Reading Conan

[Mr.J]

Hi guys, I've very much been inspired by the number of Crom and Conan threads popping up all over the place so I was wondering if anyone could recommend a reading order for the stories. I have already read a few of them but I was wondering if there is a particular chronology that anyone might recommend or should I read them in the order they were published?

Also I have only looked at the Robert E. Howard stories is there anyone else I should be looking out for?

[Cubs]

If you get them on the Kindle I think they're already in chronological order (but I may be wrong).

This is the Wiki list of the stories in chrono order -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_chronologies

[Jevenkah]

Speaking for the Robert E. Howard stories, since he wrote them as different anecdotes in Conan's life I don't think you gain anything by reading them in Conan's chronology vs. publication dates. That's the real beauty of these short stories: one great adventure after the next!

I'm not an expert on the subject, but I have yet to read anyone who writes single combat like Howard. He's my favorite and inspiration!

Jevenkah

one caveat: Hour of the Dragon is basically the novelization of "The Scarlet Citadel" so if you like longer stories and not spoilers, read Hour of the Dragon first.

[moonshado]

The Kindle "Complete Conan Saga" is only the stories written by Robert E Howard as Conan stories(i.e. does not include stories originally written by Howard for other characters and other timelines that were rewritten at a later date by other authors to become Conan stories). It is also in original publication date rather than following the chronology of the Conan story.
I would certainly recommend trying to read them in chronological sequence. There are too many references in the stories to previous adventurers not to find that you have inadvertently read a "spoiler" by reading them out of sequence.
If you do decide not to read them in chronological sequence I would suggest you make an exception for those stories that relate to Conan's rise to ruling Aquilonia and his subsequent adventurers as King.