights his way through dark magic, monsters, to regain the throne and save the girl.

Loved it.

"The Tower of the Elephant "

This was my favorite print of the Conan the Barbarian comic. I guess it was also my first encounter with 'comic horror ' through the story of Yag-kosha one of the 'Old Ones'. An ancient race that came to Earth ages passed. And his torment at the hands of the evil sorcerer Yara. Also of his revenge, with the help of Conan.

A creepy and sad story.

** trigger warning: Arachnophobia **

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's no question Conan remains the foundation of sword and sorcery, and the stories in this volume are a rollicking good time to read. It's impossible to ignore that the stories are of their time. A few of them manage genuinely shocking racism and mild misogyny throughout is kind of a given. Whether you can enjoy the stories is going to be down to just how well you can read around those things, or if you're willing to try to get a glimpse of the roots of the genre.

[Eran Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure male power fantasy. Very well written, but plagued with racism and sexism. Recommended if you're interested in the historical aspect of Conan's influence. It's very clear to see influences in D&D, for example. Most stories follow very similar notes.

It's interesting to compare to Lovecraft's racism. With Lovecraft the racism is inseparable from the story, and here it's only part of the world-building, and you can find counter-examples and cultural and environmental influences.

[T.M. Starnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I've never read the collective works before, and for them to have been written in the thirties, wow, they stand the test of time.
It only Hollywood would do a movie verbatim from one of these stories!
Just amazing work.

[Alan Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic stories told by a master.