Review: Weird Tales (3 Volume Set from PS Publishing) edited by Stephen Jones

by Phil Sawyer

Weird Tales: The Early Years

This 468 page hardcover anthology was published a few months ago by PS Publishing. They are a publisher in England who specialize in fantasy and science fiction books. This is the first book in a set of three.

Mr. Jones writes the introduction and gives you a good and concise history of how and why Weird Tales was started in February of 1923 and was dated on the cover March 1923. Stephen Jones relates that Weird Tales got off to a rocky start and during the 1920s struggled to survive. Farnsworth Wright taking over as editor in 1924 would “prove to be one of the best decisions Weird Tales ever made.”

H.P Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert E. Howard became regular contributors. Many other excellent authors such as Grey La Spina, E. Hoffmann Price, August Derleth, and H. Warner Munn became contributors also. Mr. Jones reports that “By the end of the rocky first decade, the future of Weird Tales was still perilous but under Farnsworth Wright’s guiding hand, it had at least reached a level of stability and professionalism that would see it carry on into the 1930s and beyond.” Mr. Jones also gives you biographical information on the various authors.

Otis Adelbert Kline wrote an editorial for the 1924 anniversary issue titled “Why Weird Tales?” Kline wrote that “We make no pretension of publishing, or even trying to publish a magazine that will please everybody. What we have done, and will continue to do, is to gather around us an ever-increasing body of readers who appreciate the weird, the bizarre, the unusual—-who recognise true art in fiction.

“The writing of the common run of stories today has, unfortunately for American literature, taken on the character of an exact science. Such stories are entirely mechanical, conforming to fixed rules. A good analogy might be found in the music of the electric piano. It is technically perfect, mechanically true, but lacking in expression. As is the case with any art when mechanics are permitted to dominate, the soul of the story is crushed—suffocated beneath a weight of technique. True art—the expression of the soul—is lacking.”

Kline concludes his interesting essay by telling us that “Weird Tales has, from its inception, and will in the future endeavour to find and publish those stories that will make their writers immortal. It will play its humble but necessary part in perpetuating those personalities that are worthy to be crowned as immortals.”

The first story on page 19 is by Anthony M. Rud and is titled “Ooze.” The story is a good horror/thriller about the creation of a giant amoeba and how after much cost it was destroyed.

Farnsworth Wright also contributed to the magazine. Included in this book is “The Snake Fiend” by Wright. It’s a “tale of diabolical terror” concerning a man who goes mad after using snakes to exact revenge on people he hated.

On page 65 is the poem ” The Garden of Evil” by Clark Ashton Smith.

Sonia H. Greene’s “The Invisible Monster” is on page 67. It was revised and edited by husband H.P. Lovecraft and concerns the ghastly fate of some people at a beach resort. It was the only story under Greene’s name and is actually pretty good.

H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Rats in the Walls” is on page 83. This is classic HPL and was a favorite of the readers.

Lovecraft friend C.M. Eddy’s tale “The Loved Dead” is on page 139. This was highly controversial for its time, a tale of necrophilia, and gave Weird Tales quite a bit of notoriety. (All publicity is good publicity?)

Robert E. Howard appears on page 185 with “In the Forest of Villefere.” This werewolf tale concerns the cursed French swordsman “De Montour” and is highly entertaining.

The first Jules de Grandin story by Seabury Quinn, “The Horror on the Links” is on page 189. Weird Tales readers were very enthusiastic about the adventures of de Grandin and many more would follow.

A. Merritt’s only contribution to Weird Tales titled “The Woman in the Wood” is on page 255. It’s a fine tale of a haunted forest that strikes back at the people who are attacking it. Merritt could write an excellent story!

Edmond Hamilton wrote “The Monster God of Mamurth.” It appears on page 283 and is a fine spooky story about a giant invisible spider type creature that haunts part of the desert of North Africa. To me this was one of the scarier stories in this collection.

Frank Belknap Long’s Egyptian based story “The Dog-Eared God” is on page 307 and is well written and haunting.

A haunting and beautiful Robert E. Howard poem “The Song of Bats” is on page 334. It’s marvelous that editor Wright would place poems by Clark Ashton Smith and Howard in Weird Tales. Wright was an excellent editor.

“Two Black Bottles” by Lovecraft’s friend Wilfred Blanch Talman is on page 353. It’s an excellent story. Lovecraft revised and edited the tale and Stephen Jones reports that supposedly Talman was not very happy about the revisions. I am not sure what Talman objected to and will try to find out more if possible.

Lovecraft’s famous “Pickman’s Model” is on page 365. This is one of HPL’s finest stories and the readers were very enthusiastic about it.

Appearing on page 409 in the book is “The Vengeance of Nitocris” by the then 16 year old author Tennessee Williams. Writing as Thomas Lanier Williams the story concerns the vengeance of a dead Pharaoh’s sister on the people who killed the Pharaoh. She commits them to what Sprague would describe as a “lingering and humorous doom.”

“The Curse of Yig” by Zealia Brown Reed is on page 421. The story was edited and rewritten by HPL so that it is basically a Lovecraft tale. It’s a powerful scary story and well worth reading.

Stephen Jones writes in his introduction about “The Eyrie”: ” It was a smart concept which most of the other pulp magazines copied and, over the following decades, many of Weird Tales most popular and prestigious contributors used The Eyrie to voice their praises and complaints— as the sampling in this volume indicates.”

“The Eyrie” goes from pages 439-468. H.P. Lovecraft wrote an incredibly snobby and haughty letter in September 1923. HPL basically told the editors that he, a refined aesthete, might deign to share some of is writings with the vulgar public, but that he doubted if the riff-raff would appreciate them.

On page 178 of his Lovecraft biography Sprague writes that Lovecraft’s “covering letter would be hard to beat for negative salesmanship.”

Sprague continues: “Lovecraft had done everything to assure rejection of his stories: the haughty tone, the art for art’s sake pose, the deprecation of his own work, and the mention of a previous rejection. He all but begged Baird to return his manuscripts.

“All editors know that much of the material submitted to them has already been sent elsewhere, but it is tactless to rub it in….

“It therefore says something for Baird’s objectivity and sense of humor that he bought all five stories and several more that Lovecraft sent him. He published Lovecraft’s letter with a wry note: ‘Despite the foregoing, or because of it, we are using some of Mr. Lovecraft’s stories, and you will find his “Dagon” in the next issue of Weird Tales.'”

Lovecraft being Lovecraft, he still did not appreciate Baird’s generosity and kindness. Sprague tells us: “Lovecraft was dismayed that Baird ‘could not consider their acceptance till I sent them in double-spaced typing. I am not certain whether or not I shall bother. I need the money badly enough—but ugh! I hate typing….I abhor labour.'”

Sprague bleakly concludes: “Lovecraft had not faced up to the need of earning a living. In some ways he never did.”

In February 1926 Robert E Howard wrote in about the Jules de Grandin stories: “These are sheer masterpieces. The little Frenchman is one of those characters who live in fiction…”

August Derleth and Grey La Spinal also wrote in interesting letters concerning Lovecraft’s stories and La Spina thought Mr. Quinn’s story was “corking.”

