“burro” 276.22.12: it appears a comma was marked out after “aversion” 276.22.13: comma after “now”
276.30.7: comma after “was” 277.19.9: punctuation after “ears” obscured, possibly a colon; 277.20.3: word obscured, probably “he” 277.25.9: under-tone; 277.34.9: squamy; 277.40.13: conciousness; 278.1.6: inner-most; 278.4.5-6: no commas after “dim” and “strange” 278.28.10: it appears a comma was marked out after “valley” 281.4.5: inhumaness; 281.8.8: an editorial marking for a comma is superimposed over Howard’s typed punctuation, possibly a semicolon; 281.9.11: semicolon rather than comma; 281.11.8: a letter has been marked out, possibly this read “survivals” 281.31.8: the initial letter is faint in the copy; “Hell” in earlier draft; 281.37.12: an editorial marking for a comma is superimposed over Howard’s typed punctuation, possibly a semicolon; 281.38.1: an editorial marking for a comma is superimposed over Howard’s typed punctuation, possibly a semicolon; 282.2.1: carvent (earlier draft has “crystallinecarven”); 282.5.8: ever (typed to extreme right edge of paper); earlier draft has “every”
282.9.11: network; 282.10.1: honey-combing; 282.26.10: redmen; 282.29.1: no comma after
“Meanwhile” 282.35.12: “to” is written (not in REH’s hand) over a typed word beginning with “o”, probably “of” 282.37.7: it appears a comma was marked out after “gain” 283.13.12: something is marked out, no more than two letters, between “stood” and “among” 283.14.5: land-slide; 283.32.6: it appears a comma was marked out after “eyes” 283.33.6: A word has been marked out, with “Its”
hand-written above (not in REH’s hand); earlier draft has “The” 283.41.1: A word has been marked out; earlier draft has “And” 284.16.7: lower-case “l” hand-written over indecipherable typed letter; 284.16.9: upper-case “H” hand-written over indecipherable typed letter; 284.18.7: it appears a comma has been marked out after “sane” 284.19.6: upper-case “H” hand-written over indecipherable typed letter; 285.17.1: punctuation obscured by editorial marking; 285.24.1: A word has been marked out, probably
“And” 285.26.10: side-ways; 285.28.8: comma after “serpent” rather than “and” 286.3.1: it appears a comma has been marked out after “walks” 286.10.9: no comma after “sunlight” 286.26.10: titer; 286.31.1: concious; 286.40.9: didnt; 287.2.5: wasnt; 287.2.7: a letter marked out before “it”, probably
“h” 287.2.15: a letter marked out before “it”, probably “h” 287.8.9: word has been marked out, appears to be “done” 287.9.5: word of about 3-4 letters marked out, possibly “done” 287.16.1-19.4: these four sentences are all written as one paragraph; 287.18.3: its; 287.19.4: something has been scratched out after “look”, possibly dashes or an ellipsis; 287.24.8: punctuation (if any) obscured by editorial marking; earlier draft has comma after “fists” 287.28.3: no comma after “and” 287.28.7: it appears a comma has been marked out after “sticks” 287.31.14: it appears a comma has been marked out after “saddle”
287.32.8: it appears a comma has been marked out after “fuse” 287.33.11: earth-quake; 287.37.3: a letter appears to have been marked out after “rock”, possibly “s” 288.20.1: Reynolds The Hoofed Thing
Text taken from Weirdbook Three, 1970 (as “Usurp the Night”). 289.8.1: of; 289.12.1: “run-down”
hyphenated at line break; 289.18.4: delapidation; 290.18.3: no closing quotation mark; 293.3.8: profusedly; 294.14.12: comma after “emerge” 298.25.11: old fashioned; 298.36.3: comma rather than period after “panted” 301.9.18: no comma after ‘I’ 302.40.9: “a” not in original The Noseless Horror
