Seeking feedback on a series title for Conan pastiches

[leCimmerien]

I am writing a series of Conan pastiches retelling stories from different perspectives. One is submitted, and two are in the hopper. The framing device is an academic who's recently been hired to translate ancient scrolls discovers that the original Conan stories are unreliable.

Which series title makes more sense:

• The Nemedian Counter-Chronicles
• The Counter-Nemedian Chronicles

I find the first punchier. Or something else entirely?

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I'd name the series "The True Life of a Barbarian" or something like that. Out of yours, the first is a bit better, but neither is punchy nor informative enough at first glance.

 

[StillStunned]

As a big fan of REH's Conan, and the initiator of a fan fic challenge for next year, I look forward to reading these!

As for your title: I think you need something snappier. I doubt many people would get the reference, and it's not the kind of title that draws the casual reader in. You might get more traction by mentioning the Hyborian Age, or just using something cheesy.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I agree with @StillStunned. This is erotica, and you need a title that will grab readers attention when scanning the lists. Especially in the sci-fi/fantasy category. Does it need to be so crude as Barbarian Fucking? No, but it sure would help.

 

[cw5523729]

Does it need to be so crude as Barbarian Fucking? No, but it sure would help.

How about:

"Conan the Pussy Destroyer"?
"A barbarian in the sack"?
"Conan gives them his mighty sword"?

I could keep going but I won't

eta: but don't worry, @StillStunned did instead

 

[StillStunned]

"Naked Barbarians And Their Tools"
"What Conan Did, And Who He Did It With"
"Rape And Pillage: The True Story Of Conan"
"Simmering In Cimmeria: Hot Stories Of Barbarian Loving"
"Swords And Sorcery And Sex: How Conan Really Conquered Aquilonia"

 

[leCimmerien]

Thanks for the feedback. Everyone is right—the original title is too inside-baseball. I'll let it Cimmeria for a while.

See what I did there?

 

[TheWritingGroup]

To answer OP's original question, the first one sounds better in my head. I find the second one hard to parse, which isn't going to encourage readers.

Don't treat all these alternate titles as criticism of your ideas or writing. It's something the Authors Hangout often drifts into when someone (like you) raises an interesting question.

That said: "The Secret History of Conan the Barbarian" (if you feel like you can use the real character's name), or "The Secret History of the Cimmerian"?

--Annie

 

[StillStunned]

"King Conan And The Cuck Queen"
"The Tower Of The Elephant Schlong"

These are pure gold, I'm telling you.

 

[cw5523729]

"King Conan And The Cuck Queen"
"The Tower Of The Elephant Schlong"

These are pure gold, I'm telling you.

I'd totally read all of those

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Well, if you're going to pastiche actual titles, "Red Nipples"? "A Bitch Shall Be Born"?

 

[MillieDynamite]

Either works equally well, use one for half the stories you're writing, and the other for the second half (with a clear indication it follows the first)

 

[leCimmerien]

"King Conan And The Cuck Queen"
"The Tower Of The Elephant Schlong"

These are pure gold, I'm telling you.

Lol. That's a vibe all right.

 

[TheRedLantern]

I hadn't previously considered the fanfic event, but a story about Bêlit, Shemish pirate queen on the Black Coast, is something I've always wanted to do (although don't have an idea for)

 

[ChloeTzang]

I am writing a series of Conan pastiches retelling stories from different perspectives. One is submitted, and two are in the hopper. The framing device is an academic who's recently been hired to translate ancient scrolls discovers that the original Conan stories are unreliable.

Which series title makes more sense:

• The Nemedian Counter-Chronicles
• The Counter-Nemedian Chronicles

I find the first punchier. Or something else entirely?

I suspect a lot of people won't get those references which means you will lose readers who would otherwise have read them. Like me. I love Conan and Robert H Howard in general but a title like that wouldn't catch my eyes and I'd be unlikely to read them.

You need Conan in the title. I will read anything with Conan in the title.

I'd suggest approaching it the way George MacDnald Fraser did with the Flashman Chronicles.

"Conan and the Cuck Queen of Quonset"
"Conan and The Tower Of The Elephant Schlong""

Have the primary title something like "The Nemedian Counter-Chronicles of Conan the Barbarian" (which might be a bit long., not sure) and the secondary tite as "Conan and the Camel-Fuckers of Cthulhu"

If you're doing them as a series even better

And write a punchy little forward (again, Flashman makes a great reference as to how to do it) explaining how these tales emerged as a result f blah blah blah.....

 

[leCimmerien]

I suspect a lot of people won't get those references which means you will lose readers who would otherwise have read them. Like me. I love Conan and Robert H Howard in general but a title like that wouldn't catch my eyes and I'd be unlikely to read them.

You need Conan in the title. I will read anything with Conan in the tiutle.

I'd suggest approaching it the way George MacDnald Fraser did with the Flashman Chronicles.

"Conan and the Cuck Queen of Quonset"
"Conan and The Tower Of The Elephant Schlong""

Have the primary title something like "The Nemedian Counter-Chronicles of Conan the Barbarian" (which might be a bit long., not sure) and the secondary tite as "Conan and the Camel-Fuckers of Cthulhu"

If you're doing them as a series even better

And write a punchy little forward (again, Flashman makes a great reference as to how to do it) explaing how these tales emerged as a result f blah blah blah.....

This is solid advice. Thank you. I’ve written a framing story about a lady who’s invited to translate a bunch of recently discovered scrolls. Looks like the first story is set to go live overnight.

If anyone fucks a camel, it won’t be Conan.

 

[MrPixel]

I can't get past the title line of this thread without thinking, "That whiny late-night comic I can't stand? There's not anything sexy about him. But fan-fic is fan-fic, I guess."

 

[leCimmerien]

The story is live.

 

[ChloeTzang]

The story is live.

Short but sweet

 

[leCimmerien]

Short but sweet

Thank you.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Thank you.

You're welcome - now I am wanting more backstory - amd to see how his escape goes, why he was locked up, what other girls fall before his horses hooves.....

Okay, I'm hooked LOL

I did say I love Conan

 

[TheRedLantern]

The story is live.

I read it and liked it.

I knew what Nemedia was, so I am in your target audience

 

[leCimmerien]

I read it and liked it.

I knew what Nemedia was, so I am in your target audience

Bless you. I’m going to stick with the title for now.

Frost Giant’s Daughter is up next. If there are other stories you’d especially like to see, please let me know.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Frost Giant’s Daughter is up next. If there are other stories you’d especially like to see, please let me know.

Now I want to see "Conan vs. the Frost Giants Daughters."

He has to satisfy them, or remain a prisoner in Niflheim forever. He can't fight his way out, because they won't fight him, they just ask him how he plans to cross endless ice plains without their help.

--Annie

 

[leCimmerien]

Now I want to see "Conan vs. the Frost Giants Daughters."

He has to satisfy them, or remain a prisoner in Niflheim forever. He can't fight his way out, because they won't fight him, they just ask him how he plans to cross endless ice plains without their help.

--Annie

Alas, there’s only one frost giant’s daughter. Conan gets himself into a threesome in the story after that though.