Robert E. Howard

[Nesacat]

I shall have to go home and check to make sure but off hand it sounds like I have quite a lot of them in separate collections.

Thank you very much.

 

[j d worthington]

I believe I have all those as well -- certainly the majority. And any missing would be included in the Wildside Press series I've been collecting, which is reprinting all his "weird works" including his weird verse. However, it's an impressive collection, to say the least -- including "Skull-Face", for instance, which is a short novel, as well as the related stories ("Names in the Black Book", etc.) If I can manage it, I'd like to go ahead and get it, just to continue encouraging mainstream publishers to bring out collections of people such as Howard, Lovecraft, Smith, etc.... especially attractive editions such as these....

 

[Nesacat]

I'll probably get it too but might now wait until it can be obtained in a more reasonable fashion then through a local bookstore. I have the Skull Face volumes but mine are old to begin with so this volume would be a nice addition.

 

[Connavar]

I have only one book/collection of REH so far making this very easy choice plus any new collection is better than an old collection that is prolly much more expensive when you order it through your bookshop.

 

[GOLLUM]

I'll check these tonight against the Del Rey editions..

 

[manns41078]

Hi REH fans!
I have very fond memories of the old Arnie/Conan movies. Yeah they were cheesy, but that's what they were meant to be. I had reservations for years about readin REH's work because every novel cover I saw made it look like a bad romance novel. Finally I decided "ah the heck with it" and shelled out a couple bucks. Money spent well. I just finished the 3 volume series that has some of his notes and unfinished drafts in it and I'm really hooked.

The only parts I can say I was disappointed in was the story "Red Nails" the story itself was good, but the use of native south american names was difficult and I feel it lacked creativity. Then again it left him free to be creative in other ways.

I've heard that other authors' interpretations of Conan are not that great. If you guys were to suggest some, who do you think is good. I have a bunch of books on my list to read right now, but I'm sure I'll be jonesing for some breastbone-splitting action.

What's everyone's favorite REH's Conan story?

 

[Connavar]

Hi manns and welcome

Great to see a new REH fan! Which short stories have you read ? I dont know how much the 3 vols collect of him. I have just a huge collection of all Conan written by REH.

 

[manns41078]

I believe the 3 volume set from Del Ray contains all of his Conan works, but I'm not sure.
Here's what's in them:

The Comming of Conan The Cimmerian (Vol 1)
Cimmeria
The Phoenix on the Sword
The Frost/Giant's Daughter
The God in the Bowl
The Tower of the Elephant
The Scarlet Citadel
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

The Bloody Crown of Conan (Vol 2)
The People of The Black Circle
The Hour of The Dragon
A Witch Shall Be Born

The Conquering Sword of Conan (Vol 3)
The Servants of Bit-Yakin (also published as "Jewels of Gwahlur")
Beyond the Black River
The Black Stranger
Man-Eaters of Zamboula (also published as "Shadows in Zamboula")
Red Nails

This is a really great collection and each book contains notes, letters, and drafts written by REH. To my dismay I just found out that each one of these are offered in hardcover. Fortunately the paperback editions are something like 6"X8" so it is easy to read them with out cracking the binding. Still a disappointment, Barnes & Noble always misinforms me about hardcover editions. Recently I bought a complete chronicles of Narnia and asked adamently whther a hardcover edition existed, they of course said 'No" and just a few days ago I was browsing the fantasy section and found the exact same book I bought in a hardcover. Very heartbreaking for me. LOL

 

[Connavar]

So far i have read these :


The Phoenix on the Sword
The Scarlet Citadel
The Tower of the Elephant
Black Colossus
Xuthal of the Dusk
The Pool of the Black One
Rogues in the House
Iron Shadows in the Moon


Since i read in the chrono order of my huge complete tales.

I think the best story so far is Xuthal of the Dusk. It had the best combo of the elements of what makes Conan great. A great feel of the wierd,creepy,alot of nice sword action and Conan in bold actions. It also had the feel of a lost great culture that has fallen far thanks to their weakness.


Which is your favorit ?

 

[GOLLUM]

....Still a disappointment, Barnes & Noble always misinforms me about hardcover editions. Recently I bought a complete chronicles of Narnia and asked adamently whther a hardcover edition existed, they of course said 'No" and just a few days ago I was browsing the fantasy section and found the exact same book I bought in a hardcover. Very heartbreaking for me. LOL

If you ever need to find out if a HB edition is avaialable or upcoming you can always ask us folks here to be sure...

I have those Del Rey editions and they're good but for the ulitmate collection look to Wandering Star publications. They're HB collector editions, quite pricey but apparentely excellent. Victor Gollancz also put out a near-complete set of Conan stories, fragments, synopsis etc.. in a single volume at a very affordable price. I have that one in adition to their Masterwork 2 volume edition. As you might gather I'm something of a Howard fan....

I've written some things about Conan on this site, I can direct you to them if you like?

