Short stories generally seem to go underappreciated compared to novels. Can't blame people, I also used to think that short stories are lacking the depth and complexity of novels and it was only Robert E Howard who taught me that I was wrong.
The University of Texas Press will be publishing the first academic biography about Robert E. Howard in the fall of 2020. Be looking for that, it will have a ton of details about his life and selected works.
I decided to read the complete Conan collection about three years ago and it got me addicted to the sword and sorcery genre. Elric of Melnibone, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, The Dying Earth, The Drenai Saga, Tiger and Del, Vlad Taltos and dozens of others. They're a lot of fun!
Only now discovered this, but thanks for the shoutout! Be sure to check out our recent interview with Fredrik Malmberg, the owner of Conan properties - he btw confirmed our report on why Amazon cancelled to be 100% accurate.
Just now seeing this response! There is so little Robert E. Howard/Conan material out there on UA-cam and I really appreciated the retrospective you guys did. It's truly sad that we didn't get the series because it sounds like it was in the hands of people who understood the character. At this point, I'm not even sure I want Conan adapted because it'll probably be treated similarly to how Netflix has He-Man and no one will be happy with the outcome. But, at least the books are always there!
@Midnight's Edge @Mike's Book Reviews Alongside the Del Ray published works and the recent Conan comics by Marvel, I highly recommend the omnibus collections of Conan the Barbarian, The Savage Sword of Conan, Solomon Kane, and most recently Kull. They are all reprints of the OG comics of the Bronze Age completely reprinted without any omossion. I'll also recommend the Conan Chronicles Epic Collections that reprinted the Dark Horse run. Just beautifully done. Oh and one of the artists on the Dark Horse run Cary Nord is doing a Kickstarter for his fantasy comic Fol'Klor. Check it out!
So much of Howard's work is overlooked, and it is a shame. His horror, westerns, adventure stories are just amazing. Conan is great, the others are truly outstanding.
@@mikesbookreviews There are a couple of anthologies out there, I don't know if any are still in print though. I am particularly fond of Pigeons from Hell, The Hoofed Thing, and The Cairn on the Headland. There is some connection with HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, in stories like The Thing on the Roof, The Black Stone, etc. Which is to be expected since the corresponded quite a bit. All are very entertaining.
P.S. For those who are deciding to give the real Conan a try, I highly recommend, People of the Black Circle. Beyond the Black River. Hour of the Dragon. These are very fine yarns.
Reading the Conan series changed my life as far as learning to love reading. I could see what he described, although at 12 I would have a dictionary right beside me to know the 20 dollar words he used. I am 55 now and have read countless books and also enjoy other authors such as Karl Edward Wagner and his Kane character. I love the books and wish I had all the paperbacks I bought. Still have some comics, earliest #23. I know this is long, but that is how important Robert E. Howard is not was to me.
"Still have some comics, earliest #23. " That should be, IRRC, a Red Sonia story. Going on my memory that Barry Smith did 24 issues. The first comics were BAD, the art sucked the story was not much better. Conan had a horned helmut. Yet by the end Barry was producing really good art.
Haven't clicked on a video so fast! haha I'm so glad you read Tower of the Elephant as one of your first, all my comments were worth it because you actually listened to me! lol :) THE long monologue at the end from the "being" (you know what I'm talking about) blew me away when I first read it. Completely changed my view of what the world of Conan was, and from there I was hooked. I seriously can't wait to hear your thoughts on the rest of the stories. Howard's prose really are something special, aren't they? So well written. I love how gritty and dark and dirty the stories are, and yet the writing is so elegant and beautiful and vivid. It works so well. God damn I love Conan. So happy you started them! :)
I thought you'd be excited. As for listening to recommendations from my watchers, I'll quote Howard in saying “He who sent this gem bade me say, ‘Yag-kosha gives a last gift and a last enchantment.’” Loved TotE and God in the Bowl. In the middle of Rogues in the House. His writing style is addictive; hard to put down.
I had the exact same experience with tower of the elephant . The ending blew my damn mind. Then I had a similar experience with shadows in the moonlight.. takes a psychological turn you weren't expecting. In my eyes Conan is not just a character but rather a philosophy of individual liberty and self governance disguised as a character... A barbarian is an outsider who speaks a different language. In a society made up of slaves who worship government and authority the individualist is an outsider, or a barbarian.. and Howard was big believer in individualism and freedom
Having a Howard Conan omnibus in my backpack while I was bumming around homeless was what first got me into reading fantasy lit, then to writing it. You also gotta check out some of Michael Moorcock's Elric tales. Man, you wanna talk about some formative shit that doesn't get its due these days...I swear, if that Elric TV series gets made and I hear assholes going, "Ah, it's just a ripoff of the witcher," I'm gonna kick someone in the nuts.
Dude. For real. I hate when something that came out first, and was very inspirational to the genre, get accused of ripping something (usually lesser) off. It's crazy frustrating. I really got to get into the Elric books soon. So many viewers recommend it.
Yes I was going to mention Elric in relation to this video. I've only read the first two, but to echo what Mike says, Moorcock can tell you more in 40 pages than some of the modern fantasy authors can tell you in 400. Book one of the 'Sailor on the Seas of Fate' is one of the best things I've read in Fantasy so far. It was like a cohesive LSD trip. 🌬️🚢
Like, thanks. I do enjoy seeing and hearing people younger and much younger than me telling how they have discovered R.E.Howard's books. I kind of live thru how I discovered those long time ago.
I've read all of Robert E. Howard's Conan, Solomon Kane, and now most of Kull of Atlantis...and after reading him, I came to appreciate the economy of storytelling Howard uses and that unlike today's modern fantasy author he only tells you the absolute essential and leaves everything else to your imagination. But also I think more fantasy authors should take a page from the likes of Howard, Lovecraft, Kipling, and other pulp writers and learn that sometimes it is better NOT to explain everything, not to describe everything down to the smallest detail, and especially NOT to drag out the story far longer than it needed to be. Looking at you Robert Jordan.
I have been world building and planning on writing "that book" since high school.. I read a lot o the bastardized conan in my teens but It wasnt until the age of 32 that I discovered the real REH... His writing has changed my entire outlook on how I want to convey my story. He was more than a writer.. As someone who is deeply into esoteric topics I am amazed at how knowledgeable REH was, he was beyond his years and beyond his place in the cosmos
@@ge0metr1xx I mostly knew him from Marvel Comics growing up. In hindsight, the ones that were adaptations of REH works were far and away better than everything else.
Read all the Robert E Howard I could get my hands on. During the Viet Nam war, I was a G.I. stationed first in the Philippines, then Viet Nam. Found the old 'Conan' soft covers with the 1959 copyrights. Sometimes read a complete volume in a single evening. Still have the full set of the original 12 volumes. Many other writers have tried to emulate Howard's style, but it is like someone buying a basketball and thinking they are Michael Jordan. Robert E Howard stands alone.
I do know. Wanted to read all the Howard stuff first, but of any of the writers of Conan since his demise, Jordan is the one I'd most likely give a try after.
I saw the Frazetta book covers when I went into a used book store in the mid 1970s when I was in Jr high, thought they were really cool and decided to read a couple and was hooked. I also really like his other books like Solomon Kane and Cormac mac Art
As you can tell from the intro, the art was what pulled me in as a kid. It became the template for all sword and sorcery book covers henceforth. Love it.
Interesting that D&D brought you to Conan, considering the fact that without Conan and Tolkien Gary Gygax probably never grows up to publish the 3 brown booklets back in 1974. Interestingly enough, Conan actually fits the thief class more than the barbarian in actual mechanical function.
Ha ha, yep! I mean, I did read the Conan comics as a kid and I loved the movie, but without becoming involved in DnD, I'm not sure I would have come back to Robert E. Howard.
