Subject
Conan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction Books
Best books
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
The Hour of the Dragon
"The Hour of the Dragon" by Robert E. Howard is a fantasy novel first published serially from December 1935 to April 1936. King Conan of Aquilonia faces his greatest challenge when conspirators resurrect an ancient sorcerer to overthrow him. Defeated, captured, and freed by a brave slave girl, Conan must undertake a perilous quest across the Hyborian Age to reclaim his throne. This sword and sorcery epic combines necromancy, foreign occupation, and adventure in Howard's only full-length Conan novel.
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
Red Nails
"Red Nails" by Robert E. Howard is a novella serialized in Weird Tales magazine from July to October 1936. It follows Conan the Cimmerian and warrior Valeria as they discover Xuchotl, a mysterious jade city enclosed by an emerald dome. The city's remaining inhabitants are locked in a deadly blood feud that has consumed their civilization for generations. As Conan and Valeria become entangled in ancient rivalries, sorcery, and betrayal, they must navigate a decaying world where survival means confronting both human treachery and supernatural forces.
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
The People of the Black Circle
"The People of the Black Circle" by Robert E. Howard is a novella published in three parts in Weird Tales magazine in 1934. Set in a mythical prehistoric India, the story follows Conan as he kidnaps Princess Yasmina while battling the sinister Black Seers of Yimsha who plot world conquest. This tale of sorcery, political intrigue, and forbidden attraction is considered a classic of Conan lore, praised for its epic scope, Hindustan flavor, and deeper exploration of magic beyond typical sword-and-sorcery conventions.
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
Shadows in the Moonlight
"Shadows in the Moonlight" by Robert E. Howard is a short story first published in April 1934. This sword and sorcery tale follows Conan the Cimmerian as he flees with a woman named Olivia to a mysterious island in the Vilayet Sea. There they encounter ancient ruins with lifelike statues, a lurking creature hurling boulders, and a crew of pirates. As night falls, Olivia's disturbing dream about the statues may prove prophetic, threatening everyone on the cursed island.
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
Jewels of Gwahlur
"Jewels of Gwahlur" by Robert E. Howard is a short story first published in 1935. Set in Howard's fictional Hyborian Age, the tale follows Conan the Cimmerian as he ventures into the mythical African kingdom of Keshan, seeking legendary jewels hidden in an ancient city. Multiple treasure hunters converge on Alkmeenon, where a mummified oracle guards the riches. Conan must navigate supernatural mysteries, rival thieves, political intrigue, and deadly guardians in his quest for the fabled Teeth of Gwahlur.
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
Shadows in Zamboula
"Shadows in Zamboula" by Robert E. Howard is a Conan story first published in November 1935. When Conan spends the night in a cheap tavern in the desert city of Zamboula, he discovers streets filled with roaming cannibals and deadly political intrigue. The barbarian hero must navigate treacherous innkeepers, a hypnotic high priest, and a formidable strangler while becoming entangled in a dangerous scheme involving a satrap's mistress and her insane lover.
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
The Hyborian Age
"The Hyborian Age" by Robert E. Howard is an essay written in the 1930s that maps the fictional prehistory underlying his Conan the Cimmerian stories. Created to maintain consistency across his tales, Howard's detailed chronicle traces cataclysmic events, the rise and fall of ancient civilizations, and the racial origins of his invented nations. This ambitious world-building exercise links his Kull and Conan narratives into a shared universe, borrowing liberally from actual history and myth to craft a sprawling prehistoric saga that spans thousands of imagined years.
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
Queen of the Black Coast
"Queen of the Black Coast" by Robert E. Howard is a short story first published in May 1934. Set in the fictional Hyborian Age, this Conan tale follows the Cimmerian warrior as he becomes a pirate alongside Bêlit, the fierce Queen of the Black Coast. Together they plunder coastal villages and raid merchant ships, forging a legendary partnership built on both violence and romance. When they venture up a mysterious river and discover ancient ruins filled with treasure, they encounter supernatural horrors that will test Bêlit's promise that not even death could separate them.
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
Beyond the Black River
"Beyond the Black River" by Robert E. Howard is a short story first published in May–June 1935. Set in the fictional Hyborian Age, it follows Conan the Cimmerian as he battles a savage Pictish tribe led by the wizard Zogar Sag in the unsettled wilderness beyond the Black River. When a frontier fort faces overwhelming assault, Conan and a young settler named Balthus must warn defenseless colonists before they're slaughtered in a massive raid that threatens to reclaim an entire province.
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
A Witch Shall Be Born
"A Witch Shall Be Born" by Robert E. Howard is a sword and sorcery novella written in 1934. When an evil twin witch replaces the rightful queen of Khauran, Conan the Cimmerian refuses to serve the impostor and faces brutal crucifixion for his defiance. The story follows Conan's survival and quest for vengeance as the witch's reign plunges the city into terror and ruin. Featuring one of the most memorable scenes in the Conan series, this tale explores themes of duality, paranoia, and the eternal conflict between barbarism and civilization.
Robert E. (Robert Ervin) Howard
The Devil in Iron
"The Devil in Iron" by Robert E. Howard is a sword and sorcery story first published in August 1934. When a greedy fisherman accidentally awakens an ancient demon named Khosatral Khel on a remote island, a cyclopean fortress rises from the ruins. Meanwhile, Conan the Cimmerian is lured into a trap on the same island by an evil Turanian governor. Conan must battle mercenaries, giant serpents, and the iron-fleshed demon himself in this tale of resurrection and survival.
Recently surfaced classics