Robert E. Howard’s writings
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WritingWritten November 1932

The Pool of the Black One

2textual states0Characters
PublishedOctober 1933Sale amount$110Howard received$110
Genres
Pirate AdventureSword & Sorcery

Introduction

The Pool of the Black One is a Conan story first published in Weird Tales in October 1933. Howard received $110 for the story.

Set during Conan’s pirate career, it follows his rise aboard a pirate vessel and the crew’s encounter with a remote island and a mysterious pool with the power of transmutation. The story was later collected in The Sword of Conan (Gnome Press, 1952) and Conan the Adventurer (Lancer Books, 1966).

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.

Draft 1The Pool of the Black One — Draft 1
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Published versionThe Pool of the Black One
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From the letters

From a letter (#259) to H.P. Lovecraft, ca. September or October 1933 Howard talks his tale down:

I liked your “Festival” reprint in the current Weird Tales. Indeed, I believe I like it as well as anything else I ever read of yours. It will quite overshadow my Conan yarn,22 but being overshadowed by your stories is no disgrace.

August Derleth obviously liked it as we learn from a letter (#263) Howard wrote to him, ca. October 1933:

Glad you liked my “Pool of the Black One”. I got a big kick out of Lovecraft’s story, as well as those of Smith, Long etc. I was disappointed at your not being represented in that issue. Hope you have one in the next

Source and credits:

Teaser image by Petar Stanimirov.

