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Cover of Breckinridge Elkins - First Cuts: The Drafts and Fragments - Rough Trails 2
Howard Works bibliography
REH World editorial overlay

Breckinridge Elkins - First Cuts: The Drafts and Fragments - Rough Trails 2

REH Foundation Press

2026
Material type
HardcoverPaperback

Publication date: March 2026

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Introduction

For the first time ever, a collection featuring all of Howard's drafts and fragments. The second volume in a four-part series from the REH Foundation Press collects all the drafts for eight of Howard's Breckinridge Elkins stories. All from Howard’s original typescripts, manuscripts, and carbons. Howard's raw text, including typos and weird spellings, is preserved. Footnotes describe where Howard inserted text either by typing in between lines or by hand.These books will be print-on-demand, and the first release is a beautiful boxed set featuring four hardcover books with matching covers, gold-foiled dust jackets, and sprayed edges. Later, there will be more regular, normally priced hard- and softcover books.For the second volume, Howard scholar and biographer Mark Finn wrote an essay.Contents
  • ii • Acknowledgments
  • ix • Editor’s Note
  • ix • A Note on Language, Style, and Fidelity
  • xi • True Lies and Texas Accents • by Mark Finn
A Elkins Never Surrenders
  • 5 • Editorial Notes
  • 5 • A Elkins Never Surrenders - draft 1 • (untitled, incomplete)
  • 23 • A Elkins Never Surrenders - draft 2 • (untitled, complete)
  • 43 • A Elkins Never Surrenders - draft 3 • (untitled, complete)
War on Bear Creek
  • 67 • Editorial Notes
  • 67 • War on Bear Creek - draft 1 • (untitled, complete)
  • 87 • War on Bear Creek - draft 2 • (untitled, complete)
The Feud Buster
  • 111 • Editorial Notes
  • 111 • The Feud Buster - draft 1 • (untitled, complete)
  • 121 • The Feud Buster - draft 2 • (untitled, complete)
  • 137 • The Feud Buster - draft 3 • (untitled, complete)
The Peaceful Pilgrim
  • 159 • Editorial Notes
  • 159 • The Peaceful Pilgrim - draft 1 • (untitled, complete)
  • 177 • The Peaceful Pilgrim - draft 2-cc • (untitled, complete — carbon copy)
  • 195 • The Peaceful Pilgrim - draft 2 • (untitled, incomplete)
Cupid from Bear Creek
  • 201 • Editorial Notes
  • 201 • Cupid from Bear Creek • (untitled synopsis)
  • 203 • Cupid from Bear Creek - draft 1 • (untitled, incomplete)
  • 211 • Cupid from Bear Creek - draft 2 • (untitled, incomplete)
  • 225 • Cupid from Bear Creek - draft 3 • (untitled, incomplete)
  • 235 • Cupid from Bear Creek - draft 4 • (untitled, complete)
The Riot at Cougar Paw
  • 255 • Editorial Notes
  • 255 • The Riot at Cougar Paw • (untitled synopsis)
  • 257 • The Riot at Cougar Paw - draft 1 • (untitled, complete, short)
  • 265 • The Riot at Cougar Paw - draft 2 • (untitled, complete)
The Apache Mountain War
  • 287 • Editorial Notes
  • 287 • The Apache Mountain War • (untitled synopsis)
  • 289 • The Apache Mountain War - draft 1 • (untitled, incomplete)
  • 297 • The Apache Mountain War - draft 2 • (untitled, incomplete)
  • 301 • The Apache Mountain War - draft 3 • (untitled, complete)
  • 319 • The Apache Mountain War - draft 4 • (untitled, complete)
Pilgrims to the Pecos
  • 343 • Editorial Notes
  • 343 • Pilgrims to the Pecos - draft 1 • (untitled, incomplete)
  • 359 • Pilgrims to the Pecos - draft 2 • (untitled, incomplete)
  • 377 • Pilgrims to the Pecos - draft 3 • (untitled, complete)

Notes

All of the Howard stories, poems and portions thereof contained in First Cuts: The Drafts and Fragments - Breckinridge Elkins Rough Trails 2 come from Howard’s original typescripts, manuscripts, and carbons. Virtually all of the typescripts were scanned from the Glenn Lord collection, now at the University of Texas, Austin; the Robert E. Howard collection at Texas A&M University; or the typescript collection at Cross Plains Library.
Concept, transcriptions, layout and project development by Ståle Gismervik, Savage Studios.
 

