Book Series Guide

Robert E. Howard

Author guide

Robert E. Howard Books in Order

Robert Ervin Howard (1906–1936) was a prolific Texas writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, western, boxing, detective, science-fiction, and confessional fiction, as well as poetry, nonfiction, plays, and letters. His recurring creations include Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, El Borak, Breckinridge Elkins, Sailor Steve Costigan, and Cormac Mac Art. Most of his work first appeared in pulp magazines; substantial collections, novels, poetry, correspondence, schoolwork, and previously unpublished manuscripts were published posthumously.

sword and sorceryfantasyhorrorhistorical adventurewesternboxing fictiondetective fictionscience fictionpoetrynonfiction

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

The Coming of Conan

Best compact entry to Howard's foundational Conan collections.

Cover of The Hour of the Dragon

The Hour of the Dragon

Howard's only completed Conan novel.

Cover of Red Shadows

Red Shadows

Strong entry point to the Solomon Kane stories.

Cover of A Gent from Bear Creek

A Gent from Bear Creek

Self-contained and representative Breckinridge Elkins western novel and collection.

Always Comes Evening

The principal early collection of Howard's poetry.

Skull-Face and Others

Classic early collection spanning Howard's weird and fantastic fiction.

Cover of Post Oaks and Sand Roughs & Other Autobiographical Writings

Post Oaks and Sand Roughs & Other Autobiographical Writings

Best entry to Howard's autobiographical and personal writings.

The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard, Volume One: 1923–1929

The starting volume for Howard's complete correspondence.

Read in order

Books by series

character-series · complete

Conan the Cimmerian

Howard's Hyborian Age stories and novel concerning Conan of Cimmeria.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of The Hour of the Dragon
    The Hour of the Dragon

    Book 1 · novel · 1935

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2 Cover of The Sword of Conan
    The Sword of Conan

    Book 2 · short-story collection · 1952

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3
    The Coming of Conan

    Book 3 · short-story collection · 1953

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4
    King Conan

    Book 4 · short-story collection · 1953

    Amazon ↗
  5. 5 Cover of Conan the Barbarian
    Conan the Barbarian

    Book 5 · short-story collection · 1954

    Amazon ↗
  6. 6
    Tales of Conan

    Book 6 · short-story collection · 1955

    Amazon ↗
  7. 7 Cover of The People of the Black Circle
    The People of the Black Circle

    Book 7 · novella · 1974 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  8. 8 Cover of The Tower of the Elephant
    The Tower of the Elephant

    Book 8 · novella · 1975 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  9. 9 Cover of Red Nails
    Red Nails

    Book 9 · novella · 1975 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  10. 10 Cover of A Witch Shall Be Born
    A Witch Shall Be Born

    Book 10 · novella · 1975 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  11. 11 Cover of The Devil in Iron
    The Devil in Iron

    Book 11 · novella · 1976 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  12. 12 Cover of Rogues in the House
    Rogues in the House

    Book 12 · novella · 1976 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  13. 13 Cover of Queen of the Black Coast
    Queen of the Black Coast

    Book 13 · novella · 1978 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  14. 14
    Jewels of Gwahlur

    Book 14 · novella · 1979 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  15. 15 Cover of Black Colossus
    Black Colossus

    Book 15 · novella · 1979 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  16. 16
    The Pool of the Black One

    Book 16 · short-story collection · 1986 Optional

    Amazon ↗

character-series · complete

Kull of Atlantis

Stories and fragments about Kull, the former Atlantean king.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    King Kull

    Book 1 · co-authored short-story collection · 1967

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    The Second Book of Robert E. Howard

    Book 2 · prose and poetry collection · 1976

    Amazon ↗

character-series · complete

Solomon Kane

Howard's historical supernatural adventures of the Puritan wanderer Solomon Kane.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of Red Shadows
    Red Shadows

    Book 1 · short-story collection · 1968

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    The Moon of Skulls

    Book 2 · short-story collection · 1968

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3
    The Hand of Kane

    Book 3 · short-story collection · 1970

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4 Cover of Skulls in the Stars
    Skulls in the Stars

    Book 4 · short-story collection · 1978 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  5. 5
    The Hills of the Dead

    Book 5 · short-story collection · 1979 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  6. 6 Cover of The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane
    The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane

