Conan And The Songs Of The Dead (Conan (Dark Horse Unnumbered)) [Paperback]

Joe R. Lansdale (Author), Tim Truman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Conan (Dark Horse Unnumbered) | Publication Date: April 11, 2007

The Cimmerian travels to the aid of an old ally in the wretched wastes of Stygia - a desert harboring wealth undreamed of, even for the barbarian. Soon his pursuit of the ancient treasure reveals a conniving spirit and undead guards. Dust from the desolate land meets blood, and a dark-hearted sorcerer brings forth strange abominations from this unholy mix. Only the cool head and cold steel of the Cimmerian can save all creation from the horror that awaits, and the blood-spattered conclusion will send shivers down the spines of even the most hardcore Conan fans!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two old pros have fun in this latest installment of the Conan saga. Robert E. Howard's muscle-bound barbarian is usually presented as a grim loner; thus, it's surprising when, coming upon the thief Alvazar buried in hot sand up to his neck, Conan jovially gives him a refreshing drink of dog's blood, then butchers the priests who were executing the man for stealing a sacred relic. This version of Conan needs a comic sidekick, and his banter with Alvazar enlivens the string of adventures as the two team up to track down a series of magical objects that they hope to sell for money, but that also could open the way for a malevolent elder god to re-enter this world. Along the way, the two rogues encounter wizards, animated mummies, demons and a very lusty djinn. Severed limbs and heads fill the air every few pages, but so do good-old-boy quips. Truman has been expert at drawing this kind of droll action-adventure since Grimjack, and Lansdale has honed a knack for sly, outrageous humor in his Hap & Leonard crime novels . Their collaboration is a genuine, if somewhat guilty, pleasure. (Apr.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (April 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593077181
• ISBN-13: 978-1593077181
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #427,887 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over thirty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in eighteen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Hotep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror." He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maybe not the best Conan out there, but still pretty good, November 28, 2010

By 

Dan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Conan And The Songs Of The Dead (Conan (Dark Horse Unnumbered)) (Paperback)

Artwork:

Although I like the artwork of the Conan Volumes (Busiek/Nord) better, the artwork in this one is still pretty decent. I think it renders Conan fairly accurately. It is a different style, so it's not going to look the same as other Conan works. That being said, I have a real issue with people that say "the art sucked". Every person's opinion is going to be different. If you're not sure if you're going to like it, go to the top and preview a couple pages.

Story:

This is basically an odd couple story: Conan is the straight man and Alvazar is the comic relief. Yes the story is a bit silly at times, but it is basic Conan: Balls to the wall blood, guts, sorcery, and topless women. If you're looking to be intellectually stimulated you're in the wrong place, and you are obviously not familiar with Conan.

Long story short, if you are a fan of Conan you will probably like this, if you're not you will probably consider it a so-so read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All for a bowl of rice!, August 17, 2010

By 

Jason M. Waltz "Rogue Blades Entertainment - ... (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conan And The Songs Of The Dead (Conan (Dark Horse Unnumbered)) (Paperback)

This gorgeous rendition of Conan and the Cimmerian's world is a blast! Fans of sword & sorcery adventuring will find this the colorized epitome of strong classic S&S. Incorporating all of the components--horror, humor, sex, violence, drink, and treasure--in a no-holds-barred fashion by both author and artist, this is a great read.

While I have seen better eye candy, Truman does a marvelous job with such an iconic character, getting better as the book progresses. In fact, the b&w sketches and discussion of his work throughs at the conclusion were simply thrilling. As for Lansdale's tale, I'd never read a thing by him before, so with no expectations, I felt he delivered an action-packed tale at a satisfactory level. Sure, the evil sorcerer did seem to die too quickly come final confrontation, but he gave a good fight throughout and the momentum of the action and the shifting foe somewhat alleviated that.

And dialogue? Banter? Locker-room camp? Since when is S&S above that? Or Conan for that matter? Sure, the great man spoke a bit more than is norm, but he also had a companion that wouldn't shut up. Conan simply rose to the occasion.

I give this 5 stars for entertainment value, not just for quality (though that would probably rate a 4).

Definitely for a mature audience though.

Enjoy!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not good, July 4, 2009

By 

Mark Groessler (Austria) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Conan And The Songs Of The Dead (Conan (Dark Horse Unnumbered)) (Paperback)

Script is way off the mark with this ball of yarn. it reads stupid, art is good through, but story is what kills this book. Read Roy Thomas, Kurt Busiek or Howard's Conan.