In May 1926 REH wrote in: “‘The Saga of Grettir the Outlaw’ [an anonymous medieval classic] while told in plain, almost homely language, reaches the peak of horror. You will recall the terrific, Night-long battle between the outlaw and the vampire, who had himself been slain by the Powers of Darkness.”

In May 1926 Howard stated that “‘The Call of Cthulhu’ is indeed a masterpiece, which I am sure will live as one of the highest achievements of literature.”

In October 1929 E. Hoffmann Price wrote in to say how much he enjoyed Howard’s “The Shadow Kingdom.” A. Merritt also wrote in to say how much he enjoyed “The Shadow Kingdom” and many other stories.

And in November 1929 REH informed his fellow readers that he thought that “E. Hoffmann Price’s ‘A Jest and a Vengeance’ had captured the true Spirit of the East . . . just as Kipling did.”

There are many other informative and fun letters in “The Eyrie.”

All in all, this is a splendid volume. It’s beautifully bound and printed and very readable. The publishers have also cleverly made the paper and type resemble the pulp paper and type used in Weird Tales. The book is very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book and the following two volumes. You can order them from the publisher or through Amazon for about $36.00 each.

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Weird Tales: The Unique Magazine

Stephen Jones reminds us that the Thirties were the time of the Great Depression. Weird Tales cost 25 cents a copy and this was pretty pricey for the era. However, when as a cost saving measure it was proposed that the magazine go bi-monthly the readers protested and were successful in keeping the magazine monthly until 1941. Weird Tales then went bi-monthly and stayed on that schedule until it went out of business in 1954.

There were many arguments in “The Eyrie.” How many “interplanetary stories” should be in each issue? And whether or not the covers drawn by Margaret Brundage were appropriate or not?

Weird Tales did suffer a number of blows in the Thirties. In 1932 Henry Whitehead died. Lovecraft wrote a heartfelt obituary for his friend and colleague. Whitehead is widely credited with introducing the Voodoo theme into fantasy literature.

Robert E. Howard committed suicide in 1936. The readers and Howard’s friends were astounded and horrified by his death and many fans and colleagues wrote in to express their appreciation and sympathy.

Then in March 1937 HPL died. To many readers HPL WAS Weird Tales and Lovecraft’s loss was widely mourned.

At the same time Clark Ashton Smith had virtually ceased writing stories so this was a terrible gut punch to the magazine.

Stephen Jones writes that “The untimely deaths of REH and HPL in 1936 and 1937, respectively, were a blow to Wright’s editorship, and he attempted to fill the gap left by losing two of his most popular authors by not only reprinting their work from earlier issues, but also including newly-discovered fiction and poetry from both.”

By 1940 Wright’s Parkinson Disease had become so advanced that he had to resign as editor. He died in June of 1940 at age 51.

The final issue credited to Wright was in March 1940. He was then replaced by Dorothy Mcllwraith. New writers such as Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson and Fritz Leiber, Jr. began to appear in the magazine.

Robert Bloch wrote “Dorothy Mcllwraith took over the editorial scalpel, assisted by Lamont Buchanan. Although they never succeeded in getting Weird Tales back on its feet, they did prolong its existence over the 1940s into the mid 1950s.”

The final pulp sized issue of Weird Tales was in July 1953. The magazine then went to a digest sized format until the final issue in September of 1954.

From March 1923 until September 1954 Weird Tales ran for 279 issues. Stephen Jones writes that “There is no doubt that Weird Tales was amongst the most influential pulps of the 20th century, and the remarkable thing is that it remains so today, more than a century after it was first published.”

The first story in this volume is Henry Whitehead’s “The Passing of a God.” Lovecraft praised the story “as perhaps the peak of his creative genius.” Clark Ashton Smith also thought very highly of this tale which appeared in January 1931.

Stephen Jones has Robert E Howard’s “The Thing on the Roof” in this volume. Jones decided not to include any of Howard’s sword and sorcery stories as “they are readily available elsewhere.”

Howard’s tale of menace features two English academics and is set in Central America. Plenty of thrills and shudders! Weird Tales published it in  February 1932.

The May 1932 issue had Hugh Cave’s famous vampire story “The Brotherhood of Blood” which was also the cover story.

Clark Ashton Smith’s Zothique story “The Isle of the Torturers” appeared in 1933. His Averoigne story “The Mother of Toads” was in the July 1938 issue.

 Lovecraft’s last Weird Tales story appeared in the December 1936 issue and was titled “The Haunter of the Dark.”

Lovecraft died in March of 1937. Clark Ashton Smith’s beautiful tribute poem “To Howard Phillips Lovecraft” was in the July 1937 issue.

In August 1939 Manly Wade Wellman’s marvelous Civil War fantasy “The Valley was Still” was published. I remember seeing it’s adaptation on TV’s The Twilight Zone!

Robert Bloch’s “House of the Hatchet” and “The Skull of the Marquis de Sade” are in this book and demonstrate Bloch’s usual cheerful mastery of weirdness and horror.

Ray Bradbury’s “The Jar” appeared in the November 1944 issue and was instantly hailed as a classic. Alfred Hitchcock Presents adapted the story in 1964. Bradbury’s “The Black Ferris” appeared in the May 1948 issue and I enjoyed this excellent fantasy.

Richard Matheson appeared late in the life of Weird Tales with “Wet Straw” and “Slaughter House.” They are both fine dark fantasies with many thrills and shudders. Matheson was a real talent!

“The Eyrie” runs from pages 447-478. As usual there are many interesting letters and discussions. In March of 1931 Clark Ashton Smith wrote in to say how much he enjoyed Long’s “The Horror from the Hills” and Whitehead’s “The Passing of a God.” In April of 1932 he told the Eyrie that one or two scientifictales should be enough and that “a representative number of Weird Tales should include at least one fantasy of poetic and atmospheric type. The balance of the stories should be tales of sheer weirdness and pure terror— which implies the presence or advent of the supernatural and the supermundane.”

Many “Eyrie” letters were taken up arguing over Margaret Brundage’s cover art and whether it should be on Weird Tales or not. The Brundage art was a source of never ending controversy!

In November 1934 young smart aleck Robert Bloch wrote in saying he was getting mighty tired of “Conan the Cluck.” “Enough of this brute and his iron thewed sword thrusts—may he be sent to Valhalla to cut out paper dolls.” This got quite a lively discussion going!

Pages 456-464 are preoccupied with the sad news of the deaths of REH and HPL. Many tributes and expressions of sorrow pored in. Their deaths clearly depressed and saddened many people.

“The Eyrie” concludes in Volume 2 with a fine letter from Bradbury and then some back and forth over how good a writer was HPL.

Things were always pretty lively in ” The Eyrie!”

This second volume is a marvelous and magical book. My only complaint is that no story by E. Hoffmann Price is included. Price wrote many fine yarns so he really should be in here!

Again, the book is marvelously bound and the type and paper are excellent but at the same time the publishers give you that old pulp feel. Included are many of the advertisements of the era which I find a lot of fun.

