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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.52
EAN num: 9781599290225
ISBN number: 1599290227
Label: BlackBart Books
Manufacturer: BlackBart Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 431
Printing Date: September 01, 2008
Publishing house: BlackBart Books
Sale Popularity Level: 187943
Studio: BlackBart Books
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
As one of the three most important American pulp fantasy authors of the 1930s (with Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith), Robert E. Howard captivated readers with his indomitable, battle-scarred barbarian hero Conan. Though Howard's life ended prematurely in 1936 at the age of 30, Conan lives on as one of the genre's most enduring icons. This beautifully designed collection contains nine essential Conan stories along with a full-length Conan novel. Also included is The Hyborean Age, Howard's fascinating history of the raw, blood-drenched world Conan inhabited, an alternative Earth that preceded Tolkien's Middle Earth. And Their Memory Was a Bitter Tree features a colour map of this realm and an interior painting by cult artist Brom, along with a series of Frank Frazetta's seminal Conan paintings, appearing for the very first time with the stories for which they were created.
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Rated by buyers 
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Robert E Howard is the father of Sword and Sorcery genre, and his barbarian Conan is still vivid and powerful since very first published in 1932.
The Frazetta cover paintings for the Lancer paperbacks of the 1960s are published here, though not always associated with the original Lancer stories. These powerful images and superb occult adventures helped launch the 1970s Fantasy & SF wave.
The afterword is by HP Lovecraft, with an amateurish and ill informed forward by Arnie Fenner, which has drawn angry criticism from dedicated Howard experts and fans.
Eight Conan stories, just less than one third of the stories, are here with Frazetta art. I had to buy this, even though I have the art & stories in other books.
It still is a must buy.
Rated by buyers 
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I'm a college professor that teaches writing and have occasionally used Howard's stories to illustrate word-painting and the development of the "yarn" to tell a story. Queen of the Black Coast is about as romantic as you're going to get out of Howard, and elucidates how a tale can build in power and physical impact for the reader. What's important, and never talked about, is Howard was not formulaic when he said his stories aloud to himself as he wrote. His uncompromising imagination set the terms for his world. And Conan's world is beautiful; the castles, deserts, monsters, and the women are all romantically portrayed, yet with a hard-bitten edge of barbarism and reek the lotus scent of prehistory.
I have collected Howard's stories since the mid-seventies. He brings to the world the people and places that have never been seen before, and has been an inspiration to many novelist in many genres.
As far as the objectionable intro---Baaa! Let the man have his point of view. Since he helped create this beautiful edition, it is a small price to pay. The book is worth every penny and will someday be a collectors item.
(A note to the artist, Brom) Sir, you have truly captured the soul and spirit of Conan with that close up. It is the best work since Frazetta. Your still of the face is intense with the volcanic-blue eyes and intelligent glare. Clearly you went beyond the foundation Frazetta built. I can only imagine what would happen if a 6'8 285 pound guy like this got into the ring at the UFC!
Rated by buyers -
This book is exactly what it appears to be: a truly beautiful book containing Conan tales together with evocative artwork, in both colour and ink. It is weighty and impressive and constantly draws me back to it. At the price, it is a steal.
It is not, and does not purport to be, a complete collection of all Conan tales, or even of those commonly judged to be REH's finest work. I can only hope an additional volume or two follows to complete the collection in this form.
"And their memory was a bitter tree" has only two flaws: the first, which is obvious from all other reviews, is the introduction. That jars with the book itself in places: why buy a book when you are told the author of these tales "simply wasn't a great writer". Despite that, there is nonetheless some interesting information in the introduction.
The second flaw is the reproduction of some pulp-era Margaret Brundage Conan covers only as thumbnail-sized prints in the introduction itself. These pictures would have been better served (full-sized) added to the Frazetta and Brom artwork scattered throughout the book.
As stated above, the praise I can give this book is best reflected in the fact that if Underwood/Black Bart produce further volumes in the same format to add more tales to the collection (hopefully with some full-size Brundage as well as Frazetta and a modern addition by Brom) then I will certainly buy them.
Rated by buyers 
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...but there's nothing really to recommend this title. I'm usually supportive of both Underwood and Fenner, but in this case, one Brom Painting, plus the same Frazetta paintings we've all seen before, and not even ALL of the Conan stories (including the omission of some of the BEST REH Conan stories) does not an attractive package make.
...and on top of that, I really didn't care for the introduction. Only in SF fandom is it acceptable to attack and denigrate someone you allegedly admire. You don't see that kind of thing in Hemingway collections. Only Robert E. Howard gets the short end of the stick in such a fashion from people who supposedly like and admire his work. And even the folks who gave the book favorable reviews thought the intro was flawed, as well.
Go buy the Frazetta books from Underwood. They are gorgeous. Then go buy the three Del Rey Conan books. You'll be infinitely happier.
Rated by buyers -
Howard was a fun, exciting author but he wasn't a 'great' author. There's nothing wrong with enjoying this book or any Howard book on it's own terms.
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