On Dec 4, Marvel is reprinting the non-conan story The Valley Of The Worm by Robert E. Howard as a $1.00 comic. It was originally published by Marvel Comics in the 1970's. I recommend it and the short story it's based on.
Considering Robert E. Howard (Conan in particular) was a huge inspiration to Dungeons and Dragons I'm glad you started playing. Another huge inspiration is Jack Vance's Dying Earth series
My favorite thing about Robert E. Howard is the titles of hos stories. Like The God In The Bowl. Who the hell cannot appreciate those awesome titles. So creative they were. And sounded just like the stories the heralded.
If anyone likes Connan and wants more great heroic pulp then my I recommend the John Carter stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Very nice world building and excellent fight scenes! P.S. I am a fantasy lover who doesn't particularly like DnD, we do exist! Nothing wrong with it, just not my jam.
I had never played DnD prior to last year. So I was with you. I'm still not addicted to it or anything, but I enjoy the time with friends. I read A Princess of Mars in junior high and really enjoyed it.
Just finished Conan of Cimmeria and I am really enjoying these stories for the same reasons you said. I’m going through the 12 book series published by Ace/Lancer in their chronology. I may move on to the Jordan books later but we’ll have to see. Very enjoyable.
I would also if you haven't already, get the Del Ray collections of the Robert E Howard library. They are the quintessential Howard collections. Especially because you get his early drafts and incomplete stories that are very enriching and you become desperate to find out what happens next.
It's good to see Howard get some love. These stories are so readable. You put it perfectly: yes, they are full of tropes but this is the source of many of those tropes. Great stuff.
Loved Howard's Conan series and read them via the Lancer paperbacks (still have them!) in the late sixties-early seventies when I was twelve or so. Drawn to them by the fantastic Frazetta cover artwork.
@@mikesbookreviews I would also add that the cover art of the fantastically talented Jeff Jones inspired me (thankfully) to read Fritz Lieber's "Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser" series. Whom I found to be a very skilled and eloquent author whereas Howard projected a more "primordial" aura with brilliant splashes of the supernatural in his stories. Sometimes seemingly influenced by Lovecraft even. Great stuff. Next: "Elric of Melnibone" by Moorcock. Another fine writer.
i got my hand on volume seven on the savage sword of conan. I work at a local library and they give out books and holly jesus i found this in the givaway bin. i love it. and its cool that conan is mostly like short story based.
Conan is fantastic, I recommend reading them in order of publication. Also, a great African inspired spin on them would be the Imaro series by Charles Saunders
The reason it is not chronological is that REH had said that when writing Conan it was as if an Adventurer was telling him the tales as he went. If you ever sit down with someone who has had a unique life, they jump around in their tales as they relate them. That's kind of a cool insight into how he approached his writing.
I joined a D & D circle, I think in 1978 when the game was brand new. I decided to be a wizard so I became Xaltotun, who was the wizard in Conan the Conqueror. I rolled some amazing numbers that gave my character great power to start. I never played again after the first time, but the rest of the guys played constantly. The made frequent reports of the progress of my beloved character. I think they all flunked out of college. Sometimes I wonder if I should have hung out with them more.
Red Nails is my personal favorite, but I love all of Robert E. Howard's work. He is unmatched in his ability to weave incredible visuals with his words. His words have energy.
awesome video! have never read any Howard and before now only heard disparaging things about Conan, but! you have changed my mind. really liked this one, excerpts you read were great. Conan is officially on my list. Thanks Mike, and thanks to the commenters for suggesting it to you
I think Arnold's version of Conan was parodied so much that it became a meme (or whatever we had in the 80s and 90s) for awhile. But book Conan is a savage Conan that you don't want to mess with. Hope you enjoy it!
@@mikesbookreviews i actually love the first conan movie, it was one of the first movies i ever saw (dad didn't hold stock with the rating system) and i still think it has something that most miss. Which totally makes sense, having a literary base. That was a good movie and the more i think about it the more it seems those elements that elevate it must have come from the novels/novellas whatever. Yeah I'm in, thanks again.
@@Merrick After reading the 6 stories in The Coming of Conan, I can see how the movie was influenced. They changed a couple of things around but did a mashup of a few characters and stories.
@@mikesbookreviews Just finished Rogues in the House, and i really enjoyed it. A lot of people (including the Lord Ruler *touches metal*) have said something along the lines of Conan isn't interesting as a character, and i strongly disagree. I will definitely be reading more, i like the writing, the way he structured the story (no idea if that is typical) and i see what you're saying about elements being cliche, and totally get they are the source of the cliche, so that didn't ruin it for me at all. It was reminiscent of CS Lewis for me, I'll have to look up how contemporary they were. I think Howard predates him. Only negative, and not much of one; it seemed a tad over-written at moments. Minor minor complaint. It also had a sparseness i really enjoyed. A lot of lines could be taken and used as taglines. Overall it was great. Do you recommend any collection or book to start with? Rogues in the House was a random find and was really short. The Coming of Conan has an introductory ring to it, and if that was what the movie drew on maybe it's a good starting point. Have a good one, thanks again
@@Merrick When you consider these stories are nearing a century old it's amazing they're as readable today as they are. I've heard the character complaint on Conan, too, and I disagree as well. The Queen of the Black Coast saw real depth to Conan besides club their brains out.
I read Robert E. Howard's Conan books back in the sixties when I was a young teenager. He and Edger Rice Burroughs and L. Sprague De Camp were my first fantasy authors. You brought back great old memories.
James Axler's Deathlands series is totally epic in pulp action/sci-fi genre. And even though it lasted 30 years and 126 novels, like some great movies, you can start anywhere and enjoy them.
Dang, Mike. I didn’t need another book to add to the TBR but after this video and the comments i snagged one off eBay. Looking forward to it...eventually!
This character is amazing especially in comic o have read over half of the original marvel issues (about 150)and I’m so amazed by the story telling of both Howard and his adaptation in comic form from Roy Thomas if this guy wrote a novel it would be amazing
Fun factoid. The dark Entities in Conan stories are probably from the same Eldritch Void as Lovecraft's monsters. But Robert E Howard also included benign aliens, like the Being in the Tower of the Elephant. Also, the Necronomicon written down by Al Hazred & The Scroll of Skelos, as well as the Dark Magic that destroyed Atlantis, and is practiced by the Stygian Priests are linked to the original dark knowledge that destroyed both races in the Mountains of Madness. Most likely Set the Deity of the Stygians might be an Elder God. (Also the Book of Eibon, by - I forgot the author's name - is derived from the arcane knowledge that lead to the creaton of the Necronomicon, the history in the Scrolls of Skelos)
G'Day Mike, I now this is in a response to an older video. But I agree with you in that R E Howard is very underrated. I've really enjoy the video thanks.
Started reading the Lancer books editions of REH's Conan in the 60's. It resonated with me as a teenager, but by the time I got to his westerns I was hooked with the style of his writing. One of my favorite writers. So tragic that he shot himself at such a young age. He was respected by other writers of his time. Lovecraft was a penpal of his. Watch the movie "The Whole Wide World", a film based on the memoirs of a lady who knew Howard before his death. D'Onofrio does a credible job of being Robert E. Howard. A man who was bigger than life.
Actually finished this book you were holding today. A friend of mine lend it to me. ( I had some pocket soft cover booklets with Conan stories before I read this anthology) Loved it. Perfect late night winter reading. "Red Nails", "The Devil in Iron" and "The Hour of the Dragon", were by far my favorite stories from the book. :)
Just finished my first Conan story (The Phoenix on the Sword) and had a blast. I was very surprised how well the writing holds up despite the prose’s age. The man could worldbuild before it was cool and could write a hell of an action scene.
