Conan the Swordsman

Conan the Swordsman
Conan the Swordsman by L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter and Björn Nyberg, Bantam Books, 1978
Author	L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter and Björn Nyberg
Illustrator	Tim Kirk
Cover artist	Darral Greene
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Conan the Barbarian
Genre	Sword and sorcery Fantasy short stories
Publisher	Bantam Books
Publication date	1978
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	274 pp
ISBN	0-553-12018-2
OCLC	4173748

Conan the Swordsman is a collection of seven fantasy short stories and associated pieces written by L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter and Björn Nyberg featuring Robert E. Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in August 1978,^[1]^[2] and reprinted in 1981.^[1] Later paperback editions were issued by Ace Books (April 1987 and March 1991). The first hardcover edition was published by Tor Books in December 2002.^[2] The first British edition was issued by Sphere Books in 1978.^[1] The book has also been translated into Italian^[1] and French.^[2] It was later gathered together with Conan the Liberator and Conan and the Spider God into the omnibus collection Sagas of Conan (Tor Books, January 2004).^[2]

"The Conan Saga" (L. Sprague de Camp)
"Legions of the Dead" (L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)
"The People of the Summit" (Björn Nyberg and L. Sprague de Camp)
"Shadows in the Dark" (L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)
"The Star of Khorala" (Björn Nyberg and L. Sprague de Camp)
"The Gem in the Tower" (L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)
"The Ivory Goddess" (L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)
"Moon of Blood" (L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)
"Hyborian Names" (L. Sprague de Camp)

Plot summary

The seven short stories collected as Conan the Swordsman are set at various points of Conan's career, from his youth as a raider in the north to his maturity as a general of the kingdom of Aquilonia. The two associated non-fiction pieces by de Camp are on the Conan saga in general and the derivation of the names used by Howard in constructing the fictional "Hyborian Age" setting of the Conan stories.

Chronologically, the seven stories supplement the tales in the twelve volume Lancer/Ace Conan series, falling into the period covered by Conan through Conan the Warrior.

Notes

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Laughlin, Charlotte; Daniel J. H. Levack (1983). De Camp: An L. Sprague de Camp Bibliography. San Francisco: Underwood/Miller. p. 42.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Conan the Swordsman title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

References

Fantastic Fiction entry for Conan the Swordsman

Preceded by none	Bantam Conan series (publication order)	Succeeded by Conan the Liberator

Conan the Barbarian

Stories, books

Books	Conan (books)

Original works by Robert E. Howard	"Beyond the Black River" "Black Colossus" "The Black Stranger" "Cimmeria" "The Devil in Iron" "Drums of Tombalku" "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" "The God in the Bowl" "The Hall of the Dead" "The Hand of Nergal" The Hour of the Dragon "Jewels of Gwahlur" "The People of the Black Circle" "The Phoenix on the Sword" "The Pool of the Black One" "Queen of the Black Coast" "Red Nails" "Rogues in the House" "The Scarlet Citadel" "Shadows in the Moonlight" "Shadows in Zamboula" "The Slithering Shadow" "The Snout in the Dark" "The Tower of the Elephant" "The Vale of Lost Women" "A Witch Shall be Born" "Wolves Beyond the Border"

Non-Howard works (some based on non- Conan Howard works)	"Black Sphinx of Nebthu" "Black Tears" "The Blood-Stained God" "The Castle of Terror" "The City of Skulls" Conan and the Amazon Conan and the Death Lord of Thanza Conan and the Emerald Lotus Conan and the Gods of the Mountain Conan and the Grim Grey God Conan and the Manhunters Conan and the Mists of Doom Conan and the Shaman's Curse Conan and the Sorcerer Conan and the Spider God Conan and the Treasure of Python Conan at the Demon's Gate Conan, Lord of the Black River Conan of the Isles Conan of the Red Brotherhood Conan of Venarium Conan, Scourge of the Bloody Coast Conan the Barbarian (1982) Conan the Barbarian (2011) Conan the Bold Conan the Buccaneer Conan the Champion Conan the Defender Conan the Defiant Conan the Destroyer Conan the Fearless Conan the Formidable Conan the Free Lance Conan the Gladiator Conan the Great Conan the Guardian Conan the Hero Conan the Hunter Conan the Indomitable Conan the Invincible Conan the Liberator Conan the Magnificent Conan the Marauder Conan the Mercenary Conan the Outcast Conan the Raider Conan the Rebel Conan the Relentless Conan the Renegade Conan the Rogue Conan the Savage Conan the Triumphant Conan the Unconquered Conan the Valiant Conan the Valorous Conan the Victorious Conan the Warlord "The Curse of the Monolith" "Death-Song of Conan the Cimmerian" "The Flame Knife" "The Gem in the Tower" "Hawks over Shem" "The Ivory Goddess" "The Lair of the Ice Worm" "Legions of the Dead" "Moon of Blood" "The People of the Summit" "Red Moon of Zembabwei" The Return of Conan The Road of Kings "The Road of the Eagles" "Shadows in the Dark" "Shadows in the Skull" "The Star of Khorala" The Sword of Skelos "The Thing in the Crypt" "The Witch of the Mists"

