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Between 1932 and 1936, Robert E. Howard wrote 21 Conan the Barbarian stories, 17 of which had been published in his lifetime. All 21 of those original stories would eventually see publication in one form or another, even though some of them took decades to make it to the public.  In addition to those 21 stories completed by Howard, writers L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter, and Bjorn Nyberg would add an additional 9 stories by completing fragments from Howard's files or editing Howard's stories that didn't involve Conan to become tales of the Cimmerian. Most of these stories are good, some are genre-defining, and a select few are not worth the paper they're printed on. I realized once I started reading every Conan story that I would eventually feel the need to rank them all since ranking things is fun. Below is my own personal ranking of every Conan story- first just the Robert E. Howard originals, followed by every Conan story that Howard had a hand in, including those edited or finished by others. Ranking the original Robert. E Howard Conan stories
 16. A Witch Shall Be Born For how iconic this story is, it's one of the most disjointed stories in the whole canon. There are certainly excellent aspects to it. I think the opening scene in which Salome and Taramis fight is pretty compelling. Olgerd Vladislav is a great foil for Conan. He acts like a slightly less charming, slightly less fair version of the Cimmerian and we see that it doesn't work out well for him most of the time. It's like a cautionary tale, showing us what Conan could have been if he was a little less heroic. Of course, the Tree of Death scene is an all-timer, maybe in the top 3 best individual scenes that Howard ever wrote, and even made it into the movie. However, I just don't think the rest of the story compares. The epistle in the middle feels random, like Howard couldn't figure out a way to bring the reader up to speed in a more elegant way. The ending recovers a little bit, but I've seen even just fans present ideas that feel more fleshed-out and tighter than what Howard wrote. "A Witch Shall Be Born" might be the Conan story that lives up to its potential the least.
 13. The Devil in Iron This story does what many others do, but it does them slightly better. There's a one-off woman companion for Conan named Octavia, and she's a much more enjoyable character than Olivia or Muriela. There's a thousand-year-old lost city, but it's got more going on than those in "The Pool of the Black One" or "Iron Shadows in the Moon." There are creepy wizard bad guys, but the setup is a little more unique and the stakes are more clear. It's also got a really banging introduction with a Yuetshi fisherman exploring the city of Xapur right before getting his shit rocked mysteriously. Howard's descriptions of the city of Dagon really do this story a service, too, as they're far more immersive than some of his other passages about lost cities. Conan sneaking around the city when he first arrives was full of intrigue and suspense.  12. The God in the Bowl Man, if not a lot happens in "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" as I argue below, even less actually happens in "The God in the Bowl." But I actually think that's pretty cool. Conan is cornered in a temple (that is also a museum?) by guards after the slaying of a prominent citizen and is essentially forced to talk his way out of his situation, which he's not very good at during this early point in his career. This story is unique, though. It's all paranoia and tension as we try to figure out the real way that Kallian Publico died. I wouldn't say that Robert E. Howard is ultimately a gifted detective story author, as it's pretty clear from the very beginning that Conan isn't the assailant and he leaves too-obvious clues as to who or what the murderer really is, but the story's good. It's really supported by its horrifying ending and is reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe (I'm not even talking "Murders in the Rue Morgue" this time, I'm thinking more like "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" here) in how it finishes with a real bang. It's a fun time.  11. The Frost-Giant's Daughter I think I'm alone in putting this story so low. It's a good story! I like it! I just don't like it as much as some of the other ones to follow. Its opening on a bloody battlefield in which Conan and one other combatant are the only men standing is a pretty stellar way to start us off. The snowy wastes of Nordheim set this story apart from many of the others that more commonly are set in jungles, deserts, or at sea. Atali, the daughter in the title, is an interesting villain, too. It's not affecting my ranking, but there's lots of good art of this story. I'd say this is one of the simplest Conan stories in existence, at least in regards to plot construction. Not a ton actually happens, though it's an enjoyable, creative ride through Conan getting bewitched by a frost giant.  