The early versions of Savage sword of Conan are what got mei to REH. I devoured the Conan books, then Kill, Soloman Kane....but my favourite is probably Bran Mac morn. The worms of the earth is fantastic. A must read for anyone into very dark fantasy!! Great video by the way.
I wish I had found Robert E. Howard way way sooner, my goodness I am not worthy. Read my first Bran Mak Morn story last night called, Worms of the Earth. Holy freaking shnickies.. Darker that Conan, set in ancient Rome. Different vibe than conan but Howards amazing prose are off the chain in this one. 1.5 hours of a dark journey.. Howards is pure skill and magic to create short stories this powerful. Thank you for giving this underappreciated genius some spotlight.
I own that UK volume too (a gift!). It isn't so much that Hollywood doesn't get REH (which is largely true), it's just that it's really, really hard to translate from page to screen (just ask Peter Jackson. Would love to see REH get the JRRT treatment though). Oliver Stone struggled with the CtB script and had to do a mashup or pastiche of REH story elements in order to get it approved. Keep in mind that there has to be marketability in the product. There are, however, LOTS of great stories that would translate to the screen. I think the best would be "The Hour of the Dragon" because it's REH's only full-length Conan novel, and thanks to Dark Horse publishing it in comic form, it already has storyboards (thanks, Tomas Giorello!)
@@mikesbookreviews Disagree. The REH stories were short form and it would be a disservice to them to somehow make them episodes of a long-running series like GoT
de Camp and Carter dis try to establish a Conan timeline. It works. But you have to remember these stories were written for 128 page pulp magazines where only 4 to 5 stories were in each volume, usually by multiple authors. Howard got paid by the line and sometimes by the word count and he was limited to 15 to 25 pages. You didn't get "beginning/middle/end" series then.
Gratz on finally getting on the Conan train. Btw, you should probably learn how to pronounce it, hehe. I find it so disappointing that most of the fantasy book channels on UA-cam completely ignore REH and his many wonderful characters. Shame Amazon gave up on Conan. None of REH's chars have been treated well on film. Only the first Conan movie was worth a damn imo. The comics did a pretty fair job and introduced the char to millions. Don't neglect REH's other chars. Bran Mak Morn is a fantasy treat. Howard also wrote numerous boxing stories and he also delved into humor with his Breckinridge Elkins stories. Also, it doesn't take long to read all the original REH Conan stuff. Many of his fans disparage the continuation of his work done by L.Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter but those are the only Conan works done by authors other than Howard that 'fit' the savage Cimmerian imo. New subscriber.
For me the best non Howard Conan stories were the L. Sprague de Camp stories which were actually conversions of the non Conan stories by Howard to Conan. Lin wrote crap. Howard was show not tell and Lin, did the opposite way too often.
Don't forget about Edgar Rice Burroughs. Not only did he give us Tarzan but also the Barsoom series. And that was back in 1912. Conan didn't show up until 1932. Kull was was first published in 1929. That puts Eddy in the lead by damn near 20 years. The crazy thing? Most people have never even heard of him or the Barsoom series, even though it's the guy that created Tarzan, who everyone knows about..
I am currently reading Howard's Bran Mak Morn stories (many for the first time). The storytelling is excellent and Howard's writing style is beautiful. There are so many series -King Kull, Solomon Kane, and many others. And then there is Conan. My Dad brought back the books he read during a long business trip overseas back around 1971. One of them was Conan the Conqueror (Hour of the Dragon) with the great Frazetta cover. It blew me away and I believe I have read it three times. And you can't ignore Howard's horror stories. "Pigeons from Hell" was made into a TV episode on Thriller in the early 60s that is one of the scariest things ever allowed on television (I was 3 tears old at the beach and I remember the adults talking about last night's thriller episode and how scary it was). Read more short stories. If you haven't read Clark Ashton Smith (which I assume you have) you are missing out. And I could name lots of writers who excelled at the short and are not to be missed. M. R James. H. R. Wakefield ("The Red Lodge" I have read maybe 30 times, maybe the best ghost story ever). Terry Lamsley. William Hope Hodgson (also a great novelist) - try "The Derelict." Thank you for your reviews. They are quite enjoyable.
Robert E. Howard's Conan, J.R.R Tolkien with LotR, and Steven R. Donaldson with the Thomas Covenant series for real reading. With "pulp trash fantasy" books I'll go with John Norman's Gor series (not past the first 16-18 books or so though). Howard is the "OG" king. Tolkien is the literal "Creator God" of everything in his world. Donaldson's Covenant series can be a hard read but once you get into the story, it's EPIC. Norman actually writes pretty good and entertaining stuff, people just roll their eyes because of his well, you know lol.
It was nice to hear you talk about Howard's Conan. It would be very interesting to hear you analyse the individual stories. There are qualities of Howard's literature that are never covered. For example the poetic quality of his writing, or the vivid imagery. Howard also had a great way of creating some really awesome moments in a few sentences. One phrase that stuck with me for many years was. "Like smoke that drifts from the heart of summer." It's been so long, I don't even recall where it came from. I had never heard something like that before, and created from such dissimilar images. Anyhow thanks for your video. Keep up your good work.🤝🏼👍🏽😍
In fact if I’m not mistaken, Jason Mamoa is a huge fan of Robert E Howard and Conan. The guy tried his best to keep his character as close to the books as he could...but I guess back then he wouldn’t have much sway on the matter.
I have been an avid reader of Conan and Robert E Howard for at least 45 years and he is the father of the sword and sorcery genre but I guess I left this comment to let you know that Conan got into comic book form in1970 at least in marvel comics, I have the 1st issue Barry Smith was the artist.
He was one of lovecraft's best friends and expanded the Cthulhu mythos a great deal. Buy the weird tales bundle on audible read by IAN FUCKIN GORDON aha. It's so good
Outstanding works from Howard, well suited to a high school curriculum, include the Sailor Steve Costigan stories. They could have been written by Joss Whedon: foreign adventure, action, comedy, suspense, horror? Depends on which paragraph you're in. His nonfiction essay on boxing, Iron Men, is also well worth a read. One of the purest storytellers of all time.
I have never read anything about conan. I think I haven't even watch the movie. But what it called my attention is that you said you play D&D. Interesting! Some years ago I was very interested on that. Watching videos and reading. I even created a lesson plan for my students using two stories that I invented. Unfortunately, I could never played D&D.
I wouldn't have played DnD if some close friends weren't into it and invited my wife and I to play. It's fun as long as you have folks who don't take it super serious and just try to be dicks.
The Golancz masterworks split all Howard's stories into two volumes in a chronological order. They're great and I actually feel lots of little stories does feel more epic over all. It's more like real myths and legends. Also Howard's text just flows off the page.
Did you know that _Robert Jordan_ wrote 7 Conan novels(including one of the movie tie-ins) before starting his _The Wheel of Time_ series? It is here that he developed his _purple prose_ that would make it into that series. Also, this shows that he did not want to repeat this same style of character for his blacksmith Perrin Aybara. Which is why many fans have difficulty in reading that character when his body build is similar to Conan's, but he does not exhibit the same blood and guts persona as him.
I've got all of his published work. I encountered the famous Lancer books with Frazzetta covers in 1967. Howard was a master storyteller with vivid, visionary descriptions of the places, people and events. I visualized everything. Each story is a screenplay. The problem with the movies and tv shows is that none of them have presented ONE story written by Howard. YOU started off here with 2 of my favorite Howard stories; "Tower of the Elephant" and "God in the Bowl". Read "People of the Black Circle" (might be by all-time favorite Conan tale). I agree Jason Mamoa was great in a forgettable movie. He was far better than Arnold, and he had black hair (ferchrissake), as is WRITTEN. ! If I were in charge, I would produce a Conan movie that was based on 2-3 of Howard's short stories. "Tower" "Bowl" "The Devil in Iron" or "Shadows in the Moonlight" in 1 movie would be BOSS. "Queen of the Black Coast" could be 1 full movie.
