Few fictional characters have endured as long or as powerfully as Conan the Barbarian. Robert E. Howard created him in 1932 for Weird Tales magazine, and the Cimmerian warrior has never really left the cultural imagination since. Whether you are a longtime fan revisiting the pulp roots or a newcomer drawn in by film or games, finding the right book to start with matters. This guide covers the strongest options across originals, compilations, and modern adaptations.
| Product | Best For | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete Chronicles of Conan (Gollancz) | New readers, completionists | 4.8/5 |
| Conan the Barbarian: The Original Comics (Marvel) | Visual storytelling fans | 4.6/5 |
| The Bloody Crown of Conan (Howard) | Mid-length Howard novellas | 4.7/5 |
| Conan of Cimmeria Vol. 1 (Howard, de Camp, Carter) | Expanded universe readers | 4.4/5 |
| Savage Sword of Conan Omnibus Vol. 1 (Marvel) | Comics collectors | 4.7/5 |
Gollancz Complete Chronicles of Conan — Best Overall Collection
The Gollancz edition packs all of Howard’s original Conan stories into a single volume, organized in the in-world chronological order established by de Camp. It covers everything from “The Tower of the Elephant” to “Red Nails,” giving readers the complete picture of Conan’s journey from thief to king. The paperback format is affordable, and the editorial notes provide useful context without overwhelming the fiction. For anyone who wants the real Howard without hunting down multiple anthologies, this is the starting point. The prose remains electrifying nearly a century after publication.
Marvel Conan the Barbarian Original Comics — Best Visual Adaptation
Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith launched this series in 1970, and it still stands as one of the finest comic adaptations of literary pulp fiction ever made. Windsor-Smith’s early issues have a raw, scratchy energy that evolved into something genuinely beautiful. Later artists like John Buscema brought a more classical sword-and-sorcery grandeur. Marvel’s recent omnibus collections make it easy to read the full run in high-quality reprints. If you are primarily a comics reader or want to experience the world visually before diving into prose, this is the right pick.
The Bloody Crown of Conan — Best Howard Novella Collection
This Berkley/Ace volume collects three of Howard’s longer Conan stories: “The People of the Black Circle,” “A Witch Shall Be Born,” and “Conan the Conqueror.” These are not short pulp vignettes but fully developed adventure narratives with political intrigue, memorable antagonists, and some of Howard’s most ambitious world-building. “The People of the Black Circle” is widely considered the finest Conan story ever written. The compact format makes it a strong standalone purchase for readers who want to sample Howard’s longer work before committing to a collected edition.
Conan of Cimmeria Volume 1 — Best Expanded Universe Entry
This Ace paperback blends Howard’s original stories with completions and pastiches by de Camp and Carter. Purists have long debated whether these additions dilute or enrich the canon, but for readers who simply want more Conan after finishing the originals, this volume delivers. The editorial standards are reasonably high, and de Camp’s contributions in particular feel faithful to Howard’s tone. It is a comfortable step into the broader Conan publishing universe that flourished through the 1970s and 1980s.
Savage Sword of Conan Omnibus Volume 1 — Best for Collectors
The black-and-white magazine format of Savage Sword allowed Marvel to publish more graphic and mature Conan stories than the standard color comics allowed. The artwork by Alfredo Alcala, Neal Adams, and others is stunning in this oversized omnibus format. Stories range from faithful Howard adaptations to original scripts, and the tonal range is impressive. At roughly 600 pages per volume, it represents serious value for dedicated collectors who want the definitive shelf edition of Conan comics.
How to Choose Conan the Barbarian Books
Start by deciding whether you want Howard’s original prose or comic adaptations. For prose, the Gollancz complete edition offers the best value and the most comprehensive Howard experience. If you prefer shorter reads first, pick up “The Bloody Crown of Conan” for his strongest novellas. Comics fans should go directly to the Marvel originals or the Savage Sword omnibus depending on their budget. Readers interested in the expanded universe can move to the de Camp and Carter collaborations after the originals. Avoid pastiches by authors with no editorial oversight until you have a solid sense of the Howard baseline, since quality varies widely in the licensed fiction that appeared through the 1980s and 1990s.
Conan’s literary legacy extends well beyond a single book, which makes choosing the right starting point genuinely rewarding. If you enjoy pulp adventure with a mythological scope, you might also explore our guide to best-co-op-ps4-games for entertainment recommendations across formats, or check the best-compact-at-home-gym if Howard’s warrior ethos inspires you physically as well. Our methodology explains how we evaluate and rank every product we cover.
Frequently asked questions
Which Conan the Barbarian book should a new reader start with?+
Most readers find the best entry point is a curated Howard collection like 'The Complete Chronicles of Conan' by Gollancz. It organizes the original pulp stories chronologically, giving you the full arc of Conan's life without the confusion of scattered anthologies. Howard's prose is vivid and fast-paced, so new readers tend to be hooked within the first story.
Are the non-Howard Conan books worth reading?+
Authors like L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter, and later Karl Edward Wagner expanded the canon with mixed results. The de Camp completions of unfinished Howard stories remain the most compatible with the originals. Modern Marvel and Dark Horse comics offer stunning visuals with decent writing. Purists prefer Howard only, but casual fans enjoy the expanded universe for more content.