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The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian Audiobook
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(4.00) - 4,672 listener ratings
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"Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities...there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars.... Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand...to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet."
In a meteoric career that spanned a mere twelve years before his tragic suicide, Robert E. Howard single-handedly invented the genre that came to be called sword and sorcery. Collected in this volume are Howard's first thirteen Conan stories in their original versions and in the order Howard wrote them. Included are classics of dark fantasy like "The Tower of the Elephant" and swashbuckling adventure like "Queen of the Black Coast."
Here are timeless tales featuring Conan the raw and dangerous youth, Conan the daring thief, Conan the swashbuckling pirate, and Conan the commander of armies. Here, too, is an unparalleled glimpse into the mind of a genius whose bold storytelling style has been imitated by many yet equaled by none.
The tales contained in The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian are "The Phoenix on the Sword," "The Frost-Giant's Daughter," "The God in the Bowl," "The Tower of the Elephant," "The Scarlet Citadel," "Queen of the Black Coast," "Black Colossus," "Iron Shadows in the Moon," "Xuthal of the Dusk," "The Pool of the Black One," "Rogues in the House," "The Vale of Lost Women," and "The Devil in Iron."
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"A (mostly) fabulous collection of short stories written in a style that runs rings around most modern drivel. If you like your women lithe and your men tanned bronze and ready for action, this is the book for you. A little fantasy, a little sci-fi, a little horror and a whole lot of blood dripping carnage, this book is a true pleasure for manly men. The only sour note is the fact that the prejudices of Howard's time sometimes show through (much like Tolkein and Lewis). These stories are also best enjoyed with a generous interval between readings. Nevertheless, this is great stuff."
— Dergrossest (4 out of 5 stars)
The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian Listener Reviews
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DocTuck, 6/7/2022
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" After putting it down for almost a year I finally finished. Great escapist literature. It was just what I needed when I finally finished. "
— Brian, 2/18/2014 -
" I wish I could actually give this book 2-4 stars. These are the original Conan stories as written by Howard and printed in the magazine Weird Tales, without the changes that were made by other authors for subsequent publications. Conan was obviously both a meal ticket and a serious creative attempt for Howard, as evidenced by the widely varying quality of the stories. The obvious racial prejudices of the 1930's Texas-based author are an additional challenge to the reader. But the best of the Conan stories are awesome, and even in the midst of the iron thews and scantily clad slave women that dominate the pulpier stories Howard occassionally produces lines of prose that resonate like poetry. "
— Gemma, 1/21/2014 -
" I really liked it. A cool mix of fighting and adventure. Also, I love barbarians anyways... "
— Jess, 1/5/2014 -
" There is no such thing as a bad Robert E. Howard Conan story. The stories are beautiful and simple. "
— Douglas, 12/29/2013 -
" 8: Very fun series of short stories, gets a little repititive after a while. "
— Alexis, 10/25/2013 -
" Excellent escapist literature, especially if you're male and don't mind politically incorrect characterizations from the 1930's. Each story was just enough for a break-time read at work. "
— Asmodeusvivivi, 4/14/2013 -
" This may have been groundbreaking in the thirties, but I found the stories highly repetitive and formulaic and the female characters seriously annoying. Even Conan as the main character wasn't very engaging. "
— Stacia, 11/18/2012 -
" I adore Howard's original Conan tales. Swords/Sorcery, how can you go wrong? "
— Levi, 8/20/2012 -
" The master of Sword and Sorcery. Great stories that scare and delight; a hero, who's strength and cunning go unrivaled, and a good dollop of other-world building that make all Conan's novels great reads. "
— Dev, 8/10/2012 -
" Currently rereading, having read most of these stories many years ago, they are as fresh as the first time I read them back in the early 1980's, Plus there the additional stuff near the end, is a major plus for Howard fan's. "
— Harkonnen, 2/9/2012 -
" This book presents to you the real Conan and it gives you some of the best stories from R.E.H. This is not the Conan of the movies but the real deal. The man that started the Sword &S Sorcery genre with this great character provides some fine stories here. "
— Brandon, 12/20/2011 -
" Liked the book and might see if there are any other conan books "
— Joseph, 6/1/2011 -
" Amazing. Robert E. Howard's early Conan stories are fresh, violent, and have great permanence. Still, it's pretty hard to overlook the racism and sexism. While this is expected, it still takes away some of the shine. "
— Michael, 3/12/2011 -
" Liked the book and might see if there are any other conan books "
— Joseph, 2/9/2011 -
" WHAT DID I THINK? ROBERT E. HOWARD! "
— Antonio, 2/7/2011 -
" Once again, Robert E. Howard's mastery of imagery and pacing leaves me breathless. Every story plays out in such vivid detail that I feel as though I am in the story with the great Cimmerian himself! The highly verbal language positively radiates excitement and action. "
— Tyler, 1/19/2011 -
" Classic sword and sorcery from the genre's preeminent icon. Some stories were good, some were great. An excellent collection and a must for any sword and sorcery fan. "
— Paul, 11/15/2010 -
" Primitive and raw a must read for any lover of fantasy! "
— Christopher, 9/8/2010
About Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He is well known for his character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre. Born and raised in the state of Texas, Howard spent most of his life in the town of Cross Plains.
About Todd McLaren
Todd McLaren, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, was involved in radio for more than twenty years in cities on both coasts, including Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. He left broadcasting for a full-time career in voice acting, where he has been heard on more than five thousand television and radio commercials, as well as television promos; narrations for documentaries on such networks as A&E, Discovery, and the History Channel; and films, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit?