The Land of Mystery
Introduction
The Land of Mystery is an unfinished African adventure in which Gordon recounts an expedition into an unexplored region. Steve Allison also appears, making the fragment one of Howard’s crossovers between otherwise separate character settings. The story was not published during Howard’s lifetime.
Summary spoilers
Gordon, the protagonist, begins his story among friends, sharing the perils he faced after being abandoned by his porters and askaris deep in the African jungle. With limited ammunition and only melee weapons at his disposal, he ventures onward rather than retreating. His journey leads him through various landscapes, from dense jungles to desolate deserts and vibrant savannas, each presenting its own set of challenges and discoveries.
In the savanna, Gordon encounters the Shansai, a tribe of exceptional horsemen who have never seen a white man. Despite initial hostilities, he gains their trust and learns of their constant conflicts with neighboring tribes and mysterious beings from the mountains. These beings are described as fierce and come from the jungle to raid the villages, sparking Gordon’s interest further.
Driven by tales of a savage race and haunted mountains, Gordon leaves the Shansai village to explore deeper. He navigates through a perilous jungle where he faces and overcomes a gorilla in a dramatic confrontation. Further into his journey, he encounters the Balingas, a less civilized tribe, with whom he clashes but escapes by utilizing his quick wit and survival skills.
The narrative escalates as Gordon discovers signs of ancient, possibly prehistoric life deep within the forest, suggesting a land forgotten by time where dinosaurs still roam. His explorations lead him to a haunted city among the mountains, filled with relics of a lost civilization. Here, Gordon encounters a captive white woman, hinting at deeper mysteries and darker secrets awaiting him in this ancient land.
Textual states
Shown in a practical developmental order where possible: synopsis/outline, numbered drafts, submission states, then published or posthumous states. This display order does not itself assert exact chronology or textual authority.
Characters in this Work
Counts are across exact Textual Versions currently represented. Additional textual research may add further appearances.
Publication appearances
El Borak l' É ternel (El Borak the Eternal)NeOMay 1984↗
North of KhyberCryptic PublicationsDecember 1987↗
E l Borak l' É ternel (El Borak the Eternal)Fleuve NoirJune 1992↗
Barsoom número 7La Hermandad del Enmascarado (Spain)Winter 2009↗
La llegada de El Borak y otras aventuras inéditas de Francis Xavier Gordon (The Coming of El Borak and Other Unprecedented Adventures of Francis Xavier Gordon)La Hermandad del Enmascarado (Spain)2010↗
The Early Adventures of El BorakREH Foundation PressMarch 2010↗
Малое собрание сочинений. Книга вторая (Maloe sobranie sochinenii. Kniga vtoraia) (Small Collected Works. Book Two) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Independently Published2015↗
Пески веков (Peski vekov) (Sands of the Ages) Covers and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Северо-Запад (Severo-Zapad) (North-West)September 2016↗
По мотивам Роберта И. Говарда IV (Po motivam Robert I. Govard IV) (Based on Robert E. Howard IV) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Independently Published2018↗
Пески веков (Peski vekov) (Sands of the Ages) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy.Подсолнухи (Sunflowers)August 2019↗
Ястребы востока (Iastreby vostoka) (Hawks of the East) Covers and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy. 2020 November 2021Северо-Запад (Severo-Zapad) (North-West) T8 Rugram (See notes)2020 November 2021↗
Francis Xavier Gordon, El Borak Volume 3Providence PressMarch 2023↗
The Early Adventures of El BorakREH Foundation PressSeptember 2024↗
La maldición de la daga de tres filos. Las aventuras de El Borak. Tomo 2 (Three-Bladed Doom - The Adventures of El Borak Book 2)La Hermandad del Enmascarado (Spain)April 2025↗