Robert E. Howard; illustrated by Mark Shultz The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian

The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian

Robert E. Howard; illustrated by Mark Shultz

Ballantine, Nov 2005, $29.95

ISBN: 0345483855

This anthology consists of the first thirteen (in chronological order of when released) Conan tales, which most literary historians agree were the start of the sword and sorcery sub-genre. The tales are well written, and enhanced by terrific illustrations by Mark Schultz. Those who grew up with the Schwarzenegger films will find Howard's Conan a much more complete character (actually the Marvel Comic book series captured more of the original essence). The stories are exciting, though they were written in the 1930's. The collection also includes much more information on the Conan tales, including maps, an untitled draft, and several synopses of potential future tales. The Miscellanea and Appendix sections are fun to read during spare moments, as fans will gain an understanding of how creative the author truly was, but clearly the exhilarating stories is where the superb reading experience is at, as that affirms Mr. Howard's greatness.