Spicy Adventures

Back in 1983 Ace Books released She Devil, a collection of Robert E. Howard’s “Spicy” stories. Since then, that rare paperback has become increasingly expensive, with books in fine condition selling for $40 or more. Of the eight stories contained in the Ace collection, five were pulled from the pages of Spicy-Adventure Stories, a pulp magazine that specialized in such tales. According to Patrice Louinet, the typescripts that Howard sent to the magazine were “spicier” than they wanted, so an editor toned them down a bit. These unadulterated yarns have been unavailable to Howard fans and scholars—until now.

The Robert E. Howard Foundation published Spicy Adventures in 2011. Not only is this collection the first time many of these stories have appeared in hardback, it is the first time most have appeared with all the spice that Howard intended. Besides all of the complete tales, this volume contains a large miscellanea section with drafts and synopsizes that allow readers to glimpse Howard’s creative process.

The volume checks in at 211 pages, and will be printed in hardback with dust jacket, in a limited quantity of 200 copies, each individually numbered. Cover design and painting by Jim & Ruth Keegan; introduced and edited by Patrice Louinet, assisted by Rob Roehm.

Edited by Patrice Louinet and Rob Roehm.
Cover artists credited or rear jacket flap.

First printing limited to 200 copies.

First appearance:
"The Girl on the Hell Ship"—draft
Untitled Synopsis ("Ship in Mutiny")
"Ship in Mutiny"—draft
List of Characters ("Desert Blood")
Untitled Synopsis ("The Purple Heart of Erlik")
Untitled Synopsis ("Daughters of Feud")