10. The Hour of the Dragon (AKA "Conan the Conqueror") This is without a doubt the most epic story in Conan's life. It takes us all over the map and has Conan fit himself back into the roles he's taken over the course of his career. He's once again a thief, a pirate, a commander, a king. It has a lot going for it like its really compelling villain and a great romp through an ancient Stygian pyramid's guts, but the story is a little hamstrung by being too long. It's four or five times longer than most Conan stories and it makes you realize that one thing Howard is very adept at usually is trimming the fat from his narratives. They're usually spartan to a fault. The pacing is a little off in this story as some characters disappear for chapters at a time, not to be mentioned for large lengths of the novel, only to be casually mentioned again many pages later. It's also a little held back by the fact that in the epic moment of the evil wizard's defeat, Conan isn't even there. The whole climax of the story takes place with one-off characters and Conan's like a mile away, unaware of any of it happening. Similar to how "Drums of Tombalku" and "The Slithering Shadow" feel largely like retreads of one another, The Hour of the Dragon has certain times it mirrors "The Scarlet Citadel." Whereas "Scarlet Citadel" focuses more on Conan's capture and escape with an abbreviated battle at the end, Hour of the Dragon speeds through a capture and escape to focus on the military campaign afterward. It's a good story, but its faults keep it from being one of the best.
 7. The People of the Black Circle From this placement on, every single one of these stories is a solid five-star ripper. I might even have to change a few of the placements depending on how I'm feeling day-to-day, but they're all ultimately just about everything you could ask for from a fantasy story. "The People of the Black Circle" is phenomenal. Like The Hour of the Dragon, its scope is appropriately epic. It takes us from the cities of Vendhya (which we've never had the privilege of spending time in yet) into the Himelian Mountains. Conan is fun and heroic throughout this adventure which takes us from one action scene to another with little wait time- the pacing is excellent. What really pushes it into top-tier territory is its climactic battle between Conan and the wizards of the Black Circle on Mount Yimsha. There are so many great moments in this extended battle that are so much fun to read, like when the wizards send evil bubbles after Conan's crew, or when they're escaping and have to be careful of where they breathe because of incantations that eliminate air in certain spots. As an adventure story, it's breathless, and you'll feel like you've been away from your world for about a month once you put it down. Excellent escapism.
 5. Queen of the Black Coast "Queen of the Black Coast" has a lot of firsts in it. It's the first story in which we see Conan at sea, the first in which he has a love interest on equal footing, it's the first time we go really far south on the Hyborian map. As I noted in my post on the story, I still think Everett F. Blieler was on to something when he said "Queen of the Black Coast" was "probably the best of the Conan stories, perhaps because it is the only one based on another emotion than lust, greed, or hatred." Bêlit is such an awesome foil for Conan. Several other Robert E. Howard characters have gotten spinoffs in the following decades, and Bêlit is one of the only ones that I think I would like to continue her adventures with. This story is supported by the smaller moments: a conversation between Bêlit and Conan is its heart. We so seldom get to see Conan open up to someone of his own free will that it's really charming. Howard does some of his best writing in this story, and it makes it an undisputed classic.  4. Red Nails "Red Nails" feels like a tour de force in speculative fiction for Howard. The central pillar of his whole personal philosophy is the battle between civilization and barbarism, and Hoard takes a reliance on civilization to its natural endpoint here. He always says that barbarism beats civilization every time, and he makes a great case for that idea here. We see a decaying culture that has hobbled along for too long, unnatural in most ways, threatening to destroy itself at any minute. The cities and people he creates in this story are indelible not only for their entertainment but for the philosophical conversations they inspire. It has a fun one-off mate for Conan with Valeria, whose entrance kicks the story off right. There's little padding in this one as Conan and Valeria are introduced constantly to confounding and crazy characters, locations, and situations. In a letter to Clark Ashton Smith, Howard got it exactly right: "Sent a three-part serial to Wright yesterday: 'Red Nails,' which I devoutly hope he'll like. After Conan yarn, and the grimmest, bloodiest, and most merciless story of the series so far. Too much raw meat, maybe, but I merely portrayed what I honestly believe would be the reactions of certain types of people in the situations on which the plot of the story hung..." It's a great story. As the last Conan story to hit the page before Howard's suicide, it was an excellent final hurrah.  