Conan the Barbarian.

Just got in from the book store and picked up a copy of the novelization for the new Conan The Barbarian film as adapted by Micheal Stackpole. I'll be reviewing it shortly on my other blog within the next few days before jumping into another of the Tor's.

So for now I'm just going to stick to describing the book itself. Its cover is the same as the 3D poster, Conan standing atop a mound of skulls head bowed and sword drawn. It uses the logo with the sword through it from the 1982 movie which is a bit disappointing. I'd have preferred they come up with their own font. It has the dedication "to the memory of Robert E. Howard" before the acknowledgements and then continues on into the story.

About 200 pages in we get a few snaps from the film itself. Young Conan being shown a sword by Corin. Young Conan crouching in the show, decked out in furs. A shot of some Co-ed Hyrkanian Archers attacking Conan's village. Khalar's Orcs.. I mean Henchmen Remo and Akhoun in Corin's forge. Conan enslaved. A seer telling his visions. Followed by a whole bunch of shots of Khalar Zym and his Daughter. Beyond Momoa none of the other characters really screams Hyborian age to me. But I may be surprised.

The book ends with an advertizment for the film, and for the Dark Horse comics. No mention is made of the 3 volume Del Rey set, or the upcoming "The Stories that inspired the film".

Now that I've worked my way around to that, I can tell you that I thought thats what I was buying, truth be told. I didn't pay that much attention to it at the store. That volume, featuring actual Robert E. Howard stories, isn't out until July 26th. But rest assured as soon as I lay my hands on a copy of it I'll have it here and will post the contents. Until then we will just have to content ourselves with this newest in the never ending list of Hyborean Apocrypha.