Publication appearances

Weird Tales 1933 OctoberPopular Fiction Publishing CompanyOctober 1933↗The Sword of ConanGnome Press1952↗Conan the AdventurerLancer1966 through 1973 (See Notes)↗風雲児コナン(Fuunji Konan)Hayakawa BunkoNovember 30, 1970↗Conan der AbenteurerWilhelm Heyne Verlag1971 (See notes)↗Conan - La Fin De L'Atlantide (The End of Atlantis)Edition SpécialeJune 1972↗コナンと黒い予言者 (Konan to kuroi yogensha)Sōgen Suiri BunkoJanuary 1973↗Conan el aventureroEditorial Bruguera (Spain)September 1973↗Conan l'avventurieroEditrice NordMay 1974↗Conan the AdventurerPrestige Books1977↗Robert E. Howard OmnibusOrbit1977↗The Savage Sword of Conan Volume 1 Number 22Magazine Management Co. / Marvel ComicsSeptember 1977↗The Savage Sword of Conan Volume 1 Number 23Magazine Management Co. / Marvel ComicsOctober 1977↗Conan de avonturier (Conan the Adventurer)Zwarte Beertjes1978↗Conan a'aventurier (Conan the Adventurer)Jean-Claude LattèsJanuary 1980↗Conan el aventureroEdiciones Forum (Spain)1983↗Conan der AbenteurerWilhelm Heyne VerlagJuly 1983 1985 (2nd edition) 1998↗Conan the AdventurerAce BooksJuly 1984 February 1986 June 1990 October 1993↗Conan the AdventurerSphere1985↗Konan: Opkoljeni VukoviNiro Dečje Novine1985↗Konan: Princ ČarobnjakaNiro Dečje Novine1985↗Konan: Tajanstveni GazalNiro Dečje Novine1985↗Conan zdobywcaKlubowe1986↗Kοναν ο τυχοδιωκτησ Konan o tikhodioktis Conan the AdventurerSpace1986 (1st and 2nd editions)↗The Pool of the Black OneDonald M. Grant1986↗Conan l'aventurier (Conan the Adventurer)J'ai LuJune 1986 (1st printing) March 1993 (2nd printing) November 2000 (3rd printing)↗La Leggenda di Conan il CimmeroEditrice NordOctober 1989↗ConanWydawnictwo Atlantis1990↗Conan najemnikWydawnictwo Nakom1990↗Conan ÄventyrarenTarget Games1990↗L'ira di ConanArnoldo Mondadori Editore / Oscar MondadoriFebruary 1990↗The Conan Chronicles Volume 2OrbitSeptember 1990↗Conan CimmerialainenJalava1991 2001 (2nd edition)↗Conan Saga Volume 1 Number 47Marvel ComicsFebruary 1991↗Conan Saga Volume 1 Number 48Marvel ComicsMarch 1991↗IkarieMladá frontaSeptember 1991↗Conan ryzykantWydawnictwo PiK1992↗Конан-варвар (Konan-varvar) (Conan the Barbarian) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Гамма (Gamma)1993↗Conan l'avventurieroEditrice NordNovember 1993↗ConanAFSF1994↗Kard és boszorkányságCherubion Könyvkiadó1994↗Сага о Конане. Том IV (Saga o Konane. Tom IV) (The Saga of Conan Volume 4) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Мрiя (Mriya)1994↗La Saga di Conan il CimmeroEditrice NordOctober 1994↗Conan el aventureroEdiciones Martinez Roca (Spain)1995↗Conan eventyrerenSemic / Nordisk Forlag A/S1995↗Tutti i cicli fantastici - Il ciclo di Conan Tomo INewton Compton EditoriApril 1995↗Conan: Espada & Magia, Volume 5Unicórnio Azul1996↗Конан и другие бессмертные. Том 1 (Konan i drugie bessmertnye. Tom 1) (Conan and Other Immortals Volume 1) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Азбука-Терра (Azbuka-Terra) (ABC-Terra)1996↗Конан, варвар из Киммерии (Conan, varvar iz Cimmeria) (Conan, Barbarian from Cimmeria) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Тролль (Troll) (See Notes)1996↗Conan I: Barbar / Conan II: DobyvatelAFSF1997↗Конан Авантуриста (Konan Avanturista) (Conan the Adventurer)Bard1997↗Conan ja värelev variElmatar2000↗The Conan Chronicles Volume 1 - The People of the Black CircleGollancz / MillenniumAugust 2000↗Conan: A zrodí se č arodĕ jka a jiné povidky (A Witch Shall Be Born and other stories)BB Art2001↗Complete Conan of Cimmeria Volume OneWandering Star2002↗Конан из Киммерии (Konan iz Kimmerii) (Conan of Cimmeria) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Эксмо (Eksmo) Валери СПД (Valeri SPD) (See Notes)2002 2007↗ConanWilhelm Heyne VerlagSeptember 2003↗The Coming of Conan the CimmerianBallantine Books - Del ReyDecember 2003 ( Trade paperback ) December 2003 (eBook ) November 2005 ( Hardcover )↗The Coming of Conan the CimmerianScience Fiction Book ClubDecember 2003↗Conan de Cimmeria Volumen I (1932-1933)Timun Mas (Spain)November 2004↗Conan el cimmerio 2Timun Mas (Spain)March 2005↗Konan: Τα πετράδια του Γκβάχλουρ και αλλα διηγηματα Konan: Ta petrádia tou Gkvákhlour kai alla diiyimata Conan: Jewels of Gwahlur and Other StoriesΑίολος (Aeolus)March 2005↗Weird Tales Volume 22 Number 4Girasol CollectablesApril 2005↗Conan. Il cerchio neroArnoldo Mondadori Editore / Oscar MondadoriJune 2005 2008↗Conan, O Cimério Volume 2Conrad Editora2006↗The Complete Chronicles of Conan - Centenary EditionGollancz / BCA (with dustjacket)January 2006↗The Weird Writings of Robert E. Howard volume 1Girasol CollectablesJanuary 2006↗összes Conan története II.Szukits Konyvkiado2006↗Conan 1Wilhelm Heyne VerlagFebruary 2006↗Valley of the Worm: The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard, Volume 5Wildside PressApril 2006↗新訂版コナン全集3:黒い予言者 (Shinteiban Konan zenshū 3: Kuroi yogensha) (The Authorized Conan Chronicles 3: The People of the Black Circle)Tōkyō SōgenshaMarch 2007↗Conan le Cimmérien (Conan the Cimmerian)BragelonneOctober 2007 ( Hardcover ) April 2008 (Trade Paperback, 2nd printing ) 2010 (Trade Paperback, 3rd printing) September 2013 (Trade Paperback, 4th printing)↗Conan - O Povo do Círculo Negro (The People of the Black Circle)Saída de Emergência2008↗Conan IIAurora2008↗The Pool of the Black OneDodo PressFebruary 2008↗The Conan Chronicles Volume 1GollanczApril 2008↗The Adventurous Tales of Conan the CimmerianOnno TaslerOctober 2008↗Dolazak Konana SimerijancaIPS Media2009↗Conan the BarbarianPrion BooksMay 2009 (U.K.) November 2010 (U.S.)