    Book 6 · short-story collection · 2004

    Amazon ↗

character-series · complete

Bran Mak Morn

Historical and supernatural fiction about the Pictish king Bran Mak Morn.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Bran Mak Morn

    Book 1 · short-story collection · 1969

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2 Cover of Worms of the Earth
    Worms of the Earth

    Book 2 · short-story collection · 1974

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3
    Bran Mak Morn: A Play and Others

    Book 3 · play and prose collection · 1983

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4 Cover of Bran Mak Morn: The Last King
    Bran Mak Morn: The Last King

    Book 4 · short-story collection · 2001

    Amazon ↗

character-series · complete

Breckinridge Elkins

Humorous western fiction about the enormous, indomitable Nevada mountaineer Breckinridge Elkins.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of A Gent from Bear Creek
    A Gent from Bear Creek

    Book 1 · novel and short-story collection · 1937

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    Mayhem on Bear Creek

    Book 2 · western short-story collection · 1979 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3
    The Last Ride

    Book 3 · western short-story collection · 1978 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4 Cover of Heroes of Bear Creek
    Heroes of Bear Creek

    Book 4 · western short-story collection · 1983 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  5. 5
    The Adventures of Breckinridge Elkins, Volume 1

    Book 5 · western short-story collection · 2016

    Amazon ↗
  6. 6
    The Adventures of Breckinridge Elkins, Volume 2

    Book 6 · western short-story collection · 2017

    Amazon ↗
  7. 7
    Western Tales

    Book 7 · western short-story and manuscript collection · 2013 Optional

    Amazon ↗

character-series · complete

El Borak

Adventure fiction featuring Francis Xavier Gordon, the American adventurer known as El Borak.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of The Lost Valley of Iskander
    The Lost Valley of Iskander

    Book 1 · adventure collection · 1974

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    The Coming of El Borak

    Book 2 · adventure collection · 1987

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3
    North of Khyber

    Book 3 · adventure collection · 1987

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4 Cover of El Borak and Other Desert Adventures
    El Borak and Other Desert Adventures

    Book 4 · adventure collection · 2010 Optional

    Amazon ↗

character-series · complete

Cormac Mac Art

Celtic and Viking adventure fiction featuring the Irish warrior Cormac Mac Art.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of Cormac Mac Art
    Cormac Mac Art

    Book 1 · short-story collection · 1974

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    Tigers of the Sea

    Book 2 · historical-adventure collection · 1974

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3 Cover of Swords of the North
    Swords of the North

    Book 3 · historical-adventure and manuscript collection · 2014

    Amazon ↗

character-series · complete

Sailor Steve Costigan

Boxing stories about Howard's hard-luck sailor and fighter Sailor Steve Costigan.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Waterfront Fists and Others

    Book 1 · boxing-fiction collection · 2003

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    The Perils of Sailor Costigan

    Book 2 · boxing-fiction collection · 1987

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3
    Fists of Iron, Round 1

    Book 3 · boxing-fiction collection · 2013

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4
    Fists of Iron, Round 2

    Book 4 · boxing-fiction collection · 2014

    Amazon ↗
  5. 5
    Fists of Iron, Round 3

    Book 5 · boxing-fiction collection · 2014

    Amazon ↗

character-series · complete

Dennis Dorgan

Boxing fiction featuring the sailor and fighter Dennis Dorgan.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The Incredible Adventures of Dennis Dorgan

    Book 1 · short-story collection · 1974

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    The Iron Man with The Incredible Adventures of Dennis Dorgan

    Book 2 · boxing-fiction collection · 1983

    Amazon ↗

character-series · complete

Black Vulmea

Pirate adventures featuring the buccaneer Black Vulmea.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Black Vulmea's Vengeance and Other Tales of Pirates

    Book 1 · short-story collection · 1976

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    Pirate Adventures

    Book 2 · pirate-fiction collection · 2013

    Amazon ↗

character-series · complete

James Allison

Historical reincarnation stories narrated by James Allison.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of Swords of the North
    Swords of the North

    Book 1 · historical-adventure and manuscript collection · 2014

    Amazon ↗

bibliographic-collection-series · complete

Robert E. Howard Poetry Collections

Separately published collections of Howard's poetry and verse.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Always Comes Evening