Nice to see you here, cheers for now...

 

[Connavar]

If you ever need to find out if a HB edition is avaialable or upcoming you can always ask us folks here to be sure...

I have those Del Rey editions and they're good but for the ulitmate collection look to Wandering Star publications. They're HB collector editions, quite pricey but apparentely excellent. Victor Gollancz also put out a near-complete set of Conan stories, fragments, synopsis etc.. in a single volume at a very affordable price. I have that one in adition to their Masterwork 2 volume edition. As you might gather I'm something of a Howard fan....

I've written some things about Conan on this site, I can direct you to them if you like?

Nice to see you here, cheers for now...

You have the same complete collection as me ? The one from 2006?

It has fragments of stories etc

I felt for manns that he didnt ask here before he paid much more for three old vols of REH's Conan stories.

 

[manns41078]

Which is your favorit ?

Not sure which one I would say is my favorite, but I think the most memorable is the Tower of the Elephant. The Elephant god just sticks out in my mind so well and is the story is a good example of Conan's extreme luck and skill.

Another one of my favorites would have to be the Scarlet Citadel (I believe) - if that is the one where he is king and thrown into a dungeon by a Priest of Set who was ressurrected. Then Conan busts out and smashes the armies and saves the girl. It was a very epic story and would have made an awesome movie IMO

 

[manns41078]

I felt for manns that he didnt ask here before he paid much more for three old vols of REH's Conan stories.

No I didn't check into hardcover editions of the REH Conan compilations since the Del Ray publications were well bound and a pretty wide book.
Each measures something like 6"x8" and has around 400 pages.

The Narnia Chronicles on the other hand is over 700 pages, smaller height and width, and does not work well as a paperback. One read and the binding is showing a fair amount of stress.

Also I just got on these forum and I will make sure I check with you guys from now on!

 

[GOLLUM]

You have the same complete collection as me ? The one from 2006?

It has fragments of stories etc.

I think so.....It is called "Complete Chronicles Of Conan" - Centenary Edition.

 

[Connavar]

Yep thats mine. Its so beautiful, feels like it should be worth a 100 £

 

[Nesacat]

Exactly. I felt the same way when I saw mine and was told the price. I was sure the dealer had got it wrong and paid and left very quickly and was almost terrified of going past the same dealer again. It's so very well done and yes, it feels and looks great too.

 

[Fried Egg]

I always assumed that I would rather read the Sprague De Camp completions of the Conan story fragments than read the fragments unfinished but now I am not so sure.

The last story in the "Conan the Cimmerian" collection: "The Snout in the Dark" was such a fragment that was completed by De Camp. The fragment he had to work with was apparently a first draft of the first half and a rough outline of the other half. But in reading it it felt like De Camp had rush finished the story and was consequently a disappointing ending compared to the build up of the first half.

Perhaps he was more interested in tieing the stories together and establishing continuity than he was to doing justice to Howard's work?

 

[j d worthington]

I always assumed that I would rather read the Sprague De Camp completions of the Conan story fragments than read the fragments unfinished but now I am not so sure.

The last story in the "Conan the Cimmerian" collection: "The Snout in the Dark" was such a fragment that was completed by De Camp. The fragment he had to work with was apparently a first draft of the first half and a rough outline of the other half. But in reading it it felt like De Camp had rush finished the story and was consequently a disappointing ending compared to the build up of the first half.

Perhaps he was more interested in tieing the stories together and establishing continuity than he was to doing justice to Howard's work?

With that particular tale, it was a combination of Carter and de Camp completing the thing -- and, wherever Lin came into the process, things became much sloppier, more boyish, and much, much more pulpish (in the pejorative sense).

However... though the original fragment there has some decided flaws, it does hold a fair amount of the verve and color that Howard's completed stories do, and seems to be more solidly imagined (though, being a first draft iirc, the writing itself is less consistent).

To be honest, the fragments, drafts, and such, do have more life to them than the completions by Carter, de Camp, or both, and are certainly worth reading. And don't forget that Sprague also took non-Conan tales and rewrote them as Conan stories, such as "The Road of the Eagles" or "The Flame Knife"; the originals of these have since been published, and here, too, there's more life in them than in the stories included in the pb Conan series....

 

[Connavar]

That reinforces my resolve to never read a Conan story written or finished by others.

Im afraid it will taint my picture of Conan and his world.

Would you J.D read today others work,finished REH stories of Conan ? Gollum ?

Not if you have when you were younger or the first time you read and finished original Conan stories.

 

[j d worthington]

That's a difficult one to answer, Connavar. I suppose it would depend on who the writer was. Certainly, a few of those written by others can be good, albeit quite different; and no few of them are enjoyable, and there are those that I still enjoy reading, though I don't expect Howard, by any means.

So I suppose the short answer is: yes, I probably would; though I would expect them to treat Howard's original work with respect, and would give short shrift to them if they didn't....