↗The Coming of Conan the CimmerianTantor Media Inc.June 2009↗Conan the BarbarianEaston PressJanuary 2010↗Conan the BarbarianMetro Books2010↗Конан. Рожденный в битве (Konan. Rozhdennyi v bitve) (Conan. Born in Battle) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Эксмо (Eksmo) Домино (Domino) (See Notes)2010↗Conan i pradawni bogowieRebisJanuary 2011 (Trade paperback) July 2012 (eBook)↗Conan il barbaroNewton Compton EditoriJuly 2011 (Trade paperback) October 2011 (eBook)↗野蛮人柯南Ⅰ (Conan the Barbarian I)凤凰出版社 (Phoenix Publishing House)July 2011↗Conan the BerserkerGollanczNovember 2011↗Конан-варвар. Легенда о киммерийце (Konan-varvar. Legenda o kimmeriitse) (Conan the Barbarian. The Legend of the Cimmerian) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Эксмо (Eksmo) Домино (Domino) (See Notes)November 2011↗Приключения Конана-варвара (Prikliucheniia Konana-varvara) (The Adventures of Conan the Barbarian) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Клуб Семейного Досуга (Family Leisure Club)2012↗蛮王柯南 (Conan the Barbarian)Chongqing University PressJanuary 2012↗Conan barbarzyńcaReaApril 2012 November 2015↗Conan the BarbarianJame-BooksAugust 2012↗Conan: Meč s fénixem a jiné povídky (Conan: Phoenix on the Sword and Other Stories)Dobrovský2013↗Robert E. Howard's Collected WorksJame-BooksFebruary 2013↗Conan 3Urco EditoraMay 2014↗Conan Barbarzyńca. Tom 1Code Red / BookRageDecember 2014↗Конан Tom 1 (Conan Volume 1)Изток-Запад (East West)2015↗Robert E. Howard - Die Original Erzählungen Band 2 ConanFesta VerlagJune 2015↗Conan the BarbarianUlwencreutz MediaNovember 2015↗Конан. Пришествие варвара (Konan. Prishestvie varvara) (Conan. The Coming of the Barbarian) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Эксмо (Eksmo)December 2015↗Conan the Barbarian - Collected AdventuresThe Castanea GroupDecember 2016 (eBook) June 2017 (Trade paperback)↗The Pool of the Black OneSpeculative!July 2016↗Conan il barbaroArnoldo Mondadori EditoreOctober 2016↗Conan the Cimmerian BarbarianEaston Press2017↗Conan: Broadsword Legacy CollectionShirtsleeve PressApril 2017↗The Pool Of The Black OneSir AngelsApril 2017↗Conan the Cimmerian BarbarianPulp-Lit Productions & Audible AudioJune 2017↗Conan le Cimmérien (Stars Edition)BragelonneNovember 2017↗Conan, o Bárbaro - Livro 1Pipoca e NanquimDecember 2017↗Conan - édition collectorBragelonneSeptember 2018↗Le Cimmérien (Conan, Tome 1)Le Livre de PocheJanuary 2019↗Conan the Barbarian: complete collectionNighttime Editions2020↗Stories of Shape-ShiftingHjem HouseFebruary 2020↗Конан — Искатель приключений (Konan — Iskatel- prikliuchenii) (Conan the Adventurer) Covers and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Северо-Запад (Severo-Zapad) (North-West)2021↗El fénix en la espadaSportulaMay 2021 (Trade paperback & eBook) November 2021 (Hardcover)↗Os Contos Mais Épicos de ConanSaída de EmergênciaMay 2021↗Feniks na maču (The Phoenix on the Sword)StrahorJune 2021↗Conan le Cimmérien (Conan the Cimmerian)BragelonneJuly 2021↗Robert E. Howard and Weird TalesOld Tiger PressNovember 2021↗Конан-варвар. Алая цитадель (Konan-varvar. Alaia tsitadel-) (Conan the Barbarian. Scarlet Citadel) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Феникс (Phoenix)May 2022 August 2023 (eBook)↗愛蔵版 英雄コナン全集 2 征服篇 The Complete Conan Collectors Edition 2: The Conqueror of WorldsShinkigenshaOctober 2022↗Conan de Cimmeria nº 01/03 1932-1933Minotauro (Argentina)November 2022↗Las Crónicas Nemedias La Saga Completa del CimerioSportulaDecember 2022↗蛮王科南Ⅰ：剑上的凤凰 (Conan the Barbarian I: The Phoenix on the Sword)盖亚文化 (Gaia Culture)February 2023↗蠻王科南套書 (Conan the Barbarian Box Set)盖亚文化 (Gaia Culture)February 2023↗Cònan. El misteriós desconegutLaertes (Spain)March 2023↗Tower of the Elephant & Other TalesChenault & Gray PublishingJune 2023↗Conan el Cimerio - El estanque del negro (Conan the Cimmerian - The Pool of the Black One)Saga Egmont (Spain)August 2023↗The Robert E. Howard Rare Tales MegapackWildside PressOctober 2023↗Las Crónicas Nemedias 5SportulaNovember 2023↗Conan, o Bárbaro Box SetPipoca e NanquimDecember 2023↗Vještica Će Biti Rođena (A Witch Shall Be Born)Hangar 72024↗Conan de Cimmeria Volume 1Portal Ediciones (Spain)May 2025↗Le Cronache Barbariche Volume 2 (The Barbarian Chronicles Volume 2)Providence PressMay 2025↗The Slithering ShadowFiction House PressDecember 2025↗#4187