    Book 1 · poetry collection · 1958

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    Etchings in Ivory

    Book 2 · poetry collection · 1968

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3
    Singers in the Shadows

    Book 3 · poetry collection · 1970

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4
    Echoes from an Iron Harp

    Book 4 · poetry collection · 1972

    Amazon ↗
  5. 5
    A Song of the Naked Lands

    Book 5 · poetry collection · 1973

    Amazon ↗
  6. 6
    Verses in Ebony

    Book 6 · poetry collection · 1974

    Amazon ↗
  7. 7
    From the Hells Beneath the Hells

    Book 7 · poetry collection · 1975 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  8. 8
    Rhymes of Death

    Book 8 · poetry collection · 1975 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  9. 9
    The Grim Land and Others

    Book 9 · poetry collection · 1976

    Amazon ↗
  10. 10
    Night Images: A Book of Fantasy Verse

    Book 10 · poetry collection · 1976

    Amazon ↗
  11. 11
    Up, John Kane! and Other Poems

    Book 11 · poetry collection · 1977

    Amazon ↗
  12. 12
    Voices of the Night and Other Poems

    Book 12 · poetry collection · 1977

    Amazon ↗
  13. 13
    The Ghost Ocean

    Book 13 · poetry collection · 1982 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  14. 14
    Shadows of Dreams

    Book 14 · poetry collection · 1989

    Amazon ↗
  15. 15
    Flight

    Book 15 · poetry collection · 1991 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  16. 16
    A Rhyme of Salem Town and Other Poems

    Book 16 · poetry collection · 2002

    Amazon ↗
  17. 17
    Odes at the Black Dog

    Book 17 · poetry collection · 2006 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  18. 18
    Halloween at the Dog and Duck

    Book 18 · poetry collection · 2009 Optional

    Amazon ↗
  19. 19
    Rhymes of Texas and the Old West

    Book 19 · poetry collection · 2007

    Amazon ↗

publication-series · complete

Fists of Iron

The four-volume collected boxing fiction series published by the Robert E. Howard Foundation Press.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Fists of Iron, Round 1

    Book 1 · boxing-fiction collection · 2013

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    Fists of Iron, Round 2

    Book 2 · boxing-fiction collection · 2014

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3
    Fists of Iron, Round 3

    Book 3 · boxing-fiction collection · 2014

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4
    Fists of Iron, Round 4

    Book 4 · boxing-fiction collection · 2015

    Amazon ↗

letters-series · complete

The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard

The three-volume collection of Howard's known correspondence.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard, Volume One: 1923–1929

    Book 1 · letters · 2007

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard, Volume Two: 1930–1932

    Book 2 · letters · 2007

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3
    The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard, Volume Three: 1933–1936

    Book 3 · letters · 2007

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4
    The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard: Index and Addenda

    Book 4 · letters and bibliography · 2015

    Amazon ↗

publication-series · complete

The Adventures of Breckinridge Elkins

The Robert E. Howard Foundation Press collected edition of the Elkins stories and related western material.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The Adventures of Breckinridge Elkins, Volume 1

    Book 1 · western short-story collection · 2016

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2
    The Adventures of Breckinridge Elkins, Volume 2

    Book 2 · western short-story collection · 2017

    Amazon ↗

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (10)
  1. Cover of Almuric
    Almuric

    novel · 1939

    Amazon ↗
  2. Cover of The Iron Man
    The Iron Man

    boxing-fiction collection · 1976

    Amazon ↗
  3. The Last Cat Book

    memoir and nonfiction collection · 1984

    Amazon ↗
  4. Two-Fisted Detective Stories

    detective-fiction collection · 1994

    Amazon ↗
  5. Eons of the Night

    weird-fiction collection · 1996

    Amazon ↗
  6. Trails in Darkness

    weird-fiction collection · 1996

    Amazon ↗
  7. Cover of Graveyard Rats and Others
    Graveyard Rats and Others

    weird-fiction collection · 2003

    Amazon ↗
  8. Boxing Stories

    boxing-fiction collection · 2005

    Amazon ↗
  9. Adventures in Science Fantasy

    science-fiction and fantasy collection · 2012

    Amazon ↗
  10. Cover of Post Oaks and Sand Roughs & Other Autobiographical Writings
    Post Oaks and Sand Roughs & Other Autobiographical Writings