Text taken from Magazine of Horror, February 1970. 305.5.7: no period after “experience” 308.20.2: lauresl; 308.21.2: no closing quotation mark; 309.22.9: lights; 310.16.6: eyes; 310.34.7: no period after
“barred” 311.6.6-7: “noseless one” set in double quotation marks rather than single; 312.27.4: comma after “indeed” 313.1.13: stair case; 314.20.7: no; 314.39.7: amazed; 317.5.15: brinks; 317.9.3: “Singh”
not in original
The Dwellers Under the Tomb
Text taken from Lost Fantasies 4, 1976. Two earlier draft typescripts are extant, one 13 pages and one 18 pages. The typescript used for the Lost Fantasies (and Black Canaan, Berkley, 1978) publications was not available for this edition. 318.3.2: squeled; 318.21.7: deoman; 319.11.1: sould; 319.17.5: death rattle; 319.18.3: Jonas; 319.37.2: mightmare; 320.8.5-9.3: text between “strike” and “sensation” not in Lost Fantasies version; text taken from 18 page draft typescript; 320.27.8: He; 320.31.9: figeting; 320.32.11: A; 320.33.5: no closing quotation mark; 320.39.14: he’s; 321.11.6: that; 321.13.11: through; 321.16.1: undulation; 321.20.10: a; 321.23.8: ancestrial; 321.25.4: stripe; 321.29.8: rock; 321.31.7: for; 321.41.2: “it” not in Lost Fantasies version; this passage not found in drafts; 322.11.14: shattering; 322.12.8: moon lit; 322.20.2: feat; 322.25.3: comma rather than period after “know”
322.26.3-4: Itmight; 322.36.3: recognized; 323.16.8: creek; 323.41.8: lie; 324.1.10: “not” not in Lost Fantasies version; passage not found in drafts; 324.13.4: reverted; 324.27.4: appaled; 324.33.4: “in”
not in Lost Fantasies version; passage not found in drafts; 324.37.5: closing quotation mark after “out.”
324.39.1: Open quotation mark before “Are” 325.22.12: earthly; no comma after “earthly” 326.14.4: desipte; 326.14.7: sceptics; 326.26.6: no open quotation mark; 329.3.6: no comma after “roughly”
329.16.3: vertiable; 329.16.11: jug; 330.23.2: though; 330.25.3: back; 330.32.1: steal-thy; 331.1.2: droppin; 331.22.17: comma after “rare” 332.31.11: comma after “labyrinths” 333.29.14: errored; 334.16.1: in habited; 334.25.9: no comma after “sliding” 334.33.3-34.2: text between “be” and “trace”
not in Lost Fantasies version; passage not found in earlier drafts; text taken from Black Canaan; 335.26.10: “writhing” not in Lost Fantasies version, text from 18 page draft typescript; 335.36.6: back; 335.39.6: shone; 336.1.13: guant; 336.13.12: no comma after “grey” 336.14.5: eyes; 336.22.8: sone An Open Window
Text taken from Weird Tales, September 1932. No changes have been made for this edition.
The House of Arabu
Text taken from Avon Fantasy Reader, 1952 (as “The Witch from Hell’s Kitchen”). An untitled first draft typescript and an incomplete, titled, second draft typescript of this story are extant. It seems likely that someone else, perhaps agent Oscar Friend, was responsible for rewriting the story for Avon Fantasy Reader. The heading was not used in Avon Fantasy Reader; it is taken from the second draft.
339.5.10: “love-making” hyphenated at line break; 340.34.4: no comma after “conversation” 343.5.7: no closing quotation mark after “accursed” 343.11.11: Mycenæans; 345.26.7: networks; 353.21.1: no closing quotation mark after “eternity” 354.36.4: word; 357.21.1: no comma after “with” 357.32.2: like; 358.32.7: laugher; 358.33.9: making
The Man on the Ground
Text taken from Weird Tales, July 1933. No changes have been made for this edition.
Old Garfield’s Heart
Text taken from Weird Tales, December 1933. No changes have been made for this edition.
