“The People of the Black Circle” is one of the original novellas about Conan the Cimmerian, by Robert E. Howard and first published in Weird Tales magazine in three parts over the September, October and November 1934 issues. Howard earned $250 for the publication of this story.

It’s set in the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age and concerns Conan kidnapping an exotic princess from Vendhya (prehistoric India), while foiling a nefarious plot of world conquest by the Black Seers of Yimsha. Due to its epic scope and atypical Hindustan flavor, the story is considered an undisputed classic of Conan lore and is often cited by Howard scholars as one of his best tales. It is also one of the few Howard stories where the reader is treated a deeper insight on magic and magicians beyond the stereotypical Hyborian depiction as demon conjurer-illusionist-priests.

Contents

•  The People of the Black Circle (Part 1 of 3) • [Conan] • serial by Robert E. Howard
•  The Jest of Warburg Tantavul • [Jules de Grandin] • novelette by Seabury Quinn
•  Naked Lady • short story by Mindret Lord
•  The Sinister Painting • short story by Greye La Spina
•  The Return • poem by Julia Boynton Green
•  Vine Terror • novelette by Howard Wandrei
•  Sable Revery • poem by Robert Nelson
•  The Trail of the Cloven Hoof (Part 3 of 7) • serial by Arlton Eadie
•  The Pale Man • short story by Julius Long
• The Coming of Abel Behenna • (1914) • short story by Bram Stoker
• A Cloak from Messer Lando • [Chronicles of the City-States • 5] • short story by August Derleth
•  Coming Next Month (Weird Tales, September 1934) • essay by uncredited
• The Eyrie (Weird Tales, September 1934) • [The Eyrie] • essay by The Editor

If you like to read a copy of this (cleaned up by me), just click the button below.