Collections	Black Colossus The Bloody Crown of Conan The Coming of Conan The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian The Complete Chronicles of Conan Conan The Conan Chronicles (Howard et al) The Conan Chronicles (Jordan) The Conan Chronicles, 1 The Conan Chronicles 2 The Conan Chronicles, 2 The Conan Chronicles II Conan of Aquilonia Conan of Cimmeria Conan the Adventurer Conan the Avenger Conan the Barbarian (1954) Conan the Barbarian (2011) Conan the Freebooter Conan the Swordsman Conan the Usurper Conan the Wanderer Conan the Warrior The Conquering Sword of Conan The Devil in Iron The Essential Conan The Further Chronicles of Conan Jewels of Gwahlur King Conan The People of the Black Circle The Pool of the Black One Queen of the Black Coast Red Nails Rogues in the House Sagas of Conan The Sword of Conan Tales of Conan The Tower of the Elephant The Treasure of Tranicos

Scholarship	The Blade of Conan The Conan Grimoire The Conan Reader The Conan Swordbook The Spell of Conan

Authors

Creator	Robert E. Howard

Later authors	Poul Anderson Leonard Carpenter Lin Carter L. Sprague de Camp Roland J. Green John C. Hocking Robert Jordan Sean A. Moore Björn Nyberg Andrew J. Offutt Steve Perry John Maddox Roberts Michael A. Stackpole Roy Thomas Harry Turtledove Karl Edward Wagner

Other media

Television	Conan the Adventurer (animated series) Conan and the Young Warriors Conan the Adventurer (TV series)

Film	Conan the Barbarian (1982) Conan the Destroyer (1984) Conan the Barbarian (2011)

Comics	Conan (comics) Conan (Marvel Comics) Conan (Dark Horse Comics) Savage Sword of Conan

Games	Age of Conan: Unchained (Rise of the Godslayer) Conan (2004) Conan (2007) Conan: Hall of Volta Conan: The Mysteries of Time Conan Against Darkness! Conan Collectible Card Game Conan Role-Playing Game Conan: The Roleplaying Game Conan the Buccaneer Conan the Mercenary Conan Triumphant Conan Unchained!

Setting

Characters	Bêlit Conan the Barbarian Kulan Gath Red Sonja Serpent Men Thoth-Amon Thulsa Doom Valeria Vammatar Xaltotun Zenobia

Deities	Crom Mitra Set

World	Hyborian Age Aquilonia Cimmeria Acheron Empire

Chronology	The Hyborian Age Conan Chronologies

Kull	Thurian Age

Red Sonja	"The Shadow of the Vulture"

References	Cohen the Barbarian Conan the Librarian

Works by L. Sprague de Camp

Viagens Interplanetarias

Krishna	"Finished" (1949) "Perpetual Motion" (1950) The Queen of Zamba (1949) "Calories" (1951) The Hand of Zei (1950) The Hostage of Zir (1977) The Prisoner of Zhamanak (1982) The Virgin of Zesh (1953) The Bones of Zora (1983) The Tower of Zanid (1958) The Swords of Zinjaban (1991)

Kukulkan	The Stones of Nomuru (1988) The Venom Trees of Sunga (1992)

Other	"The Animal-Cracker Plot" (1949) "The Colorful Character" (1949) "The Continent Makers" (1951) "The Galton Whistle" (1951) "Git Along!" (1950) "The Inspector's Teeth" (1950) Rogue Queen (1951) "Summer Wear" (1950)