DnD!! 5e? Heavy Hitter!! Would you consider delving into digital format of current slate of Marvel Comics for Conan the Barbarian written by Jason Aaron and then Jim Zub? Interspersed with prose. I recommend trade paperbacks to get a chunk of story and arcs. And if you dig Marvel Comics, he is in “Savage Avengers” with The Punisher, Wolverine, Elektra, Dr Voodoo/Jericho Drumm. As well as the new slate for the title: Savage Sword of Conan by the team of Gerry Dugan and Ron Garney with an ongoing prose novella included in each issue. I highly recommend. If it’s your jam.
If you get into the "pastiche" authors of Conan stories, you should know that almost every one of those "Conan" stories were variants of earlier Howard stories written about different characters. Howard wrote about crusaders, detectives, cowboys, middle eastern character from the middle ages up into the 1920's. And once the original Howard Conan stories are done, L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter and half a dozen other writers stated grabbing the other stories and morphing them into Conan stories. Howard's first Conan story is a rewrite of a Kull story he couldn't sell!
Conan, my friend, is more than just a DnD barbarian. He's like a berserker fighter/thief, but he prefers armor and wields many types of weapons. The best way to describe him is as a chaotic neutral murder hobo. He moves from place to place, and wherever he goes, the people in power fear him because he often brings destruction with him until he finally becomes King by his own hands
I love Conan-I can say safely that me and Robert E. Howard's views don't align with my modern political views, but he was still a brilliant writer that deserves a series of movies or a TV show.
I love conan. Netflix is going to try it... hopefully they do the book conan. I used to play D&D! And Lance was my main character and he was a Barbarian. Now... I play skyrim... and I play as conan.... hahahhaha I also have conan books and the omnibus for both hard cover conan early years and savage sword of conan.
I'm late to this video, but I think you really hit the nail on the head by calling Howard's work 'meat and potatoes' fantasy. Just raw testosterone! Love the channel, and thanks for the content!
I know you probably don't read westerns , but that's one of the reasons I like Louis L'Amour books is that he gets right to the story, he learned by writing for the old pulp magazines. I'm like you I'm a meat & potatoes kind of reader. One of the reasons I haven't read more of Tom Clancy is I don't need a 3 or 4 page explanations of how weapons work, just give the story.
I certainly think his books and characters should be up for literary study in schools. Unfortunately, they usually don't consider fantasy of sci-fi to be a real genre.
@@mikesbookreviews I have read most of the Conan stories. In terms of literature, I love how the stories move quickly and the metaphors that Robert uses is very descriptive. I fully support reading of Robert E Howard's works in schools. Unfortunately, some of the modern day literary critics have accused his stories as being racist. I personally don't think anything racist was intentional on Robert's part. The stories are the product of the time when they were written. I would recommend reading Solomon Kane as well.
Been reading Howard most of my life and I thought I knew most of them but I recently discovered a slew of them that I didn't because he had other genres that he created chatacters for adventure boxing and even westerns,hes got a character named breckinridg Elkins who is hilarious a great western,a gent from bear creek.
Tbh I thought Conan seemed generic as a series nowadays. But, when I actually read Robert E Howard's Conan stories they feel fresh and breathe air of adventure. I think barbarians don't sound as cool as these adventures are.
I totally get what you mean. I thought it was just going to be a meathead always crushing a monster of the week. But they have so much more depth than that. And in like 20-35 pages, at that. Such a gifted storyteller.
Howard created a genre (think of that!) and he did it by selling stories to a pulp fiction magazine. He knew how to throw in an unexpected twist or turn without losing that breakneck pace that was the trademark of his stories. It really is incredible how creative he was in an era with far less access to all of the media that is available now, and it's such a shame that he couldn't get the mental health care that he clearly needed. Such a tragic loss for all of us, but what a gift he gave us in his short life!
Totally agree. Conan the first movie was rated R but great especially the soundtrack which really does elevate the movie I think. Mamao was a great choice as conan and alot of the action was really cool but the storyboard and script really fucked up the movie
Hi Mike! I purchased the same volume from Robinson 1719 Bookstore in Taksim Caddesi Street, Istanbul in 2009 just hours before take off . I was so lucky to get the last and only copy of this massive volume there. Never was so happy in my entire sixty one years on planet earth . By the way, why do the prophets of progress & postmodernism dislike CONAN and Conan's author in your opinion ? Thanks for your video.
Agreed CONAN is early fantasy on the same level as Tolkien kindoff. Howard deserves more respekt for Conan and his other works.
He's absolutely on that same Mt. Rushmore.
Short stories generally seem to go underappreciated compared to novels. Can't blame people, I also used to think that short stories are lacking the depth and complexity of novels and it was only Robert E Howard who taught me that I was wrong.
@@michaelmahn4373 I've found a new appreciation for them over the last year with these and The Witcher.
@@michaelmahn4373 Wall when there is many stories connected thet create something special.
@@mikesbookreviews try Reading Lovecraft he is simply the best and friend of E Howard.
The University of Texas Press will be publishing the first academic biography about Robert E. Howard in the fall of 2020. Be looking for that, it will have a ton of details about his life and selected works.
Oh, wow. I will definitely be looking forward to that.
I decided to read the complete Conan collection about three years ago and it got me addicted to the sword and sorcery genre. Elric of Melnibone, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, The Dying Earth, The Drenai Saga, Tiger and Del, Vlad Taltos and dozens of others. They're a lot of fun!
Since I started reading John Gwynne a lot of people have told me to try the Drenai books.
@@mikesbookreviews Read Drenai and the Jerusalem Man series as well! Gemmell was a genius.
Only now discovered this, but thanks for the shoutout! Be sure to check out our recent interview with Fredrik Malmberg, the owner of Conan properties - he btw confirmed our report on why Amazon cancelled to be 100% accurate.
Just now seeing this response! There is so little Robert E. Howard/Conan material out there on UA-cam and I really appreciated the retrospective you guys did. It's truly sad that we didn't get the series because it sounds like it was in the hands of people who understood the character. At this point, I'm not even sure I want Conan adapted because it'll probably be treated similarly to how Netflix has He-Man and no one will be happy with the outcome. But, at least the books are always there!
@Midnight's Edge @Mike's Book Reviews Alongside the Del Ray published works and the recent Conan comics by Marvel, I highly recommend the omnibus collections of Conan the Barbarian, The Savage Sword of Conan, Solomon Kane, and most recently Kull. They are all reprints of the OG comics of the Bronze Age completely reprinted without any omossion.
I'll also recommend the Conan Chronicles Epic Collections that reprinted the Dark Horse run. Just beautifully done. Oh and one of the artists on the Dark Horse run Cary Nord is doing a Kickstarter for his fantasy comic Fol'Klor. Check it out!
So much of Howard's work is overlooked, and it is a shame. His horror, westerns, adventure stories are just amazing. Conan is great, the others are truly outstanding.
I’m rather interested in his horror works.
@@mikesbookreviews There are a couple of anthologies out there, I don't know if any are still in print though. I am particularly fond of Pigeons from Hell, The Hoofed Thing, and The Cairn on the Headland. There is some connection with HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, in stories like The Thing on the Roof, The Black Stone, etc. Which is to be expected since the corresponded quite a bit. All are very entertaining.
I’ve seen some collections of his horror stuff but wanted the hardcover to match the rest.
Solomon kane is a badass!
