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Berserker's avatar

If I like Conan the Barbarian, what else would I like?

Asked by Berserker (33548points) December 27th, 2014
29 responses
“Great Question” (2points)

To save trouble for those who are not familiar with the character beyond the Arnold movies, I’m looking for a form of entertainment that deals with fantasy, but set in a gritty and cruel world. I don’t want big green mountains and flowers and shit, something dark and hopeless, where human morality is not black and white. It doesn’t have to be all philosophical, but it would need to go slightly beyond the cookie cutter hero/villain shit.

This may surprise some, but I would prefer it not to be a video game, although I will gladly hear gaming suggestions. I’m looking more for a comic series, tv show or novel, or sets of novels.

Fantasy. Although science fiction would work, as would horror. Thanks.

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Answers

ZEPHYRA's avatar

Thor and Hulk or not?

ZEPHYRA (21750points)“Great Answer” (0points)
Berserker's avatar

Denno about comic characters at all, besides Conan obviously. Thor could be cool I guess.

Berserker (33548points)“Great Answer” (0points)
Darth_Algar's avatar

Well it’s still Conan, but you should check out the Kurt Busiek/Cary Nord comic series that was published by Dark Horse a few years back.

(Sorry I can’t think of something from a different IP right off hand.)

Darth_Algar (18933points)“Great Answer” (1points)
Mimishu1995's avatar

You may enjoy the Helheim series published by Oni Press. It has a lot to offer you: a dark fantasy setting, vikings, zombies, violence… I haven’t read it yet but I have seen a summary for it, and it looks pretty promising to you.

Mimishu1995 (23625points)“Great Answer” (3points)
Berserker's avatar

@Darth_Algar Yeah, I have a some Conan comics from Darkhorse, and I love the artwork, and even more, how it recaptures the actual Conan idea and mythos, least so far. I only have two issues though. Would enjoy to get my hands on more.

@Mimishu1995 I’ll do some homework on that, thanks. :) Viking zombies you say?

Berserker (33548points)“Great Answer” (0points)
Earthbound_Misfit's avatar

I enjoyed Michael Moorcroft’s novels very much. I think you’d enjoy them. He is/was? a quite prolific writer and I think he fits the genre you’re looking for every well.

Have you read Stephen Donaldson’s The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series? I loved that too.

Earthbound_Misfit (13177points)“Great Answer” (3points)
ucme's avatar

If it was up to me i’d make a show called Colin the Librarian
He’d be a tortured soul, mild & meek, but filled with a satanic hatred for mankind.
Think of a psychotic Clark Kent, born of a jackal, raised by the witness of jehova & matured into all of your worst nightmares.
Colin, the book borrowing bastard, be quiet or die!!

ucme (50047points)“Great Answer” (1points)
Michael_Huntington's avatar

Although I’m not a fan, A Song of Ice and Fire series might be up your alley (or you could just watch Game of Thrones to save time). I finally finished The Gunslinger and I’m willing to dive into the rest of The Dark Tower series (although I’ve been told to stop after the 4th book).

Since we have similar tastes, here’s some that’s on my to-read list:
The Shadow of the Torturer- Gene Wolfe
The Anubis Gates- Tim Power
Prince of Thorns-Mark Lawrence
The Black Company-Glen Cook

Michael_Huntington (15982points)“Great Answer” (1points)
kritiper's avatar

The Dirty Pair.

kritiper (25757points)“Great Answer” (1points)
CWOTUS's avatar

You might enjoy the Monster Hunter novels by Larry Correia. The characters are somewhat cartoonish (superman-like), and the dialog is also pretty elementary – but it fits the bill of being Conan-like.

CWOTUS (26102points)“Great Answer” (1points)
ragingloli's avatar

Batman?

ragingloli (51957points)“Great Answer” (0points)
tinyfaery's avatar

Beast Master

tinyfaery (44083points)“Great Answer” (2points)
Darth_Algar's avatar

@ragingloli

Batman’s pretty much all about black & white morality.