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Weird Tales: Masterpieces of Weird Fiction

This 478 page 3rd Volume takes a look at some of the famous authors who appeared in Weird Tales that most people would not associate with the magazine.

In the introduction Stephen Jones tells us how the editors of Weird Tales used reprints of famous fantasy stories that were in the public domain as a way to save money and to ensure that the magazine always had excellent stories.

First editor Edwin Baird ran a “Masterpieces of Weird Fiction” series that ran for seven episodes and ended in March of 1924.

Farnsworth Wright revived the series a little over a year later and ran the old stories under the title “Weird Story Reprint.” Wright alternated the classics with reprints from the magazine. Many readers loudly objected to Wright running the novels “The Wolf Leader” by Dumas and “Frankenstein” by Shelley. The negative reaction caused Wright to cancel “Dracula.”

In 1940 Weird Tales went bi-monthly. New editor Dorothy Mcllwraith discontinued the series as she now had enough new material for each issue.

Jones discusses the efforts to get Weird Tales stories sold for radio dramas. I had not known about this aspect of Weird Tales and found it very interesting. CBS radio Suspense broadcasted “The Dunwich Horror” starring Ronald Coleman but my impression is that there was not too much success getting Weird Tales on the airwaves. It was not for lack of trying.

On page 17 of the introduction Stephen Jones makes an interesting observation about the classic reprints: “It is worth noting that three of the ‘classic’ authors in this volume—H.G. Wells, Arthur Machen and Robert W. Chambers—were actually still alive when their stories appeared in Weird Tales. However, whether they were even aware that they were part of the history of ‘The Unique Magazine’ is, unfortunately, something we shall probably never know now.”

“The Haunters and the Haunted” is a fine scary ghost story by the Victorian English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton. He is most famous nowadays as the first writer to use the line beloved by a certain World Famous Author “It was a dark and stormy night.”

A fine tale by Ambrose “Bitter” Bierce titled “The Damned Thing” was included in the March 1923 issue. Lovecraft’s famous story “Dagon” is included in this volume. It was highly popular with the Weird Tales readers. One of my favorite HPL stories is “The Music of Eric Zann.” It directly follows “Dagon” in this book. O. Henry’s short story “The Furnished Room” is included. I found it very enjoyable. H.G. Wells is represented by three stories: “The Stolen Body,” ” The Valley of the Spiders,” and ” A Dream of Armageddon.” I think my favorite is “The Stolen Body” but they are all excellent stories.

One of my favorite HPL stories appears on page 129: “The Cats of Ulthar.” I know the de Camps thought very highly of this tale. William Blake’s famous poem “The Tiger” is on page 170. A very spooky story by F. Marion Crawford titled “The Upper Berth” is on page 187. It’s enough to make you think twice about sea voyages! Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” is on page 205. It’s a haunting and sad tale and is skillfully written.

“Ozymandias” by Shelley is on page 244. L. Sprague de Camp many times expressed his admiration for this poem.

Sir Walter Scott wrote a very scary story titled “The Tapestried Chamber” on page 245. A haunted room in an ancient castle wreaks havoc with some visitors and shows Scott’s mastery of action and terror. Edgar Allan Poe’s “Ligeia” is included. Poe considered this story his masterpiece but ironically many Weird Tales readers could not stand it and “Ligeia” was bitterly denounced in “The Eyrie.”

Bram Stoker’s “Dracula’s Guest” was originally the first chapter of the novel Dracula but was excised due to the length of the novel. I enjoyed the chapter and I think all readers who liked Dracula should find it fascinating.

“The Signal-Man” by Charles Dickens is on page 383. It’s one of my favorite stories in the book and concerns a haunted stretch of railroad tracks. All lovers of uncanny tales should like this story! “Green Tea” by Sheridan Le Fanu is on page 395. It’s a famous story and is haunting and sad and spooky. I can see why it was the title of an Arkham House collection!

“The Eyrie” runs from pages 459-478. The book 3 “Eyrie” contains many arguments about the classic reprints. The readers seemed evenly divided about whether the reprints were a good thing or not. As I mentioned, there were some pretty strong denunciations of Edgar Allan Poe! Near the end of the “Eyrie” chapter you also begin to read letters where the readers tell of their appreciation of the art and magic of Virgil Finlay. He was a rare and great talent!

All in all I highly recommend these three volumes. You get a pretty fair history of Weird Tales and many great fantasy stories to enjoy. The printing and binding and art (and even the ancient ads!) make these books to be treasured. They are about $36.00 each and I think they are well worth the price. Mr. Jones and PS Publishing did an outstanding job! Enjoy!

Review: Arcane Arts and Cold Steel by David C. Smith

by Gary Romeo

I bought this book mainly with the intention of reviewing it here. I met David C. Smith at the 2019 Howard Days in Cross Plains and decided I liked the guy after the very briefest of conversation. I enjoyed his Robert E. Howard: A Literary Biography enough to say I’m happy I bought it. I’m happy I bought this too.

I have to admit I do not read much modern Sword & Sorcery these days. Which I think is typical of several older REH fans. I do read every Robert E. Howard pastiche available, which is atypical for REH fans in my age group. I have tried my hand at writing S&S but have not submitted anything to any magazine. I did have a story, “No Other Gods” in a collection edited by Mark Finn called Dreams in the Fire back in 2011. (I believe it is still available at lulu.com.) I am interested in trying to write S&S again in the future. The back cover states this book is a “master class” in S&S. I probably need the sophomore class.

A brief note before the Foreword states: Arcane Arts and Cold Steel is neither a history nor a comprehensive review of the genre. Rather, it addresses the elements of storytelling in the context of sword-and-sorcery fiction.” The Foreword by John O’Neill (of Black Gate magazine) contains the old bromide that “S&S is the modern descendant of the hero myth.”

The first chapter tries to define what Sword & Sorcery is. “It is the oldest story we have.” says the first sentence. Robert E. Howard is commonly referred to as “the father of S&S” so the timeline seems wrong to me. 🙂 Nevertheless, I get the point that myths feature strong heroes and scary antagonists as do S&S stories. Smith’s likes to quote from stories from several different authors to make his points. This is good. Contemporary authors like Steve Dilks, James Enge, Matt John, etc. are showcased giving the reader knowledge of authors who might be unknown to them. We are given the standard history. “The best sword-and-sorcery fiction is primitive, tight, raw, and transgressive.” Robert E. Howard’s name comes up as the standard for these type of stories.

A little later popular fiction is questioned: “So much current literary and commercial fiction seems to be the product, not of writers caught in the flow or sharing with the reader something fierce and genuine, but rather of writers trapped in “heavily schooled,” suffocating scriptoria, coached in opportunistic weekend conferences, workshops, and seminars, or developed by editors and agents profiting from producing the same old wine in new bottles.” Of the 4.2 million books with ISBN numbers published in 2025 (the year this book came out) that might be true of a small percentage. This seems a sour grapes type of over generalization to me. Of course, de Camp attacked mainstream fiction in a sour grapes way as well when he imagined a best seller titled The President’s Boyfriend. (That may one day be the title of a book about Pete Buttigieg!)

