/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.19586427]

What are some good pre-Tolkein fantasy stories and/or authors?
Was thinking about starting from things like Conan the Barbarian but not sure if early pulp fictions (that was supposed to be a cheap entertainment) like that are still worth reading today.

[Anonymous No.19586456]

>>19586427
>The bible

[Anonymous No.19586470]

Nah, Conan's great.

[Anonymous No.19586795]

Conan is very good and definitely worth reading if you want pre Tolkien fantasy. It is more violent than Tolkien, and while not grim dark in a gay and fake way like game of thrones, magic in Conan is evil and a sign of wickedness. Magic is not acknowledged as real by all and few see it much less practice it. When Conan sees it his barbarism kicks into overdrive, partially because Howard often uses magic as a sign of decadent civilization which is the antithesis of Conan, and according to Howard, man's natural state.

Something to keep in mind is, Conans hyborian world is earth, just pre history. So you'll recognize stuff in various countries (India, African tribes, norsemen, etc). Also, there is no specific order. Each story is a chapter in Conans life
Best stories imo
>Phoenix on the Sword
>Queen of the Black Coast
>The Hour of the Dragon
>The People of the Black Circle
>Red Nails

If you like Conan I also recommend Kull. He was written before Conan. Not many of his stories are still around but the ones that are, are pretty good and Kull tends to be a little more of a philosopher than Conan. His world is, again, a pre cataclysmic version of Conans and Conan and much older than it

[Anonymous No.19586923]

>>19586470
>>19586795
Thanks Anons, I’ll definitely check Conan then.
By the way, how’s the works of Howard’s colleagues(Arthur C. Clark and H.P. Lovecraft)?
Shame to admit but only works of Lovecraft I’ve ever read are “Oh no! Sea foods! How terrifying!” ones so far.

[Anonymous No.19586997]

>>19586923
Lovecraft is a mixed bag of pulpy schlock and stories that explore the depths of human dread and anxiety before the reveal. He takes very real fears of real situations and attributes them to forces as incomprehensible and inescapable as the fear itself. Kadath is divisive and a slight departure from his usual short stories, but one of my favorites.

[Anonymous No.19587209]

>>19586923
As far as Howard's contemporaries go, check out Clark Ashton Smith, who wrote many decadent fantasy stories for Weird Tales, a good starting point is the Dark Eidolon
That these men appeared in pulp magazines is no indication of low quality, they were learned and good writers - CAS had read the dictionary from cover to cover - but were often forced to write for a low audience for money or since their style had gone out of favour among the learned as literary tastes degenerated towards realism
For pre-Tolkienian fantasy the two greatest authors are Lord Dunsany and E. R. Eddison, the former writing in a mythological and the latter in a heroic vein, both writers greatly superior to Tolkien, start with Gods of Pegana and the Worm Ouroboros

[Anonymous No.19587237]

>>19586923
>Arthur c clarke
Maybe you mean Clark Ashton Smith? I have not read him
Arthur c clarke is meh. He has some ok scifi stuff but nothing that's not done better elsewhere. I prefer Heinkein, Asimov, and PKD

I've only read 1 of Lovecrafts stories, At the Mountains of Madness. I can see how it likely influenced who goes there (story that ultimately became the thing) and there was some cool stuff but it wasn't really my thing.

[Anonymous No.19587463]

>>19587209
>>19587237
Yeah I meant to say Clark Ashton Smith instead of Arthur C Clarke. Sorry I messed it up lol.

[Anonymous No.19587533]

Conan is basically the original armorclad Gary stu. Maybe an interesting read if you just want a quick entertainment but don't expect anything to deep or unique.

[Anonymous No.19587546]

>>19586427
Literally made a thread about this too. I need something to read before sleep. Help

(not the fuckin bible)

[Anonymous No.19587686]

>>19586427
>What are some good pre-Tolkein fantasy stories and/or authors?
Just start with the French writer Balzac and his exploration of the fantasy world of 19th century France.

[Anonymous No.19587765]

>>19587546
The Histories - Herodotus

[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FG(...) No.19587785]

>>19587546
Al Quran

[Anonymous No.19587799]

>>19587533
>don't expect anything too deep or unique
Conan is more philosophical than most fantasy

[Anonymous No.19587833]

>>19586427
The wrom Ouroboros is not that bad.

[Anonymous No.19587840]

>>19586427
And some of poul Anderson ( not a typo ) ok not pre tolkien but. Is pretty good

[Anonymous No.19588169]

>>19586795
I remember completely unironically innocently writing a paper in highschool about how the world of Conan mirrored the real world, and my teacher didn't like the part about the jews. It wasn't until years later that I realized why.

[Anonymous No.19589870]

>>19586427
>good pre-Tolkein fantasy
George MacDonald

[Anonymous No.19589927]

>>19588169
Do you still have it anon? Post it for the lulz

[Anonymous No.19589973]

>>19586427
Pretty much what this anon said >>19586795 the Conan stories (by Howard) are incredible but they have a different appeal than Tolkien. You read Tolkien partly for the incredible world he made and while the world of Howard is interesting it’s the personal struggles of individuals you read them for.

[Anonymous No.19590324]

Till We Have Faces was published around the same time as The Lord of the Rings.

[Anonymous No.19590450]

>>19586470
Anything by Robert E. Howard, not just Conan. His writing is phenomenal.

Also, what this guy said >>19587209

[Anonymous No.19590467]

The King of Elfland's Daughter and The Charwoman's Shadow by Lord Dunsany

[Anonymous No.19590485]

>>19586427
Gormenghast

[Anonymous No.19590498]

>>19590467
Just read this, and that edition, too. It was nice, but very meandering. Will read it to my kids.

[Anonymous No.19591276]

Conan the Barbarian is awesome. Stories by authors other than Robert E Howard, written later in the 80s, give it the stereotype of being very basic stories of an invincible dude that fucks a bunch of princesses. REH's stuff has a lot more depth, more serious topics such as the negative aspects of civilization, etc. and is just very well written.