An Echo from the Iron Harp
Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, provided by Glenn Lord. Howard typed his lines across an entire sheet; we have broken these into two lines each. Lines with initial capital letters begin one of Howard’s long lines, while those which begin with lowercase letters continue the line before. The only exception is “Marius” at 216.12.1, capitalized as a proper name but part of a continuing line.
Lord of the Dead
Text taken from Howard’s typescript, copy provided by the Cross Plains Public Library. 219.11.3: “to” inserted in pencil by unknown hand; 220.3.1: basketfull; 221.7.11: impetuous; 221.27.10: colon rather than semicolon after “Brent,” “A” capitalized; 222.2.1: street, comma after; 222.5.9: “of” not in typescript; 222.17.14: street; 223.29.6: street; 223.41.5: street; 224.4.7: no comma after “dark” 224.8.12: lislessly: 227.7.15: street; 227.23.10 impells; 227.34.12: any; 228.16.10: no comma after “apprehension” 228.28.2: street; 228.30.2: unobtrusedly; 228.30.5: street; 228.34.3: street; 228.35.7: street; 229.2.3: street; 229.9.14: Alley; 229.19.11: Alley; 229.20.4: street; 230.15.6: “if” not in typescript; 231.34.7: shown; 233.25.4-5: other one end; 233.35.4: broad edged; 235.17.5: street; 235.19.12: street; 235.27.4: Confucious; 237.31.8: street; 238.15.4: paroxism; 240.7.12: word obliterated between “his” and “fury,” possibly “berserk” 240.31.10: street; 240.36.2: street; 241.11.15: riection; 241.30.5: comma after “Khan.”
Untitled
Text taken from a letter from Robert E. Howard to August Derleth, dated May 9, 1936, copy obtained from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. No changes have been made for this edition.
“For the Love of Barbara Allen”
Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, copy provided by Glenn Lord. The story was originally untitled; the title is Lord’s. 249.1.1: T’was; 249.10.8: John; 249.12.7: Joel; 250.5.2: petulent; 250.26.7: saddles; 251.33.8: Alleghanies; 252.29.3: comma after “wagons” 253.23.14: dizzingly; 253.25.8: stable-floor; 253.39.12: “lack-lustre” hyphenated at line break; 254.3.10: times’ 254.4.13: no closing quotation marks; 254.8.1: frowsy headed; 254.29.13: John; 254.34.4: John; 255.11.6: hand; 255.15.4: semicolon after “else,” “that’s” not capitalized; 255.16.12: no closing quotation marks.
The Tide
Text taken from Night Images (Morning Star Press, 1976). No changes have been made for this edition.
The Valley of the Worm
Text taken from Weird Tales, February 1934. 260.29.7: “Worm’s-bane” hyphenated at line break; 265.14.7: “pow-wow” hyphenated at line break; 275.15.9: heiroglyphics; 278.5.10: “tree-tops” hyphenated at line break.
The Dust Dance: Selections, Version II
Text taken from The Howard Collector, Spring 1968. 279.23.7: steal.
The People of the Black Circle
Text taken from Howard’s carbon copy, provided by Glenn Lord, supplemented by the text in Weird Tales, September, October, and November 1934. The surviving carbon copy is incomplete, lacking pages 1–9 and 92 of a 98 page typescript; the missing text (from the beginning to “she asked” (289.18) and from “so willingly” (346.25) to “repeated helplessly” (347.10) are taken from the Weird Tales appearance. Howard’s chapters are untitled on the carbon copy; it is not known whether the titles are Howard’s or Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright’s. Changes from the Weird Tales text: 286.3.9: sap; 287.4.2: Hills; 288.5.2: Majesty; 288.37.14: Skalos; 289.1.5: Majesty; 289.8.1: “a” omitted. Changes from Howard’s carbon copy: 289.36.15: b; 290.38.1: Eastern; 291.41.1: country-side; 292.5.11: Then; 292.31.10: sent led; 295.7.6: train; 295.10.8: unwanted; 295.20.12: of; 296.7.14: not of one of; 297.7.3: between; 298.37.5: excercise; 298.38.9: excercises; 300.10.9: “the” absent from typescript; 300.15.7: “star-light” hyphenated at line break; 300.18.1: no comma after “carelessly” 300.37.1: quiesence; 301.11.4: when; 301.38.5: gripped; 302.32.1: hillsmen; 303.10.6: irrelevent; 303.12.9: liad; 304.32.12: into; 304.33.4: seem; 306.8.5: Irakzai; 308.10.12: fore-finger; 309.12.11: asonished; 309.13.3: distended; 309.30.4: “as” absent from typescript; 311.5.9: no comma after “through” 313.27.12: profferred; 313.34.10: hit; 313.35.3: supply; 