Darth_Algar (18933points)“Great Answer” (0points)
ragingloli's avatar

Conan the Detective?

ragingloli (51957points)“Great Answer” (0points)
dappled_leaves's avatar

Disclaimer: I have not read the Conan series, and am not generally a fan of this genre, though I like sci-fi and fantasy. But I’m good at these kinds of searches.

It sounds like the perfect next step for you would be the Kane series by Karl Edward Wagner (I tried linking the Wiki page, but Fluther doesn’t like the URL. But that will give you a proper list of the novels in order). Wagner was a respected sci-fi writer who was also a big fan of the Conan stories, and later “restored” a version of the early Conan novels.

Also, based on some side discussions around Conan, you might like Poul Anderson’s Last Viking series.

And… multiple votes for Fritz Lieber’s Lankhmar series on this Reddit thread.

dappled_leaves (15893points)“Great Answer” (1points)
filmfann's avatar

Xena, Warrior Princess.
Willow.
Excalibur.
Conan, the Destroyer.
Red Sonja.

filmfann (52218points)“Great Answer” (1points)
ARE_you_kidding_me's avatar

The thirteenth warrior

Game of thrones not good enough?

ARE_you_kidding_me (20021points)“Great Answer” (1points)
Darth_Algar's avatar

Note: avoid ‘Conan the Destroyer’ at all costs.

Darth_Algar (18933points)“Great Answer” (1points)
downtide's avatar

Look up the Crossroads series by Kate Elliott. Excellent trilogy, not at all a typical fantasy.

There are some movies from the early 80s that fit the genre too. The Beastmaster is the first that comes to mind, also Ladyhawke Both dated by modern standards but great fun to watch. Ladyhawke always made me cry.

downtide (23815points)“Great Answer” (1points)
dappled_leaves's avatar

@downtide Ladyhawke is great, though so more lighthearted than Conan. It reminds me more of Legend or Labyrinth. They were all released within a year of each other, which probably strengthens that connection in my mind. :)

dappled_leaves (15893points)“Great Answer” (1points)
Kropotkin's avatar

Samurai Cop.

Kropotkin (13761points)“Great Answer” (1points)
kritiper's avatar

“Tarzan, the ape man”, “Turok, son of stone.”

kritiper (25757points)“Great Answer” (0points)
Berserker's avatar

@Earthbound_Misfit Never heard of any of those, but thanks for the suggestions. :)

@ucme l’d watch the fuck out of that.

@Michael_Huntington Yes, I’ve heard a lot about this Game of Thrones thing. I should probably check that out. And yeah, I like Gene Wolf. A username I use a lot online is Terminus Est, from The Book of the New Sun.

@dappled_leaves Damn, this Kane business seems really cool. Plus, Last Vikings, of course I’m going to have to check that out.

@filmfann Yes, I’m familiar with all of that. I guess you didn’t know it, but Xena is one of my favorite things on this earth, ever. And yeah @Darth_Algar, Destroyer does suck lol. And that last Conan movie did as well. Sigh. :(

@ARE_you_kidding_me Never seen no GoT.

Thanks to @downtide and @tinyfaery for Beastmaster. This has been suggested to me more than once. Gonna have to check, I reckon. Also I love Rahan lol.

Thanks everyone for helping. :)

Also, I’m Batman.

Berserker (33548points)“Great Answer” (2points)
rojo's avatar

What about “The Vikings” series that is on TV these days? Pretty dark, gritty, brooding, blood, gore and even a storyline and decent acting.

rojo (24179points)“Great Answer” (1points)
Berserker's avatar

Yes, I’m a fan. :)

Berserker (33548points)“Great Answer” (1points)
rojo's avatar

I also enjoyed “The Eagle”. Particularly the way the Picts were pictured. just practicing my alliteration

rojo (24179points)“Great Answer” (0points)
ARE_you_kidding_me's avatar

Thirteenth warrior
valhalla rising

ARE_you_kidding_me (20021points)“Great Answer” (1points)
filmfann's avatar

How about “Shogun Assassin”. It is the dubbed version of Lone Wolf and Cub parts 1 & 2.

filmfann (52218points)“Great Answer” (1points)
Berserker's avatar

Lone Wolf and Cub is awesome. :)

Berserker (33548points)“Great Answer” (1points)

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