3. Beyond the Black River I wrote in my post about this story that it's probably the most philosophically-rich of all Howard's Conan stories, so I'll try to not just repeat myself here. "Beyond the Black River" is a "weird western" that makes it super unique for Conan. Transporting the American frontier to the Hyborian Age allows Howard to play with all kinds of tropes in new ways. It comprises a perfect pair when teamed up with "Red Nails." The story is action-packed, sure, but I think the thing that makes it so excellent is Conan's new friends Balthus and Slasher. I happen to really like when Conan gets paired up with someone for a story. Sometimes he's in a tenuous pact with a would-be enemy. Sometimes he's rescuing a damsel in distress. But here, Conan is paired up with a prairie kid who seems much like a young version of Conan himself, as well as the loyal dog Slasher. There's a certain wide-eyed purity to Balthus and Slasher that gives the story a fun lightness, and the plotting is some of Howard's best ever. On certain days, I think of "Beyond the Black River" as my personal favorite Conan story, but I think it's probably more appropriately ranked here.  2. Black Colossus Eat your heart out, The Hour of the Dragon. This is what a Conan epic can truly be. This one stands up there with other all-timers of fantasy fiction like The Lord of the Rings and shows why Robert E. Howard is the greatest sword-and-sorcery author of all time. "Black Colossus" opens with one of the best openings in any of Conan's stories and never lets up once it introduces everyone's favorite barbarian. It's a huge turning point in Conan's life as he begins to step away from isolated adventures and commands hordes of soldiers for the first time, defending a country against an evil sorcerer. But this story's greatest strength isn't it's plotting. Every word of Howard's prose here pulses with life. His descriptions shimmer on the page so much that it becomes the most engrossing writing he would ever do. There's really a little bit of everything in this story. Tomb-raiding, military campaigns, politicking, evil wizards, creepy monsters... what more could you ever want? The battles are cinematic to a point that I'm dying to see this get adapted to the big screen, and I don't usually desire filmed adaptions of books or comics very much. If you haven't read this story and you have even the slightest interest in Conan, close this website and go read it now.  1. The Tower of the Elephant I'm not usually your escapism guy. I really like talking about themes of stories and how they're constructed and trying to figure out what they mean on a human level. But every now and then, there's escapist fiction that is just so fucking good that you don't even have time to stop and read between the lines because the lines themselves are so engrossing. These are the kinds of stories that make you want to live in another time, on another world, and completely detach yourself from reality. This is the kind of story that "The Tower of the Elephant" is. At one of the earliest points in Conan's life, he's not the large, invincible superhero we'll see him become later, so it's easier to cast yourself as Conan as you go on a brief but engrossing adventure with him. The Zamorian City of Thieves is an excellent setting- there's danger, but also the promise of gold around every corner. The tower of the elephant itself is such a great location too, completely inundated with monsters and guards and animals, all the while having this mysteriously smooth exterior that promises so much on the inside. It never disappoints. Yag-Kosha, the ancient elephant alien, is a wonderful twist toward the end of the story and whisks you even further into escapism. It's full of pathos and imagination that you don't even mind when the tower falls and Conan walks away empty-handed. There's nothing else quite this good that Howard put to paper. It's what all adventure stories could aspire to. Ranking Howard's original Conan stories PLUS the additionsBelow is my ranking of not only REH's original Conan stories, but also those that were edited or finished by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter. The new additions I have added their own short paragraphs to. 30. The Vale of Lost Women 29. Shadows in Zamboula 28. Wolves Beyond the Border "Wolves Beyond the Border" just wasn't that compelling. I went in hoping that it would be interesting seeing the Hyborian Age from a more mortal perspective, but we actually get that fairly frequently in small bursts, so this story felt very disposable. 