The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian

I love collected works that are fairly exhaustive in sourcing, or that have a point of view built into the editing. This one delivered. The point was a collection of the first 13 Conan stories that Howard wrote, in the order in which he wrote them, and as untouched as can be done this long after the fact. The efforts made to go back to the originals made this collection. It manages to carry off the feel of the thirties without intrusive footnoteing or pedantry. I think Howard would have enjoyed it.

The first of three Conan collections from Del Ray contains thirteen stories, some of which are considered among the best Howard has written - namely 'Queen of the Black Coast,' which features what is probably Howard's most mature depiction of a female character, and 'Tower of the Elephant,' one of my all-time favorite Howard stories, and one which shows a decidedly Lovecraftian influence. Even when Howard falls prey to annoying pulp tendencies - 'Xuthal of the Dust' and 'Vale of Lost Women,' I'm looking at you! - he's just too damn talented and convicted a storyteller for it to be a total wash. The package also contains plenty of extras, including some story fragments and outlines, and is generously illustrated, but Howard's muscular prose and galloping narratives are the reason to get this.

The Del Rey series is the best of Howard. These are the best and most well put together collection of The Sullen Northerners stories. Lots of overpriced, butchered volumes are available but these are well done. The artwork is very nice. Howard's voice is unapologetic-ally politically incorrect, the way the stories were meant to be.

One of the best! He left us far too soon.

Overall, the book is an excellent read.
Sadly, not all of the stories are strong, and even within the 13 stories presented in this book there is evident plot recycling.

Still, this is a must read for any fan of Fantasy or any aspiring author.

Howard's descriptions are often vivid without dragging on, though he does have an over-fondness for some words (Thews and Loin-Cloth among them).

This magnificent trade paperback, originally published in 2002 as limited edition hardcover by Wandering Star, contains lavish illustrations by Mark Schultz, informative story notes, an insightful introduction by Robert E. Howard scholar Patrice Louinet, an original map of the world of Conan drawn by the author, and the unadulterated stories pretty much as they first appeared. This book is not just a collection of tales. It's an experience.

You know, I used to think I hated Conan stories. That was before I realized that what I had read were in fact imperfect pastiches written by other writers in the 60's and 70's who hoped to cash in on the iconic popularity of the character.

This volume presents the stories of Conan the Cimmerian as they were written by his creator, Robert E. Howard, and a better group of dashing, creepy, brooding sword & sorcery tales couldn't be wished for. The stories are presented in the order they were written by Howard, which give us glimpses into various parts of his career: from King to freebooter, from thief to warrior, we see Conan forging his way through the Hyborian Age after Atlantis fell.

There are a load of classics in this volume from "The Phoenix on the Sword", a tale of King Conan fighting against rebellion; "The Tower of the Elephant" where Conan, a young thief, meets an otherworldy prisoner when trying to steal a fabled treasure; and "Queen of the Black Coast" a rousing pirate tale in which Conan meets his match (and more besides) in the female captain Bêlit.

It's great stuff. Howard's talent proves to be much greater than many of his pulp contemporaries, and while these stories may not win the pulitzer prize any day soon, they give an excellent dose of adventure and fantasy when you're in the mood. Conan might even surprise you with a few philosophical words of wisdom, by Crom!

The first stories were so over the top as to be fun. But the author doesn't seem to know what a lot of words actually mean, and the narrator pronounces many of the words oddly. The early stories made me think a little of Riddick, all the stories reminded me of Xena: The Warrior Princess's chronological mashups. Conan is a northern barbarian and fights with the Aesir and Vanir, who don't seem to be actually gods, but in one story, spahis, a nineteenth century type of cavalry, make an appearance. It gets an extra half star for being ground breaking, but the Tarzan stories, about another loincloth clad but highly adaptable hero, seem a lot more original.