What follows is a history of S&S authors from REH to the usual Weird Tales suspects. Fritz Leiber and Norvell Page are mentioned for their S&S stories that appeared in John Campbell’s classic fantasy pulp, Unknown. (Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague de Camp’s Harold Shea stories go unmentioned. Some, chiefly de Camp 🙂 have included them as part of the genre.) Several other authors are mentioned, Michael Moorcock and Karl Edward Wagner are frequently mentioned.

My take on S&S, when I was reading it heavily, was, no surprise, similar to L. Sprague de Camp’s. Smith quotes de Camp: “The purpose of these stories is . . . to entertain. These stories combine the color, gore, and action of the costume novel with the atavistic terrors and delights of the fairy tale. They furnish the purest fun to be found in fiction today.”

Smith, takes umbrage with that view. My favorite S&S writers are Howard, de Camp, and Lin Carter. His are Howard, Fritz Leiber, and Karl Edward Wagner. His opinion seems to echo those that are the opinion makers in REH fandom. So be it . . . it never bothers me to be the sole voice of reason. 🙂

Sword & Sorcery has had an uphill battle for literary respect. And I suppose de Camp’s emphasis on “fun” rattles those that find philosophical brilliance in heavily muscled warriors fighting grim gory battles. Long considered “the worst fantasy story ever written” is “The Eye of Argon” by Jim Theis. It was pilloried and hectored for its use of S&S tropes as much as for its typographical and logic errors. S&S authors and fans have a right to wish respect for their literature, but those of us who mostly find it fun should not be viewed as hostile to attempts at literary criticism that may improve the genre’s perception.

I take umbrage at the short shrift that Conan pastiche gets in this book and Brian Murphy’s Flame and Crimson. As Smith admits, “these novels defined the commercial state of sword-and-sorcery for a decade and a half.” While I didn’t find all 43 (?) of the Tor Conan books to be remarkable I did like several of them. John Maddox Roberts and Leonard Carpenter wrote decent S&S. And, of course, Robert Jordan’s (James Oliver Rigney Jr.’s) Conan novels were ubiquitous after the success of the Wheel of Time series. I think S&S’s reputation could only be improved by mentioning best-selling authors like Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson’s connection to Sword & Sorcery. Sanderson’s Warbreaker is arguably S&S and one of the best modern novels in the genre,

I could go on nitpicking things (I made a lot of notes) but it is time to jump to the next chapters. Chapter Two gets into Story Structure and is a sideways class on writing lessons. Smith’s format is to briefly mention things like “character and setting,” “flat and round characters” and “style, voice, and tone” and then quote samples of authors who have done these things well. Chapter Three covers The New Edge: Current and Sword-and-Sorcery Fiction. Most of the authors discussed were new to me. It is an interesting overview of contemporary authors and trends. Chapter Four provides a final summation.

Appendix One is the closest thing to a beginner or sophomore class on writing. It is perhaps too short considering “Writing Sword-and-Sorcery Fiction” sub-titles the book and might be the biggest drawing card for some. Recommended Reading is Appendix Two.

Interview with the Author slightly expands on criticisms of the “fun” view of S&S and the huge influence of de Camp and Carter on the genre. Smith isn’t a fan. Acknowledgments, Bibliography, About the Author, and Index follow. As a writing primer there are probably better books. But as a look at modern S&S writers and developing trends it was interesting.

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CONAN THE MURDERER: An Apologist View of Conan the Killer

by Bill Cavalier

OK, yeah, I know…in the strictest meaning of the word, the Conan character in the 21 stories written by Robert E. Howard is indeed a murderer. In the Oxford Dictionary, murder is: the intentional and unlawful killing of one person by another”. Well, Conan certainly did more than his share of intentional killing, to the end that an exact body count would be impossible to calculate!

But what about that “unlawful” part? Could Conan be considered a murderer in a time when the only law that mattered was who was best with a knife or sword? Should the laws and moral values of today be applied to a character of an imaginary time and place? The Hyborian Age had its basic law: kill or be killed. The guy on top of the pile of bodies at the end of the fight was the king, and in Howard’s World, that guy was Conan the KILLER, not Conan the Murderer. There is a difference.

Howard’s Conan stories are all about killing; each and every one involves the death of men by the hand of Conan. And while murder always equals killing, killing does not always equal murder. Most of the killing Conan does in the course of the story has reason or purpose, as in battle, self-defense or in a fix. Howard even mocked himself when he described his characters as only being able to cut their way out of a jam.

Robert E. Howard made his admiration of the laws and codes of the Old American West plain and clear during his lifetime and those values permeate most of his writing. A wandering cowboy imposing his own laws, moral codes and values upon all he meets in his travels is the benchmark of Howard’s writing style. Throw in a Revenge Factor, as in the “A Man is Wronged and Other Men Die for It” value, and the body count will begin.

Did Howard intend that Conan should be a murderer or did he want to portray the Cimmerian as the biggest badass around – the best guy in the ice house? Is that why he made Conan a Killer? Conan is Howard’s manifestation of the Kill or Be Killed Code, in a time when that was the only true law. In short, Conan’s killings were of the “justifiable homicide” nature, in a time when there was indeed something known as true justifiable homicide!

In addition to Conan killing with justifiable homicide, which I’ll get to presently, there’s an issue of Howard having a couple of the more cold-blooded or “murderous” killings occur out-of-story or off camera. By that I mean they are related in-story but after the fact and not actually graphically depicted in Howard’s writing. And in each case of these questionable homicides on Conan’s part, he killed with purpose – be it revenge, anger, war, necessity or with a pre-emptive motive: Kill or Be Killed. Or was it motivated murder?

Some examples of “out of story” and “unique” (but are they murder?) killings from Conan:

In RED NAILS, Conan cheerily tells Valeria that he killed the Stygian officer’s brother, who was trailing Valeria, seeking revenge. This is an example of a “pre-emptive” justifiable homicide.

In QUEEN OF THE BLACK COAST, after Conan leaps aboard the Wastrel he relates what brought him there: he had to kill a judge who was going to imprison him for not ratting out a friend. OK, this one is murder by today’s standards, but my apologist’s viewpoint would argue that this is justifiable in the Hyborian Age.

In A WITCH SHALL BE BORN, Conan nails Constantius to a tree at the end, in a bit of “Oh yeah – how do YOU like it?” killing. Constantius dies off-screen, so to speak.

Conan sets up innkeeper Aram Baksh in SHADOWS IN ZAMBOULA to die in a cannibal’s cooking pot. That’s an “I’ll fix your ass” killing.

Zogar Sag, the bad guy in BEYOND THE BLACK RIVER, gives us another out-of-story death with Conan killing Zogar by proxy, if you will.

At Yag-Kosha’s demand, Conan kills him in THE TOWER OF THE ELEPHANT. Death by request? Suicide by barbarian?

Other stories may or may not cross that murderous line, depending on a point of view. These are killings Conan certainly could have avoided by taking another course of action, but chose not to because killing is the way of the Hyborian Age.

Other killings that may be “on the bubble” of murder do have a measure of reason or purpose. Justifiable killings, yes – but murder?

