As I read this volume, I found three of the five stories exceptionally good: "Beyond the Black River," "The Black Stranger," and "Red Nails." "Red Nails" hit me hard; I saw the disintegration of our society in this gem. Thank you for introducing Robert E. Howard to me. After these books, I read "Pigeons from Hell," which has become one of the best horror stories I have ever read!
Great ending to Cimmerian September. I’ll always have a soft spot for Conan tales. They got me back into reading during my last year of high school. I’ve read these more times than I can count over the years. Yes, I always think about the what if’s, if Howard had lived. So tragic. After all the years of pastiche Conan, I was over joyed when this set of books came out. This was a fun event to follow. Thanks for pushing more Howard on UA-cam.
The plight of creators everywhere. All the world's a stage because we crave expression. Yet of all the thousands of people uplifted by art, the one least likely to benefit from creativity is the artist. In Weird Tales' case with Robert Howard, I hope it was because the money wasn't there and not because they put the golden egg before the goose.
Great video MKV! 'Beyond the Black River' is absolutely hands down my favorite REH Conan story. I have the first in the Del Rey series and you've convinced me to pick up the rest! Thanks for the in-depth review of Conquering Sword.
If REH had lived he might have been remembered as Western writer and the Conan stories seen as minor. I always liked the different settings for his Conan stories. He told a lot of different types of stories with the same character. It wasn't always the ancient or medieval type setting of so much fantasy fiction. It could be a pirate story or a frontier story or an African story.
Thank you for that, Michael. I get emotional when I think about how much Howard meant to me as a kid, growing up on a farm in the middle of nowhere. He means just as much now. The Conan stories really spoke to me and I hold a similar worldview in regard to barbarism v civilization largely because of the lessons Howard's fiction and letters taught me. I am currently reading Kirowan and Conrad (again). Your love for Howard is appreciated.
Had he lived, once Analog and F&SF magazines hit the racks, im betting Howard would have tried his hand at SF i'm betting. But like you said we'd never know.😮
I agree about REH's potential as a western writer; he was at least as good as some of the people who specialized in that genre. If he'd lived he might even have transitioned to writing scripts for western movies and gotten rich doing it. Also - if you ever find yourself at a loss for subject matter - I'd watch a review of his Breckinridge Elkins stories, which I remember as being hilarious.
"The Black Stranger" was rewritten by Howard as "Swords of the Red Brotherhood". I knew I must have it on my shelf somewhere, looked and found it in the '77 Zebra paperback _Black Vulmea's Vengeance_ , a short collection of Howards pirate stories.
Whenever someone talks about Howard's growing depression as his mother's condition worsened, I can't help but reflect on how many fans he now has and how many of us would make the trip to Cross Plains to support him if we could travel back to 1935/36. A giant of literature taken far too soon. Dark Horse adapted "The Jewels Of Gwahlur" in 2005 with P. Craig Russell supplying the script and his beautiful art. Right on cue Zorro and Rhonda! Tarantino directing a Conan the pirate movie: what an awesome concept! Thanks for your thoughts on these stories Michael, four of which I'm less familiar with. "Red Nails" however is in my top 3 Conan tales and I have read it in its original form and the Roy Thomas/Barry Windsor-Smith adaptation for Marvel more times than I can remember. I agree that Howard would have written more Conan stories had he lived longer - the very fact that the character was so personal to the author would have drawn Howard back to him.
OK, you talked me into ordering the books. I have until November 5th to buy the books I want until I turn to my shelves and end my buying spree. Thanks for your reviews.
After reading the Chronicles of Conan a few weeks back, I read 'Childhoods End,' a great novel well written and am finishing 'Mapping the Great Game' which is equally fantastic history. I know I am going to read the chronicles again and perhaps sooner than I would have thought. I'm left wondering where does the drive to act from the imagination come from? Neither pecuniary interest nor talent could provide force enough to propel story tellers and mapmakers to consistently overrun curiosity past the point of proposing a new space to actually carving it out. What is that drive?
Michael I love watching these even though I'm new-ish to Howard. Its just great to see someone share their passion for an author and keep their memory alive.