P.S. For those who are deciding to give the real Conan a try, I highly recommend, People of the Black Circle. Beyond the Black River. Hour of the Dragon. These are very fine yarns.
Reading the Conan series changed my life as far as learning to love reading. I could see what he described, although at 12 I would have a dictionary right beside me to know the 20 dollar words he used. I am 55 now and have read countless books and also enjoy other authors such as Karl Edward Wagner and his Kane character. I love the books and wish I had all the paperbacks I bought. Still have some comics, earliest #23. I know this is long, but that is how important Robert E. Howard is not was to me.
"Still have some comics, earliest #23. "
That should be, IRRC, a Red Sonia story. Going on my memory that Barry Smith did 24 issues. The first comics were BAD, the art sucked the story was not much better. Conan had a horned helmut. Yet by the end Barry was producing really good art.
Haven't clicked on a video so fast! haha I'm so glad you read Tower of the Elephant as one of your first, all my comments were worth it because you actually listened to me! lol :) THE long monologue at the end from the "being" (you know what I'm talking about) blew me away when I first read it. Completely changed my view of what the world of Conan was, and from there I was hooked. I seriously can't wait to hear your thoughts on the rest of the stories. Howard's prose really are something special, aren't they? So well written. I love how gritty and dark and dirty the stories are, and yet the writing is so elegant and beautiful and vivid. It works so well. God damn I love Conan. So happy you started them! :)
I thought you'd be excited. As for listening to recommendations from my watchers, I'll quote Howard in saying “He who sent this gem bade me say, ‘Yag-kosha gives
a last gift and a last enchantment.’”
Loved TotE and God in the Bowl. In the middle of Rogues in the House. His writing style is addictive; hard to put down.
I had the exact same experience with tower of the elephant . The ending blew my damn mind. Then I had a similar experience with shadows in the moonlight.. takes a psychological turn you weren't expecting. In my eyes Conan is not just a character but rather a philosophy of individual liberty and self governance disguised as a character... A barbarian is an outsider who speaks a different language. In a society made up of slaves who worship government and authority the individualist is an outsider, or a barbarian.. and Howard was big believer in individualism and freedom
@@ge0metr1xx This should be stamped on the front of future REH releases. Well said.
100% agreed my friend
@@ge0metr1xx very true
Having a Howard Conan omnibus in my backpack while I was bumming around homeless was what first got me into reading fantasy lit, then to writing it. You also gotta check out some of Michael Moorcock's Elric tales. Man, you wanna talk about some formative shit that doesn't get its due these days...I swear, if that Elric TV series gets made and I hear assholes going, "Ah, it's just a ripoff of the witcher," I'm gonna kick someone in the nuts.
Dude. For real. I hate when something that came out first, and was very inspirational to the genre, get accused of ripping something (usually lesser) off. It's crazy frustrating. I really got to get into the Elric books soon. So many viewers recommend it.
You check out the Conan-Elric crossover Marvel did? Very good episode.
Yes I was going to mention Elric in relation to this video. I've only read the first two, but to echo what Mike says, Moorcock can tell you more in 40 pages than some of the modern fantasy authors can tell you in 400.
Book one of the 'Sailor on the Seas of Fate' is one of the best things I've read in Fantasy so far. It was like a cohesive LSD trip. 🌬️🚢
Great response Spencer loo
He (Howard) had the most economical, visceral and vivid writing style of- anyone!!
Like, thanks. I do enjoy seeing and hearing people younger and much younger than me telling how they have discovered R.E.Howard's books. I kind of live thru how I discovered those long time ago.
I do the same when I see a teenager reading Stephen King or Tolkien. Nothing can beat that.
I've read all of Robert E. Howard's Conan, Solomon Kane, and now most of Kull of Atlantis...and after reading him, I came to appreciate the economy of storytelling Howard uses and that unlike today's modern fantasy author he only tells you the absolute essential and leaves everything else to your imagination. But also I think more fantasy authors should take a page from the likes of Howard, Lovecraft, Kipling, and other pulp writers and learn that sometimes it is better NOT to explain everything, not to describe everything down to the smallest detail, and especially NOT to drag out the story far longer than it needed to be. Looking at you Robert Jordan.
Sometimes just getting to the meat of the story is a great thing. Howard and Lovecraft were the masters of it.
I have been world building and planning on writing "that book" since high school.. I read a lot o the bastardized conan in my teens but It wasnt until the age of 32 that I discovered the real REH... His writing has changed my entire outlook on how I want to convey my story. He was more than a writer.. As someone who is deeply into esoteric topics I am amazed at how knowledgeable REH was, he was beyond his years and beyond his place in the cosmos
@@ge0metr1xx I mostly knew him from Marvel Comics growing up. In hindsight, the ones that were adaptations of REH works were far and away better than everything else.
Nice I have the same Conan book.They are the nicest Conan complete Howard books.
Yeah, it's a handsome collection.
Read all the Robert E Howard I could get my hands on. During the Viet Nam war, I was a G.I. stationed first in the Philippines, then Viet Nam. Found the old 'Conan' soft covers with the 1959 copyrights. Sometimes read a complete volume in a single evening. Still have the full set of the original 12 volumes. Many other writers have tried to emulate Howard's style, but it is like someone buying a basketball and thinking they are Michael Jordan. Robert E Howard stands alone.
Did you know Robert Jordan wrote some Conan novels? I heard that's how he started his writing career.
I do know. Wanted to read all the Howard stuff first, but of any of the writers of Conan since his demise, Jordan is the one I'd most likely give a try after.
They are the best non Howard Conan stories. In my opinion.
@@Daskobra good to know...I'll give those a definite try
I bought the Conan Chronicles by Jordan, which was 2-3 of his Conan books together, back in the day and it was just sooo enjoyable to read
Yes.
I saw the Frazetta book covers when I went into a used book store in the mid 1970s when I was in Jr high, thought they were really cool and decided to read a couple and was hooked. I also really like his other books like Solomon Kane and Cormac mac Art
As you can tell from the intro, the art was what pulled me in as a kid. It became the template for all sword and sorcery book covers henceforth. Love it.
Interesting that D&D brought you to Conan, considering the fact that without Conan and Tolkien Gary Gygax probably never grows up to publish the 3 brown booklets back in 1974. Interestingly enough, Conan actually fits the thief class more than the barbarian in actual mechanical function.
Ha ha, yep! I mean, I did read the Conan comics as a kid and I loved the movie, but without becoming involved in DnD, I'm not sure I would have come back to Robert E. Howard.
That makes sense considering how Conan is basically a robber and pirate.
On Dec 4, Marvel is reprinting the non-conan story The Valley Of The Worm by Robert E. Howard as a $1.00 comic. It was originally published by Marvel Comics in the 1970's. I recommend it and the short story it's based on.
Seems like a great deal in any respect.
Considering Robert E. Howard (Conan in particular) was a huge inspiration to Dungeons and Dragons I'm glad you started playing. Another huge inspiration is Jack Vance's Dying Earth series
It’s on my Kindle!
My favorite thing about Robert E. Howard is the titles of hos stories. Like The God In The Bowl. Who the hell cannot appreciate those awesome titles. So creative they were. And sounded just like the stories the heralded.
If anyone likes Connan and wants more great heroic pulp then my I recommend the John Carter stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Very nice world building and excellent fight scenes!
P.S. I am a fantasy lover who doesn't particularly like DnD, we do exist! Nothing wrong with it, just not my jam.
I had never played DnD prior to last year. So I was with you. I'm still not addicted to it or anything, but I enjoy the time with friends. I read A Princess of Mars in junior high and really enjoyed it.