Conan has murderous intent in THE BLACK STRANGER, where he tries to trap Zarono, Strom & friends in a poisoned cave. This attempt fails and no murders take place, but not for lack of trying on Conan’s part.

Conan kills the whore’s boyfriend in ROGUES IN THE HOUSE. This one is close to murder, but justifiable, as the guy was a known thug and thief, making him a probable threat to Conan.

THE VALE OF LOST WOMEN has Conan surprise braining Aja the War chief with a beef bone in a killing designed to protect a young woman’s honor. Sort of…

In THE POOL OF THE BLACK ONE, Conan has murderous, mutinous intent when he confronts the pirate captain Zaporavo on the beach, but then kills him in a straight up fight.

Well, you get the idea. I’m not going to say Conan was not a murderer in the strictest dictionary sense, because interpretations say he was. But Howard was entirely justified in making Conan a killer because that’s what he needed to be in the murderous times of the Hyborian Age. Dictionaries be damned!

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This article first appeared in a REHupa mailing. It was scheduled to be reprinted in a new fanzine, Heroic FANtasy #1, but circumstances changed and the fanzine never appeared.

Eccentric, Impractical Devils: The Letters of August Derleth and Clark Ashton Smith

by Phil Sawyer

This 601 page Hippocampus Press paperback was published in 2020 and is edited by David E. Shultz and S.T. Joshi. I found it fascinating and very enjoyable. As Sprague used to say, I have a few nits to pick but I will save them for the end of this review.

The first letter in the book between these two fantasy giants was written on October 24th, 1930. Klarkash-Ton and Derleth obviously enjoyed corresponding and the pleasure they took in their correspondence shines through these letters.

On February 26th, 1931, Klarkash-Ton shared with Derleth, his dislike of cities: “I am glad that you have somehow (doubtless because of a fixed anti-urban prejudice) that you have returned to the country. And I am sure that you will find conditions vastly more favorable to literary work. One can’t hear one’s self think in the crazy clamor of a modern city. At least I can’t. Living in one for more than a week or two is about my idea of hell.”

On September 26th, 1931, Klarkash-Ton wrote: “HPL is an enigma to me. Surely I should think he would prefer doing his own stuff to revising people’s junk. He’d make more money, too, even if he didn’t sell more than half of a third. If I, an unknown, can sell two thirds of my work (the present proportion) there’s no doubt whatever as to the success achievable by H.P. with his prestige and popularity.” Many of us have wondered about this over the years!

Derleth could be pretty brutal and blunt when he would critique a story. On June 13th, 1932 Klarkash-Ton gently reminded him: “By the way, I have the impression that severe criticism, even if intended as constructive, merely depresses and chills H.P. without helping him. He isn’t like you and me, who could profit by the criticism if we thought it justified, or throw it off lightly if we didn’t. At least, this is my feeling about him.”

In a June 21st, 1932 letter Derleth writes: “Yes, I daresay you are right about H.P.’s sensitiveness. I discovered it rather late. It’s really too bad he should be that way, but being the retiring soul he is, I can easily understand it in him.”

Derleth’s productivity amazed Klarkash-Ton. On August 11th, 1932, he wrote: “Your energy and prolificity  are enough to floor me! 50,000 words in three weeks would be unimaginable, at any rate of production. I average about 150,000 words per year, which is no great amount for a ‘pulp’ writer. The only compensation for my slowness is that most if it sells somewhere or sometime. Out of the twenty yarns that I wrote in 1931, only three now remain in my hands.”

Both Smith and Derleth wished HPL would not get so easily discouraged. On March 1st, 1933 Smith wrote about HPL: ” It is astounding to me that he should take so seriously the criticism of any editor or book publisher, and allow it to restrict his productivity. Ye Gods! A thousand stodgy time servers like Putnam would never convince me that my best tales were inferior to those of anyone who has written in the weird genre.”

On March 6th, 1933 Derleth wrote: “Yes, it really is inexcusable of H.P. to let anybody convince him his stuff wasn’t worthy of book publication or printing in any other form, and to let Wright discourage him so easily. I, too, wish I could inject some of my self confidence into H.P.”

On August 4th, 1933 CAS wrote: “One Forrest J. Ackerman, writer of letters to magazines, has been assailing some of my ‘Wonder Story’ contributions quite extensively, claiming that they are too weird and horrific and fantastic…and sometime ago I received a personal letter from him urging me to refrain from contributing this type of material to W.S.”

Klarkash-Ton wrote on August 18th, 1933: “Ackerman is a most infernal and pestilential prig; but the trouble is, he represents a considerable and ever-growing class.”   (I must admit that Ackerman showed enormous gall or chutzpah or what have you by writing to Smith at his house and urging him not to write certain types of stories. If you are interested, the debate is in my review of Smith’s essay book, Planets and Dimensions.)

Klarkash-Ton knew his own worth. On August 29th, 1933 he wrote that he had almost enough Zothique stories for a opus he was planning titled “Tales of Zothique” ” when, and if, I should procure a publisher for that opus…printed on good paper and decently bound, I think that all of these tales would show up as fine literature, in no wise inferior to Dunsany or Cabell.

(90 years or so later old Phil is STILL waiting for that deluxe edition of Zothique!)

Klarkash-Ton and Derleth would often share pretty harsh opinions about some issues of Weird Tales. On October 4th, 1933 Smith wrote: “My opinion of the current ‘Weird Tales’ is exactly the same as yours. Some of the stuff was awful, particularly the vampire serial and the pseudo-scientific yarn by Williamson. The last was the shoddiest and lousiest and wretchedest of its kind that I have floundered through for some time.”

On February 20th, 1934, Klarkash-Ton told Derleth that “Gernsback has asked me to join The Science Fiction League as an honorary director. I’m afraid it isn’t much of an honour to be associated with that Yiddish pirate.”

Gernsback made CAS angry enough to “boil.” On April 17th, 1934 he told Derleth that “I think seriously of putting the collection of my arrears from Gernsback in the hands of a New York lawyer.” At this time he owed Klarkash-Ton about $750.00. It began to work. On July 22nd, 1934 Klarkash-Ton reported that “Much to my surprise, the New York attorney, Mark Weder, has succeeded in prying $50.00 out of Gernsback…only $691.00 more to pay!”

On March 23rd, 1937, Klarkash-Ton wrote sorrowfully to Derleth: “The news of Lovecraft’s death seems incredible and nightmarish, and I cannot adjust myself to it.”

On March 27th, 1937 Derleth wrote: “I have the fullest details of HPL’s death from his aunt, Mrs. Phillips Gamwell… As for Lovecraft’s posterity—we are not taking a chance. The gang in New York has agreed that I should take full charge of arranging an omnibus volume of the best of his work….” So we can see the first glimmerings of Arkham House.

On May 13th, 1937 Klarkash-Ton told Derleth that HPL’s “modesty about his own work was excessive, to say the least. Personally, I can find no one with the style of his later tales, except that there is, in places, a slight trend toward verbosity and repetitional statement. Many of his style-traits, perhaps, are not in accord with present-day taste; but, as far as I am concerned, the writing is all the more refreshing for such differences. Things that the average reader of today may regard as flaws will not necessarily be regarded as such a generation or two hence. The influence of fashion, always ephemeral, and always changing, must be considered here.”