Great review and event! I had a great time reading some Conan stories I hadn't gotten to yet, including The Black Stranger. I really enjoyed that one due to the fact it broke the mold a little bit and did something different plot wise. But I can understand the criticism that there wasn't enough Conan in it. But I thought it was nice when Howard played in different genres and writing styles but still kept it grounded with Conan. But it seemed like those were always the ones he had a hard time getting published. The plug and chug standard stories were his meal ticket, so you cant blame him. I was reading the one volume Centenary edition and I think it puts the stories in order of publication, as it has Frost Giant's Daughter and Black Stranger after Red Nails as they were published after Howard's death. I do agree that Beyond the Black River might be my favorite. But the fate of the dog had me upset for days lol. Its amazing the sheer amount of output Howard had by the age of 30. It does stagger the imagination to think about what he could have done if he had been around for a few more decades. But thank you for doing this event and giving us a reason to read some Conan and celebrate Howard's work! It should be a yearly tradition! Now we just need a month for Elric ;)
I just read The Black Stranger and I loved it because it was different, interesting and felt like a pirate adventure. I have read the Savage Sword adaptation of L Spragues version but that was good too. Not too different
Some lovely atmospheric tension and dark magic permeates these tales, from the frontier and the pirates, to the cannibals and the worst inn you don't want to stay at, to the Red Nails city, I enjoyed this last volume, some stories more than others. Cimmerian September was a great idea, its got me eyeing up more Del Rey volumes, Horror Stories, Swordwoman, and Kull.
A Quentin Tarantino Conan movie 🤔🤔 A big boo hiss to Weird Tales. Would have been great to read his western epic. Imagine him as a war correspondent ? 🤔🤔
Hello Michael K. Vaughan. I am considering adding a Conan-like character to Bronze Age Caveman as a shadowing figure, only observed in the mist of distance. Cool man.
I definitely think Howard could have made a killing once the paperback boom happened, had he lived. I also wonder if he would have ever travelled, given teh chance anda sufficiently strong mental state. I wonder how that would have influenced his writing. All those faraway lands that he wrote about were all in his imagination, but based on real places he read about. I forgot that "Zamboula" was in this one. I always thought that was a really fun story actually. However, last time I read it, I read it aloud to my partner and I guess doing that made the racism thing stand out a bit more to me. How many times can you possibly refer to people as "black dogs" before it gets a little tiresome? Still kind of had a blast with it though. I do think stories where Conan is not the point of view character offer a lot of interesting possibilities. I would have liked seeing a lot more of that, actually. I agree that "Beyond the Black River" is probably the best Conan story.
Was he "soured" on Conan or was it, sadly, economic pressure? There was more interest in Westerns by publishers? It would be fascinating to learn where Howard found his research and interests. Was he affected by movies of that era or mainly pulps or other literature? How did he publish? Through mail? Were there local advocates or friends who helped him? I imagine him creating Conan whole cloth while sitting in his room surrounded by classical books on Roman and Greek literature. Some Plutarch as well as Milton and others. Possibly with a section for American Indian arrowheads and other artifacts that saturate him with that savage frontier mood. Must get these books if only to compare with the De Camp chimaeras.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Reading the "Coming of Conan". Was surprised to find that he was into historical writing and fiction as well as Jack London. Rereading the "Phoenix on the Sword" I can see an author versed in historical intrigues and plots. Themes of resentment, greed, childish moral pretexts, bribery, extortion, blackmail, slavery, revenge and multidimensional magic/sorcery/science/power - both evil and good. The movie of him and, truthfully, some of his pictures make him look like a genial oaf. Perhaps that is unfair, but his writing belies his looks. Slow witted though he may appear his mind created a character deeply embedded in World, political dialectic. Civilization with its hard earned successes in science, art and war; and Barbarism with its success in social cohesion, organization and enmity. When the successes of civilization do not flow freely to all but adhere to a few its social cohesion crumbles. Literally its legs collapse under it.
As I read this volume, I found three of the five stories exceptionally good: "Beyond the Black River," "The Black Stranger," and "Red Nails." "Red Nails" hit me hard; I saw the disintegration of our society in this gem. Thank you for introducing Robert E. Howard to me. After these books, I read "Pigeons from Hell," which has become one of the best horror stories I have ever read!
I agree. Red Nails is my favorite Conan story, because there is a massive social commentary there that hits home.
Red nails is ahead of its time. Howard shows us our future in his past it's a masterpiece.
Great ending to Cimmerian September. I’ll always have a soft spot for Conan tales. They got me back into reading during my last year of high school. I’ve read these more times than I can count over the years. Yes, I always think about the what if’s, if Howard had lived. So tragic. After all the years of pastiche Conan, I was over joyed when this set of books came out. This was a fun event to follow. Thanks for pushing more Howard on UA-cam.
The trilogy is now complete. Perfect timing once again. Watching now. Thank you sir
I thought this volume was incredibly cinematic. Which is amazing because there were no action movies back them.
