First, before I clicked on the video; I was thinking "how is this video so short"? 😅 In my head, I was thinking you were covering every Non-REH Conan story to include Robert Jordan's, and a slew of all the others over the years. Good thing it was just the 12 Lancer/Ace books or you would have been Mute for days! 😉😀 I have not Re-Read these books for a while, so it is hard for me to give you my honest "Adult Opinions" on any of these stories. I can remember though, that as a small kid (starting at around 7 I think), I enjoyed each and everyone of these stories and paid no attention to who wrote them; but just glad that they helped feed my juvenile addiction to Conan stories. As a child, even "Conan of the Isles" made me sad but happy. Sad because Conan was growing old... but happy that he left those Isles off the coast of what we assume was North America and headed West to possibly discover a new land. This excited my vivid imagination because it gave me hope that Conan landed in on the East Coast of the now USA; and _made his way to the Mid-West and "mated" with one of my past ancestors!_ LOL I was hoping that if he was "Possibly real", he could be my long lost Ancestor and someday I would grow up 'big and strong' like him! ☺😁 Bottom line, thank you for taking the time and doing this. I will have to read them soon and give you my thoughts on your order. Have a great day! I look forward to your next video! Stay Savage ~ Son of Crom.
Thanks Bjorn! I too read the Acer series very young. And at first didn't realize there were different authors writing the stories. It was all new and fun. And that's a great idea that Conan's blood runs through the veins of the New World! I like it!
"The Hall of the Dead" is a story that exists in two forms. The original is a 640 word synopsis for an unwritten Conan story by Robert E. Howard. I think its good because of Howard's fragment lending a helping hand
Yup, based on a fragment DH. In my opinion, you can tell where in the story REH is writing and where de Camp picks up. But it's not bad. For my two cents, the Roy Thomas/Smith adaptation is even better though.
Someone needs to write a Conan story where he comes across TEN lost cities to get a perfect score from you, Grammaticus! If he also can get a side helping of revenge and womanising somewhere in the plot as well... That would be perfect! 🤘😁🤘 Actually, do you you think that the comic book adaptions of the less effective pastiche stories worked a little bit better than the book versions though? Thank you for another interesting video, I am eagerly awaiting your Conan collection one.
That would earn a score of 11 Mark! And yes, absolutely. I think the Marvel, Conan the Barbarian (and Savage Sword) adaptations of the lesser pastiche stories worked tremendously better. Good point sir!
I actually liked Lair of the Ice Worm. I thought it would make a good follow up to The Frost Giant’s Daughter because they both involve things going horribly wrong with finding a girl in the frozen wasteland.
I don't think I could agree more with the ranking. Though I haven't read them all yet. I'm 90% done Buccaneer. The first 2/3s is great, but the parts in Amazonia get a bit laboured and tropey. I mean, if I have to read "blacks" as a proper noun one more time... Yeesh Also, with all the Lancer pastiches in the bad, might I encourage you to check out one more short pastiche? Shadow of Vengeance by Scott Oden is my favourite Conan pastiche. Reads like REH (not being hyperbolic), story slaps, and it enhances an original REH story as well (Devil in Iron). No one talks about it on UA-cam, but Sprague de Camp fan and Howard Andrew Jones really enjoyed it. Anyways, always down to chat Conan. Looking forward to when you get around to the new Titan run.
Great effort to read and rank them all. I wonder how Conan The Road of Kings ranks in amongst these? I'd give it a 7. It's the only pastiche I've read so I cant comment on the rankings of these.
It's also in the same category as Hawks over Shem. As this is a "Conanification / Hyborianization" of another REH story, Three Bladed Doom; which is an El Borak story.
@@GrammaticusBooks I read them because he was a one of my Godfathers growing up, so I may be biased, but I liked them. His narrative prose is very much his and he isn't trying to make the prose style match Howards, but the story elements were very much Howards style. I liked them. I preferred his Kane novels, but I really enjoyed his Conan and Bran Mac Morn stories.
I hate how unenjoyable my reading and listening experience to Wolves Beyond The Border to the point I didn’t even try to read most of the books on the list outside of the top four and apparently didn’t miss anything. It’s not just fan fiction with an original character. It’s a bitter angry bad fan fiction. I like The Drums Of Tombalku weirdly enough, despite Conan being a background character. Sukumbe The Suba stuck out to me and how the book ends seemed apropos. The top five are solid, the whole list is perfect for the Lancer books.
For some reason the UK version of the series, published by Sphere, ran to fourteen volumes, the last being Conan the Liberator, which had a nice Les Edwards cover. Conan the Buccaneer at no.2? Sigurd. 'Nuff said.
@@GrammaticusBooks I'll give you the list, so you can see the differences.1.Adventurer 2.Warrior 3.Conan. (Just that!) 4.Conqueror 5.Freebooter 6. Cimmeria 7.Usurper 8. Wanderer 9. Isles 10.Avenger 11. Buccaneer 12.Aquilonia 13. Swordsman 14. Liberator.