Don't forget the Carson of Venus series...the only thing about Burroughs is they can feel a bit dated to modern readers
Just finished Conan of Cimmeria and I am really enjoying these stories for the same reasons you said. I’m going through the 12 book series published by Ace/Lancer in their chronology. I may move on to the Jordan books later but we’ll have to see. Very enjoyable.
At first I was like "how much can he pump into a 40 page story?" The answer is A TON.
I would also if you haven't already, get the Del Ray collections of the Robert E Howard library. They are the quintessential Howard collections. Especially because you get his early drafts and incomplete stories that are very enriching and you become desperate to find out what happens next.
It's good to see Howard get some love. These stories are so readable. You put it perfectly: yes, they are full of tropes but this is the source of many of those tropes. Great stuff.
He was a trailblazer
This book and the Lovecraft one is really good.
The Solomon Kane movie from 2010 was much closer to REHoward writings. And his writing is so good!
I still haven’t watched it
It was a fun pulpy adventure movie worth a watch.
Loved Howard's Conan series and read them via the Lancer paperbacks (still have them!) in the late sixties-early seventies when I was twelve or so. Drawn to them by the fantastic Frazetta cover artwork.
That cover art inspired damn near all fantasy book covers going forward. So good.
@@mikesbookreviews I would also add that the cover art of the fantastically talented Jeff Jones inspired me (thankfully) to read Fritz Lieber's "Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser" series. Whom I found to be a very skilled and eloquent author whereas Howard projected a more "primordial" aura with brilliant splashes of the supernatural in his stories. Sometimes seemingly influenced by Lovecraft even. Great stuff. Next: "Elric of Melnibone" by Moorcock. Another fine writer.
you've made me buy that edition, I hope you are happy
I am!
i got my hand on volume seven on the savage sword of conan. I work at a local library and they give out books and holly jesus i found this in the givaway bin. i love it. and its cool that conan is mostly like short story based.
Right. It requires so much less commitment than most modern epic fantasy.
I first got into these books after reading A small collection composed of Beyond the black river, Tower of the elephant and rogues in the House.
Conan is fantastic, I recommend reading them in order of publication. Also, a great African inspired spin on them would be the Imaro series by Charles Saunders
Haven’t heard of that one. I’ll check it out on Goodreads. Thanks for the rec!
Well I've just added Chronicles of Conan to my Christmas list, I'm sure the wife will be happy with more books added to the home 😊
This one will be worth the evil eyes from the lady.
@@mikesbookreviews I hope so! Haha
The Necroscope series will blow you away!
A heady mix of horror/dark fantasy. It was HUGE in the 90's.
Haven't heard of that one. I'll look it up.
The reason it is not chronological is that REH had said that when writing Conan it was as if an Adventurer was telling him the tales as he went. If you ever sit down with someone who has had a unique life, they jump around in their tales as they relate them. That's kind of a cool insight into how he approached his writing.
Wow, that book looks awesome!
It really is.
I joined a D & D circle, I think in 1978 when the game was brand new. I decided to be a wizard so I became Xaltotun, who was the wizard in Conan the Conqueror. I rolled some amazing numbers that gave my character great power to start. I never played again after the first time, but the rest of the guys played constantly. The made frequent reports of the progress of my beloved character. I think they all flunked out of college. Sometimes I wonder if I should have hung out with them more.
Red Nails is my personal favorite, but I love all of Robert E. Howard's work. He is unmatched in his ability to weave incredible visuals with his words. His words have energy.
I really love your channel man! It’s hard to find quality content on horror books. Thank you 🙏
I have never read this guy before but i will now!
Hope you enjoy!
If you're a Sci-fi, Fantasy buff' like I am---Ya' gotta' like this Conan
Series. Fun reading.
awesome video!
have never read any Howard and before now only heard disparaging things about Conan, but! you have changed my mind. really liked this one, excerpts you read were great. Conan is officially on my list.
Thanks Mike, and thanks to the commenters for suggesting it to you
I think Arnold's version of Conan was parodied so much that it became a meme (or whatever we had in the 80s and 90s) for awhile. But book Conan is a savage Conan that you don't want to mess with. Hope you enjoy it!
@@mikesbookreviews i actually love the first conan movie, it was one of the first movies i ever saw (dad didn't hold stock with the rating system) and i still think it has something that most miss. Which totally makes sense, having a literary base. That was a good movie and the more i think about it the more it seems those elements that elevate it must have come from the novels/novellas whatever. Yeah I'm in, thanks again.
@@Merrick After reading the 6 stories in The Coming of Conan, I can see how the movie was influenced. They changed a couple of things around but did a mashup of a few characters and stories.
@@mikesbookreviews Just finished Rogues in the House, and i really enjoyed it. A lot of people (including the Lord Ruler *touches metal*) have said something along the lines of Conan isn't interesting as a character, and i strongly disagree. I will definitely be reading more, i like the writing, the way he structured the story (no idea if that is typical) and i see what you're saying about elements being cliche, and totally get they are the source of the cliche, so that didn't ruin it for me at all.
It was reminiscent of CS Lewis for me, I'll have to look up how contemporary they were. I think Howard predates him.
Only negative, and not much of one; it seemed a tad over-written at moments. Minor minor complaint. It also had a sparseness i really enjoyed. A lot of lines could be taken and used as taglines. Overall it was great.
Do you recommend any collection or book to start with? Rogues in the House was a random find and was really short. The Coming of Conan has an introductory ring to it, and if that was what the movie drew on maybe it's a good starting point.
Have a good one, thanks again
@@Merrick When you consider these stories are nearing a century old it's amazing they're as readable today as they are. I've heard the character complaint on Conan, too, and I disagree as well. The Queen of the Black Coast saw real depth to Conan besides club their brains out.
I read Robert E. Howard's Conan books back in the sixties when I was a young teenager. He and Edger Rice Burroughs and L. Sprague De Camp were my first fantasy authors. You brought back great old memories.
James Axler's Deathlands series is totally epic in pulp action/sci-fi genre. And even though it lasted 30 years and 126 novels, like some great movies, you can start anywhere and enjoy them.
Dang, Mike. I didn’t need another book to add to the TBR but after this video and the comments i snagged one off eBay. Looking forward to it...eventually!
Ha ha the TBR never ends.
@@mikesbookreviews So true! And just to add, I am now looking at buying the soundtrack!
goodstuff here, I need to finish reading all of Howard's stuff
Indeed. He's a legend.
This character is amazing especially in comic o have read over half of the original marvel issues (about 150)and I’m so amazed by the story telling of both Howard and his adaptation in comic form from Roy Thomas if this guy wrote a novel it would be amazing
Fun factoid. The dark Entities in Conan stories are probably from the same Eldritch Void as Lovecraft's monsters. But Robert E Howard also included benign aliens, like the Being in the Tower of the Elephant.
Also, the Necronomicon written down by Al Hazred & The Scroll of Skelos, as well as the Dark Magic that destroyed Atlantis, and is practiced by the Stygian Priests are linked to the original dark knowledge that destroyed both races in the Mountains of Madness. Most likely Set the Deity of the Stygians might be an Elder God.
(Also the Book of Eibon, by - I forgot the author's name - is derived from the arcane knowledge that lead to the creaton of the Necronomicon, the history in the Scrolls of Skelos)
G'Day Mike, I now this is in a response to an older video. But I agree with you in that R E Howard is very underrated. I've really enjoy the video thanks.
Hey, thanks for watching!
Started reading the Lancer books editions of REH's Conan in the 60's. It resonated with me as a teenager, but by the time I got to his westerns I was hooked with the style of his writing. One of my favorite writers. So tragic that he shot himself at such a young age. He was respected by other writers of his time. Lovecraft was a penpal of his. Watch the movie "The Whole Wide World", a film based on the memoirs of a lady who knew Howard before his death. D'Onofrio does a credible job of being Robert E. Howard. A man who was bigger than life.