Overall - I really enjoyed this first volume of the collected short stories of Robert E. Howard and his magnificent creation; Conan the Barbarian. There was not a story in the collection that I was bored with or disliked and I would heartily encourage those who enjoy the fantasy genre to delve into these stories and explore the roots of what started the genre that we enjoy today. The only faults that I have with Howard’s writing are the prevalent sexist and less prevalent racist attitudes that appear throughout these tales. I did find that I was able to overlook these flaws as a product of the attitudes of the general populace at the time of the stories origin and therefore could enjoy the works for their literary merit and the quality of the entertainment that I received from them even though I personally would have found these same ideas fairly offensive at times if present in modern day literature.Cimmeria – This is a one page poem that sets the tone for the book very nicely. It is very descriptive in giving color and setting for the stories to come.The Phoenix on the Sword – Excellent story to start the book. Set later in Conan’s life after he is King of Aquilonia, this story is about a plot to assassinate the great King Conan. The setup and pacing are very nicely done and there is an excellent battle scene as well.The Frost-Giant’s Daughter – Another fine tale, if the rest of the book keeps up at this pace, I’m in for a treat indeed. After a fierce battle in the arctic North, Conan meets a woman who he is driven to follow seemingly to his death. Howard’s prose and descriptive narrative are fantastic as the Frost Giant’s Daughter leads our hero through the frozen wastes.The God in the Bowl – Not quite as good as the previous two. Conan is caught while attempting a robbery and falsely accused of murdering a man who lies dead in the building. Most of the story revolves around the investigation of the murder. The end is decent though , and I still liked it overall.The Tower of the Elephant – The most action packed story in the book so far. Conan enters the mysterious and perilous Tower of the Elephant to steal a powerful gem from a sorcerer. There are many unexpected traps surrounding the tower and the action is pretty much non-stop.The Scarlet Citadel – King Conan leads his army into battle to assist a fellow Lord. Conan however is duped and taken prisoner after a massive battle. This one started out a bit slower than most of the others, but maintained my interest level none-the-less. There are some good dungeon crawling scenes and a fantastic final battle that makes this story really rock!!Queen of the Black Coast – Conan joins some sea-farers while being chased by local authorities in order to escape. I liked the change of pace in this one as it is a sea-faring adventure as opposed to the land-based battles of the previous ones. The crew finds a mysterious river and decides to travel up it to find the treasures that legend says are hidden somewhere up its poisoned waters. Black Colossus - This entry in the collection puts Conan at the head of an army. The story starts out a bit dry, but things pick up as it goes along and the battle scenes are quite entertaining.Iron Shadows in the Moon – Conan and a freed slave girl journey to a supposedly uninhabited island where they find a mysterious temple and a band of pirates awaiting them. Along with these perils is a beast that might be more than a match for Conan. Xuthal of the Dusk – Conan and his female companion wander through the desert to find a strange city. They meet a beautiful woman who rules the city and desires Conan. Foul deeds cause the disappearance of Conan’s woman and he must search the dark recesses of the city to find her. Howard creates a couple of very eerie and spooky scenes in this one that have a very good horror novel feel to them. It is a good example of the range that he has in his creative process.The Pool of the Black One – This is a rollicking action-packed adventure-filled good time. Another that begins on the sea, Conan is taken aboard as a cast-away and the ship travels to a mysterious island that the crew ventures to in order to explore. Mysterious things are found there and the battle scene and finale are among the best in the book.Rogues in the House – This is a slower paced story in which Conan is hired by a noble-man to assassinate a priest. Conan is sprung from prison by the young noble and in return must break into the fortress-like home of the priest and kill him. An interesting side note for those that enjoy the Conan films is that in this story we see the character and a few of the aspects of the scene with the mirror monster in Conan the Destroyer.The Vale of Lost Women – In another change of pace, Conan is the war chief of a band of black jungle-type warriors. This one started off a bit slow, but the pace picked up and I enjoyed it quite a bit. My only problems with this one are the racist attitudes displayed in a couple of points in the story by Howard. Of course, in its day, I doubt anyone would have taken much offense at all.The Devil in Iron – A mysterious being has risen from the grave and resurrected a ruined city on a deserted island. Conan must find the woman who is the current object of his desires and escape from this cursed place with both of their lives intact. This was a good story from start to finish and a fitting way to end the collection.