Aw, that's not ALL the Conan pastiche! I was hoping you'd have a serious look at the new pastiche fiction from Titan. I don't think anybody on You Tube has done that yet.
@@GrammaticusBooks Cool. But you do see some critical looks at Titan's comic book stuff. I was referring to their prose efforts-- the e-book short stories and the novels. Not much on You Tube about any of that and I don't understand why.
I agree that "The Thing in the Crypt" is the best pastiche story, but disagree on your characterization of it as an original idea, as Carter and De Camp just rewrote the story from the Viking Saga of Grettir the Strong and the Draugr, with the names changed to protect the guilty. If you're adapting a great story, you're bound to get a decent story, which they were able to not screw up despite themselves.
You make a good point. It could be based on Grettir's Saga. I'm sure Lin Carter was familiar with the old Icelandic Sagas. Although Grettir isn't one of the more popular ones. Regardless, it would still make him the first modern writer to translate the plot into a contemporary story...set in the ancient past! Good stuff Buck.
I appreciate the time and effort you put into this task. You put more into this than Carter and de Camp did for many of their pastiche stories.
That's too funny Seth! And sadly probably accurate!
My ranking would be much different of course, but I appreciate you undertaking this painful project!
It was a fun project Michael. And now of course you have to put up your rankings!
"Painful project" 🤣😂😂😂
This is awesome! I will be referencing this if I ever decide to go back down the pastiche path.
Thanks Joseph!
You're a brave man, my friend. A Herculean effort, and much appreciated.
Thanks Bob!
Excellent list. I particularly appreciate your plot synopsis for each story. Please do a similar ranking list for the REH stories.
Not a bad idea for the next Cimmerian September!
First, before I clicked on the video; I was thinking "how is this video so short"? 😅 In my head, I was thinking you were covering every Non-REH Conan story to include Robert Jordan's, and a slew of all the others over the years. Good thing it was just the 12 Lancer/Ace books or you would have been Mute for days! 😉😀
I have not Re-Read these books for a while, so it is hard for me to give you my honest "Adult Opinions" on any of these stories. I can remember though, that as a small kid (starting at around 7 I think), I enjoyed each and everyone of these stories and paid no attention to who wrote them; but just glad that they helped feed my juvenile addiction to Conan stories.
As a child, even "Conan of the Isles" made me sad but happy. Sad because Conan was growing old... but happy that he left those Isles off the coast of what we assume was North America and headed West to possibly discover a new land. This excited my vivid imagination because it gave me hope that Conan landed in on the East Coast of the now USA; and _made his way to the Mid-West and "mated" with one of my past ancestors!_ LOL I was hoping that if he was "Possibly real", he could be my long lost Ancestor and someday I would grow up 'big and strong' like him! ☺😁
Bottom line, thank you for taking the time and doing this. I will have to read them soon and give you my thoughts on your order. Have a great day! I look forward to your next video! Stay Savage ~ Son of Crom.
Thanks Bjorn! I too read the Acer series very young. And at first didn't realize there were different authors writing the stories. It was all new and fun. And that's a great idea that Conan's blood runs through the veins of the New World! I like it!
"The Hall of the Dead" is a story that exists in two forms. The original is a 640 word synopsis for an unwritten Conan story by Robert E. Howard. I think its good because of Howard's fragment lending a helping hand
Yup, based on a fragment DH. In my opinion, you can tell where in the story REH is writing and where de Camp picks up. But it's not bad. For my two cents, the Roy Thomas/Smith adaptation is even better though.
100% agree with you that The Thing in the Crypt passes for a real REH creation. Very good short story.
One of my favorites ABT!
Someone needs to write a Conan story where he comes across TEN lost cities to get a perfect score from you, Grammaticus! If he also can get a side helping of revenge and womanising somewhere in the plot as well... That would be perfect! 🤘😁🤘
Actually, do you you think that the comic book adaptions of the less effective pastiche stories worked a little bit better than the book versions though?
Thank you for another interesting video, I am eagerly awaiting your Conan collection one.
That would earn a score of 11 Mark! And yes, absolutely. I think the Marvel, Conan the Barbarian (and Savage Sword) adaptations of the lesser pastiche stories worked tremendously better. Good point sir!
I’d love to know what you think of the 6 volume Bantam series.
I have not read it yet Witness. If I get around to them, I will certainly put out a video on it though!
Thanks!
You are most welcome!
I trust you your my go to guy when it comes to Conan
Thank you sir, much appreciated!
I actually liked Lair of the Ice Worm. I thought it would make a good follow up to The Frost Giant’s Daughter because they both involve things going horribly wrong with finding a girl in the frozen wasteland.
That is true Dragon!
It's a bizarre depiction of Conan himself though.
I don't think I could agree more with the ranking. Though I haven't read them all yet.
