This may be the best collection of Conan stories I've ever read, each of the three major stories here very different from the standard Conan fare.

Creepy and really fun. ( )

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Title: Red Nails
Series: The Essential Conan #3
Author: Robert Howard
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 295
Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Another collection of stories about Conan with the final part of the book being a “history” of the Pre-Cataclysmic world and the post-Cataclysmic world leading up to our own known history.


My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book the most of all 3 of these Essential Conan books and I think it was a combination of slightly longer stories coupled with not having as many. The final part of the book, the “History” part was boring as all get out but I expected that as History and me are acquaintances by circumstances instead of friends by choice.

The History definitely showed up Howard's racial bias more than anything in the stories. Purity of blood and the continual references to racial superiority or inferiority really began to grate.

The titular story, Red Nails, was probably the best Conan story of all I've read with these. From the killing of a monstrous lizard to an enclosed city with near insane inhabitants to a sorceress who feasts on live sacrifices, it just had it all. You could probably read that story alone and get enough of everything to decide if more Conan was for you or not.

I'm pretty pleased with this Essential omnibus that I read. I felt like I got a real taste of who and what Conan is about, what kind of author Howard was and it was just the right size so I've had enough without having too much. There are more Conan stories by Howard, and tons by other authors, but this has sated me so I feel no need to seek out more. I'd highly recommend this if you wanted to try out Conan or even simply wanted a better understanding of Fantasy from the early 1900's. You are never going to go wrong by reading works that are foundational to the genres we have today.

★★★★☆ ( )

This is one of my favourite Conan stories ever. ( )

More than thirty years on and it still reads as quickly written, populist fiction, but it is still enjoyable, if taken in the right spirit!
Conan and a female battle and overcome a "dragon" in the jungle, only to escape to an ancient city in the desert, where two clans of the same tribe are slowly battling it out to the death having wandered into the ancient city created by an older race with sorcerers 50 years ago.
And there is an evil witch who maintains her youth through dark and fiendish rituals.
Pure hokum and pure fun! ( )

Superb. 3 of the original Robert E. Howard Conan Tales, as they appeared in Weird Tales, without interference from later editors. Also included is the Howard essay, 'Hyborian Age' detailing the setting for Conan. There is a thoughtful introduction and Afterword by editor Karl Edward Wagner. If you need portable original Conan volumes, this is the way to go. There are two more Berkley Conan volumes, sadly due to contract issues not all the conan stories made it into these editions. ( )