This is the first of three books that collect Robert E. Howard's original stories of Conan the Cimmerian, though it is the third one that I read. This volume features the shortest stories, and the greatest number of stories. They are also, on the whole, of lower quality than Howard's later work. I wrote some overall details in my review of the second book, "The Bloody Crown of Conan," so I'll simply rate the stories here:"Cimmeria" (poem) - 4.5 stars - This is a beautiful, atmospheric poem that conveys the cloudy, grim, wild essence of this northern country. Since none of the Conan stories are set in Cimmeria, this poem provides almost the only glimpse of Conan's homeland."The Phoenix on the Sword" - 3 stars - Four conspirators plot to assassinate Conan, the King of Aquilonia, by sending a band of rogues in the night. One of the conspirators has taken a powerful wizard, Thoth-Amon, as a slave, who only needs to recover his ring before he can wreak horrible vengeance on his former master. A political and straightforward tale that doesn't highlight Conan's personality very well, nor feature any particularly clever twists or unusual scenes."The Frost-Giant's Daughter" - 3 stars - Conan is the survivor of a bloody battle against the Vanir in the far north. He is accosted by a mysterious, white-skinned, mostly-nude woman, Atali, who leads him across the plains. Reminiscent of Ancient Greek tales of nymphs or dryads. Notable mostly for its setting and atmosphere."The God in the Bowl" - 3 stars - An unusual Conan story, "The God in the Bowl" plays out more like a Sherlock Holmes murder investigation than a Conan tale. Conan is found by the city prefect of police and his guardsmen in a house where a merchant was recently killed. The prefect questions Conan, a watchman, and other people who last saw the merchant alive, and investigates the house, in an attempt to identify the killer. Not a bad story, but Conan only fits into it uncomfortably."The Tower of the Elephant" - 5 stars - Conan, a thief in a Zamorian city, learns about an evil wizard who guards an incalculably precious jewel in a well-defended tower. He resolves to steal it, overcoming traps along the way. This is one of the best Conan stories, good for introducing both the setting and Conan's stormy, yet reasonable, character. The climax is unusual and feels like a part of the H. P. Lovecraft canon, proving contrast to the action that came before."The Scarlet Citadel" - 3.5 stars - Conan, the king of Aquilonia, is led into a trap by his supposed allies, captured, and thrown into a dungeon. He must navigate the dungeon and rescue a long-imprisoned wizard to escape. This story feels like an early, dry run for "The Hour of the Dragon," the only novel-length work Howard wrote about Conan. It's not bad, but it's upstaged by its longer, better descendent."Queen of the Black Coast" - 3.5 stars - A merchant ship carrying Conan is attacked by the pirate Bêlit. Bêlit's men kill the merchant ship's crew, but she spares Conan's life and takes him as her mate and partner in piracy. Conan takes to this life well, until their ship sails to a mysterious island to recover a treasure guarded by hyenas and a terrible, winged monster. A better-than-average story, but Bêlit is still disappointing as a character- she is not a strong enough woman to fill her role as pirate queen, and her psychology is under-developed. The action on the island is not bad, but there are no stand-out scenes."Black Colossus" - 4 stars - An ancient sorcerer is awakened from a long sleep and raises an army to conquer the kingdom of Khoraja. Its princes, Yasmela, prays to the god Mitra, who tells her to put her nation in the hands of the first man she sees in the street. That man is Conan, a mercenary, who is made commander of the army and entrusted with the defense of the realm. A reasonably good story, though like "The Scarlet Citadel," the key plot elements are later re-used in "The Hour of the Dragon," which is the better story."Iron Shadows in the Moon" - 4 stars - Conan encounters Olivia, a fleeing slave, and slays her master. The two of them flee to a deserted island, where they find ancient ruins in which rest terrible, iron statues. A band of pirates, a terrible man-ape, and the terrible secret of the statues afford danger and opportunity to the pair of refugees. This is one of Howard's better stories, with a variety of interesting antagonists, and the highly unusual situation in which Conan is captured and it's up to his woman to save him."Xuthal of the Dusk" (also known as "The Slithering Shadow") - 1.5 stars - Conan and Natala are the survivors of a destroyed army, who have staggered through the desert, to reach Xuthal, a city of drugged dreamers. They meet Thalis, a cruel and beautiful Stygian, and learn of Thog, a monster who devours the inhabitants. This is one of the worst Conan stories. Natala is relentlessly annoying and caricatured. Thalis is senseless. The story seems contrived to bring about a bondage scene between Thalis and Natala, followed by one that approaches tentacle porn. Even evaluated as erotica, the story fails. Amateurish."The Pool of the Black One" - 3 stars - Conan is found at sea by a pirate ship and joins the crew. They sail to a mysterious island, where the captain goes in search of treasure. Little do they know that the island is inhabited by strange, dark, clawed humanoids who possess a magical pool, capable of turning men into small, bone carvings. A middle-of-the-road story. The antagonists are not particularly threatening or interesting. The story is vaguely reminiscent of the episode with Circe in The Odyssey."Rogues in the House" - 4.5 stars - Conan, a prisoner, is caught up in the political scheming of the nobleman Murilo and the "Red Priest" Nabonidus, who possesses a house filled with elaborate traps and an ape-like creature, Thak, who is smarter than even Nabonidus suspects. This is one of Howard's better stories, filled with interesting twists, irony, and no lack of rogues. (As a side-note, it also highlights Howard's misunderstanding of the way evolution works.)"The Vale of Lost Women" - 1.5 stars - Conan has become the chief of a jungle tribe. He leads his warriors to parlay with the Bakalah, a rival tribe. There, a white, female captive secretly contacts him and asks him to slay the Bakalahs and free her, and in return, she will be his. In the confusion, she flees to a strange valley, where legends say women vanished long ago. One of Howard's worse stories, which particularly emphasizes his racist viewpoint and has few redeeming qualities."The Devil in Iron" - 3 stars - Conan, leader of kozak army, is tricked by his opponents into pursuing a beautiful slave girl onto a deserted island, where they plan to trap and kill him. However, the island has recently been claimed by Khosatral Khel, an awakened demon from long ago, in a gigantic body of living iron. A relatively unremarkable story that repeats some of the themes from "Iron Shadows in the Moon," but with a less interesting plot.While the printed version of this book included a large variety of miscellanea in the back (drafts or synopses of different stories by Howard, notes on the creation of the Conan stories by Patrice Louinet, etc.), only one was included in the audiobook that I listened to, the first submitted draft of "The Phoenix on the Sword" that didn't differ much from the final version.

