Fantasy Fiction #3

Fantasy Fiction #3 (Fantasy Magazine #1 was retitled Fantasy Fiction from the second issue on. There were 4 issues total. This issue contains THE FROST GIANT’S DAUGHTER, reviced by L Sprague de Camp.

Three-Bladed Doom

“Three-Bladed Doom” is an adventure short story by American writer Robert E. Howard, featuring his character El Borak. It was not published within Howard’s lifetime.

There are two different versions of this story. The first is shorter (24,000 words) than the second (42,000) words. The short version was printed first, in issue #4 of the magazine REH Lone Star Fictioneer (Spring 1976). The long version was printed the following year in the Zebra paperback Three-Bladed Doom (July 1977). Both of these versions, however, had their beginning and ending substantially re-written by Byron Roark, editor of REH Lone Star Fictioneer. The restored version was printed in issue #10 of the fanzine REH: Two-Gun Raconteur (Winter 2006).

Son of the White Wolf

Collects “Blood of the Gods,” “Country of the Knife” and “Son of the White Wolf,” three tales of Middle Eastern adventure featuring Francis Xavier Gordon (El Borak), published here for the first time in a book. Introduction by Fred Cook.

The Lost Valley of Iskander

The first publication of these stories in book format. Three colorful adventure stories. Kirby O’Donnell is a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard. He is an American treasure hunter in early-twentieth century Afghanistan disguised as a Kurdish merchant, “Ali el Ghazi”. Howard only wrote three stories about O’Donnell, one of which was not published within his lifetime.

O’Donnell has, like many Howard characters, the stereotypical “Black Irish” combination of black hair and blue eyes. He has a lithe but powerful physique, relying more on agility and wits than strength. Kirby O’Donnell is similar to another of Howard’s characters, El Borak, in many ways. However, O’Donnell seeks hidden treasures in all of his stories while El Borak is more concerned with his own form of justice and stability in Afghanistan. O’Donnell carries a set of distinctive weapons, a scimitar with a bronze hawk-head on the pommel and a “kindhjal” [sic].

Swords of Shahrazar

The first publication of these stories in book format. Three colorful adventure stories. Kirby O’Donnell is a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard. He is an American treasure hunter in early-twentieth century Afghanistan disguised as a Kurdish merchant, “Ali el Ghazi”. Howard only wrote three stories about O’Donnell, one of which was not published within his lifetime.

O’Donnell has, like many Howard characters, the stereotypical “Black Irish” combination of black hair and blue eyes. He has a lithe but powerful physique, relying more on agility and wits than strength. Kirby O’Donnell is similar to another of Howard’s characters, El Borak, in many ways. However, O’Donnell seeks hidden treasures in all of his stories while El Borak is more concerned with his own form of justice and stability in Afghanistan. O’Donnell carries a set of distinctive weapons, a scimitar with a bronze hawk-head on the pommel and a “kindhjal” [sic].

The Mighty Barbarians

The Mighty Barbarians: Great Sword and Sorcery Heroes is a 1969 anthology of fantasy short stories in the sword and sorcery subgenre, edited by Hans Stefan Santesson. This is the first publication. It was later followed up by the subsequent Lancer anthology The Mighty Swordsmen. It has been translated into Dutch. Robert M. Price edited a later-day homage to both anthologies called The Mighty Warriors (2018).

The anthology contains A WITCH SHALL BE BORN.

Ariel #3

Ariel: The Book of Fantasy #3 was a fantasy magazine published by Ariel Books (earlier Morning Star Press). This issue contains the poem “Musing” illustrated on a two-page spread by Jack Kirby.

Ariel #1

Ariel was a fantasy magazine published by Morning Star Press, later Ariel Books, and Ballantine Books. There is a six page preview of the upcoming novel adaptation of THE VALLEY OF THE WORM. Article about Frank Frazetta. Two Howard poems, “The Symbol” and “A Crown for a King”. Also features “Conan the Existential”, an essay by Charles Hoffman (a variant of Conan the Existentialist from 1974).

Three-Bladed Doom

The Ace editions of “Three-Bladed Doom”. The text is considered superior to the Zebra edition. The story is an adventure short story featuring his character El Borak. It was not published within Howard’s lifetime.