Kelly the Conjure-Man
Text taken from The Howard Collector, Summer 1964. 376.8.7: 1850’s; 377.19.12: the period is placed after the closing quotation mark; 378.22.5: “70’s
Black Canaan
Text taken from Weird Tales, June 1936. 385.17.8: “white-washed” hyphenated at line break (hyphenated in draft typescript); 385.20.5: the period is placed after the closing quotation mark; 399.21.14: “criss-crossed” hyphenated at line break (hyphenated in draft typescript); 402.26.6: period rather than comma after “whispered” 405.11.14: dance;
To a Woman
Text taken from Modern American Poetry—1933. No changes have been made for this edition.
One Who Comes at Eventide
Text taken from Modern American Poetry—1933. No changes have been made for this edition.
The Haunter of the Ring
Text ta
ken from Weird Tales, June 1934. No changes have been made for this edition.
Pigeons from Hell
Text taken from Weird Tales, May 1938. 426.33.13: “sleep-walker” hyphenated at line break; 427.13.6: “corpse-like” hyphenated at line break; 428.35.2: “hat-brim” hyphenated at line break; 428.39.11: county-seat; 430.22.5: “sun-bathed” hyphenated at line break; 434.5.12: “down” repeated; 435.35.7: county-seat; 436.18.11: county-seat; 439.25.1: “men-folks” hyphenated at line break; 443.10.8: builded
The Dead Remember
Text taken from Argosy, August 15, 1936. No changes have been made for this edition.
The Fire of Asshurbanipal
Text taken from Weird Tales, December 1936. 461.35.14: no period after “city” 463.17.5: the comma is placed after the closing quotation mark
Fragment
Text taken from Weird Tales, December 1937. No changes have been made for this edition.
Which Will Scarcely Be Understood
Text taken from Weird Tales, October 1937. No changes have been made for this edition.
Golnor the Ape
Text taken from Crypt of Cthulhu, Roodmas 1985. 483.9.1: comma after ‘night’
Spectres in the Dark
Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, a copy of which was provided by the Robert E. Howard Foundation. 487.3.13: six hyphens rather than dash; 487.8.2: seven hyphens rather than dash; 487.15.10: Fraser; 487.15.11-12: “Golden Bough” not italicized; 487.17.3: no comma after “However”
487.17.13: reluctrance; 487.19.3: hours; 487.21.4: painting; 487.24.1: mallet like; 487.31.1: no opening quotation mark; 487.31.12: comma rather than period after “first” 487.37.3: period rather than comma after “repeated” 488.7.5: period rather than comma after “game” 488.8.7: Dat; 488.22.3: bot; 488.22.10: bot; 488.24.2: “ten” enclosed in double rather than single quotation marks; 488.24.15: dats; 488.25.4: dats; 488.25.16: aint; 488.28.14: comma rather than period after “life” 488.30.6: wouldnt; 488.32.10: aint; 488.33.5: aint; 488.33.9: dontcha; 488.34.14: dont; 488.36.7: wuznt; 488.38.13: didn’t; 488.41.5: involuntarilly, followed by comma rather than period; 489.1.7: taint; 489.1.11: cant; 489.5.2: he; 489.5.9: comma rather than period after “manner” 489.5.11: dont; 489.8.1: some; 489.9.2: period rather than comma after “like” 489.10.1: comma rather than period after “sensations” 489.10.11: cant; 489.11.15: aint; 489.12.1: No opening quotation mark; 489.12.6: dont; 489.13.1: his; 489.13.4: comma rather than period after “broodingly” 489.17.5: comma rather than period after “sullenly”
489.19.8: concious; 489.20.13: comma rather than period after “door” 489.20.14: Its; 489.24.15: Thats; 489.27.7: isnt; 489.30.2: youre; 489.30.3: period rather than comma after “right” 489.30.5: comma rather than period after “muttered” 489.33.2: period rather than comma after “late” 489.38.1: no comma after “Hallworthy” 490.1.9: period rather than comma after “visit” 490.1.11: comma rather than period after “remarked” 490.2.5: America; 490.3.7: comma rather than period after “interrupted”
490.3.9: cant; 490.4.5: period rather than comma after “Joan” 490.4.8: comma rather than period after
