Name of Black Character Similar to Conan?

[Solomon Kane]

Hello,

There was a post on this forum that told about a black character that similar to Conan. Could someone please tell me the name of the character and the author who wrote about this character.

 

[ScottOden]

Imaro by Charles Saunders.

 

[Axerules]

Charles R. Saunders' website: http://www.charlessaunderswriter.com/

A thread dedicated to "Imaro" and CRS on the REH Forum: http://www.conan.com/invboard/index.php?showtopic=1988

 

[Solomon Kane]

Thank you. I have been trying to find that old post. I will try to find copies of these books now.

 

[Strom]

Sacrilegious I know - and I really like Mr. Saunders' Imaro stories - he is a real talent. But I just do not like the name Imaro - it just doesn't roll off the palate like Conan, Kull, Kane & Mak Morn or Elric. I'm not surprised people have trouble remembering the name and - it is possible - that the name contributed to the books having trouble selling. I'm just throwing that out there - I very well could be wrong and I probably am but it occurs to me that the stories are of very high quality and should be in second or third printings and yet something has held back Imaro from the big time. I am not suggesting the name should be different - just that the name lacks the panache of Imaro's peers in the industry.

 

[Yogah of Yag]

IIRC Imaro is derived from a Kiswahili word for strong, whereas Conan is "little dog" in Old Irish. :lol:

 

[Hervé]

Strom wrote:

Sacrilegious I know - and I really like Mr. Saunders' Imaro stories - he is a real talent. But I just do not like the name Imaro - it just doesn't roll off the palate like Conan, Kull, Kane & Mak Morn or Elric. I'm not surprised people have trouble remembering the name and - it is possible - that the name contributed to the books having trouble selling. I'm just throwing that out there - I very well could be wrong and I probably am but it occurs to me that the stories are of very high quality and should be in second or third printings and yet something has held back Imaro from the big time. I am not suggesting the name should be different - just that the name lacks the panache of Imaro's peers in the industry.

I don't think the lack of success of the series has any relation with the hero's name. Though I really like Saunders stories, it looks like a bit too much like an Howard pastiche. It's a bit like saying that Thongor is not as popular as Conan. Pastiches are generally less popular than the original.

I also think that another reason for the lack of success of Imaro is that the hero is black, in a world of all white fantasy heroes where racism often run rampant. Though the mentalities are slowly changing, I'm pretty sure it has been an hindrance to the hero's popularity.

Anyway, any Conan fan MUST read Imaro stories. They are definitively better than any Conan pastiche, be it from LSdC, Carter, Jordan, Perry or whatever.

 

[Spectator]

I think he was called "Bro'nan"

Cha ching!
Audience applauses.