The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard reveals a side of Howard’s personality that readers of his fiction might not suspect existed. Full of humor, philosophical musings, travelogue, historical sketches, and opinions on contemporary politics and events – local, national, and international – Howard’s letters provide important insight into the life and times of one of the most influential pulp-era writers of the twentieth century.
This three-volume, limited-edition series collects all the known letters written by REH. The collection includes dozens of previously unpublished letters and hundreds of poems that made their initial appearance in these volumes. This three-volume set collects more than 330 letters, from the early ones to his Texas friends, most notably Tevis Clyde Smith, and continuing through correspondence with fellow writers Clark Ashton Smith, E. Hoffmann Price, and others. Also included are Howard’s letters to H. P. Lovecraft, which constitute one of the most intriguing correspondence cycles in the history of fantasy fiction.
This is the “Ultimate Edition” which just means that it’s printed on demand. Each volume is printed in hardback with a dust jacket. The cover design and artwork are by Mark Wheatley. The first edition can be seen here.
This second volume of a three-volume set collects all of Howard’s known correspondence, from the early letters to his Texas friends, most notably Tevis Clyde Smith, and continuing through correspondence with fellow writers Clark Ashton Smith, E. Hoffmann Price, and others. Also included are Howard’s letters to H.P. Lovecraft, which constitute one of the most intriguing correspondence cycles in the history of Fantasy fiction.
Contents
- ix – Introduction by Rusty Burke
- xv – First Edition Notes on the Text by Rob Roehm
- xvii – Second Edition Notes from the Editor by John Bullard
- xix – List of First Edition Letter Numbers with Their New Second Edition Numbers
1930
| 116 | To Harold Preece, postmarked January 4, 1930 (“Yes, we fade from youth …”) |
| 117 | To Alvin P. Bradford, ca. January 1930, unsent (You’ll have to pardon …”) |
| 118 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. January 1930 (“Many thanks for the letter …”) |
| 119 | To Weird Tales, ca. January to Mid-February 1930 (“‘Thirsty Blades’ is fine.”) |
| 120 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. February 1930 (“Well, here is the letter.”) |
| 121 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. February 1930 (“Salaam; Fear Orghruagach; / Life is a …”) |
| 122 | To Harold Preece, ca. February 1930 (“Go manee jeea git, / You’re in Kansas now, eh?”) |
| 123 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. March 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn, tell Cuchullain the Dutchess …”) |
| 124 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. March 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn: / I trust you are in good healthel …”) |
| 125 | To Harold Preece, postmarked March 24, 1930 (“Thanks for the picture.”) |
| 126 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. April 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn, you mention being in a lethargic noodle …”) |
| 127 | To Harold Preece, ca. early April 1930 (“Thanks for the Saint Padraic’s card.”) |
| 128 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. April 1930 (“Salaam: Well, Fear Finn, I believe in days gone yore …”) Contains The Mutiny of the Hellroarer. |
| 129 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. May 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn, I hope this letter find you o.k.”) |
| 130 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. May 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn, I was in Brownwood yesterday …”) |
| 131 | To Farnsworth Wright, ca. June 1930 (“I have long looked forward to reading …”) |
| 132 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. June 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn: / The pictures came at last …”) |
| 133 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. June 1930 (“Salaam, Fear Finn: / Then Stein the peddler …”) |
| 134 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. June 1930 (“Salaam, Fear Finn: / Well, me bauld buccaneer, …”) |
| 135a | To H.P. Lovecraft, draft, ca. July 1, 1930 (“Admittedly, your theories in regard to the Celtic races …”) |
| 135b | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. July 1, 1930 (“I am indeed highly honored …”) |
| 136 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. July 1930 (“I haven’t heard from our story …”) – includes “Voyages with Villains“ |
| 137 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. August 1930 (“Let me first thank you for the opportunity …”) |
| 138 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. early September 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn: / I hope you’ll sell the dueling story.”) |
| 139 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. September 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn, me bauld braw Heiland bully, …”) |
| 140 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. September 1930 (“I envy you your sojourn in Quebec.”) |
| 141 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. September 1930 (“I am very glad that you enjoyed your visit …”) |
| 142 | To Harold Preece, ca. October 1930 (“Well, Harold, how did you like my story, …”) |
| 143 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. October 1930 (“It is with greatest delight …”) |
| 144 | To Harold Preece, ca. October or early November 1930 (“Well, Harold, I’m sorry to hear your nose …”) |