Collections	The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens (1953) The Virgin of Zesh & The Tower of Zanid (1983)

Harold Shea (with Fletcher Pratt and others)

de Camp/ Pratt canon	"The Roaring Trumpet" (1940) "The Mathematics of Magic" (1940) The Castle of Iron (1941/50) "The Wall of Serpents" (1953) "The Green Magician" (1954) "Sir Harold and the Gnome King" (1990) "Sir Harold of Zodanga" (1995)

Additions by others	Prospero's Isle (1987) "Professor Harold and the Trustees" (1992) "Sir Harold and the Monkey King" (1992) "Knight and the Enemy" (1992) "Arms and the Enchanter" (1992) "Enchanter Kiev" (1995) "Sir Harold and the Hindu King" (1995) "Harold Shakespeare" (1995) "Return to Xanadu" (2005)

Collections	The Incomplete Enchanter (1941) Wall of Serpents (collection) (1960) The Compleat Enchanter (1975) The Complete Compleat Enchanter (1989) The Enchanter Reborn (1992) The Exotic Enchanter (1995) The Mathematics of Magic (2007)

Pusadian series

Stories	The Tritonian Ring (1951) "The Eye of Tandyla" (1951) "The Owl and the Ape" (1951) "The Hungry Hercynian" (1953) "The Stone of the Witch Queen" (1977) "Ka the Appalling" (1958) "The Rug and the Bull" (1974) "The Stronger Spell" (1953)

Collections	The Tritonian Ring and Other Pusadian Tales (1953)

Novarian series

Stories	"The Emperor's Fan" (1973) The Fallible Fiend (1973) The Goblin Tower (1968) The Clocks of Iraz (1971) The Unbeheaded King (1983) The Honorable Barbarian (1989)

Collections	The Reluctant King (1985)

Neo-Napolitanian series

Novels	The Incorporated Knight (1987) The Pixilated Peeress (1991)

Conan series (with Robert E. Howard and others)

Novels	Conan and the Spider God (1980) Conan of the Isles (1968) Conan the Barbarian (1982) Conan the Buccaneer (1971) Conan the Liberator (1979) The Return of Conan (1957)

Short stories	"Black Sphinx of Nebthu" (1973) "The Treasure of Tranicos" (1953) "Black Tears" (1968) "The Blood-Stained God" (1955) "The Castle of Terror" (1969) "The City of Skulls" (1967) "The Curse of the Monolith" (1968) "Drums of Tombalku" (1966) The Flame Knife (1955/81) "The Frost Giant's Daughter" Conan (1953) "The Gem in the Tower" (1978) "The God in the Bowl" (1952) "The Hall of the Dead" (1967) "Hawks Over Shem" (1955) "The Ivory Goddess" (1978) "The Lair of the Ice Worm" (1969) "Legions of the Dead" (1978) "Moon of Blood" (1978) "The People of the Summit" (1970/78) "Red Moon of Zembabwei" (1974) "The Road of the Eagles" (1955) "Shadows in the Dark" (1978) "Shadows in the Skull" (1975) "The Snout in the Dark" (1969) "The Star of Khorala" (1978) "The Thing in the Crypt" (1967) "The Witch of the Mists" (1972) "Wolves Beyond the Border" (1967)

Collections	Conan (1967) The Conan Chronicles (1989) The Conan Chronicles 2 (1990) Conan of Aquilonia (1977) Conan of Cimmeria (1969) Conan the Adventurer (1966) Conan the Avenger (1968) Conan the Freebooter (1968) Conan the Swordsman (1978) Conan the Usurper (1967) Conan the Wanderer (1968) Sagas of Conan (2004) Tales of Conan (1955) The Treasure of Tranicos (1980)

Other speculative fiction

Novels	The Carnelian Cube (1948) Genus Homo (1950) The Glory That Was (1960) The Great Fetish (1978) Land of Unreason (1942) Lest Darkness Fall (1941) None But Lucifer (1939) Solomon's Stone (1942)