I'm 90% done Buccaneer. The first 2/3s is great, but the parts in Amazonia get a bit laboured and tropey. I mean, if I have to read "blacks" as a proper noun one more time... Yeesh
Also, with all the Lancer pastiches in the bad, might I encourage you to check out one more short pastiche? Shadow of Vengeance by Scott Oden is my favourite Conan pastiche. Reads like REH (not being hyperbolic), story slaps, and it enhances an original REH story as well (Devil in Iron).
No one talks about it on UA-cam, but Sprague de Camp fan and Howard Andrew Jones really enjoyed it.
Anyways, always down to chat Conan. Looking forward to when you get around to the new Titan run.
I’ll take a look at Shadow of Vengeance 225. And thank you for checking out the video!
@@GrammaticusBooks Hell yes! I really hope you like it enough to make a video on it! 🤞
Great effort to read and rank them all. I wonder how Conan The Road of Kings ranks in amongst these? I'd give it a 7. It's the only pastiche I've read so I cant comment on the rankings of these.
I own that one DDB, but haven’t read it yet.
No Conan the Flame knife, loved that one. heck it even got its own ace book with illustrations from Esteban Maroto.
Same - I had a copy back in the day (several moves ago).
Unfortunately, despite the merits of the book, it’s not in the original Ace series.
It's also in the same category as Hawks over Shem. As this is a "Conanification / Hyborianization" of another REH story, Three Bladed Doom; which is an El Borak story.
@@2plus2isfive True but it well done. have read it many a time since I frist read it in the mid 80s.
well I enjoyed the battle scenes in Conan of Aquilonia. and yes Conan does have a pancho villa look haha
It is entertaining in its way. But pure fan fiction
Any thoughts on the Karl Edward Wagner stories set in Howard's worlds?
I started Road of Kings but put it down. I should probably give it another chance.
What did you think of them?
@@GrammaticusBooks I read them because he was a one of my Godfathers growing up, so I may be biased, but I liked them. His narrative prose is very much his and he isn't trying to make the prose style match Howards, but the story elements were very much Howards style. I liked them. I preferred his Kane novels, but I really enjoyed his Conan and Bran Mac Morn stories.
@@JeremiahMcCoy I do love his Kane novels. And KEW was your Godfather?!?!
@@GrammaticusBooks Yeah. He was one of my stepdad's best friend. I used to see his exwife every year around the holidays.
I hate how unenjoyable my reading and listening experience to Wolves Beyond The Border to the point I didn’t even try to read most of the books on the list outside of the top four and apparently didn’t miss anything. It’s not just fan fiction with an original character. It’s a bitter angry bad fan fiction.
I like The Drums Of Tombalku weirdly enough, despite Conan being a background character. Sukumbe The Suba stuck out to me and how the book ends seemed apropos. The top five are solid, the whole list is perfect for the Lancer books.
Drums of Tombalku does have an odd appeal to it despite its flaws! I have to agree with you there!
Just wondering how many books and comics do you read at a time
At any given time I have one hard copy going, one audio book and a couple comics.
@@GrammaticusBooks awesome thanks for the info hope your weekend goes well
For some reason the UK version of the series, published by Sphere, ran to fourteen volumes, the last being Conan the Liberator, which had a nice Les Edwards cover. Conan the Buccaneer at no.2? Sigurd. 'Nuff said.
14 volumes? Interesting Para. What was number 13?
@@GrammaticusBooks I'll give you the list, so you can see the differences.1.Adventurer 2.Warrior 3.Conan. (Just that!) 4.Conqueror 5.Freebooter 6. Cimmeria 7.Usurper 8. Wanderer 9. Isles 10.Avenger 11. Buccaneer 12.Aquilonia 13. Swordsman 14. Liberator.
Conan the bucanneer is excellent the Frazetta cover is just excellent
I agree John!
Aw, that's not ALL the Conan pastiche! I was hoping you'd have a serious look at the new pastiche fiction from Titan. I don't think anybody on You Tube has done that yet.
I’m actually going to review Titan’s take on the Frost Giants Daughter on Sunday. Check it out!
@@GrammaticusBooks Cool. But you do see some critical looks at Titan's comic book stuff. I was referring to their prose efforts-- the e-book short stories and the novels. Not much on You Tube about any of that and I don't understand why.
You were much too kind to Conan the Avenger. That book is hot, molten garbage.
Hah! That’s not an unfair statement!
Actually liked Black tears from Conan the WAnderer.
There’s a lot of room for discussion and debate here that’s for sure!
I agree that "The Thing in the Crypt" is the best pastiche story, but disagree on your characterization of it as an original idea, as Carter and De Camp just rewrote the story from the Viking Saga of Grettir the Strong and the Draugr, with the names changed to protect the guilty. If you're adapting a great story, you're bound to get a decent story, which they were able to not screw up despite themselves.
You make a good point. It could be based on Grettir's Saga. I'm sure Lin Carter was familiar with the old Icelandic Sagas. Although Grettir isn't one of the more popular ones. Regardless, it would still make him the first modern writer to translate the plot into a contemporary story...set in the ancient past! Good stuff Buck.