Derleth wrote to CAS on October 23rd, 1938 that “we are hoping that Scribners will bring out the first Lovecraft book.” Arkham House as yet was not a going concern.

On October 29th, 1941 Klarkash-Ton described himself thusly: “From the note you’ll get the picture of a fantastic, eccentric, impractical, improvident devil: that well nigh fabulous being, a poet. My professional story-writing in 1929 started when my then sweetheart threatened to quit me if I didn’t get a job. I failed to get the job, and began spinning yarns for Wright and Gernsback.”

This was now the era of Arkham House. I am struck by how Klarkash-Ton and Derleth in Arkham House had to watch every penny.  On March 17th, 1942 Derleth wrote to Klarkash-Ton that Out of Space and Time would be coming in at 413 pages and that the cost of paper had risen and that the book would be put out in an edition of 1000 copies. “That means this–you must go over this copy very carefully for errors or changes, put all corrections, deletions, or additions in plainly and clearly, because none but typographical errors made by the press will be allowed to be changed on the galleys, since all such changes raise our cost, and make it harder to get out of the red on the book.”

Klarkash-Ton on May 9th, 1942 wrote that he was writing a will bequeathing “To Donald Wandrei and August Derleth “all my mss, both of verse and prose, with full authority as joint executors.” He explains “While I don’t anticipate an early demise,  there’s always an element of danger in underground work (particularly where dynamite is used) such as I’ll be doing at Sturmfeder’s mine.”

Klarkash-Ton was NOT the ivory tower type!

On July 1st, 1942 Derleth wrote to Klarkash-Ton: “I have today instructed the printer to send you 25 copies as soon as the book is ready. Of these, 10 are your copies, bought against royalties, 6 your free copies…” KlarkAsh-ton would get his royalties 6 months after Out of Space and Time was published.

On July 18th, 1943 Klarkash-Ton wrote to Derleth: “I’d have written before but have been picking fruit 10hrs daily for the past six weeks. The work is monotonous and irksome; but the wage are good ( 7 bucks a day) and the season promises to be over early. When it’s over I should have money enough on hand to settle down to a few months of writing…” 

Derleth did NOT get rich from Arkham House. On August 20th, 1943 he sent CAS a check for $10.80 for “accrued royalties to date.”  “672 copies of your book have been sold in toto now, and this check  is for royalties on the 36 copies since 7/22/43—just a month ago.”

When Klarkash-Ton received Beyond the Wall of Sleep he was finally able to read The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath. On November 30th, 1943 he wrote:that this tale “is an astonishing and very delightful fantasy, with only the most superficial resemblance to Dunsany. Who but Lovecraft would have thought of bringing in those marshalled armies and and cohorts of ghouls, night-gaunts, etc? I don’t know of anything more remarkable in the way of dream-literature; the tale if far more coherent and better-knit than I had expected from HP’s criticism and that of others.”

On  June 2nd, 1944 Klarkash-Ton wrote Derleth “Thanks for the last check ($12.00) on royalties. It is certainly encouraging that Out of Space and Time should sell out so quickly.” (Imagine Stephen King receiving a $12.00 royalty check!)

Derleth informed CAS on January 24th, 1947 that Smith’s second volume Lost Worlds had sold out and that he had sent Smith a check for $82.26 cents “less debits—purchases against royalties.”  

Klarkash-Ton had not totally ceased writing stories. On October 24th, 1947, he reported to Derleth that “I have been working on some new yarns, and am glad to report the placing of one, ‘The Master of the Crabs,’ with Weird Tales.” “The Master of the Crabs” is one of my favorite “Zothique” stories!

Klarkash-Ton was now married. He mentioned he and his wife were currently staying at his “thrice vandalized cabin in Auburn” and that he had just finished his “The Theft of the Thirty Nine Girdles” tale and was sending it to the editor Boucher for Fantasy and Science Fiction on April 25th, 1957.

The letters of wife Carol Smith to Derleth run from pages 489 to 510. Klarkash-Ton’s health was declining but he remained a nonconformist and his own man until the very end. On May 14th, 1960 Carol wrote to Derleth: “Clark has never had any faith in Drs—& for him—they do not function due to the fact that his body is governed by his spirit” and you can see how penicillin is no panacea for a Prometheus—bound, or unbound!”

On October 5, 1961, Carol wrote about Klarkash-Ton’s death: “he would NOT ever go to a hospital, nor see a doctor, which meant that only after his death was a doctor admitted to sign the death certificate.”

I found this volume fascinating. I have only touched the surface so that this review doesn’t get out of hand.

There were several things that I found curious about this book.

The editors were constantly correcting or footnoting Derleth telling us that he was wrong or that Lovecraft had not mean this or that or that Derleth did not understand what Lovecraft wished. I began to find this borderline irritating but I guess that can be chalked up to me being cranky.  I get the distinct impression that the editors did not much approve of Derleth.

In the bibliography the editors do NOT list Book of the Dead by E. Hoffman Price and “Sierran Shaman” by L. Sprague de Camp. How can they leave these important works out?!!!

I suspect that the editors did not think that Price and Sprague were reverent enough about the subject. Actually, I don’t think that Price was reverent about ANYTHING nor that Sprague was beyond the pale. I have read Joshi take quite a few cheap shots at Sprague over the years so I should not be too surprised.

People often get “serious” and “solemn” mixed up. They are not the same thing. Sprague was a serious man but could be very funny. One of Sprague’s favorite philosophers Bertrand Russell was a serious man but could be hysterically funny. Near the end of his life, Russell wrote that humorlessness to him was the sign of a “humbug.”

Joshi has done much valuable work but I don’t think I have ever read Joshi writing humorously.  Joshi has a full-length biography of Clark Ashton Smith coming out in September from Hippocampus Press. I plan on reviewing it for our fellowship so I will see if it is as solemn as his other writings.  

All in all though, this is an entertaining and marvelous book. You get real insights into two of the great 20th century masters of the weird and fantastic. Be sure to read this book if you get the chance.

   Until next time, 

   Yours in Thaisdon

Review: The Vegetarian by Han Kang

by Gary Romeo

An off-topic book that made for an interesting read. I tried vegetarianism long ago. I was marginally involved in animal rights (mostly dog and cat issues; like spay/neuter and anti-animal testing) and really wished to change my diet. In 1999, I put together a local radio show often featuring some national speakers. It was a solid effort but lifelong addiction to meat won the day and although I withdrew from activism I still admire people who prefer a humane diet.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang is not about animal rights. Any book, movie, etc. that talks about vegetarianism will bring that issue to mind but this book is more about an individual decision and the aftermath.

The book is divided into three parts. The first section deals with Yeong-hye’s decision to become a vegetarian and her husband’s reaction. The husband, Mr. Cheong, is the mild-mannered type. He didn’t marry for love. More for complacency. “The paunch that started appearing in my mid-twenties, my skinny legs and forearms that steadfastly refused to bulk up in spite of my best efforts, the inferiority complex I used to have about the size of my penis – – I could rest assured that I wouldn’t have to fret about such things on her account.”