314.22.1: comma after “flight” 315.9.7: north west; 316.13.3: “in” absent from typescript; 316.14.7: what ever; 316.38.6: hypnostism; 318.34.4: hundred; 318.40.4: neophism; 318.41.12: excercise; 319.20.2: Raksha; 320.32.12f: the top-left corner of the carbon paper is torn; “He shook” and the “l” of “loose” are missing; the missing words appear in the Weird Tales version and in the first draft of the story; 321.7.7: river bed; 321.40.6: traffick; 322.6.1: “chief” not in original; 323.34.8: tough; 324.37.7: comma after “than” 325.13.11: gald; 325.20.3: herslf; 325.20.4: in; 325.26.3: scrutinised; 325.32.7: every; 326.20.7: “to” not in original; 326.36.11: loosly; 327.2.5: onlique; 327.13.4: on; 328.7.5: comma instead of semicolon after “fingers” 329.13.6: no comma after “first” 329.25.11: no comma after “suddenly” 329.35.11: “stems” not in original; the word appears in the Weird Tales version and in the first draft; 330.13.8: “in” not in original; 331.22.11: wide braced; 332.2.13: infest; 332.20.3: “did” not in original; 333.7.4: half blinded; 333.12.13: thunder storm; 333.13.7: nightning; 334.14.3: green robed; 334.16.4: “as” not in original; 334.32.1: sheer walled; 335.40.1: “in a” in original; 337.22.4: unprecendented; 338.15.14: black robed; 338.18.13: black robed; 339.22.10: no comma after “mid-stride” 339.40.10: reinacted; 340.12.13: suddeness; 340.15.13: “if” not in original; 340.30.11: “whether” not in original; 340.40.7: black robed; 340.40.12: no comma after “convulsions” (typed to right edge of paper); 341.27.9: “the” not in original; 341.40.10: his; 342.7.7: stars; 342.9.7: left hand; 342.39.2: half way; 343.3.4: sandal-wood; 344.6.1: He (there is no chapter transition at this point in Howard’s carbon copy); 344.14.6: hair; 344.36.2: dociley; 345.7.5: to; 345.34.1: His; 345.38.1: semicolon instead of comma after “Yes” 349.15.6: left hand; 349.30.12: “was” repeated; 349.37.7: van-guard; 350.23.1: accepting.
Beyond the Black River
Text taken from Howard’s carbon copy, provided by Glenn Lord. Pages 1 and 65 of the carbon were in such bad shape that they had to be retyped by Lord, respecting Howard’s layout and errors. The chapters are untitled in the carbon copy, except for the first one. A blank line below the heading for each new chapter suggests that Howard intended to add titles later; these may have been present in the typescript sent to Weird Tales or may have been added by editor Farnsworth Wright. 353.8.3: and a; 353.14.8: settlers’ 355.3.8: “been” not in original; 356.13.3: “and” absent from original; 360.34.4: the words “straying” and “strayed” appear on the carbon, one typed over the other, but it is not clear which was Howard’s final choice; 360.41.3: accomodate; 361.4.12: “of” absent from original; 361.15.10: blunder; 364.19.7: pythong; 367.8.7: breek; 367.9.8: sword; 368.19.3: touched; 369.9.8: coifures; 370.3.7: “four of” in original; 370.14.1: accomodated; 370.19.8: of; 372.1.12: that; 372.11.9: beast; 372.26.9: thew; 373.6.6: futiley; 373.17.13: “in” unreadable due to crease in carbon copy; 373.27.8: ancient; 377.30.2: avoiding; 377.36.1: cubs (Weird Tales has “bloodhounds,” Howard’s first draft “blood-hounds”); 377.39.7: “and” absent from original; 379.22.13: carnivora; 379.40.12f: “looking for us” unreadable due to crease in carbon copy, taken from Weird Tales text; 380.2.6: “to” absent from original; 380.13.10: doesn’ (typed to right edge of paper); 381.9.9: villave; 382.2.11: “with” after “trade” in original; 382.40.2: laying; 383.11.8: “the” absent from original; 384.6.7: “a” absent from original; 387.9.12: “yards” absent from original, taken from Weird Tales text; 387.20.7: furious; 387.23.5: no comma after “Cimmerian” 388.12.8: accrosst; 388.19.1: broast; 389.24.4: glancing; 391.37.13: “and” unreadable due to crease in carbon; 392.20.3: hideous; 392.20.4: slashdd; 392.29.1: “was” instead of “no” 392.31.4: growl; 393.21.11: pleasur (typed to right edge of paper); 395.16.8: “shoulders” absent from original, taken from Weird Tales text; 396.25.5: “blood” instead of “
wound” in original; 396.31.7: boths; 398.34.12: slepp; 398.39.12: comma after “blazed” 400.25.2: settlers’ 402.21.1f: the carbon is torn here and the first two words (“No; Conajohara”) are unreadable; text taken from Weird Tales.