Edition and production details

Language
English
Format details
Hardcover; Trade paperback
Edition
First Cuts: The Drafts and Fragments - Breckinridge Elkins Rough Trails 2
Format
hardcover
Publication date
March 2026
Identifiers
961-9-467000-04-4 (collector's HC) 978-1-955446-75-4 (regular hardcover) 978-1-955446-76-1 (paperback)
Pages
xiv plus 400
Publisher / imprint
The REH Foundation Press
Cover art
Design by Ståle Gismervik / illustration by Lorence Ferdinand Björklund.
Illustrations
Several illustrations from pulp magazines + photocopy of rejection letter from Fiction House
Media details
Hardcover w/dust jacket, Paperback and hardcover in a boxed 4-volume set
Edition
First Cuts: The Drafts and Fragments - Breckinridge Elkins Rough Trails 2
Format
paperback
Publication date
March 2026
Identifiers
961-9-467000-04-4 (collector's HC) 978-1-955446-75-4 (regular hardcover) 978-1-955446-76-1 (paperback)
Pages
xiv plus 400
Publisher / imprint
The REH Foundation Press
Cover art
Design by Ståle Gismervik / illustration by Lorence Ferdinand Björklund.
Illustrations
Several illustrations from pulp magazines + photocopy of rejection letter from Fiction House
Media details
Hardcover w/dust jacket, Paperback and hardcover in a boxed 4-volume set

11 linked Howard works

49 contents entries

  1. Acknowledgments
  2. Editor’s Note
  3. "On Editing Robert E. Howard: A Note on Language, Style, and Fidelity"
  4. "True Lies and Texas Accents" by Mark Finn
  5. A Elkins Never Surrenders
  6. Editorial Notes
  7. "A Elkins Never Surrenders" (Draft 1 , untitled, incomplete)
  8. "A Elkins Never Surrenders" (Draft 2 , untitled, complete)
  9. "A Elkins Never Surrenders" (Draft 3 , untitled, complete)
  10. War on Bear Creek
  11. Editorial Notes
  12. "War on Bear Creek" ( Draft 1 , untitled, complete)
  13. "War on Bear Creek" ( Draft 2 , untitled, complete)
  14. The Feud Buster
  15. Editorial Notes
  16. "The Feud Buster" ( Draft 1 , untitled, complete)
  17. "The Feud Buster" ( Draft 2 , untitled, complete)
  18. "The Feud Buster" ( Draft 3 , untitled, complete)
  19. The Peaceful Pilgrim
  20. Rejection letter from Fiction House (John F. Byrne) to Viola Irene Cooper, March 1, 1935 "I didn't think that Breckenridge Elkins …"
  21. Editorial Notes
  22. "The Peaceful Pilgrim" ( Draft 1 , untitled, complete)
  23. "The Peaceful Pilgrim" ( Draft 2-cc , untitled, complete — carbon copy)
  24. "The Peaceful Pilgrim" ( Draft 2 , untitled, incomplete)
  25. Cupid from Bear Creek
  26. Editorial Notes
  27. "Cupid from Bear Creek" (untitled synopsis)
  28. "Cupid from Bear Creek" ( Draft 1 , untitled, incomplete)
  29. "Cupid from Bear Creek" ( Draft 2 , untitled, incomplete)
  30. "Cupid from Bear Creek" ( Draft 3 , untitled, incomplete)
  31. "Cupid from Bear Creek" ( Draft 4 , untitled, complete)
  32. The Riot at Cougar Paw
  33. Editorial Notes
  34. "The Riot at Cougar Paw" (untitled synopsis)
  35. "The Riot at Cougar Paw" ( Draft 1 , untitled, complete, short)
  36. "The Riot at Cougar Paw" ( Draft 2 , untitled, complete)
  37. The Apache Mountain War
  38. Editorial Notes
  39. "The Apache Mountain War" (untitled synopsis)
  40. "The Apache Mountain War" ( Draft 1 , untitled, incomplete)
  41. "The Apache Mountain War" ( Draft 2 , untitled, incomplete)
  42. "The Apache Mountain War" ( Draft 3 , untitled, complete)
  43. "The Apache Mountain War" ( Draft 4 , untitled, complete)
  44. Pilgrims to the Pecos
  45. Editorial Notes
  46. "Pilgrims to the Pecos" (Draft 1 , untitled, incomplete)
  47. "Pilgrims to the Pecos" (Draft 2 , untitled, incomplete)
  48. "Pilgrims to the Pecos" (Draft 3 , untitled, complete)
  49. A Note on Language, Style, and Fidelity ix

Contributors

Characters / Featuring

Breckinridge Elkins

Additional related terms

Preserved from the former REH World tagging system; these terms have not yet been assigned as contributors, characters or subjects.

Mark FinnPaul HermanRobert E. HowardStåle Gismervik

Bibliographic and editorial layers

Howard Works source layer

Title
First Cuts: The Drafts and Fragments Breckinridge Elkins: Rough Trails Volume 2
Publisher
REH Foundation Press
Date
April 2026 (Trade paperback) TBD 2026 (Hardcover)
Source file
Breckinridge_Elkins-Rough_Trails-Volume2-REHFPress.html

REH World editorial layer

Title
Breckinridge Elkins - First Cuts: The Drafts and Fragments - Rough Trails 2
Publisher
REH Foundation Press
Date
March 2026
Source provenance

This record combines the preserved Howard Works bibliography with a reviewed REH World editorial overlay. Editorial values are displayed when present; Howard Works remains the source and fallback.