“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. This issue contains part two.

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 Black God’s Kiss • [Jirel of Joiry] • novelette by C. L. Moore (variant of Black God’s Kiss)
• The Seven Geases • [Hyperborea] • novelette by Clark Ashton Smith
• Old Sledge • short story by Paul Ernst
• The Sleeper • short story by H. Bedford-Jones
• The Pistol • short story by S. Gordon Gurwit
• The Hill Woman • poem by Frances Elliott
• The Trail of the Cloven Hoof (Part 4 of 7) • serial by Arlton Eadie
• Children of the Moon (The Moths) • poem by A. Leslie
• Supper for Thirteen • short story by Julius Long
• Old House • poem by Marvin Luter Hill
• The People of the Black Circle (Part 2 of 3) • [Conan] • serial by Robert E. Howard
• At the Bend of the Trail • short story by Manly Wade Wellman
• The White Prince • short story by Ronal Kayser
• Author’s Note (The White Prince) • essay by Ronal Kayser
• Fioraccio • short story by Giovanni Magherini-Graziani (trans. of Fioraccio 1886)
• The Eyrie • (1924) • interior artwork by Andrew Brosnatch

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