About five years into the marriage, she decides to become a vegetarian, heretofore her only quirk was to go braless. She tosses out all animal products, including expensive cuts of meat. Her husband is angry and perplexed. She explains that she had a dream. The first chapter is from his point of view, except when the text shifts to italics. Then her dreams and thoughts are given. The husband has to attend a business dinner and much fuss is made when she refuses to eat meat. Her husband is afraid her choices will affect his career. There is some humor in the boss’s wife’s reaction and again later, when Mr. Cheong calls his wife’s father and her sister to complain. They both were very sympathetic. Mr. Cheong narrates: “I considered repeating the process by calling my wife’s younger brother, Yeong-ho, but decided that that would be overdoing it.”

Yeong-hye refuses to change her vegetarian and now celibate ways. She has become so thin as to appear unhealthy. Her husband rationalizes periodically raping her. Her father slaps her and tries to force her to eat meat. Yeong-hye reacts with a suicide attempt and is hospitilized. Once recovered she leaves her bed to sit naked in the facility’s garden.

The second part changes the focus to Yeong-hye’s brother in law. He is an artist and has a personal vision involving flowers and nudity, inspired by the Mongolian mark (a bluish birthmark) on his son’s body that eventually faded. He learns that Yeong-hye has the same mark but hers never faded. Yeong-hye has separated from her husband. The brother in law visits her and talks her into letting him paint flowers on her nude body while filming her. Eventually they have sex and he films the act. His wife discovers the film and Yeong once again is committed to the hospital.

The final chapter is told by In-hye, Yeong-hye’s sister. Yeong-hye is in bad shape. She is convinced that she has become a tree. In-hye starts having her own dreams of trees. When the doctors try to force feed Yeong, In-hye bites the doctor and Yeong vomits blood. An ambulance is called and In-hye stares at the trees as they rush pass.

I can’t say I understood all the symbolism and meaning that the author was trying to convey. I found the first chapter to be easily understood and sympathized with Yeong. The second chapter was confusing for me. I found the brother in law’s artistic vision to be interesting but felt he was manipulative in a disturbing way. The third chapter was too symbolic. I get that Yeong just wanted peace and agree “I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree.” But if there was more I don’t know. The novel is worth the read for several insightful passages and the empathy the author makes the reader feel for Yeong-hye (and women like her).

Review: The Blood Countess by Steven L. Shrewsbury

by Gary Romeo

I’ve noticed that some Robert E. Howard pastiche authors have made use of real life personages and real life legends to, maybe, bring something new to Solomon Kane stories. Howard did that himself, of course, with the mention of Sir Richard Grenville and Sir Francis Drake in Solomon Kane stories and poems. But, I think it is safe to say, modern writers are using that conceit even more.

I liked the 2016 The Legend of Tarzan movie that used the background of King Leopold’s misrule of the Congo and real-life adventurer George Washington Williams to tell a more realistic story. That movie’s Tarzan was a little too lackluster though. I wanted more brutal feral action. The mangani were great but Tarzan came across a little tame, IMHO.

Anyway, onward . . . Author Shaun Hamill used the historical fact of Witch Trials to produce the interesting Solomon Kane novel, Suffer The Witch. And his e-book, “The Lair of the Mari Lwrd” used an old Welsh tradition to good effect. Cavan Scott’s “Where the Whitethorn Meets the Black” used real life Celtic lore in a way that pleased me.

In this quick adventure Steven L. Shrewsbury uses the historical Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory (1560 – 1614) as Kane’s adversary. I first learned of her, as I learn most things, from the movies.

Mr. Shrewsbury tells a decent action story here. Kane is visiting Hungary at the request of an old friend. The friend’s daughter is in danger of being taken by the Blood Countess’s henchmen for use in her de-ageing blood ritual. (The middle ages version of Botox!.)

The action is a mixture of Howard’s violent prose and modern scatological humor. “As founts of crimson shot from his ruined neck, Helmut’s headless body staggered and broke wind, but didn’t fall.”

The author throws in some interesting facts in the story. The term “Puritan” was originally a mocking term. Kane rightly says he prefers the term, “The Godly.” The author also alludes to the fact that Puritans, or The Godly, did not believe that the bread and wine in Communion, or as they called it, The Lord’s Supper, changed into Christ’s flesh and blood.

When Kane encounters Elizabeth Bathory, he thinks, “. . . she looked like any common woman naked and of her age. Bathory was by no means hideous, indeed he would describe her as comely, in some ways . . . ” Kane is too much the precisian. The Blood Countess looked like Ingrid Pitt and she is a total babe.

All in all, it is certainly worth $1.99 and the time spent reading it. And I learned a new word. Precisian. I now need to find a way to use that in a real conversation.

Review: The Fall of Thoth-Amon by Matt Forbeck

by Gary Romeo

“The Fall of Thoth-Amon” was originally published in Marvel Comics Age of Conan: Valeria # 1-5 (2019). The story takes place before the events described in “The Phoenix on the Sword.”

Thoth-Amon is sitting in splendor upon “his emerald-crusted throne, carved in the shape of a gigantic cobra, the hood of which stretched out over him, shading him like a scaly canopy.” I liked the imagery in the opening paragraph.

Thoth-Amon is very upset. The Crown of Set and a triple-braided staff has been stolen. At this point he still has his serpent ring. Thoth berates his underling about the thefts and plummets him through a snake-filled trapdoor.

Another minion is tasked with tracking down, Anok, the suspected thief. Thoth retreats to his chambers. A captive female, Kimshalla, provides some amusement. He soon discovers his ring is a fake. He realizes Kimshalla is responsible for all the thefts. They scuffle. Thoth overpowers the woman but when guards see that Thoth has been injured they arrest him, realizing his power is gone.

Thoth barely escapes through the trapdoor. But in his attempt to leave the city, he is captured by a slaver. A rival band attack the slavers and Thoth is now forced to serve their leader, Ascalante.

This is a padded out story with lots of dialogue and events that seem to happen just so the author can fill the pages. Thoth comes across as weak and none too bright. It is a very unsatisfying story. Nevertheless, it tells how Thoth came to such a lowly state just before the events in “The Phoenix on the Sword” so it serves a purpose.

Review – Solomon Kane: The Get of Garm by C. L. Werner

by Gary Romeo

“The Get of Garm” appeared in Conan: Serpent War #1 – 4 (2020) in serialized installments. It is a reasonably entertaining story. The title sounds odd but has a meaning. It refers to the offspring of Garm, the terrible hound from Norse mythology.

The story starts as most Solomon Kane stories seem to start. Kane is alone on a spooky road. A howl startles him. “It was a tremendous, ghastly cry, bestial and savage beyond anything he’d heard before.” Considering I’ve read multiple Kane adventures, I’ll just smile and nod.

Kane hears a scream and races to the rescue. A large black dog-like brute has attacked a coach. The beast seems impervious to harm. Thunder roars and the large dog flees. Kane goes to look after the coach’s inhabitants. Several people were mauled to death. There is one survivor who states, “Black Shuck has taken everyone. Everyone but me.” Black Shuck is the name of a historical legendary ghostly black dog from English folklore.

