# Is "Conan the Conqueror (The Hour of the Dragon)" by Robert E. Howard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Conan the Conqueror (The Hour of the Dragon) by Robert E. Howard (Gnome Press, 1950) is identified by: Gnome Press first hardcover edition, 1950, titled 'Conan the Conqueror'. Gnome Press 1950 is the true first hardcover Conan book.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gnome Press first hardcover edition, 1950, titled 'Conan the Conqueror'
- Copyright page with Gnome Press imprint and no later printings stated
- Dust jacket art; first state has the original Gnome Press price on the jacket flap
- This was the first Conan story in hardcover
- Publisher imprint reads Gnome Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert E. Howard |
| Publisher | Gnome Press |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gnome Press first hardcover edition, 1950, titled 'Conan the Conqueror' |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Gnome Press first hardcover edition, 1950, titled 'Conan the Conqueror'. Copyright page with Gnome Press imprint and no later printings stated. Dust jacket art; first state has the original Gnome Press price on the jacket flap. This was the first Conan story in hardcover.

## Is this the true first?
Gnome Press 1950 is the true first hardcover Conan book. The original magazine appearance ('The Hour of the Dragon', Weird Tales, 1935-36 serialization) predates it but the book first is the Gnome Press. The 1950s Gnome Conan series volumes are each scarce firsts.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Ace/Lancer paperbacks and the 1960s revivals are reprints, not the Gnome first. Any paperback is a reprint; the Gnome Press hardcover with 1950 imprint is the collectible first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Conan the Conqueror (The Hour of the Dragon)* by Robert E. Howard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/conan-the-conqueror-the-hour-of-the-dragon
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.