Conan Saga - 1
In the early 20th century in America, there were magazines called "pulp magazines." Not referring to any specific one, but cheap rags printed on low-quality paper. This world had something similar too. More precisely, they'd started popping up recently. People who sniffed out money in trashy short stories you might call "hard-boiled violence" had begun professionally publishing magazines dedicated solely to that sort of thing.
"Hello! I'm Ryan, the one running the magazine Half and Half! I heard you came on a recommendation from President Dolling!"
"Ah, yes. No need to greet me so formally..."
"Nonsense! Anyone connected to President Dolling is like a big brother to me!"
And so, Half and Half was one of those cheap rags. They'd named it that because it sold for half the price of half the other magazines. The paper quality was so abysmal it tore if you so much as flexed it a little. Exactly the level of magazine I'd been hoping for.
"The reason I came to see you, President Ryan, is that I'd like to serialize a novel in the magazine you're running."
"Eh, a novel, you say?"
"Yes."
"Well... it's not my place as president to say this, but our manuscript fees per word are only about half of what other magazines pay."
"Oh, that's fine. It's not about the money."
"Pardon?"
In lieu of an answer, I pulled a manuscript from my pocket and handed it to him.
"Here—this is the manuscript for the novel I want to serialize."
"This is..."
The president took it with a slightly dazed look, then flipped it open right there and started reading. I liked his attitude. It felt like he was in this business because he genuinely loved novels.
"...It's fun. The reflections of real culture and history are... a total mess. But it's so engaging you don't even care."
"Right?"
"You're going to serialize something like this in our magazine?"
"If I didn't plan to, I wouldn't have come to you."
"...I've never felt quite so ashamed that my magazine might as well be used as toilet paper."
"On the contrary, I think that's exactly why this novel fits."
What I'd brought was the origin of what people commonly call "American-style fantasy"—protagonist-centered fantasy. The prototype for every "sword and sorcery fantasy" that led to modern web novels, the forebear of all those infamous "genre novels" with their simplistic, straightforward plots like isekai or power fantasies.
"A protagonist this bold yet not off-putting—it's a first. Conan the Barbarian... even the name has a rugged charm."
"I'm thinking of calling the series Conan Saga."
Conan Saga.
"Conan Saga... Looking forward to working with you, author."
"Same here, President."
"Is this the novel you're planning to serialize next, young master?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm, it's entertaining, but... it feels a bit light. There are parts that feel off because they don't match reality..."
"But it's fun, right?"
"Yes. That's what's so strange about it."
Conan Saga—the Conan the Barbarian series—is the archetype of all protagonist-centered fantasies. This "sword and sorcery world" would later influence D&D, paving the way for TRPGs and CRPGs, shaping the worldviews of video games. If Don Quixote is the father of all modern literature, then the Conan the Barbarian series is the father of all subculture!
"Fun is all that matters."
"I think I understand why you chose a new pen name for this one. The capital's critics would surely shower it with criticism if they read it."
"Huh? Oh, that's not really why."
Whether the critics trash it or not is none of my business. I'd always filtered them out, past life or this one.
"Then why hide the pen name?"
"If they knew it was me—Homerus—they'd try to jack up the fees."
"...Pardon?"
My goal was to sow the seeds of genre novels in the pulp fiction market. For that, I needed as many magazines selling as possible, as many people reading as possible. Higher prices weren't what I wanted.
"Plus, writing under a new pen name has another advantage."
"What advantage?"
"It's easy to dismiss."
"...Pardon?"
Simply put, it increases the odds of aspiring writers thinking, "Even I could write better than this." Rough prose, shoddy research, linear plots, flat characters... the hallmarks of pulp fiction lure readers into that bizarre illusion: "I could do better."
Even Edgar Rice Burroughs, famous for Tarzan, picked up his pen after reading pulp fiction and thinking the same thing.
"But doesn't that mean it has only downsides...?"
"That's exactly the upside. Heh heh..."
"...You really are an unusual person, young master. Someone ordinary like me can't quite follow your thinking."
"Think simple. Every reader is a potential writer. So growing readers means growing writers."
No matter how much money or honor you have, a life without culture to enjoy is a dead one. The human soul can only be filled with literature. That's why I'm plagiarizing my past life's works in this world—creating soil where new literature can sprout and scattering the seeds.
"By the way, what's the meaning behind your new pen name?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing really. I just picked it at random."
Sion's question made me avert my eyes, feeling oddly embarrassed. I couldn't help getting a little shy every time I talked about pen names. But honestly, how could I resist?
"Herodotus... it feels similar to your existing pen name, 'Homerus.'"
"Yeah."
The father of Western history. The man who invented the discipline of "history" itself. Herodotus. That was my second pen name.
"Um, young master."
"Yeah?"
"When do you plan to write the next installment?"
"...Pfft, fun, right?"
"I-it is. I can't help being curious about what happens next."
"I've got it written already. Here."
"Thank you...!"
The first installment of Conan Saga hit the world soon enough. Since I'd made a separate pen name just for magazine serializations, there was no buzz about it being a new work from Homerus. Instead, thanks to Half and Half's cheap accessibility, it spread rapidly among the lower classes.
"Hey, have you read this magazine?"
"Half and Half? That cheap rag for a few coins? Reading that'll just hurt your eyes."
"It's not like that! There's this serial called Conan Saga—it's seriously fun! It stirs a man's heart or something. Just read it!"
"What's it about to get you so worked up?"
"It's about this barbarian from a savage tribe named Conan smashing his enemies..."
"Heh. Another one of those? I don't care for novels that are just mindless thrills."
"No, listen! Conan's a hero! A passionate, righteous hero that stirs a man's soul!"
"Hmm, you make it sound intriguing. Guess I'll give it a shot."
It especially caught fire by word of mouth among factory workers at the magic tool plants.
"Conan the Barbarian is a real man! Loyalty, love, violence!"
"Damn right. I wanna be like that barbarian. Nobles just strut around pretending to be refined—they're the real savages. Don't you think true justice lies with barbarians like him?"
Unlike the glut of violent stories already flooding the market, Conan the Barbarian's "noble savage" character was refreshingly straightforward without being repulsive. The pure, noble savage Conan overlapped with the "chivalry" in existing Knight Literature.
Lines like "[Civilized men are more rude than savages because their heads don't split open for rude words]" resonated deeply with readers suffering society's absurdities.
Of course, not everyone loved it.
"Tch, fawning over such simplistic drivel. Says it all about their level."
"The magic research is sloppy too... Why's this popular? It grated on me the whole time."
As the work gained traction, so did the critical voices. The protagonist-driven linear story objectively lacked plausibility and verisimilitude in many spots. Poor research and historical accuracy were other points of attack. Since "sword and sorcery" was born from Earth's imagination, it was inevitable it'd draw flak for inaccuracies in a fantasy world where real magic existed.
In the end, reader reactions split two ways.
"I wanna write something this fun too!"
"I could write better than this!"
Publishing house Half and Half. Just like with Don Quixote, a flood of fan letters poured in.
"These are all the fan letters addressed to me?"
"Yes, author..."
The difference this time?
[Even for a savage with a dim brain, jumping into danger just to keep one promise is too frustrating, isn't it? I was expecting a bold tale...]
Hello. This is Milli Cleang, Chief Mage of the Grey Tower. I'm writing because some depictions of magic in your work don't match reality. Regarding the ancient magic described in the story...]
[Isn't this plagiarized from Don Quixote?]
Fans, yes—but anti-fans.