Kane heads to town with the survivor. The local sheriff inquires about the incident and arrests Kane. Kane encountering the dog has put the town in danger. Why the survivor wasn’t treated the same way puzzles me. Kane is bound and locked away. A young man named Uric comes to Kane’s rescue. Uric tells Kane that the sheriff is a warlock and the town hanged his wife for practicing witchcraft. And that the sheriff controls the hound to enact revenge. Urik tells Kane of a rusted Danish sword that controls the beast. Uric tells Kane to destroy the sword to save the town.

Kane is freed and heads to the sheriffs house. He takes the sword but doesn’t destroy it. He confronts the sheriff and finds out Uric is his son. Events change and to divulge more would be a spoiler. Suffice to say, Kane prevails.

This is a decent adventure. The twist is okay, but not surprising. The motivations for the sheriff and his son seem a little convoluted to me though. Why this adventure hasn’t been re-published as an Heroic Legends e-book is anyone’s guess. It is no better or no worse than the others.

Review: Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age by Rodolfo Martinez

by Gary Romeo

I gave a thumb’s up review to Mr. Martinez’s pastiche novel, The Song of Belit. And I can see why the Robert E. Howard Foundation members gave this book the Atlantean Award for 2025. REHF voters know good things when they see it. This blog won the Black Lotus Award in 2024. 🙂

Considering that this book cost $33 I do think you should be aware of what you are getting hence this review. It is a well made case laminate hardcover book. Meaning it has stiff cardboards covers where the artwork is printed directly onto the rigid cover. The book has interior art by Breogan Alvarez, Joe Bocardo and Manoli Martinez, along with color maps and photos of Weird Tales covers. The front cover appears to be AI generated,

The book features a brief introduction, a short biography of Robert E. Howard, short reviews of the King Kull stories, detailed reviews of 21 Conan stories, and an A – Z glossary of Hyborian names, gods, etc., along with a chronology, appendices, and bibliography.

The introduction starts by saying the book should be accessible to both newcomers and longtime fans. There is some interesting discussion about chronological presentation vs. publication order presentation. The author admits reviews can be subjective but that that doesn’t mean they lack value.

The short biography starts with a bang. “Robert E. Howard was born in 1906, in a small town in Texas. He died thirty years later: he got into his car and shot himself in the head with a .38 caliber Colt.” The basic facts of REH’s life are given. Mr. Martinez believes that REH was in a state of chronic depression in his final years. ” . . . I believe also that as his mother’s condition worsened and she became more dependent on him, he felt increasingly trapped and saw no way out.” The author goes on to talk about REH’s rise to fame. From the Breckinridge Elkins British novel to Arkham House (and a Spanish language reprint of Skull-Face and Others in 1947!) to Gnome Press and the multi-million selling Lancer Books which led to the comics and movies.

The short reviews of the Kull stories are succinct and reinforce things that, although said before, are entertaining to read again.

I have been reading Conan story summaries and critiques since Robert Weinberg’s The Annotated Guide to Robert E. Howard’s Sword & Sorcery published in 1976. The Starmont Readers Guide 35 Robert E. Howard by Marc A. Cerasini and Charles Hoffman published in 1987 remains a fave. Story summaries and critiques appear all over the internet (and on THIS BLOG!). So a critic has to work really hard to add something new to the game.

If you haven’t read many critiques (or written them yourself) this section will appeal more to you. Martinez recounts the stories giving details, highlights, and worthy commentary. Highlights are his comments about Conan preferring civilization in “The Phoenix on the Sword” review, and his views of misogyny and murder in “Rogues in the House.”

The Glossary of Hyborian names, gods, etc. is useful in the same sort of way many gamebook sourcebooks are useful. If you are attempting a Conan pastiche these things are indispensable. The remaining material is all very good as well. If you are well-heeled buy the book without reservation.

Review: The Odyssey of the Gael by James L. Richardson

by Gary Romeo

This is the third James L. Richardson book I’ve reviewed here. The first two books featured what appeared to be AI art. This book’s cover is credited to Jean Carlos Estevez, aka art_doot. I have no idea if any of the text was AI assisted or not. I really don’t care.

The main character of the first story in the book is Cormac Mac Art. An “Author’s Note” states: “Cormac Mac Art is the name of two historical figures. Robert E. Howard wrote an unpublished story that re-imagined the character. In that tradition, Cormac Mac Art has been redrawn, yet again, for this series of books. Though he shares a name with the historical figures and the Howard creation, the Cormac Mac Art in these stories is a brand new creation.”

So, he isn’t the Cormac of “Tigers of the Sea” and other stories. But he carries “an ancient soul, one that knew the shores of fabled Atlantis . . .”

The main plot of the story is straightforward. Young King Arthur has hired Cormac and his band of warriors to assist him in the siege of a castle. Arthur is trying to consolidate his rule and needs all the help he can get.

What makes this “Public Domain Super Heroes” series somewhat interesting to me is the cast of characters the author throws into the mix. In the first book I’ve reviewed Kull of Atlantis fought against the immortal Vivectus. Vivectus returns in this novel but is going under the name Lancelot du Lac. Vivectus/du Lac is initially working for the opposition but becomes Arthur’s confidant. He doesn’t like Cormac and senses Cormac is descended from Kull. He also mentions that “Cimmerian brute.”

Along with Arthur, Merlin, Cormac, and Vivectus/du Lac are The Shining Knight, Ibis the Invincible, and yeah, Merlin is also Shazam (from the old Captain Marvel comics).

The Shining Knight is a young girl, that disguises herself as a boy, in this book. She doesn’t have the winged horse yet. Merlin is dismissive of Ibis’s attempts to get him to assume the Shazam mantle. And Ibis comes across as a behind the scenes mastermind. (Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Dr. Fate type characters were in the previously reviewed Kull and Red SonYa books.) James L. Richardson promises that all these characters and loose ends will come to a crossover finale sometime in the future.

The writing is adequate. No better or worse than a lot of modern Sword & Sorcery. Action scenes are sometimes confusing, but that could be my fault. I tolerate action scenes more than enjoy them these days. The story comes to a logical end and sets the stage for more adventures that I will most likely buy.

Whether Heroic Signatures and/or DC Comics will ever send this guy a “cease and desist” letter is anyone’s guess. Richardson doesn’t appear worried. He gives ERB, Inc. reason to sue him in the second story in the book.

“The Beast of Borneo” features Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes, and an invisible man. Most likely the H. G. Wells one. The set up is interesting enough. Young Tarzan spies on a group of men and notices they have a prisoner. Tarzan almost immediately decides to help the captive man. He hides in the trees until nightfall and attempts the rescue. There is an exciting fight with the invisible opponent where Tarzan relies on his senses to stay alive. Tarzan calls for aid from his jungle friends and prevails.

The freed captive introduces himself as Sherlock Holmes and says, “I have been looking for you, Viscount Greystoke, Huishi Zijue.” WTF? Apparently Holmes thinks Tarzan speaks Chinese?

The story ends here promising to be continued in the future.