[Aptorian]

Really, I thought it was some different name...

Apt, admits he's just revealed his utter noobishness as to the legend of Conan.

[MrXIII]

There is always the Complete Chronicles of Conan. It's what £20 or soemthing and it's all of the origional Robert E Howard stories, absolutely bad ass.

[Slum]

This is where I would start reading Robert E. Howard's Conan series. The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian omnibus. Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Conan-Cimmeri...01732807&sr=8-4

It's pricey, but it has, like, twenty or so of REH's first Conan stories. By the way, Howard was pretty much a short-story writer for pulp mags. His stories don't really follow any chronological progression. So, if you want, you could just pick up whatever you can find in used bookstores.

[Sucka27]

Cool thanks for the help. Are the Jordan books worthwhile? I know there are a bunch of other Conan authors so that's kind of confusing too.

[cerveza_fiesta]

awesome. I'm buying that series.

As a sidenote to the barbarian thing

my nickname among climbing buddies is actually [cerveza fiesta] the barbarian....it came about because I wrote my name on a get well card for a hurt climber as "[cerveza_fiesta] the barbarian" and it stuck for some retarded reason

so now I win.

EDIT I edited out my real name to avoid stalkers...cause I'm so worthy of stalkage being king barbarian

[The Tyrant Lizard]

I read the Complete Cronicles of Conan but found it a little bit confusing. The short stories are presented in the order they were written, so one minute Conan would be an aged king, the next he would be a thieving teenager, and the next a battle hardened warrior in his thirtees.

There's also a wacking great companion book for Conan, with loads of art in there.

Howard's Conan would rip Arnie's version's head off and eat it.

[Dagger]

The newer editions of the REH books is the place to start. Keep in mind, they're a product of Howard's limited west Texas perspective of the world - there's racism, misogyny, etc. but the man could flat out write a page turning yarn like no one else.

There is a wonderful movie about Howard called "The Whole Wide World" that came out over a decade ago. It left my wife sobbing outside the theater and me just a little verklempt and I KNEW his life story. The scene where REH (played by Vincent D'Onofrio) describes Conan is just phenomenal. Links below

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118163/

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=T2MwAy6njlM

[RodeoRanch]

I just picked up this collection of Conan stories. I've never read any Conan stories before and it's been a real treat just diving into them.

[mob16151]

The Robert Jordan conan novels are enjoyable as well. Thier not as good as howards but theyre still an enjoyable group of stories. Going back on track if Abercrombie can keep up his good work with the bloody nine then thats gonna be my favorite barbarian character ever. Especially the way through the first 3 quarters of the book you dont see whats so great about him. Then he gets jumped your like ok hes kinda bad. Then he loses it and its awesome. Fear the bloody nine.

[The Tyrant Lizard]

I agree with that sentiment. Bloody nine is Bloody hard. I recon he'd give Conan a run for his money.

[mob16151]

The other thing I like about Logan Nine fingers is the way that he doesnt remember what happens when he goes berserk. Which is just good research by abercrombie on your typical viking berserker practically the only thing he doesnt do his tear all of his clothes off befor battle to strike fear into his enemies.

[Aptorian]

I'm pretty certain (I've only read the first book) that Ninefingers is schizophrenic. He turns into a completely different character when he starts brawling in the tower, it's not just bloodlust, and it explains why this more or less gentle person could have the reputation that he caries around with him.

[mob16151]

See I would agree with that except he didnt turn into a raging killing machine until he reached a certain point of physical damage and blood loss so remember when he flipped in the tower he had already been involved in a running battle for quite some time and picked up some moderately severe physical damage.

[The Tyrant Lizard]

He is a completely different person as far as I can tell. Logan Ninefingers probably wouldnt have been able to beat Threetrees, Black Dow, or Tul Dorru. The Bloody nine did. I can see a show down between him and Fenris the Feared that will blow my socks off.

[temp]

my contribution to this thread is my avatar/pic thingy.

[Paran]

Conan is baad aa$$$$$! Karsa is Conan - SE has pulled in all the cool characters into MBotF!


"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!"

"Crom! I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought or how we died. No... all that matters is that two stood against many. That's what's important. Valor pleases you Crom, so grant me one request... grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, then the HELL with you!"

[The Tyrant Lizard]

"Soon his victories could not easily be counted... he mattered."

[acesn8s]

Before there was the Lord of the Rings, there was Conan.

As for Conan being king . . . "Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And onto this, Conan, destined to bear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow."

[The Tyrant Lizard]

I watched Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer the other day. Barbarian is a badass film, with brillaint fights and a cool soundtrack. Destroyer is rubbish, apart from the big giant bloke he has to fight. I noticed an amalganation in it too. the sorcerer is called Moth-Anon or something like that, and he is from one of the short stories, and then he transforms into a ape man, who is an unrelated character from another of the short stories.

[Fist Gamet]

Whoever it was said Howard's Conan stories were rubbish is quite obviously talking out of their arse. Howard is well recognised as one of, if not the, finest writer of action and adventure in the fantasy genre. Jordan actually did a very good job with Conan, likewise DeCamp, but look for the Fantasy Masterworks Compilations of Howard's Conan stories and you will almost certainly enjoy them.

Oh yeah, and Conan rocks, and yes...he gets the hottest chicks too...