This book contained all of the stories in my previous Conan read, plus four new ones and an outline by Howard of the imagined historical background to his stories. The language was again wonderful, and the writing was clear and polished, but ...
Howard was a product of his time and place, and the nascent racism of that time and place really shone through in some of these tales. It occurred to me while reading this that it would be a good background read for students to understand the concept of systemic racism - it's surely illustrated here in the pulp tales of the early 20th century.
Once you stop wincing, though, an enjoyable read - it is what it is, and Conan can actually still teach us a thing or two today about how it was what it was. ( )

What to say about Conan? It's cheesy and simple, with the manly-man, noble-savage barbarian and the distressed and ditzy damosel, and plenty of opportunities for Our Hero to make good on his hero-ness. I'm glad I read it just for the simple ability to understand the references better, but I can't say that I exactly enjoyed the experience. ( )

A great book and one of the original components of modern fantasy. The essay written by Howard that is included within this tome might very well be the original research document as so many other authors have used since. The world of Conan sprang up in the vanguard of modern fantasy and still captures the imagination today as the adventures continue on.

The stories included within this book are great examples of Howard's work and definitely show the quality of the writer beneath. The writing is as so many produced for the magazines of the era, yet the diction and flow of the words speak of an author who would have compared favorably to such giants as Tolkien and Lewis, if he had but resided among us a little longer.

Howard is a greatly under-esteemed author whose works may well have been the force from which modern fantasy has sprung. Anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre should give Howard a try, his efforts deserve it if nothing else. ( )