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Quick answer: If you loved Conan, read Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, then J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, then Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea, and Terry Brooks's The Sword of Shannara and Stephen R. Donaldson's Lord Foul's Bane. All are swords, sorcery and fast pulp adventure.
Robert E. Howard's Conan stories, first published in the 1930s, helped define sword-and-sorcery fiction. They are brisk, violent and full of ancient ruins and sorcerers. These picks offer similar fantasy action.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conan the Barbarian | Robert E. Howard | Adult | pulp sword-and-sorcery |
| The Hobbit | J.R.R. Tolkien | 9-14 | a classic dragon story |
| The Lord of the Rings | J.R.R. Tolkien | All ages | readers who want the source |
| A Wizard of Earthsea | Ursula K. Le Guin | All ages | readers who prefer shorter books |
| The Sword of Shannara | Terry Brooks | Adult | readers who like classic quests |
| Lord Foul's Bane | Stephen R. Donaldson | Adult | readers who want an anti-hero |
| The Blade Itself | Joe Abercrombie | Adult | readers who like grimdark |
| Kings of the Wyld | Nicholas Eames | Adult | readers who want humor |
| The Black Company | Glen Cook | Adult | readers who like military fantasy |
| Gardens of the Moon | Steven Erikson | Adult | readers who want a deep series |
| At the Earth's Core | Edgar Rice Burroughs | Adult | readers who want pure adventure |
| The Land That Time Forgot | Edgar Rice Burroughs | Adult | readers who like lost worlds |
| The Last Kingdom | Bernard Cornwell | Adult | readers who like action |
| Magician | Raymond E. Feist | Adult | readers who want a classic |
| Wizard's First Rule | Terry Goodkind | Adult | the series opener |
1. Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. Howard
Howard's pulp stories of a barbarian warrior in the Hyborian Age laid the groundwork for sword-and-sorcery fiction.
Best for: pulp sword-and-sorcery.
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins leaves his comfortable hole to join thirteen dwarves and the wizard Gandalf in reclaiming treasure guarded by the dragon Smaug. The original dragon quest and a good read-aloud.
Best for: a classic dragon story.
3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The founding epic of modern fantasy. A quest to destroy the One Ring.
Best for: readers who want the source.
4. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Ged, a talented young wizard, unleashes a shadow. A short and wise classic.
Best for: readers who prefer shorter books.
5. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Shea Ommadon sets out to find a sword to defeat the Warlock Lord. A classic quest in the Tolkien tradition.
Best for: readers who like classic quests.
6. Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson
Thomas Covenant, a leper, finds himself in a magical Land. Dark and divisive, and a landmark of the genre.
Best for: readers who want an anti-hero.
7. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Logen Ninefingers, Inquisitor Glokta and Captain Jezal begin a story of war and treachery. Grim and funny.
Best for: readers who like grimdark.
8. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
A band of aging mercenaries reunite for one last job. Funny and rock-and-roll.
Best for: readers who want humor.
9. The Black Company by Glen Cook
A band of mercenaries serves the Lady, a dark sorceress. Terse and cynical, and the root of grimdark.
Best for: readers who like military fantasy.
10. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
The first of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, a dense, epic series. Complex and ambitious.
Best for: readers who want a deep series.
11. At the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs
A mining machine takes two men into a prehistoric world below the surface. Pulpy and fast.
Best for: readers who want pure adventure.
12. The Land That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Survivors of a submarine battle reach an island of dinosaurs and cavemen. Quick and thrilling.
Best for: readers who like lost worlds.
13. The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Uhtred, a Saxon boy raised by Danes, fights in the wars to create England under King Alfred. Fast battle scenes.
Best for: readers who like action.
14. Magician by Raymond E. Feist
Pug, a boy at a castle, becomes a powerful magician as two worlds fight. A classic of epic fantasy.
Best for: readers who want a classic.
15. Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
The first Sword of Truth book. Richard meets Kahlan and the wizard Zedd. Start here if you are new.
Best for: the series opener.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Conan: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Conan. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For classic sword-and-sorcery, read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. For grimmer heroes, try The Blade Itself. For lost-world action, pick At the Earth's Core.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Conan?
Robert E. Howard.
When did Conan first appear?
In 1932.
Is it violent?
Yes, it is pulp action for adults and older teens.
Which book here is best for the series opener?
Try Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind, which suits readers looking for the series opener.