The plight of creators everywhere. All the world's a stage because we crave expression. Yet of all the thousands of people uplifted by art, the one least likely to benefit from creativity is the artist.
In Weird Tales' case with Robert Howard, I hope it was because the money wasn't there and not because they put the golden egg before the goose.
Great video MKV! 'Beyond the Black River' is absolutely hands down my favorite REH Conan story. I have the first in the Del Rey series and you've convinced me to pick up the rest! Thanks for the in-depth review of Conquering Sword.
🎵 It's the Robert E. Howard Show! 🎶 ❤ Thank you for this great video honoring Conan!
Great review on the 3rd Conan book the Conquering Sword from Del Rey.
If REH had lived he might have been remembered as Western writer and the Conan stories seen as minor.
I always liked the different settings for his Conan stories. He told a lot of different types of stories with the same character. It wasn't always the ancient or medieval type setting of so much fantasy fiction. It could be a pirate story or a frontier story or an African story.
Thank you for that, Michael. I get emotional when I think about how much Howard meant to me as a kid, growing up on a farm in the middle of nowhere. He means just as much now. The Conan stories really spoke to me and I hold a similar worldview in regard to barbarism v civilization largely because of the lessons Howard's fiction and letters taught me. I am currently reading Kirowan and Conrad (again). Your love for Howard is appreciated.
Had he lived, once Analog and F&SF magazines hit the racks, im betting Howard would have tried his hand at SF i'm betting. But like you said we'd never know.😮
Love all the Conan stories. Good video and review. Beyond the Black River is my favorite followed closely by Red Nails. Black Stranger is great too.
I agree about REH's potential as a western writer; he was at least as good as some of the people who specialized in that genre. If he'd lived he might even have transitioned to writing scripts for western movies and gotten rich doing it.
Also - if you ever find yourself at a loss for subject matter - I'd watch a review of his Breckinridge Elkins stories, which I remember as being hilarious.
I got the black cover Conan collection it's got all his stories I love it.
"The Black Stranger" was rewritten by Howard as "Swords of the Red Brotherhood". I knew I must have it on my shelf somewhere, looked and found it in the '77 Zebra paperback _Black Vulmea's Vengeance_ , a short collection of Howards pirate stories.
I have that one. I need to reread it.
Whenever someone talks about Howard's growing depression as his mother's condition worsened, I can't help but reflect on how many fans he now has and how many of us would make the trip to Cross Plains to support him if we could travel back to 1935/36. A giant of literature taken far too soon.
Dark Horse adapted "The Jewels Of Gwahlur" in 2005 with P. Craig Russell supplying the script and his beautiful art.
Right on cue Zorro and Rhonda!
Tarantino directing a Conan the pirate movie: what an awesome concept!
Thanks for your thoughts on these stories Michael, four of which I'm less familiar with. "Red Nails" however is in my top 3 Conan tales and I have read it in its original form and the Roy Thomas/Barry Windsor-Smith adaptation for Marvel more times than I can remember.
I agree that Howard would have written more Conan stories had he lived longer - the very fact that the character was so personal to the author would have drawn Howard back to him.
Thanks Charliedogg. Your insightful comments are always appreciated.
All of the stories in this book are great. I also enjoy some of the pastiche stories. My favorite is Road of Kings by Karl Edward Wagner.
That was a good one.
Yessss more Conan 🙌
My favorite volume. Conan at his finest.
OK, you talked me into ordering the books. I have until November 5th to buy the books I want until I turn to my shelves and end my buying spree. Thanks for your reviews.
Highly recommend the savage tales of Solomon Kane as well.
That one I already have. Thanks for the suggestion
any conan story with dinosour my fav.
After reading the Chronicles of Conan a few weeks back, I read 'Childhoods End,' a great novel well written and am finishing 'Mapping the Great Game' which is equally fantastic history. I know I am going to read the chronicles again and perhaps sooner than I would have thought. I'm left wondering where does the drive to act from the imagination come from? Neither pecuniary interest nor talent could provide force enough to propel story tellers and mapmakers to consistently overrun curiosity past the point of proposing a new space to actually carving it out. What is that drive?
Michael I love watching these even though I'm new-ish to Howard. Its just great to see someone share their passion for an author and keep their memory alive.
A special and Excellent episode
I agree. The Del Rey set is the way to go. Any serious reader of C. (who's got the dough) should have 'em.