Yeah, just thinking what other great stories he could have given us is depressing.
Actually finished this book you were holding today. A friend of mine lend it to me. ( I had some pocket soft cover booklets with Conan stories before I read this anthology)
Loved it. Perfect late night winter reading.
"Red Nails", "The Devil in Iron" and "The Hour of the Dragon", were by far my favorite stories from the book. :)
I agree Robert E. Howard is a pioneer. Especially with sword and sorcery fantasy. Don't forget Michael Moorcock. Elric of Melniboné!! The Anti-Conan
Just finished my first Conan story (The Phoenix on the Sword) and had a blast. I was very surprised how well the writing holds up despite the prose’s age. The man could worldbuild before it was cool and could write a hell of an action scene.
The early versions of Savage sword of Conan are what got mei to REH. I devoured the Conan books, then Kill, Soloman Kane....but my favourite is probably Bran Mac morn. The worms of the earth is fantastic. A must read for anyone into very dark fantasy!! Great video by the way.
Listening on audible now poetic and dark writing.
I wish I had found Robert E. Howard way way sooner, my goodness I am not worthy. Read my first Bran Mak Morn story last night called, Worms of the Earth. Holy freaking shnickies.. Darker that Conan, set in ancient Rome. Different vibe than conan but Howards amazing prose are off the chain in this one. 1.5 hours of a dark journey.. Howards is pure skill and magic to create short stories this powerful. Thank you for giving this underappreciated genius some spotlight.
Bran Mak Morn is a truly wonderful character.
I own that UK volume too (a gift!). It isn't so much that Hollywood doesn't get REH (which is largely true), it's just that it's really, really hard to translate from page to screen (just ask Peter Jackson. Would love to see REH get the JRRT treatment though). Oliver Stone struggled with the CtB script and had to do a mashup or pastiche of REH story elements in order to get it approved. Keep in mind that there has to be marketability in the product. There are, however, LOTS of great stories that would translate to the screen. I think the best would be "The Hour of the Dragon" because it's REH's only full-length Conan novel, and thanks to Dark Horse publishing it in comic form, it already has storyboards (thanks, Tomas Giorello!)
I think it could be done well in long-form streaming series format. But not in this current political climate.
@@mikesbookreviews Disagree. The REH stories were short form and it would be a disservice to them to somehow make them episodes of a long-running series like GoT
de Camp and Carter dis try to establish a Conan timeline. It works. But you have to remember these stories were written for 128 page pulp magazines where only 4 to 5 stories were in each volume, usually by multiple authors. Howard got paid by the line and sometimes by the word count and he was limited to 15 to 25 pages. You didn't get "beginning/middle/end" series then.
Gratz on finally getting on the Conan train. Btw, you should probably learn how to pronounce it, hehe. I find it so disappointing that most of the fantasy book channels on UA-cam completely ignore REH and his many wonderful characters. Shame Amazon gave up on Conan. None of REH's chars have been treated well on film. Only the first Conan movie was worth a damn imo. The comics did a pretty fair job and introduced the char to millions.
Don't neglect REH's other chars. Bran Mak Morn is a fantasy treat. Howard also wrote numerous boxing stories and he also delved into humor with his Breckinridge Elkins stories.
Also, it doesn't take long to read all the original REH Conan stuff. Many of his fans disparage the continuation of his work done by L.Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter but those are the only Conan works done by authors other than Howard that 'fit' the savage Cimmerian imo. New subscriber.
For me the best non Howard Conan stories were the L. Sprague de Camp stories which were actually conversions of the non Conan stories by Howard to Conan. Lin wrote crap. Howard was show not tell and Lin, did the opposite way too often.
Brilliant video Mike. Howard despite being an influential author and the creator of a pop culture icon is often overlooked.
Don't forget about Edgar Rice Burroughs. Not only did he give us Tarzan but also the Barsoom series. And that was back in 1912. Conan didn't show up until 1932. Kull was was first published in 1929. That puts Eddy in the lead by damn near 20 years. The crazy thing? Most people have never even heard of him or the Barsoom series, even though it's the guy that created Tarzan, who everyone knows about..
Hot take, loved Conan 2011 because it's heavily in line with the Savage sword of Conan from the 80's
I am currently reading Howard's Bran Mak Morn stories (many for the first time). The storytelling is excellent and Howard's writing style is beautiful. There are so many series -King Kull, Solomon Kane, and many others. And then there is Conan. My Dad brought back the books he read during a long business trip overseas back around 1971. One of them was Conan the Conqueror (Hour of the Dragon) with the great Frazetta cover. It blew me away and I believe I have read it three times. And you can't ignore Howard's horror stories. "Pigeons from Hell" was made into a TV episode on Thriller in the early 60s that is one of the scariest things ever allowed on television (I was 3 tears old at the beach and I remember the adults talking about last night's thriller episode and how scary it was). Read more short stories. If you haven't read Clark Ashton Smith (which I assume you have) you are missing out. And I could name lots of writers who excelled at the short and are not to be missed. M. R James. H. R. Wakefield ("The Red Lodge" I have read maybe 30 times, maybe the best ghost story ever). Terry Lamsley. William Hope Hodgson (also a great novelist) - try "The Derelict." Thank you for your reviews. They are quite enjoyable.
Robert E. Howard's Conan, J.R.R Tolkien with LotR, and Steven R. Donaldson with the Thomas Covenant series for real reading. With "pulp trash fantasy" books I'll go with John Norman's Gor series (not past the first 16-18 books or so though). Howard is the "OG" king. Tolkien is the literal "Creator God" of everything in his world. Donaldson's Covenant series can be a hard read but once you get into the story, it's EPIC. Norman actually writes pretty good and entertaining stuff, people just roll their eyes because of his well, you know lol.
It was nice to hear you talk about Howard's Conan. It would be very interesting to hear you analyse the individual stories. There are qualities of Howard's literature that are never covered. For example the poetic quality of his writing, or the vivid imagery. Howard also had a great way of creating some really awesome moments in a few sentences. One phrase that stuck with me for many years was. "Like smoke that drifts from the heart of summer." It's been so long, I don't even recall where it came from. I had never heard something like that before, and created from such dissimilar images. Anyhow thanks for your video. Keep up your good work.🤝🏼👍🏽😍
In fact if I’m not mistaken, Jason Mamoa is a huge fan of Robert E Howard and Conan. The guy tried his best to keep his character as close to the books as he could...but I guess back then he wouldn’t have much sway on the matter.
Seems so many people that were fans of the source material were involved. Unfortunately, none of them were the decision makers.
I have been an avid reader of Conan and Robert E Howard for at least 45 years and he is the father of the sword and sorcery genre but I guess I left this comment to let you know that Conan got into comic book form in1970 at least in marvel comics, I have the 1st issue Barry Smith was the artist.
I love Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft... Now I am trying to find some Clark Ashton Smith
He was one of lovecraft's best friends and expanded the Cthulhu mythos a great deal. Buy the weird tales bundle on audible read by IAN FUCKIN GORDON aha. It's so good
Outstanding works from Howard, well suited to a high school curriculum, include the Sailor Steve Costigan stories. They could have been written by Joss Whedon: foreign adventure, action, comedy, suspense, horror? Depends on which paragraph you're in. His nonfiction essay on boxing, Iron Men, is also well worth a read. One of the purest storytellers of all time.
I have never read anything about conan. I think I haven't even watch the movie. But what it called my attention is that you said you play D&D. Interesting! Some years ago I was very interested on that. Watching videos and reading. I even created a lesson plan for my students using two stories that I invented. Unfortunately, I could never played D&D.
