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 in 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 for 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.
Reception
Don D'Ammassa, while noting that "Robert E. Howard's Conan is ... the archetypal barbarian fantasy hero," and his "original stories remain the best examples of that form," felt this collection "contains some of the best examples of stories inspired by the unchallenged master" with "several good stories ... most notably "The People of the Summit" and "Shadows in the Dark", as well as a very extensive index to Hyborian names and an essay on the saga, both by De Camp."[3]
Harriet Klausner in MBR Bookwatch called the book "a marvelous short story collection" and "wonderful anthology" of "delightful" stories in which "[e]ach story holds its own with the overall Conan mythos and most add depth to the celebrated character and his world." She singles out "Legions of the Dead" as "[e]specially good" and de Camp's introductory essay as "[e]qually fascinating to readers" for "provid[ing] plenty of insight into Conan and his world as well as Robert E. Howard."[4]
References
^ abcdLaughlin, Charlotte; Daniel J. H. Levack (1983). De Camp: An L. Sprague de Camp Bibliography. San Francisco: Underwood/Miller. p. 42.
