The People of the Black Circle is a 1977 collection of four Conan short stories. Based on the second of the three hardcover volumes comprising “The Authorized Edition”. Edited by Karl Edward Wagner. The illustrations by Hugh Rankin are from the original pulp publications. There was also a 1977 Science Fiction Book Club edition, which was retypeset and introduced numerous errors.

The pieces in The People of the Black Circle, in common with those in the other Conan volumes produced by Karl Edward Wagner for Berkley, are virtual reproductions (other than typo correction) of the originally published form of the texts as they appeared in Weird Tales, in contrast to the edited versions appearing in the earlier Gnome Press and Lancer editions of the Conan stories. In contrast to the earlier editions, which included Conan tales by authors other than Howard, Wagner took a purist approach, including only stories by Howard, and only those thought to be in the public domain. His prefaces and afterwords dismiss editorial revisions made in the earlier editions.

Contents

•  The People of the Black Circle • (1934) • interior artwork by Hugh Rankin
• 1 • Foreword (The People of the Black Circle) • (1977) • essay by Karl Edward Wagner
• 11 •  Map of the Hyborian World • (1977) • interior artwork by John Mayer
• 13 • The Devil in Iron • [Conan] • (1934) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
• 57 • The People of the Black Circle • [Conan] • (1934) • novella by Robert E. Howard
• 165 • A Witch Shall Be Born • [Conan] • (1934) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
• 225 • Jewels of Gwahlur • [Conan] • (1935) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
• 285 • Afterword (The People of the Black Circle) • (1977) • essay by Karl Edward Wagner

Notes

Based on the original text from WEIRD TALES and Based on the Berkley/Putnam hardcover edition.
Edited by Karl Edward Wagner
Color fold out poster of the cover art bound in.
Three original pulp illustrations by Hugh Rankin.

“The Authorized Edition” on the title page.
Cover artist is uncredited. No visible signature. Ken Kelly is confirmed by the online Robert E. Howard Bibliography.
Interior art consists of three black & white illustrations that originally appeared with the Howard stories in Weird Tales. Uncredited, but clearly signed by Hugh Rankin.There was a second printing in 1977.