A friend of mine was asking for my opinion on the Conan stories. I thought I'd share my brief response. I've grouped the Conan stories into five categories on a relative scale - that is, the best or worst Conan story in relation to one another, not in relation to the entire Sword-and-Sorcery genre, where another author's 5-star stories might struggle to meet a 2-star Howard in quality & influence.
I've put an asterisk* next to my favourites in each category, as well as a cross+ next to ones I don't particularly recommend for new readers. Howard's original titles are in brackets.
֍ ֍ ֍ ֍ ֍ FIVE STARS - MASTERPIECES ֍ ֍ ֍ ֍ ֍
Game-changers. Not only are they some of the finest examples of fantasy literature out there, they practically deconstructed & reconstructed the genre while it was still forming. Deep symbolism, subtlety, & resonance, that while present, never overtakes being cracking good reads.
"Beyond the Black River"
"Queen of the Black Coast"
"Red Nails"
"The Tower of the Elephant"*
"The Hour of the Dragon"
֍ ֍ ֍ ֍ FOUR STARS - CLASSICS ֍ ֍ ֍ ֍
These are the adventures that made Conan, and defined the Sword-and-Sorcery genre. Codifiers of multiple tropes & hallmarks, iconic characters, hugely influential, & enthralling reads.
"Black Colossus"
"The People of the Black Circle"
"The Phoenix on the Sword"*
"Rogues in the House"
"The Scarlet Citadel"
֍ ֍ ֍ THREE STARS - WORTHIES ֍ ֍ ֍
The Masterpieces & Classics perfectly mix subtext & text. These adventures lean one way or the other, being either intriguing but sometimes obtuse tales, or unpretentious pot-boilers which seek naught beyond a good story.
"A Witch Shall Be Born"
"The Black Stranger"
"The God in the Bowl"*
"The Devil in Iron"
"Gods of the North" ("The Frost-Giant's Daughter")
֍֍ TWO STARS - ROTE ֍֍
The adventures Howard knocked out quickly to out food on the table, shrewdly including elements he knew would appeal to editors & cover artists. Yet even mediocre Howard is still better than many other S&S authors' best.
"Jewels of Gwahlur" ("The Servants of Bit-Yakin")*
"The Pool of the Black One"
"Shadows in the Moonlight" ("Iron Shadows in the Moon")
"Shadows in Zamboula"+ ("Man-Eaters of Zamboula")
"The Slithering Shadow" ("Xuthal of the Dusk")
"The Vale of Lost Women"+
֍ ONE STAR - ERRATA ֍
These are incomplete adventures unpublished or unfinished in Howard's lifetime, supplemental notes not intended for publication, or stories that don't feature Conan himself. Either way, it seems unfair to rank them alongside the rest of the actual finished adventures. They do appear in some collections, but usually edited & completed by the writers L. Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter (Mark Finn covered that whole thing in superlative detail)
"Drums of Tombalku" (Untitled Draft & Synopsis)
"The Hyborian Age"
" The Hall of the Dead" (Untitled Fragment)
"The Hand of Nergal" (Untitled Synopsis)
"The Snout in the Dark" (Untitled Draft & Synopsis)
"Wolves Beyond the Border"*
I know this list will be different from many others' personal rankings, which is why Howard's work has stood the test of time almost a century after his work's publication.