| 145 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. November 1930 (“As always, your letter proved highly enjoyable.”) |
| 146 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. November 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn: / I read your article …”) |
| 147 | To Weird Tales, ca. November 1930 (“I was particularly fascinated by …”) |
| 148 | To Harold Preece, postmarked November 24, 1930 (“I hope you’ll pardon my negligence …”) |
| 149 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. December 1930 (“Fear Finn: / I’m not surprized …”) |
| 150 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. December 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn: / I don’t know when I’ll be able …”) |
| 151 | To Unknown Recipient, Undated Unsent (“Salaam: / I do not remember who I told you …”) |
1931
| 152 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca January 1931 (“As always I found your recent letter …”) |
| 153 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. January 1931 (“This is a rather belated letter thanking you …”) |
| 154 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. Mid to Late-January 1931 (“Fear Finn: / I’ve delayed writing you, hoping …”) |
| 155 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. Late-February, after February 16, 1931 (“Well, Fear Finn: / You owe me a letter, …”) |
| 156 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. February 1931 (“I highly appreciate your intention for me …”) |
| 157 | To Wilfred Blanch Talman, ca. February 1931 (“I can hardly find words to express …”) |
| 158 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. March 3, 1931 (“I’m writing this letter only some two hundred …”) |
| 159 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. March 1931 (“Well, Fear Finn: / Congratulations on your history book.”) |
| 160 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. March 1931 (“Fear Finn: / I don’t have to tell you how sorry I am …”) |
| 161 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. March 14, 1931 (“Well, Fear Finn: / Heigho for sunny San Antonio.”) |
| 162 | To Wilfred Blanch Talman, ca. April 1931 (“I’m glad you liked ‘Kings of the Night.’”) |
| 163 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, May 9, 1931 (“Fear Finn: / Have youse heard anything …”) |
| 164 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. mid-May 1931 (“Well Fear Finn: / I got a letter from Bradford …”) |
| 165 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, week of May 18, 1931 (“Fear Finn: / I should have answered your letters …”) |
| 166 | To Farnsworth Wright, ca. June-July 1931 (“In your last letter you asked me to give you …”) |
| 167 | To Harry Bates, June 1, 1931 (“You may, or may not have noticed my work in …”) |
| 168 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. early June 1931 (“Fear Finn: / Thanks very much for the Frontier Times.”) |
| 169 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. June 1931 (“I didn’t take much of a trip at all.”) |
| 170 | To Wilfred Blanch Talman, ca. July 1931 (“I should have answered your letter months ago, …”) |
| 171 | To H.P. Lovecraft, July 14, 1931 (“Just a line to congratulate you on ‘The Whisperer of the Darkness’.”) |
| 172 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. August 1931 (“Fear Finn: / Well, I doubt if this missile will be very scintillant.”) |
| 173 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. Mid to Late-August, after August 16, 1931 (“You must indeed have had a delightful journey . . …”) |
| 174 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. September 1931 (“Fear Finn: / Lizzen my children …”) |
| 175 | To Wilfred Blanch Talman, ca. September 1931 (“Thank you very much for the letter you wrote …”) |
| 176 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. September 1931 (“Fear Finn: / I’ve been waiting for a letter from you, …”) |
| 177 | To Wilfred Blanch Talman, ca. October 1931 (“I’m returning herewith your stories, …”) |
| 178 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. October 1931 (“Thanks for the post-card views.”) |
| 179 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. October 1931 (“Fear Finn: / The reason I haven’t written you sooner …”) |
| 180 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. October 1931 (“I intended to answer your very interesting letter sooner, …”) |
| 181 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. October 1931 (“Fear Finn: / I wrote Bradford a coarse rude letter …”) |
| 182 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. October 1931 (“Many thanks for the opportunity …”) |
| 183 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, November 1931 (“Fear Finn: / Here are the blasted verses …”) |
| 184 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. November 1931 (“Fear Finn: / Have you heard anything from the Christopher?”) |
| 185 | To H.P. Lovecraft, December 9, 1931 (“I would have answered your letter long ago, …”) |
| 186 | To Unknown Recipient, ca. 1931 (REH as mythical Dane Dream character) |
| 187 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. after mid-1931 (Fear Finn: / I’m damned if I can think of anything …”) |
1932
| 188 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. early January 1932 (“Dear Clyde: / I only learned of your uncle’s death today.”) |
| 189 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. January 1932 (“Yes, I enjoyed the postcards very much.”) |
| 190 | To Weird Tales, ca. January 1932 (“Congratulations on the appearance and excellence …”) |
| 191 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. February 1932 (“Fear Finn: / Well, how runs the world …”) |