A Word from the Outer Dark
Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, provided by Glenn Lord. No changes have been made for this edition.
Hawk of the Hills
Text taken from Top-Notch, June 1935. 405.4.10: “heart-breaking” hyphenated at line break: 406.30.5: “head-man” hyphenated at line break: 407.7.5: coördination; 407.11.9: hyphen between “hand” and “fighting” 408.38.11: today; 410.23.5: semicolon after “structure” 411.40.13: rôle; 415.23.5: “the” not in original; 419.39.5: fire-arm hyphenated at line break; 419.39.8: to-day; 420.25.8: reëchoing; 424.5.3: end quotation after “mine?” 428.1.5: reënforce; 430.29.8: “pit-like” hyphenated at line break; 433.7.6: “El” not in original; 439.33.7: to-night; 440.1.7: To-night; 440.8.12: to-night; 442.17.5: tomorrow; 448.1.1: To-night.
Sharp’s Gun Serenade
Text taken from Action Stories, January 1937. 456.28.6: too; 459.36.11: night; 465.9.11: period after “her’n” 465.9.12: A; 465.26.4: period after “business.”
Lines Written in the Realization That I Must Die
Text taken from Weird Tales, August 1938. No changes have been made for this edition.
Our work on this book would never have been possible without the direct and indirect aid of so many people. James Van Hise, who first introduced us to Robert E. Howard. Marcelo Anciano to whom we owe so much. Jack and Barbara Baum for their friendship and trust. Tony Swatton and the gang at Sword & Stone for their excellent armour, weapons, and expertise. M. Graham & Co. for the oils used on the cover illustration. Michael Venables for his priceless textual guidance. And Bill Sampson, for a million reasons. We would also like to express our gratitude to Mark Westermoe, Mark Schultz, Ed Waterman, Tom Gianni, Christian Svensson, Madison Mason, James Black, Eric Underwood, and Beth Kennedy. And of course big thanks to Rusty, Stuart, Patrice, David, Fredrik, and Thommy.
Jim & Ruth Keegan
Deepest thanks to Jim, Ruth, and Stuart, who came through like champs; to Marcelo, whose vision continues to inspire us; to Glenn, Paul, Patrice, David, Nino, Lee, and Frank for assistance with the texts; to Cherry Shults at the Cross Plains Library for providing copies of typescripts; to the members of the REH Inner Circle and others who responded to my polling for the best REH stories; to the members of the Robert E. Howard United Press Association, past and present, for thirty-five years of carrying the standard; and as always to Shelly, for her patience, love and support.
Rusty Burke
My thanks go once again to Marcelo and Rusty for making this an enjoyable experience, Jim and Ruth for their excellent illustrations–it was a pleasure meeting you both. Thanks also to Mandy and Emma for being even more patient with me as I did this at home on a laptop at the dining table! I’d also like to say thank you to Matthew Foster, for his friendship and our many literary debates over the years on the merits of Howard, Lovecraft, and Machen.
Stuart Williams
I’d like to thank Rusty and Stuart for their consistent and wonderful support and most of all Jim and Ruth for making it all seem so easy with their fantastic work, thanks. Thanks must also go to Graziana who makes it all worthwhile.
Marcelo Anciano
THE FULLY ILLUSTRATED ROBERT E. HOWARD LIBRARY
from Del Rey Books
The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian
The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane
The Bloody Crown of Conan
Bran Mak Morn: The Last King
The Conquering Sword of Conan
Kull: Exile of Atlantis
The Best of Robert E. Howard
Volume 1: Crimson Shadows
The Best of Robert E. Howard
Volume 2: Grim Lands
(forthcoming)
*1 To avoid confusion I have used the modern terms for places and clans.—AUTHOR
Return to text.
The Best of Robert E. Howard, Volume One is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
A Del Rey Trade Paperback Original
Copyright © 2007 by Robert E. Howard Properties, LLC
Published in the United States by Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
DEL REY is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
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