27. Iron Shadows in the Moon 26. The Hand of Nergal "The Hand of Nergal" is just lacking in anything making it great. It was entertaining enough, but feels like a very skippable chapter in Conan's life, even though it's his first chapter as a Turanian mercenary. It began its life in the 1930s as a Conan story, but it was unfinished at the time of Howard's death, so Lin Carter finished it in the 60s. As I noted in my post about this story, some of the prose is a little weird and random, too. Ultimately, it's just okay. 25. Drums of Tombalku 24. Xuthal of the Dusk 23. A Witch Shall Be Born 22. Jewels of Gwahlur 21. Hawks Over Shem I liked "Hawks Over Shem," but this story frankly felt a little different, and not in a good way, like how "Rogues in the House" or "Beyond the Black River" stand out. Unlike the 3 other stories REH published without Conan that de Camp and Carter would later write Conan into, this one is the one where you really feel that. I know I'm more of a fan of those three others than most, but I feel like it's because the others blended quite a bit better. There are fewer Howard fingerprints on this story in my estimation. 20. The Pool of the Black One 19. The Devil in Iron 18. The Snout in the Dark "The Snout in the Dark" is a story that I felt was underrated when I finished it, but have gradually forgotten what I liked so much about it. I do think that it's better than most people give it credit for (nobody ever talks about this story), but somehow feels more like a de Camp / Carter creation than a Robert E. Howard original. It was based on an untitled fragment of Howard's, but I'm wondering how much Howard actually wrote and how much was added by the later collaborators. 17. The God in the Bowl 16. The Frost-Giant's Daughter 15. The Hour of the Dragon 14. The Flame Knife The Flame Knife is really fun. It's got a good sense of adventure to it and takes us to parts of the Hyborian world we hadn't ever been to before. It's definitely helped by bringing back Olgerd Vladislav, who might be second or third in line to the title of Conan's arch-nemesis. 13. The Hall of the Dead I really dig "The Hall of the Dead." There's so much fun to be had with the giant slug creature, the ancient city of Larsha is really fun, and the hall of the dead itself is phenomenally creepy. Conan's single-serving friend Nestor is a fun addition to the story and I'm glad to see that he makes it out alive since most of Conan's companions meet their ends in the stories in which they're introduced. This one deserves more recognition than it gets. 12. The Blood-Stained God What a fun tomb-plunderer. I don't get why more people don't like this story. The 1930s Afghanistan setting of the original "Trail of the Blood-Stained God" transfers perfectly to the Hyborian Age. Additionally, the actual temple of the blood-stained god makes for an unpredictable ending, as Conan has to think his way out of a trap instead of just burying his sword in everyone's neck. It's tons of fun! 11. The Road of the Eagles Do not @ me for putting this one so high. This story is great. Honestly, the castle nestled in the mountains with its sheer walls and the one, treacherous path to it is one of the best story conceits that Howard ever dreamed up. It's not incredibly thematically-rich or anything, but it's a hell of a good time and very imaginative. 10. The Phoenix on the Sword 9. The Scarlet Citadel 8. The Treasure of Tranicos (AKA "The Black Stranger") "The Treasure of Tranicos" followed kind of a strange path to get where it sits now. It began as "The Black Stranger," a Conan story. When it got rejected for publication, it was re-written to be just a pirate story. When that also got rejected, it was shelved. de Camp re-introduced Conan to it and retitled it to "The Treasure of Tranicos" and we should all be so glad he did. This story rocks. It's got some of the tightest plotting Howard ever did, some truly wonderful characterization scenes, and excellent stakes. The fact that there are so many competing interests working together toward a goal makes it so that you always feel someone is about to betray another. It's definitely the best L. Sprague de Camp or Lin Carter-influenced addition to the canon. 7. The People of the Black Circle 6. Rogues in the House 5. Queen of the Black Coast 4. Red Nails 3. Beyond the Black River 2. Black Colossus 1. The Tower of the Elephant I always have fun ranking things. Let me know your own rankings in the comments if you've got them! At the very least, what are your own top 5? 
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AuthorHey, I'm Dan. This is my project reading through the career of everyone's favorite sword-and-sorcery character, Conan the Cimmerian, in chronological order. 
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