This chapbook is from 1984 and the first of five in this series edited by Robert M. Price. It contains three poems and an untitled synopsis (John Gorman) by Howard.

Contents

• 3 • Editorial (Risque Stories #1) • essay by Robert M. Price
• 4 • She-Cats of Samarkand • [John Gorman] • short story by Marc Cerasini and Charles Hoffman and Robert E. Howard [as by Sam Walser]
• 14 •  She-Cats of Samarkand • interior artwork by John Borkowski
• 20 • Strange Passion • poem by Robert E. Howard
• 21 • “For the Blood Is the Life” • [Tara of the Twilight] • short story by Lin Carter
• 23 •  ”For the Blood Is the Life” • interior artwork by Rick J. Bryant
• 26 • Lesbia • poem by Robert E. Howard
• 27 •  Lesbia • interior artwork by Rick J. Bryant
• 28 • June, 4683 • short story by Duane W. Rimel [as by Duane Rimel]
• 31 •  June, 4683 • interior artwork by Rick J. Bryant
• 34 • Desire • poem by Robert E. Howard
• 35 • An Informal History of the Spicy Pulps • essay by Will Murray
• 41 • Geometries • poem by Clark Ashton Smith
• 42 • Untitled Synopsis (“John Gorman found himself…”) • [John Gorman] • short fiction by Robert E. Howard (variant of She-Cats of Samarkand (synopsis))

Notes

Saddle stapled, wraps. Page numbers do not include covers.
Cover and interior artists credited on p. 2.

Edited by Robert M. Price
Four interior black and white illustrations. One is by John Borkowski. Three are by Rick J. Bryant.

John Gorman was created by Robert E. Howard in an untitled synopsis for a “spicy” adventure story.

Marc A. Cerasini and Charles Hoffman took this synopsis and used it as a basis for a short story, “She-Cats of Samarkand.” The story was published under the byline of Sam Walser, a pseudonym REH used when he wrote for the “spicy” pulps.

Four additional John Gorman adventures were published under the author’s real names. All of these stories appeared in Robert M. Price’s Cryptic Publications. 

By Robert E. Howard:
“Untitled Synopsis,” Risque Stories #1

By “Sam Walser”
(pseudonym of Marc A. Cerasini and Charles Hoffman):
“She-Cats of Samarkand,” Risque Stories #1

By Marc A. Cerasini and Charles Hoffman:
“The Temple of Forbidden Fruit,” Risque Stories #2
“Jungle Curse,” Risque Stories #3
“Drums of the Bizango,” Pulse-Pounding Adventure Stories #1
“Hell Cat of Hong Kong,” Risque Stories #5