I wouldn't have played DnD if some close friends weren't into it and invited my wife and I to play. It's fun as long as you have folks who don't take it super serious and just try to be dicks.
The Golancz masterworks split all Howard's stories into two volumes in a chronological order. They're great and I actually feel lots of little stories does feel more epic over all. It's more like real myths and legends. Also Howard's text just flows off the page.
The REH Conan is my favorite universe.
Did you know that _Robert Jordan_ wrote 7 Conan novels(including one of the movie tie-ins) before starting his _The Wheel of Time_ series? It is here that he developed his _purple prose_ that would make it into that series.
Also, this shows that he did not want to repeat this same style of character for his blacksmith Perrin Aybara. Which is why many fans have difficulty in reading that character when his body build is similar to Conan's, but he does not exhibit the same blood and guts persona as him.
I did know about Jordan, but that's an interesting tidbit about Perrin. He's about as far away from Conan as possible in those books.
I've got all of his published work. I encountered the famous Lancer books with Frazzetta covers in 1967. Howard was a master storyteller with vivid, visionary descriptions of the places, people and events. I visualized everything. Each story is a screenplay. The problem with the movies and tv shows is that none of them have presented ONE story written by Howard. YOU started off here with 2 of my favorite Howard stories; "Tower of the Elephant" and "God in the Bowl". Read "People of the Black Circle" (might be by all-time favorite Conan tale). I agree Jason Mamoa was great in a forgettable movie. He was far better than Arnold, and he had black hair (ferchrissake), as is WRITTEN. ! If I were in charge, I would produce a Conan movie that was based on 2-3 of Howard's short stories. "Tower" "Bowl" "The Devil in Iron" or "Shadows in the Moonlight" in 1 movie would be BOSS. "Queen of the Black Coast" could be 1 full movie.
0:54 The ultimate depiction of Conan.
Indeed.
Have you read the Elric of Melniboné books by Michael Moorcock? It's similar to Conan in some aspects.
I have not, but I did just get the new collection.
DnD!! 5e? Heavy Hitter!! Would you consider delving into digital format of current slate of Marvel Comics for Conan the Barbarian written by Jason Aaron and then Jim Zub? Interspersed with prose. I recommend trade paperbacks to get a chunk of story and arcs. And if you dig Marvel Comics, he is in “Savage Avengers” with The Punisher, Wolverine, Elektra, Dr Voodoo/Jericho Drumm. As well as the new slate for the title: Savage Sword of Conan by the team of Gerry Dugan and Ron Garney with an ongoing prose novella included in each issue. I highly recommend. If it’s your jam.
If you get into the "pastiche" authors of Conan stories, you should know that almost every one of those "Conan" stories were variants of earlier Howard stories written about different characters. Howard wrote about crusaders, detectives, cowboys, middle eastern character from the middle ages up into the 1920's. And once the original Howard Conan stories are done, L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter and half a dozen other writers stated grabbing the other stories and morphing them into Conan stories. Howard's first Conan story is a rewrite of a Kull story he couldn't sell!
Now you read an epic character!
John Gwynne and Jay Kristoff must be next.
Gwynne has entered the 2020 TBR list based off numerous recs to do Faithful & the Fallen.
Conan, my friend, is more than just a DnD barbarian. He's like a berserker fighter/thief, but he prefers armor and wields many types of weapons. The best way to describe him is as a chaotic neutral murder hobo. He moves from place to place, and wherever he goes, the people in power fear him because he often brings destruction with him until he finally becomes King by his own hands
You should do a video of how you started into d&d
I love Conan-I can say safely that me and Robert E. Howard's views don't align with my modern political views, but he was still a brilliant writer that deserves a series of movies or a TV show.
I love conan. Netflix is going to try it... hopefully they do the book conan.
I used to play D&D! And Lance was my main character and he was a Barbarian. Now... I play skyrim... and I play as conan.... hahahhaha
I also have conan books and the omnibus for both hard cover conan early years and savage sword of conan.
REH writing is so much better than the modern writers. Frank Huebert is the only writer who has impressed me as much as REH
Those are definitely two of the best ever to do it.
Herbert bud.
I'm late to this video, but I think you really hit the nail on the head by calling Howard's work 'meat and potatoes' fantasy. Just raw testosterone! Love the channel, and thanks for the content!
Hey thanks for watching! I'll be doing some updated Conan content soon.
The books were popular because they were so vividly written.
Indeed
Have you read Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone books. It’s an inverse of Conan.
Awesome video thank you!
I know you probably don't read westerns , but that's one of the reasons I like Louis L'Amour books is that he gets right to the story, he learned by writing for the old pulp magazines. I'm like you I'm a meat & potatoes kind of reader. One of the reasons I haven't read more of Tom Clancy is I don't need a 3 or 4 page explanations of how weapons work, just give the story.
REH has some other good stuff. I really liked his El Borak stories.
Dude, you need to read his other fascinating characters! REH should be required reading in high school.
I certainly think his books and characters should be up for literary study in schools. Unfortunately, they usually don't consider fantasy of sci-fi to be a real genre.
It should be but he won't be because femitards would consider Conan toxic and problematic.
@@mikesbookreviews I have read most of the Conan stories. In terms of literature, I love how the stories move quickly and the metaphors that Robert uses is very descriptive. I fully support reading of Robert E Howard's works in schools. Unfortunately, some of the modern day literary critics have accused his stories as being racist. I personally don't think anything racist was intentional on Robert's part. The stories are the product of the time when they were written. I would recommend reading Solomon Kane as well.
Been reading Howard most of my life and I thought I knew most of them but I recently discovered a slew of them that I didn't because he had other genres that he created chatacters for adventure boxing and even westerns,hes got a character named breckinridg Elkins who is hilarious a great western,a gent from bear creek.
Tbh I thought Conan seemed generic as a series nowadays. But, when I actually read Robert E Howard's Conan stories they feel fresh and breathe air of adventure. I think barbarians don't sound as cool as these adventures are.
I totally get what you mean. I thought it was just going to be a meathead always crushing a monster of the week. But they have so much more depth than that. And in like 20-35 pages, at that. Such a gifted storyteller.
Howard created a genre (think of that!) and he did it by selling stories to a pulp fiction magazine. He knew how to throw in an unexpected twist or turn without losing that breakneck pace that was the trademark of his stories. It really is incredible how creative he was in an era with far less access to all of the media that is available now, and it's such a shame that he couldn't get the mental health care that he clearly needed. Such a tragic loss for all of us, but what a gift he gave us in his short life!
Some of Howard's stories are just nuts. You're more likely to find a giant tentacled worm behind a cave wall that a classic winged dragon.
@@Cybopath Weird fiction at it's finest.
I got into the stories through the dark horse comics they pretty much adapted alot of the stories and tried to tie them together
1000th like, let's gooooo! ❤🎉
George Macdonald and William Morris are also fantasy authors who are sadly neglected considering their own large influence on the fantasy genre.
Totally agree. Conan the first movie was rated R but great especially the soundtrack which really does elevate the movie I think. Mamao was a great choice as conan and alot of the action was really cool but the storyboard and script really fucked up the movie
Going to tackle some Edgar Rice Burroughs?
How much did that hardcover cost you? Who’s the superior Barbarian Conan or Logen Nine fingers??since I know you love both :)
Hi Mike! I purchased the same volume from Robinson 1719 Bookstore in Taksim Caddesi Street, Istanbul in 2009 just hours before take off . I was so lucky to get the last and only copy of this massive volume there. Never was so happy in my entire sixty one years on planet earth . By the way, why do the prophets of progress & postmodernism dislike CONAN and Conan's author in your opinion ? Thanks for your video.
What is the recommended reading order for the books? Probably easiest to just read the chronicles book you show here?
And Frank Frazetta drawings are the best