Short stories	"Aristotle and the Gun" (1958) "The Blue Giraffe" (1939) "The Command" (1938) "Divide and Rule" (1939) "Employment" (1939) "The Gnarly Man" (1939) "A Gun for Dinosaur" (1956) "The Hardwood Pile" (1940) "Hyperpilosity" (1938) "The Isolinguals" (1937) "Judgment Day" (1955) "Living Fossil" (1939) "The Merman" (1938) "Nothing in the Rules" (1939) "The Stolen Dormouse" (1941) "The Wheels of If" (1940)

Collections	Aristotle and the Gun (2002) The Best of L. Sprague de Camp (1978) Divide and Rule (1948) Footprints on Sand (1981) A Gun for Dinsaur (1963) The Purple Pterodactyls (1980) The Reluctant Shaman (1970) Rivers of Time (1993) Scribblings (1972) Sprague de Camp's New Anthology (1953) Tales from Gavagan's Bar (1953/78) The Undesired Princess (1951) The Virgin & the Wheels (1976) The Wheels of If (1948) Years in the Making (2005)

Historical fiction

Novels	The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate (1961) The Arrows of Hercules (1965) An Elephant for Aristotle (1958) The Bronze God of Rhodes (1960) The Golden Wind (1969)

Fiction edited

Anthologies	The Fantastic Swordsmen (1967) The Spell of Seven (1965) Swords and Sorcery (1963) Tales Beyond Time (1973) 3000 Years of Fantasy and Science Fiction (1972) Warlocks and Warriors (1970)

Single author	Conan the Conqueror (1967) Conan the Warrior (1967) The Wolf Leader (1950)

Nonfiction

Science and history	The Ancient Engineers (1963) Ancient Ruins and Archaeology (1964) Antarctic Conquest (1949) The Ape-Man Within (1995) Darwin and His Great Discovery (1972) The Day of the Dinosaur (1968) Elephant (1964) Energy and Power (1962) Engines (1959) The Evolution of Naval Weapons (1947) The Fringe of the Unknown (1983) Great Cities of the Ancient World (1972) The Great Monkey Trial (1968) The Heroic Age of American Invention (1961) Inventions and Their Management (1937) Man and Power (1961) The Ragged Edge of Science (1980) Rubber Dinosaurs and Wooden Elephants (1996) Spirits, Stars, and Spells (1966) The Story of Science in America (1967)

Lit crit and biography	Blond Barbarians and Noble Savages (1975) The Conan Reader (1968) Dark Valley Destiny (1983) Lands Beyond (1952) Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers (1976) Lost Continents (1954) Lovecraft: A Biography (1975) The Miscast Barbarian (1975) Science-Fiction Handbook (1953/75) Time and Chance (1996)

Nonfiction edited

Multi-author	The Blade of Conan (1979) The Conan Grimoire (1972) The Conan Swordbook (1969) The Spell of Conan (1980)

Single author	To Quebec and the Stars (1976)

Poetry

Demons and Dinosaurs (1970) Heroes and Hobgoblins (1981) Phantoms and Fancies (1972)

Works by Lin Carter

Callisto series

Novels	Jandar of Callisto (1972) Black Legion of Callisto (1972) Sky Pirates of Callisto (1973) Mad Empress of Callisto (1975) Mind Wizards of Callisto (1975) Lankar of Callisto (1975) Ylana of Callisto (1977) Renegade of Callisto (1978)

Collections	Callisto Volume 1 (2000)

The Green Star Saga

Novels	Under the Green Star (1972) When the Green Star Calls (1973) By the Light of the Green Star (1974) As the Green Star Rises (1975) In the Green Star's Glow (1976)

The Mysteries of Mars

Novels	The Flame of Iridar (1967) The Man Who Loved Mars (1973) The Valley Where Time Stood Still (1974) The City Outside the World (1977) Down to a Sunless Sea (1984)

Short works	"The Martian El Dorado of Parker Wintley" (1976)

Zanthodon series

Novels	Journey to the Underground World (1979) Zanthodon (1980) Hurok of the Stone Age (1981) Darya of the Bronze Age (1981) Eric of Zanthodon (1982)

Zarkon series

Novels	The Nemesis of Evil (1975) Invisible Death (1975) The Volcano Ogre (1976) The Earth-Shaker (1982) Horror Wears Blue (1987)

Minor SF series

Great Imperium	The Man Without a Planet (1966) Star Rogue (1970) Outworlder (1971)

Hautley Quicksilver	The Thief of Thoth (1968) The Purloined Planet (1969)