“mildly” 490.5.3: didnt; 490.11.3: comma rather than period after “Hallworthy” 490.13.7: abhorence; 490.14.15: dont; 490.16.13: period rather than comma after “us” 490.16.16: comma rather than period after “calmly” 490.22.6: period rather than comma after “Van Dorn” 490.22.8: comma rather than period after “dissented” 490.26.4: period rather than comma after “Malcolm” 490.26.6: no comma after
“Joan” 490.27.2: comma rather than period after “uppermost” 490.27.4: dont; 490.28.4: period rather than comma after “know” 490.28.6: comma rather than period after “answered” 490.32.13: no punctuation after “bloodshot” 490.36.6: comma rather than period after “exclaiming” 490.36.8: dont; 490.36.11: Its; 490.37.9: thats; 490.40.7: period rather than comma after “fellow” 490.40.10: no punctuation after “came” 490.40.11: no punctuation after “soothing” 490.41.1: comma rather than period after “calm” 490.41.6: no punctuation after “know” 491.1.4: period rather than comma after “Clement”
491.5.9: comma rather than period after “haltingly” 491.12.5: dash set before rather than after quotation mark; 491.14.1: comma rather than dash; 491.15.7: hasnt; 491.16.10: he; 491.16.12: comma rather than period after “violently” 491.23.5: excercize; 491.31.2: hi; 491.32.3: no punctuation after “I”
491.34.5: period rather than comma after “Clement” 491.34.8: comma rather than period after
“presently” 492.1.1: no punctuation after “physically” 492.4.2: comma after “have” 492.19.13: no comma after “sensation” 492.20.1: evidently; 492.21.4: no period after “movies” 492.21.5: he; 492.24.13: comma after “think” 492.25.14: didn’t; 492.31.7: comma after “kill” 492.34.10: period rather than comma after “himself” 492.34.12: comma rather than period after “answered” 493.3: no blank line space; 493.17: no blank line space; 493.25.1: recieved; 493.28.6: no comma after “assaults”
493.30.11: Hallworthy’s; 493.39.1: unconcious; 493.40.14: wilfull, followed by comma; 494.1.11: no comma after “judgment” 494.1.14: no comma after “needed” 494.6.9: period rather than comma after
“woman” 494.6.11: comma rather than period after “answered” 494.9.8: period rather than comma after
“child” 494.13.10: thats; 494.15.9: coercing; 494.16.3: tyrranny; 494.24.6: period rather than comma after “right” 494.24.8: comma rather than period after “said” 494.25.5: comma rather than period after
“Hallworthy” 494.28.5: comma rather than period after “hand” 494.28.8: no comma after “then”
494.31.1: No opening quotation mark; 494.37.12: assimulate; 495.3: no blank line space; 495.9.1: no comma after “New York” 495.10: no blank line space; 495.11.5: “days” was originally typed, then
“nights” typed above, with a slash marking indicating placement following “days”, but “days” was not crossed out; 495.15.7: darknes (paper torn); 495.17.1: sensatio (typed to right edge of paper); 495.22: no blank line space; 495.23.10: concious; 495.27.1: “were” was originally typed, then “had been” was typed above, with no indication of placement; 495.28.3: no comma after “Costigan” 495.29.3: no comma after “room” 496.5.10: over took; 496.8.3: no comma after “that” 496.17.1: Whats; 496.18.9-14: “reminding me” was originally typed, then “in a manner that remined me” was typed above with no indication of placement; 496.18.13: remined; 496.20.1: period rather than comma after
“Nothin’” 496.20.9: comma rather than period after “statement” 496.22.1: comma rather than period after “cunning” 496.22.11: wont; 496.30.2-4: “somewhat suprized” was originally typed, with
“wondering idly at” typed above; 496.34.2: “was just” originally typed, with “upon” typed above; 496.36.3: hasnt; 496.38.8: skurry; 497.2.2: it; 497.2.11: comma rather than period after “child” 497.4.2: if; 497.5.5: comma rather than period after “dumfounded” 497.7.5: clothings; 497.7.6: dissarranged; 497.13.4: dont; 497.13.5: comma rather than period after “understand” 497.13.6: Why The House
Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, a copy of which was provided by the Robert E. Howard Foundation. 498.1.15: Why; 498.12.3: explai (typed to right edge of paper); 498.27.4: no comma after
“brother” 498.28.9: sales-man; 498.38.7: mad-house; 499.5.10: no comma after “Justin” 499.6.1: no period after “lunacy” (typed to right edge of paper); 499.17.4: mad hous (typed to right edge of paper); 499.19.8: complete; 499.26.9: dew wet; 499.36.3: comma rather than period after “exclaimed” 500.9.9: any one; 500.11.16: momento; 500.12.8: big brotherly; 500.14.11: good natured; 500.16.7: round faced; 500.17.9: narrow bridged; 500.18.12: towseled; 500.23.3: himself; 500.25.2: good natured; 500.31.1: industrially; 500.37.8: what ever; 500.41.1: socialogy; 501.2.9: histor (typed to right edge of page); 501.4.1: no opening quotation mark; 501.6.6: back ground; 501.8.4: Poets; 501.11.6: conciousness; 501.13.3: comma rather than period after “snapped” 501.2
2.12: country-side; 501.28.5: dreams; 501.29.7: no comma after “Evidently” 501.31.4: an (typed to right edge of paper); 501.31.12: no comma after “reply” 501.33.6: coul (typed to right edge of paper); 501.34.14: comma after “added”
rather than “that” 501.37.11-12: kodak snap shot; 502.1.2: Its; 502.3.5: comma rather than period after
“up” 502.4.1: Lets; 502.9.10: tempermental; 502.11.8: knife edge; 502.17.10: Why; 502.20.5: didnt; 502.22.5: comma rather than period after “admitted” 502.23.3: comma rather than period after “cried”
502.26.6: gibuous; 502.26.8: no comma after “mistily” 502.27.3: tumble down; 502.31.9: snap shot; 502.32.1: exclude; 502.37.3: its; 502.38.3: its; 502.38.10: its; 502.39.5-6: the house; 502.41.4: hasnt; 503.5.4-5: the house; 503.10.7: comma rather than period after “Conrad” 503.10.9: dont; 503.23.5: doesnt; 503.31.2: visi (typed to right edge of paper); 503.34.4: metropoli (typed to right edge of paper); 504.1.10: comma rather than period after “mayor” 504.6.5: comma rather than period after “Conrad”
504.8.6: comma rather than period after “Skuyler” 504.11.7: Neither; 504.13.1: barreness; 504.16.10: comma rather than period after “Conrad” 504.17.1: encountere (typed to right edge of paper); 504.25.4: If; 504.29.2: no comma after “it” 504.29.16-30.1: the house; 504.32.4: The; 504.33.10: some-one; 504.35.2: some-one; 504.35.9: boot-leg
Untitled Fragment
Text taken from The Howard Collector, Spring 1967. 506.3.5: comma after “Africa’
I would like to thank Rob Bliss, Dean Howarth, Emma Clayton, and Simon Bisley for their friendship and creative support. All the guys at Paradox Entertainment and the R. E. Howard estate for having faith in me. Special thanks to Jim & Ruth for all of your help in finally getting the project started and making my job so enjoyable. Finally my Mum Debbie for always being there when I need her, my wife Karen and son Harrison for keeping me sane and making me laugh, I love you.
Greg Staples
Many, many thanks to Rob Roehm for his efforts in getting all the texts together for this book, and to Patrice Louinet and Paul Herman for their help and counsel. Thanks, once more, to Stuart, for his customary patience with my deadline-pushing ways, and to Jim and Ruth for all their hard work in bringing this thing together. To the gang at Del Rey for their patience and expertise. To Marcelo—this first experience of doing a book without you just made me realize all the more how much you did, and what a genius you are. To Glenn Lord, for all the years of friendship and help. To Steve Trout, who long ago opened my eyes to Howard’s horror stories. And as always to Shelly, all my love, for patiently putting up with me when I get absorbed in these projects.