Great review and event! I had a great time reading some Conan stories I hadn't gotten to yet, including The Black Stranger. I really enjoyed that one due to the fact it broke the mold a little bit and did something different plot wise. But I can understand the criticism that there wasn't enough Conan in it. But I thought it was nice when Howard played in different genres and writing styles but still kept it grounded with Conan. But it seemed like those were always the ones he had a hard time getting published. The plug and chug standard stories were his meal ticket, so you cant blame him. I was reading the one volume Centenary edition and I think it puts the stories in order of publication, as it has Frost Giant's Daughter and Black Stranger after Red Nails as they were published after Howard's death. I do agree that Beyond the Black River might be my favorite. But the fate of the dog had me upset for days lol. Its amazing the sheer amount of output Howard had by the age of 30. It does stagger the imagination to think about what he could have done if he had been around for a few more decades. But thank you for doing this event and giving us a reason to read some Conan and celebrate Howard's work! It should be a yearly tradition! Now we just need a month for Elric ;)
We do need that Elric month.
I just read The Black Stranger and I loved it because it was different, interesting and felt like a pirate adventure.
I have read the Savage Sword adaptation of L Spragues version but that was good too. Not too different
😊
Thanks!
Some lovely atmospheric tension and dark magic permeates these tales, from the frontier and the pirates, to the cannibals and the worst inn you don't want to stay at, to the Red Nails city, I enjoyed this last volume, some stories more than others. Cimmerian September was a great idea, its got me eyeing up more Del Rey volumes, Horror Stories, Swordwoman, and Kull.
Perfect timing for the Day of Might! Liam's Lyceum will be pleased (although, in the stoic Cimmerian tradition, he won't show it)!
Valeria reminds me strongly of Dark Agnes from Howard's "Sword Woman" stories, which were quite good in their own right.
A Quentin Tarantino Conan movie 🤔🤔 A big boo hiss to Weird Tales. Would have been great to read his western epic. Imagine him as a war correspondent ? 🤔🤔
Hello Michael K. Vaughan. I am considering adding a Conan-like character to Bronze Age Caveman as a shadowing figure, only observed in the mist of distance. Cool man.
Rachmaninoff! Nice.
I read the first volume in September and lived it. I can't read 2 books by the same author in a row, though,so I'll finish the other 2 later. 🧙
I definitely think Howard could have made a killing once the paperback boom happened, had he lived. I also wonder if he would have ever travelled, given teh chance anda sufficiently strong mental state. I wonder how that would have influenced his writing. All those faraway lands that he wrote about were all in his imagination, but based on real places he read about.
I forgot that "Zamboula" was in this one. I always thought that was a really fun story actually. However, last time I read it, I read it aloud to my partner and I guess doing that made the racism thing stand out a bit more to me. How many times can you possibly refer to people as "black dogs" before it gets a little tiresome? Still kind of had a blast with it though.
I do think stories where Conan is not the point of view character offer a lot of interesting possibilities. I would have liked seeing a lot more of that, actually. I agree that "Beyond the Black River" is probably the best Conan story.
Very Day of Might appropriate ⚔️ 💪
Was he "soured" on Conan or was it, sadly, economic pressure? There was more interest in Westerns by publishers?
It would be fascinating to learn where Howard found his research and interests. Was he affected by movies of that era or mainly pulps or other literature? How did he publish? Through mail? Were there local advocates or friends who helped him?
I imagine him creating Conan whole cloth while sitting in his room surrounded by classical books on Roman and Greek literature. Some Plutarch as well as Milton and others. Possibly with a section for American Indian arrowheads and other artifacts that saturate him with that savage frontier mood.
Must get these books if only to compare with the De Camp chimaeras.
I think it was a combination of wanting to write western fiction and Weird Tales not paying him what they owed.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Reading the "Coming of Conan". Was surprised to find that he was into historical writing and fiction as well as Jack London.
Rereading the "Phoenix on the Sword" I can see an author versed in historical intrigues and plots. Themes of resentment, greed, childish moral pretexts, bribery, extortion, blackmail, slavery, revenge and multidimensional magic/sorcery/science/power - both evil and good.
The movie of him and, truthfully, some of his pictures make him look like a genial oaf. Perhaps that is unfair, but his writing belies his looks. Slow witted though he may appear his mind created a character deeply embedded in World, political dialectic. Civilization with its hard earned successes in science, art and war; and Barbarism with its success in social cohesion, organization and enmity. When the successes of civilization do not flow freely to all but adhere to a few its social cohesion crumbles. Literally its legs collapse under it.