The Trail of the Blood-Stained God

Introduction

The Trail of the Blood-Stained God.

Originally a Kirby O’Donnell story titled ‘The Trail of the Blood-Stained God’. It was re-written by L. Sprague de Camp into a Conan story titled ‘The Bloodstained God’. De Camp changed the names of the characters, added the sorcery elements, and recast the setting into Howard’s Hyborian Age. The story was first published in the hardbound collection Tales of Conan (Gnome Press, 1955), and subsequently appeared in the paperback collection Conan of Cimmeria (Lancer Books, 1969), as part of which it has been translated into German, Japanese, Spanish, Dutch, and Italian. The story elements were used on the 1976 Peter Pan Records audio drama record: Conan the Barbarian, entitled The Jewel of the Ages.

The story was received by Kline (a rewrite?) on January 31, 1936. Kline sent it to Dime Adventure on February 4, 1936. Unfortunately, Dime Adventure returned it to Kline on March 2. Kline then sent it to Short Stories the very next day. It was returned on March 18, but Kline sent it to Adventure the next day. It was returned from Adventure on April 8. Kline then sent it to Argosy on the 9th. Argosy returned the story on April 23. Kline then sent it to S&S Complete (Street & Smith Complete Stories?) on April 24.

From the letters:

In a letter (#333) to Otis Adelbert Kline, January 8, 1936:

Concerning Thrilling Adventures, my yarn, “The Trail of the Blood- Stained God” recently rejected by Margulies was an effort to write one on the order of “Gold From Tartary”. I seem unable to sell him more than one story to each magazine. And most of his magazines haven’t bought the one yet. However, I’ll rewrite “Ship in Mutiny” with Thrilling Adventures in mind.

“The Trail of the Blood-Stained God” remained unsold during Howard’s lifetime. Leo Margulies was the editor of the Standard Magazines, which included Thrilling Adventures and Thrilling Mystery.

Alternate title:

THE BLOODSTAINED GOD and THE CURSE OF THE CRIMSON GOD.

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