First Passage is a special fundraising volume produced by Dennis McHaney in support of the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas. All earnings from this book go directly to the museum.

This book is not part of the Ultimate Edition series. It is an independent project created specifically as a fundraiser for the Museum.

This substantial 504-page hardcover presents early drafts of some of Robert E. Howard’s most celebrated stories, offering readers a rare look at the author’s working process. These drafts reveal revisions, structural changes, tonal shifts, and the development of characters and themes before the stories reached their final published form.

The volume is illustrated by Gary Gianni, with cover design by Jim Keegan, and includes a foreword by Dennis McHaney.

For scholars, collectors, and dedicated readers, First Passage provides valuable insight into Howard’s creative evolution across multiple genres, including adventure, horror, historical fiction, and fantasy.

Contents

• vii • Foreword
• x • Introduction
• 1 • Black Vulmea’s Vengeance • Draft 2
• 37 • The Cairn on the Headland • Draft 2
• 60 • The Horror from the Mound • Draft 1
• 79 • Pigeons from Hell • Draft 3
• 112 • The Hoofed Thing • Draft 2
• 136 • Old Garfield’s Heart • Draft 1
• 150 • The Dead Remember • Draft 1
• 160 • Kings of the Night • Draft 1
• 201 • The Footfalls Within • Draft 1
• 218 • Wings in the Night • Draft 1
• 265 • The Shadow of the Vulture • Draft 3
• 317 • The Voice of El-Lil • Draft 1
• 345 • Hawks of Outremer • Draft 1
• 379 • Son of the White Wolf • Draft 5
• 421 • Hawk of the Hills • Draft 3

Notes

Foreword by: Dennis McHaney
Illustrations by: Gary Gianni
Cover design by: Jim Keegan
Length: 504 pages, creme 70, paperback or hardcover with dust jacket
Series: Stand-alone – Not part of the Ultimate Edition series
Purpose: All proceeds benefit the Robert E. Howard Museum, Cross Plains, Texas