&#8220;FOR HEADLONG, NONSTOP ADVENTURE AND FOR VIVID, EVEN FLORID, SCENERY, NO ONE EVEN COMES CLOSE TO HOWARD.&#8221;<br>&#8211;Harry Turtledove<br><br>In a meteoric career that covered only a dozen years, Robert E. Howard defined the sword-and-sorcery genre. In doing so, he brought to life the archetypal adventurer known to millions around the world as Conan the barbarian.<br><br>Witness, then, Howard at his finest, and Conan at his most savage, in the latest volume featuring the collected works of Robert E. Howard, lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist Greg Manchess. Prepared directly from the earliest known versions&#8211;often Howard&#8217;s own manuscripts&#8211;are such sword-and-sorcery classics as &#8220;The Servants of Bit-Yakin&#8221; (formerly published as &#8220;Jewels of Gwahlur&#8221;), &#8220;Beyond the Black River,&#8221; &#8220;The Black Stranger,&#8221; &#8220;Man-Eaters of Zamboula&#8221; (formerly published as &#8220;Shadows in Zamboula&#8221;), and, perhaps his most famous adventure of all, &#8220;Red Nails.&#8221;<br><br>The Conquering Sword of Conan<i> </i>includes never-before-published outlines, notes, and story drafts, plus a new introduction, personal correspondence, and the revealing essay &#8220;Hyborian Genesis&#8221;&#8211;which chronicles the history of the creation of the Conan series. Truly, this is heroic fantasy at its finest.