''The Conan Reader'' is a 1968 essay collection by
L. Sprague de Camp, published in hardcover by
Mirage Press. The essays were originally published as articles in
George H. Scithers'
fanzine ''Amra''. Mirage subsequently published two companion volumes of essays from ''
The Conan Swordbook'' (1969) and ''
The Conan Grimoire'' (1972). Most of the material in the three volumes, together with some additional material, was later reprinted in two de Camp-edited paperback anthologies from
Ace Books; ''
The Blade of Conan
''The Blade of Conan'' is a 1979 collection of essays edited by L. Sprague de Camp, published in paperback by Ace Books. The material was originally published as articles in George H. Scithers' fanzine ''Amra''. The book is a companion to Ace's ...
'' (1979) and ''
The Spell of Conan'' (1980).
Summary
The book consists of thirteen pieces on
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
writer
Robert E. Howard and his seminal
sword and sorcery hero
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...
, Howard's sources and literary successors, and other fantasy authors such as
Fletcher Pratt
Murray Fletcher Pratt (25 April 1897 – 10 June 1956) was an American writer of history, science fiction, and fantasy. He is best known for his works on naval history and the American Civil War and for fiction written with L. Sprague de Camp.
...
,
Leslie Barringer, and
L. Ron Hubbard.
Contents
*“Conan’s Ghost”
*“Memories of R.E.H.”
*“The Trail of Tranicos”
*“Hyborian Technology”
*“Pirettes”
*“Conan and Matho”
*“Conan and Pizarro”
*“Conan’s Great-Grandfather”
*“Conan’s Imitators”
*“Pratt’s Parallel Worlds”
*“Knights and Knaves in Neustria”
*“El-Ron and the City of Brass”
*“An Exegesis of Howard’s Hyborian Tales”
Notes
External links
A Brief Comparison of The Conan Reader, The Conan Swordbook, and The Conan Grimoire with The Blade of Conan and The Spell of Conan
1968 anthologies
Conan the Barbarian books
Books by L. Sprague de Camp
Essay anthologies
Essays about literature
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