| 192 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. February 1932, post card (“This isn’t to flaunt my homely countenance, …”) |
| 193 | To H.P. Lovecraft, March 2, 1932 (“I’m finally getting around to replying to your letter …”) |
| 194 | To Kirk Mashburn, ca. March 1932 (“I am writing to express my appreciation …”) |
| 195 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. March 1932 (“Fear Finn: / Sorry to hear you’ve been carved on again, …”) |
| 196 | To Oriental Stories, ca. Spring 1932 (“Brundage did a fine job in the cover illustration …”) |
| 197 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. March 1932 (“Fear Fennel: / When I wzs a kie in East Texas …”) |
| 198 | To Carl Jacobi, pm, March 22, 1932 (“I found your recent letter very interesting, …”) |
| 199 | To Wilfred Blanch Talman, ca. March 1932 (“I’ve finally gotten around to answering your letter.”) |
| 200 | To Carl Swanson, ca. March 1932 (“I am sending you, under separate cover, …”) |
| 201 | To Carl Swanson, ca. April 1932 (“I am interested in your publication, …”) |
| 202 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. April 1932 (“Fear Finn: / I heard from that bone-crushing man-eater, …”) |
| 203 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. April 1932 (“At last I’ve gotten around to answering your most welcome …”) |
| 204 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. May 1932, handwritten on Worth Hotel stationery, Fort Worth (“Fear Finn: / Just a bit of press-agenting.”) |
| 205 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. May 1932 (“Fear Finn: / Well, here I am back at the old home town, …”) |
| 206 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. May 1932 (“Fear Finn: / Thank you very much for going to all the trouble …”) – Contains “The Toy Rattle Murder Case“ |
| 207 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. May 1932 (“Fear Finn: / Lo, friend, I approach thee with …”) – Contains “The Tom Thumb Moider Mystery“ |
| 208 | To H.P. Lovecraft, May 24, 1932 (“Glad you liked the Oriental story, …”) |
| 209 | To Carl Swanson, ca. late May 1932 (“I’m sorry you had to give up the idea of publishing The Galaxy, …”) |
| 210 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. very late May 1932 (“Fear Finn: / Let us tool forth to Australia; …”) |
| 211 | To Wilfred Blanch Talman, ca. July 1932 (“Thanks very much for De Halve Maen.”) |
| 212 | To H.P. Lovecraft, July 13, 1932 (“It is with the utmost humiliation that I begin this letter.”) |
| 213 | To H.P. Lovecraft, August 9, 1932 (“I am very sorry to hear of your recent bereavement.”) |
| 214 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. August 1932 (“Fear Finn: / I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a pome …”) |
| 215 | To Kirk Mashburn, ca. September 1932 (“Just a line (and rather belated too,) to congratulate …”) |
| 216 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. September 1932 (“Fear Finn: / You owe me a letter, you louse, …”) |
| 217 | To H.P. Lovecraft, September 22, 1932 (“I read, as always, your comments on …”) |
| 218 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. October 1932 (“I hope you decide to collaborate on the proposed …”) |
| 219 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. mid-October 1932 (“Here is the emblem of a lethal form of life …”) |
| 220 | To H.P. Lovecraft, November 2, 1932 (“I want to begin this letter by an apology.”) |
| 221 | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. November 1932 (“Here’s a clipping that might be of some interest, …”) |
| 222 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. November 1932 (“Fear Finn: / Well, I finally get around to answering …”) |
| 223 | To Magic Carpet, ca. November 1932 (“Thank you very much for the remarks …”) |
| 224 | To August Derleth, ca. December (15?) 1932 (“I had intended answering your letter …”) |
| 225a | To H.P. Lovecraft, draft, ca. December 1932 (“My later conclusions were forced on me …”) |
| 225b | To H.P. Lovecraft, ca. December 1932 (“Having read your latest letter with the greatest interest …”) |
| 226 | To Robert H. Barlow, ca. December 1932 (“Price tells me that you are interested …”) |
| 227 | To Robert H. Barlow, ca. December 1932 (“I’ll be glad to sign the title pages of the stories.”) |
| 228 | To August Derleth, ca. December (29?) 1932 (“I read your recent letter with the greatest interest.”) |
| 229 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. after mid-1932 (“Ahatou noyon, Fear Finn: / Thinking of nothing particularly to say …”) contains “The Werewolf Murder Case“ |
| 230 | To Unknown Recipient, ca. 1932 (Salaam: / Not much to say. My brain seems stagnant.”) |
Undated letters
| 231 | To Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. after 1930 (“Well, Fear Finn, I read your story and enjoyed it …”) |
| 232 | To John Wasso, Undated, Unsent (“My Dear Mr. Wasso: / There is a good deal of justice …”) |
| 233 | To Unknown Recipient, Undated, Unsent, (“Salaam: / “’The real reason,’ said John L. Sullivan, …“) |
- 453 Editors’ Notes
- 455 General Index
- 501 List of Howard’s Correspondents
- 503 List of Howard’s Poetry and Plays
- 505 List of Illustrations and Photographs
| Publisher: | REH Foundation Press |
| Year : | June 2022 (Hardcover) June 2022 (Trade paperback) |
| Book No. : | ISBN-13: 978-1955446020 (Hardcover) ISBN-10: 1955446024 (Trade paperback) |
| Edition : | 2nd edition, version 1 |
| Format : | Hardcover with dust jacket (6.3 x 9.4 inches) Trade paperback (6 x 9 inches) |
| Pages : | 530 |
| Cover : | Mark Wheatley |
| Illustrations : | Robert E. Howard |
Notes
- Edited by Rob Roehm & John Bullard
- Annotations by Rusty Burke
- Print on demand “Ultimate Edition”
The other volumes
The first editions