This was just what was needing after a long week. I read Conan tales so much when I was younger that I could see Conan's battles with Thoth-amon. I could smell the evil of Set but remained confident because Mitra wasn't far behind. Howard is an action master. Imagine you're sitting up late at night and the campfire is glowing embers. At this point a voice chimes in with a tale of Conan. When he finishes somebody else says, wait I remember this one and then another and another and another. By Crom!! this be good for the spirit! Conan is the ultimate warrior archetype for living in the NOW...

The best barbarian and sword character is Conan. The imagery that come to mind when you read this book shows the skill of Robert E. Howard. These stories will still be the standard by which all others are measured for the swashbuckling fantasy genre.

Read very well! Good stories from the world of Conan

Gotta love the Conan! Did you know that Cimmeria was partially based on teh Texas Hill Country?

Long years ago, I picked up an old collection of Conan stories. It was from the series that L. Sprague deCamp did, and was number one in the series. I was unimpressed. I figured I had simply waited too long to get around to Conan and outgrown the time period when I might have enjoyed the stories. I was so, so wrong.

This collection blew me away. Robert E. Howard was an amazing writer, especially when it comes to action scenes. These stories move, man. I went from unimpressed to fangirl in 2 stories flat.

A wonderful collection of the first thirteen Conan stories written by Robert E. Howard in the 1930s. It is fabulously illustrated throughout by Mark Schultz. Also included are miscellany such as Howard’s “The Hyborian Age” (a history of Conan’s world), maps, unfinished drafts, etc. There is quite a plethora of information packed into the 464 pages of this book.

Conan was one of the first fantasy characters, and really set the example for super-strong male characters that fight colossal beasts and love women, albeit in a baser instinct way. Conan is a brave and reckless man. He never seems to set out to accomplish something, he just ends up finding himself in treacherous situations that he has to fight his way out of. There is usually a damsel in need of saving as well.

Anyone who reads fantasy will appreciate these classic stories, full of shadowy figures, double-crossing acquaintances, and huge monsters.

The major flaw in these stories (and we have to take into account the era in which they were written) is that the women are weak, passive, clingy, weepy, and whiny. “Queen of the Black Coast” might be the only story where there is a strong female character, but she does not survive in the end. Once recognized, the flaw can be overlooked and the focus can be on the adventure aspect.

Since most of these stories were written for monthly magazines, and therefore hurriedly written, it helped to refine the action to a breath-taking pace. One is never bored, as there aren’t any slow spots.

These Conan stories must be appreciated for what they are: non-stop fighting action with a dash of sexual tension.