The Blade of Conan is a 1979 collection of essays edited by L. Sprague de Camp, published in paperback by Ace Books.

The material was originally published as articles in George H. Scithers’ fanzine Amra. The book is a companion to Ace’s later volume of material from Amra, The Spell of Conan (1980). Most of the material in the two volumes, together with some additional material, was reprinted from three previous books issued in hardcover by Mirage Press; de Camp’s collection The Conan Reader (1968), and the de Camp and Scithers-edited anthologies The Conan Swordbook (1969). and The Conan Grimoire (1972).

Contents

• ix • Editor’s Note (The Blade of Conan) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
• 1 • Swords and Sorcery • (1969) • essay by Dick Eney [as by Richard H. Eney]
• 9 • An Informal Biography of Conan the Cimmerian • (1959) • essay by John D. Clark, Ph.D. and L. Sprague de Camp and P. Schuyler Miller [as by John D. Clark and L. Sprague de Camp and P. Schuyler Miller] 45 • Ocean Trade in the Hyborian Age • (1960) • essay by John Boardman
• 51 • Hyborian Technology • (1963) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
• 67 • The Real Hyborian Age • (1972) • essay by Lin Carter
• 77 • Lord of the Black Throne • (1963) • essay by P. Schuyler Miller (variant of Long After Conan)
• 85 • The Art of Robert Ervin Howard • (1959) • essay by Poul Anderson
• 91 • Memories of R. E. H. • (1966) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
• 99 • Conan on Crusade • (1963) • essay by Allan Howard
• 107 • A Gent from Cross Plains • (1959) • essay by Glenn Lord
• 113 • Editing Conan • (1968) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
• 123 • Howard’s Detective Stories • (1961) • essay by Glenn Lord
• 127 • Howard and the Races • (1977) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
• 131 • The Case for Solomon Kane • (1961) • essay by John Pocsik (variant of Addenda: The Case for Solomon Kane)
• 139 • Stirrups and Scholarship • (1977) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
• 143 • Howard’s Cthuloid Tales • (1966) • essay by Ben Solon
• 151 • Controlled Anachronism • (1966) • essay by Fritz Leiber
• 171 • The Novels of Eric Rücker Eddison • (1959) • essay by John Boardman
• 177 • Hyborians, Be Seated: (The Fantasy of A. Merritt) • (1962) • essay by Raul Garcia Capella (variant of Hyborians Be Seated) [as by Ray Capella]
• 183 • Mundy’s Venhya • (1970) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
• 189 • Titivated Romance • (1966) • essay by Fritz Leiber
• 207 • Weapons Choice, I • essay by W. H. Griffey (variant of Weapons of Choice 1962)
• 211 • Weapons Choice, II • essay by Albert E. Gechter (variant of Weapons of Choice 1962)
• 215 • On Weapons of Choice and/or Necessity • (1963) • essay by Jerry Pournelle [as by Jerry E. Pournelle]
• 219 • Son of Weapons of Choice and/or Necessity • (1965) • essay by Jerry Pournelle (variant of Son of Weapons of Choice &/or Necessity) [as by Jerry E. Pournelle]
• 227 • Range • (1965) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
• 233 • Sublimated Bloodthirstiness • (1965) • essay by Poul Anderson
• 235 • … And as for the Admixture of Cultures on Imaginary Worlds • (1965) • essay by Leigh Brackett (variant of And As to the Admixture of Cultures on Imaginary Worlds ….)
• 243 • Ranging Afterthoughts • (1965) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
• 249 • Arming the Incomplete Enchanter • (1967) • essay by Jerry Pournelle [as by Jerry E. Pournelle]
• 261 • The Complete Duelist • (1964) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
• 263 • Rearming the Incomplete Enchanter • (1973) • essay by Jerry Pournelle [as by Jerry E. Pournelle]
• 275 • Richard the Lion-Hearted is Alive and Well in California • (1969) • essay by Poul Anderson
• 293 • … And Strange-Sounding Names • (1960) • essay by Marion Zimmer Bradley (variant of … And Strange Sounding Names)
• 301 • One Man’s BEM • (1960) • essay by Reginald Bretnor [as by R. Bretnor]

Cover: The Blade of Conan by Sanjulian

Notes

“First Ace printing: May 1979”; no number line
Cover art is credited to Sanjulian on the copyright page; no visible signature

Edited by L. Sprague de Camp