Thongor series

Novels	Thongor and the Wizard of Lemuria (1965/69) Thongor and the Dragon City (1966/70) Thongor Against the Gods (1967) Thongor in the City of Magicians (1968) Thongor at the End of Time (1968) Thongor Fights the Pirates of Tarakus (1970)

Short works	"Thieves of Zangabal" (1969) "Keeper of the Emerald Flame" (1970) "Black Hawk of Valkarth" (1974) "Diombar's Song of the Last Battle" (1975) "The City in the Jewel" (1975) "Black Moonlight" (1976) "Demon of the Snows" (1980) "The Creature in the Crypt" (2012)

Collections	Young Thongor (2012)

Conan series (with L. Sprague de Camp and others)

Novels	Conan of the Isles (1968) Conan the Barbarian (1982) Conan the Buccaneer (1971) Conan the Liberator (1979)

Short works	"Black Sphinx of Nebthu" (1973) "Black Tears" (1968) "The Castle of Terror" (1969) "The City of Skulls" (1967) "The Curse of the Monolith" (1968) "Death-Song of Conan the Cimmerian" (1972) "The Gem in the Tower" (1978) "The Hand of Nergal" (1967) "The Ivory Goddess" (1978) "The Lair of the Ice Worm" (1969) "Legions of the Dead" (1978) "Moon of Blood" (1978) "Red Moon of Zembabwei" (1974) "Shadows in the Dark" (1978) "Shadows in the Skull" (1975) "The Snout in the Dark" (1969) "The Thing in the Crypt" (1967) "The Witch of the Mists" (1972)

Collections	Conan (1967) The Conan Chronicles (1989) The Conan Chronicles 2 (1990) Conan of Aquilonia (1977) Conan of Cimmeria (1969) Conan the Swordsman (1978) Conan the Wanderer (1968) Sagas of Conan (2004)

Kull series (with Robert E. Howard)

Short works	"Exile of Atlantis" (1967) "Black Abyss" (1967) "Riders Beyond the Sunrise" (1967) "Wizard and Warrior" (1967)

Collections	King Kull (1967)

The Gondwane Epic

Novels	The Warrior of World's End (1974) The Enchantress of World's End (1975) The Immortal of World's End (1976) The Barbarian of World's End (1977) The Pirate of World's End (1978) Giant of World's End (1969)

Terra Magica

Novels	Kesrick (1982) Dragonrouge (1984) Mandricardo (1987) Callipygia (1988)

The Chronicles of Kylix

Novels	The Quest of Kadji (1971) The Wizard of Zao (1978)

Short works	"Vault of Silence" (1970) "The Higher Heresies of Oolimar" (1973) "The Curious Custom of the Turjan Seraad" (1976)

Collections	Kellory the Warlock (1984)

Tara of the Twilight

Novels	Tara of the Twilight (1979)

Short works	"For the Blood is the Life" (1984) "The Love of the Sea" (1984) "Pale Shadow" (1985)

Simrana the Dream World

Short works	"The Gods of Niom Parma" (1966/70) "The Whelming of Oom" (1969) "Zingazar" (1971) "How Sargoth Lay Siege to Zaremm" (1972) "The Laughter of Han" (1982) "The Benevolence of Yib" (1987) "The Thievery of Yish" (1988)

Xothic Legend Cycle

Short works	"The Red Offering" (1997) "The Dweller in the Tomb" (1971) "The Thing in the Pit" (1980) "Out of the Ages" (1975) "The Horror in the Gallery" (1976/97) "The Winfield Heritance" (1981) "Perchance to Dream" (1988) "Strange Manuscript Found in the Vermont Woods" (1988) "Something in the Moonlight" (1980) "The Fishers from Outside" (1988) "Behind the Mask" (1987) "The Strange Doom of Enos Harker" (1989/2001) "The Bell in the Tower" (1989)

Collections	The Xothic Legend Cycle: The Complete Mythos Fiction of Lin Carter (1997)

Short works	"The Tired Tailor of Oz" (2001) "The Awful Ogre of Ogodown" (2004) "High TImes on Tip Top Mountain" (2004) "The Wooden Soldier of Oz" (2004) "No Joy in Mudville" (2004)

Collections	The Merry Mountaineer of Oz (2004)