The Tower of the Elephant

The Tower of the Elephant is a fantasy collection featuring two short stories about Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. Howard. Published in 1975 by Donald M. Grant Publisher, the book represents the third installment in their premium Conan series. The title story follows young Conan as he attempts an ambitious heist at a mysterious tower in the city of Arenjun. His quest leads him through deadly traps and supernatural encounters within the Tower of Yara, where an ancient secret awaits. The second story, "The God in the Bowl," presents Conan in a murder investigation at a museum in Nemedia. The tale combines elements of detective fiction with Howard's signature sword and sorcery style. These stories showcase Howard's ability to blend action, horror, and mythological elements while exploring themes of power, corruption, and the tension between civilization and barbarism. The collection stands as an example of early sword and sorcery literature that influenced the broader fantasy genre.

Readers highlight this as one of Howard's strongest Conan stories, with memorable exotic settings and supernatural elements. Many praise the combination of thief/heist narrative with cosmic horror in the later sections. Positive reviews focus on: - Tight pacing and building tension - Vivid descriptions of the tower and its occupants - Conan showing both brutality and compassion - The unexpected story direction in the final act Main criticisms: - Some find the ending rushed - Period-typical racial stereotypes appear in the text - A few readers wanted more action sequences Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (2,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (90+ ratings) From reviews: "The perfect blend of sword & sorcery with horror elements" - Goodreads reviewer "Manages to pack more story into 30 pages than most novels" - Amazon reviewer "Shows Conan's character depth beyond just being a barbarian" - Goodreads reviewer

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson A Viking saga with dark magic and elves follows a mortal warrior's battles against mythical forces in a narrative that captures the raw energy of Howard's sword and sorcery tales.

Jirel of Joiry by C. L. Moore These collected stories feature a female warrior who battles supernatural entities through dark fantasy realms with the same mix of swordplay and sorcery found in Conan's adventures.

Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock The tale of an albino sorcerer-king who wields a soul-drinking sword delivers the same blend of magic, combat, and ancient mysteries present in The Tower of the Elephant.

The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King A medieval fantasy about a falsely imprisoned prince combines crime elements with dark magic in ways that mirror Howard's merger of detection and sorcery.

Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures by Robert E. Howard This collection of Howard's historical adventure tales features the character Dark Agnes and provides the same mix of action and supernatural elements found in the Conan stories.

🗡️ Robert E. Howard created Conan the Barbarian at just 23 years old, writing most of the character's stories between 1932 and 1936. 🏰 "The Tower of the Elephant" was first published in the March 1933 issue of Weird Tales magazine, where it sold for 25 cents. 📚 Howard invented the term "sword-and-sorcery" through correspondence with fellow writer Clark Ashton Smith, helping define an entire genre of fantasy literature. 🌟 The story's exotic setting was inspired by Howard's extensive reading about ancient civilizations, despite never traveling outside of Texas and the surrounding states. 🎭 The character of Conan has appeared in over 100 novels, three major motion pictures, multiple comic book series, and several television shows since Howard's original stories.