Product Description

Conan the Cimmerian: the boy-thief who became a mercenary, who fought and loved his way across fabled lands to become King of Aquilonia. Neither supernatural fiends nore demonic sorcery could oppose the barbarian warrior as he wielded his mighty sword and dispatched his enemies to a bloody doom on the battlefields of the legendary Hyborian age. Collected together in one volume for the very first time, in chronological order, are Robert E. Howard's tales of the legendary hero, as fresh and atmospheric today as when they were first published in the pulp magazines of more than seventy years ago. Compiled by and with a foreward and afterword by award-winning writer and editor Stephen Jones

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4909 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 928 pages

Customer Reviews

Conan the conqueror of hearts; usurper of imaginations.
Many people seem to believe that Conan is simply action stories about a half-naked barbarian. While it is true that these stories are written to be fun and exciting, do not underestimate the complexity or originality contained within this beautfully crafted volume!

Robert Ervin Howard MADE the Golden Age of Pulp. If you love Fantasy, you will probably find these either brilliant or offensive. The strength of your reaction will be a sign of the power of these stories. If you love fiction in general, these stories mark the dawning of a whole new genre.

If you are interested in the origins of fantasy, there are three authors who you must read: Robert E. Howard, Micheal Moorcock, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Here is a chance to read the work of the master who started it all. Both Moorcock and Tolkien were greatly influenced by the work of Robert E. Howard. If you know your history or your mythology, you will know what you are immersed in when you look around the Hyborian Age. If you do not, you will still find yourself in a complex, intricate and realistic world which only Tolkien has matched.

Perhaps most importantly, these stories are incredibly beautifully written. In the words of Stephen King: "Howard's words are so charged with energy they seem to give off sparks." In my words, Howard wrote with a passion and a vitality that is matched by so few authors throughout history, that you could count them on one hand.

No one has ever captured the grim realities of combat more accurately. There is a seething undercurrent of genius behind all the excitement and adventure, and dark portents of mankind's folly weave beautifully crafted themes into the tapestry of the stories.

(For an example of some truly brilliant poetry, have a look at Always Comes Evening by REH. You'll see what I mean about his writing.)

Stunning
This collection is fabulous.I've procurred a chronology list from Wi**pedia and I'm going through the stories in order('though we'll never know the true order,if there is one)but there is something to be said for just dipping into these tales every now and again.Howard brought fantasy to vivid life with Conan and I've not yet come across a writer who evokes such a strong sense of another living,breathing world.

Question - How is such a heavy book so hard to put down??? 6* really
Answer - Because it's so good you can't even bare to be parted from it, not even for a moment. I have to say I have become addicted to what I can only refer to as the masterpiece collection of Howard's work. I had read the majority of these tales back in my youth, but not since (that's a long time ago now) and when I spied this book curiosity pulled me in nothing more. The tales unfold in what I had always felt was a mixed up kind of chronology if you read this stuff you'll know what I mean. I was uncomfortable with this at first but as I read on very soon there developed a hunger for more adventure, more action, and particularly more interaction with the character's, this book practically has you craving for "what comes next"? I lost any interest in where are we in the blokes 'life' timeline now, how can he be in that Country already, any (dare I say) 'Historical' context didn't matter - it's raw swashbuckling adventure I wanted, crushing the enemy, stealing the loot and winning the woman! Be careful I think it taps into the inner Barbarian in you! Its so well written it has that magical hold, stimulates the mind and most importantly is enjoyable. My favourite tale is 'The People of the Black Circle', read it and see if you can tell why? I can see why these are considered the original templates for more recent Fantasy stories, it's all there in 'Black and White'. Please do enjoy.