In 1932, Robert E. Howard penned a series of fantasy stories featuring Conan, a hulking Cimmerian warrior 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 mid-century novels and Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic films, to the 2011 cinematic remake of Conan the Barbarian. Drawing on disciplines such as stylometry, archeology, cultural studies, folklore studies, and literary history, the essays examine statistical analyses of Conan texts, the literary genesis of Conan, later-day parodies, Conan video games, and much more. By displaying the wide range of academic interest in Conan, this volume reveals the hidden scholarly depth of this seemingly unsophisticated fictional character.
In 1932, Robert E. Howard penned a series of fantasy stories featuring Conan, a hulking Cimmerian warrior 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 mid-century novels and Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic films, to the 2011 cinematic remake of Conan the Barbarian. Drawing on disciplines such as stylometry, archeology, cultural studies, folklore studies, and literary history, the essays examine statistical analyses of Conan texts, the literary genesis of Conan, later-day parodies, Conan video games, and much more. By displaying the wide range of academic interest in Conan, this volume reveals the hidden scholarly depth of this seemingly unsophisticated fictional character.
Jonas Prida is Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Notre Dame University of Maryland in Baltimore.
“Covers Conan in all his various forms, from the original Weird
Tales barbarian, to the hulking brute of the Schwarzenegger film,
to the various computer-generated avatars in the Age of Conan
computer game...a boon to Howard and Howard studies. Though you may
not agree with all the essayists’ conclusions, to see Conan given
serious treatment as a lasting literary and popular figure is
further validation that Howard’s stories are worthy of serious
discussion and analysis.”—The Silver Key
“takes a variety of approaches to the topic, including archaeology,
cultural studies, folklore, and literary history”—Communication
Booknotes Quarterly
“this collection of 10 essays explores Robert Howard’s Conan the
Barbarian from the persepctives of stylometry, cultural studies,
archaeology, folklore studies and literary history”—Reference &
Research Book News.
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