Hither Comes Conan
Written: Sep 04 '04 (Updated Sep 04 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Entertaing read, Howard is clearly a genius.
Cons: Some rough spots, but minor ones.
The Bottom Line: If you enjoyed The Lord of the Rings, you'll love Conan the Barbarian.
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| Bruguru's Full Review: Robert E. Howard - The Coming of Conan the Cimmeri... |
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the Governor of California. And in large part, I think, he has Robert E. Howard to thank for it. After all, it was Howard’s larger than life character, Conan the Barbarian, that shot Arnold to fame in the movie of the same name. Perhaps this is a stretch, but it is certainly no great leap to recognize Howard as the great writing talent that he was, most notably for the aforementioned character of Conan and the amazing world Howard created for this character.
To most people, Howard’s creation is no stranger. And yet, our conception of Conan has been largely influenced by the two Conan films, or perhaps the comic book or novel interpretations of the character. But what of the real Conan? Certainly, Conan is a fictional character, but that character is at his best when he is experienced as the author first envisioned him. The Coming of Conan is the perfect place to experience Conan in such a fashion.
This is pure, unadulterated Conan, exactly as Howard first saw him almost seventy years ago. That’s because The Coming of Conan is a marvelous collection of Howard’s first thirteen short stories. To be sure, some of these are a bit rough, and slightly formulaic. Others, however, such as The Phoenix on the Sword, The Queen of the Black Coast, and The Tower of the Elephant are classics indeed, full of action-packed adventure, intrigue, fearsome monsters, and mysterious magic. This is sword and sorcery at its best, innovative and fresh, set in a complex and wondrous world that Howard created for his characters.
If you aren’t familiar with Conan, this famous passage from the very first Conan tale may be helpful:
Know, oh prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantels beneath the stars- Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Zamora, with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-haunted mystery, Zingara with its chivalry, Koth that bordered the pastoral lands of Shem, Stygia with its shadow-guarded tombs, Hyrkania whose riders wore steel and silk and gold. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Aquilonia, reigning supreme in the dreaming west. Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet.
The Coming of Conan collects the following short stories:
The Phoenix on the Sword
The Frost Giant’s Daughter
The God in the Bowl
The Tower of the Elephant
The Scarlet Citadel
The Queen of the Black Coast
Black Colossus
Iron Shadows in the Moon
Xuthal of the Dusk
The Pool of the Black One
Rogues in the House
The Vale of Lost Women
The Devil in Iron
A true tribute to Howard’s talents, The Coming of Conan includes much more than these stories, however. The book is peppered throughout with a generous sprinkling of illustrations based on the various tales. These are a welcome addition and truly bring the character to life in a vivid fashion.
Also included is a collection of rough drafts and story fragments that Howard began but did not complete. An initial version of The Phoenix on the Sword is interesting indeed when compared with the final version. Perhaps most valuable, however, is Howard’s own history of the world in which Conan lives, complete with several maps sketched by the author himself.
Howard’s history is a binding element for all of the stories. It provides a level of continuity throughout them, and his detailed descriptions of each kingdom’s history, geography, and racial characteristics are thorough and effective. They give each tale a gritty feel of reality, and we enjoy each the better for them.
Howard’s writing style is equally detailed and luxuriant. His descriptions are all-encompassing, his prose elegant, his plots clever and intertwined. The character of Conan simply springs off the page at the reader, with a remarkable sense of realism. Indeed, Howard once commented that the character almost seemed to flow from him with little or no effort.
In sum, this is a book that you will devour with great aplomb. Yet, it’s a welcome addition to your library, too, as you’ll want to return to occasionally read a story once again. This is, once again, sword and sorcery at its best, and belongs on the bookshelf of any serious aficionado of the genre.
Recommended:
Yes
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