Conan is a barbarian warrior from Cimmeria, one of the pioneers of the depths of heroic fantasy, invented by Robert Erwin Howard in a cycle of short stories about the Hyborian Age, published in the magazine Weird Tales. From the works of Howard, he stepped into comics, movies and computer games, becoming one of the most popular fantasy heroes of the 20th century. Conan, as Howard introduced him to readers, is far from perfect and strongly resembles real historical barbarians or even Vikings. At the same time, he is guided by his own code of honor. He also definitely has a peculiar charm and sense of humor. This collection includes works published by Robert Howard in Weird Tales magazine (and not only) from 1932 to 1936. We also bring to the attention of readers the only classic fantasy novel written by him about Conan (no matter how strange it may seem) – The Hour of the Dragon.

Reprinted as they originally appeared in the legendary pulp magazine Weird Tales from 1934 to 1936, this ferocious anthology gathers many of the barbarian's most famous adventures: "Red Nails," "The Hour of the Dragon," and three others.

This early work by Arthur Conan Doyle was originally published in 1913 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Horror of the Heights' is a short story told through a blood-stained notebook which tells the tale of the curious deaths of aviators when they try to break the 30,000 feet altitude record. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1859. It was between 1876 and 1881, while studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh, that he began writing short stories, and his first piece was published in 'Chambers's Edinburgh Journal' before he was 20. In 1887, Conan Doyle's first significant work, iA Study in Scarlet', appeared in 'Beeton's Christmas Annual'. It featured the first appearance of detective Sherlock Holmes, the protagonist who was to eventually make Conan Doyle's reputation. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.

This early work by Arthur Conan Doyle was originally published in 1910 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Terror of Blue John Gap' is a short story about a doctor who travels to Derbyshire to recover from tuberculosis but becomes entrapped in a series of sinister events. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1859. It was between 1876 and 1881, while studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh, that he began writing short stories, and his first piece was published in 'Chambers's Edinburgh Journal' before he was 20. In 1887, Conan Doyle's first significant work, iA Study in Scarlet', appeared in 'Beeton's Christmas Annual'. It featured the first appearance of detective Sherlock Holmes, the protagonist who was to eventually make Conan Doyle's reputation. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.

Robert E. Howard penned a series of fantasy stories in 1932 featuring Conan, a hulking warrior from "Cimmeria" who roamed the mythical Hyborian Age landscape engaging in heroic adventures. More than the quirky manifestation of Depression-era magazines, Conan the Barbarian has endured as a cultural mainstay for over 70 years. This multidisciplinary collection offers the first scholarly investigation of Conan, from Howard's early stories, through midcentury novels and Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic films, to the 2011 cinematic remake of Conan the Barbarian. Drawing on disciplines such as stylometry, archeology, cultural and folklore studies and literary history, the essays examine statistical analyses of the words in Conan texts, the literary genesis of Conan, later-day parodies, Conan video games, and much more. This volume reveals the hidden scholarly depth of this seemingly unsophisticated fictional character.

Conan the Cimmerian: the boy-thief who became a mercenary, who fought and loved his way across fabled lands to become King of Aquilonia. Neither supernatural fiends nore demonic sorcery could oppose the barbarian warrior as he wielded his mighty sword and dispatched his enemies to a bloody doom on the battlefields of the legendary Hyborian age. Collected together in one volume for the very first time, in chronological order, are Robert E. Howard's tales of the legendary hero, as fresh and atmospheric today as when they were first published in the pulp magazines of more than seventy years ago. Compiled by and with a foreward and afterword by award-winning writer and editor Stephen Jones.

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first issues of Weird Tales Magazine, 100 Years of Weird is a masterful compendium of new and classic stories, flash fiction, essays, and poems from the giants of speculative fiction, including R. L. Stine, Laurell K. Hamilton, Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft, Tennessee Williams, and Isaac Asimov. Marking a century of uniquely peculiar storytelling, each part of this anthology features a different genre from Cosmic Horror, Sword and Sorcery, Space Opera, to the Truly Weird—things too strange to publish elsewhere, and the magazine’s raison d’etre. Landmark stories such as “The Call of Cthulhu”, “Worms of the Earth”, and “Legal Rites” stand beside original stories and insightful essays from today’s masters of speculative fiction. This visually stunning hardcover edition is a collector’s dream, illustrated throughout with classic full color and black & white art from past issues of Weird Tales Magazine.

Eisner award-winning writer Kurt Busiek (JLA/Avengers, Astro City), Eisner award-nominated artist Cary Nord (Daredevil), and Eisner award-winning color artist Dave Stewart (Ultimate Fantastic Four; DC: The New Frontier) continue their groundbreaking run on Dark Horse's best-selling Conan series with an adaptation of one of Robert E. Howard's greatest Conan tales, "The Tower of the Elephant"! Fed up with both civilization and mysticism, Conan travels to the infamous City of Thieves to take out his frustrations. When a bar fight uncovers the legend of the impregnable Tower of the Elephant, he becomes determined to rob it, setting out on a quest unlike any he's undertaken-one that will involve new comrades, sudden death, horrifying creatures, and gruesome unsettling fates for both gods and men. • Busiek and Nord-with a special appearance by legendary illustrator Michael Wm. Kaluta (Books of Magic, Lucifer)-chronicle a seminal adventure in Conan's life. • Collecting Conan #0, #16-17, #19-22. • The hardcover edition is exclusive to Direct Market and will be printed to order.

A sumptuous collection of epic fantasy heroes from the pen of Robert E. Howard, one of the true Masters of Fantasy Robert E. Howard was a pulpwriter who turned his hand to everything from historical adventure and detective stories to Western and boxing fiction - and invented the genre now known as sword-and-sorcery: it is for these tales of heroic fantasy and horror that he is best remembered. His mighty heroes - including an English Puritan adventurer sent on redressing grievous wrongs, the king of a mythical, antediluvian empire contemporary with Atlantis, a Pictish warrior-king - all these brothers of the sword and more bestrode the pages of WEIRD TALES and the other pulp magazines of the twenties and thirties. This companion volume follows on from the success of the first Gollancz Big Black Book featuring Howard's world-famous barbarian king, and contains all the stories featuring his brothers-in-arms, collected together in chronological order, as fresh and atmospheric today as when they were first published in the pulp magazines of more than eighty years ago. Compiled by and with an Afterword by award-winning writer and editor Stephen Jones, and with cover image, frontispiece and internal pictures by the award-winning artist Les Edwards.

The critically acclaimed and award-winning creative team behind the runaway-hit revival are back with a brand new adaptation of one of Conan creator Robert E. Howard's best-known tales. Award-winning writer Kurt Busiek and artists Cary Nord and Dave Stewart render the glorious suspense of Howard's beloved "The God in the Bowl" in all its terrifying detail, as well as introducing not only Conan's most famed adversary, Thoth-amon, but a new female foil to Conan's exploits—Janissa the Widowmaker, bound by a pact to a witch who has sinister plans for Conan. Collecting issues #7, #9-#14 of the Dark Horse series. * "Writer Kurt Busiek treats him with the dignified respect due as one of the towering figures in fantasy literature ... it feels like historians unearthed a vibrant, bloody tapestry. These are, once again, the days of high adventure."—Entertainment Weekly * "Conan is an action-packed spectacle, a barbarian blockbuster with a brain, and an epic as intelligent as it is visually stunning."—Wizard Magazine