    novel and nonfiction collection · 2019

    Amazon ↗
Short fiction (19)
  1. Skull-Face and Others

    short-story collection · 1946

    Amazon ↗
  2. Cover of The Dark Man and Others
    The Dark Man and Others

    short-story and poetry collection · 1963

    Amazon ↗
  3. Cover of Wolfshead
    Wolfshead

    short-story collection · 1968

    Amazon ↗
  4. The Vultures: Showdown at Hell's Canyon

    western short-story collection · 1973

    Amazon ↗
  5. Cover of Pigeons from Hell and Other Weird and Fantastic Adventures
    Pigeons from Hell and Other Weird and Fantastic Adventures

    short-story collection · 1976

    Amazon ↗
  6. Cover of Son of the White Wolf
    Son of the White Wolf

    short-story collection · 1977

    Amazon ↗
  7. Cover of Black Canaan
    Black Canaan

    short-story collection · 1978

    Amazon ↗
  8. Cover of The Gods of Bal-Sagoth
    The Gods of Bal-Sagoth

    short-story collection · 1979

    Amazon ↗
  9. The She-Devil

    short-story collection · 1983

    Amazon ↗
  10. Pay Day

    short-story collection · 1986

    Amazon ↗
  11. Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors

    short-story collection · 1987

    Amazon ↗
  12. Lewd Tales

    short-story collection · 1987

    Amazon ↗
  13. Cover of Nameless Cults: The Cthulhu Mythos Fiction of Robert E. Howard
    Nameless Cults: The Cthulhu Mythos Fiction of Robert E. Howard

    short-story collection · 2001

    Amazon ↗
  14. Cover of The Complete Action Stories
    The Complete Action Stories

    short-story collection · 2001

    Amazon ↗
  15. The Black Stranger and Other American Tales

    short-story collection · 2005

    Amazon ↗
  16. Cover of The End of the Trail: Western Stories
    The End of the Trail: Western Stories

    western short-story collection · 2005

    Amazon ↗
  17. The Riot at Bucksnort and Other Western Tales

    western short-story collection · 2005

    Amazon ↗
  18. Spicy Adventures

    short-story and manuscript collection · 2011

    Amazon ↗
  19. Pictures in the Fire

    short-story and poetry collection · 2018

    Amazon ↗
Poetry (5)
  1. Cover of The Book of Robert E. Howard
    The Book of Robert E. Howard

    prose and poetry collection · 1976

    Amazon ↗
  2. Runes of Ahrh-Eih-Eche

    prose and poetry collection · 1976

    Amazon ↗
  3. Cover of The Howard Collector
    The Howard Collector

    prose and poetry collection · 1979

    Amazon ↗
  4. Writer of the Dark

    prose and poetry collection · 1986

    Amazon ↗
  5. Sentiment: An Olio of Rarer Works

    prose and poetry collection · 2009

    Amazon ↗
Collaborations (2)
  1. Red Blades of Black Cathay

    co-authored historical-adventure collection · 1971

    Amazon ↗
  2. Cover of A Means to Freedom: The Letters of H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard
    A Means to Freedom: The Letters of H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard

    co-authored letters · 2017

    Amazon ↗
Other (25)
  1. Cover of Marchers of Valhalla
    Marchers of Valhalla

    historical-adventure collection · 1972

    Amazon ↗
  2. The Sowers of the Thunder

    historical-adventure collection · 1973

    Amazon ↗
  3. The Swords of Shahrazar

    adventure collection · 1976

    Amazon ↗
  4. Cover of Sword Woman
    Sword Woman

    historical-adventure collection · 1977

    Amazon ↗
  5. The Road of Azrael

    historical-adventure collection · 1979

    Amazon ↗
  6. The Adventures of Lal Singh

    adventure collection · 1985

    Amazon ↗
  7. The Sonora Kid

    western collection · 1988

    Amazon ↗
  8. Robert E. Howard's World of Heroes

    prose collection · 1989

    Amazon ↗
  9. Beyond the Borders

    prose collection · 1996

    Amazon ↗
  10. The Complete Yellow Jacket

    school-periodical facsimile · 1999

    Amazon ↗
  11. The Ultimate Triumph: The Heroic Fantasy of Robert E. Howard

    fantasy collection · 1999

    Amazon ↗
  12. Dear August: Letters, Robert E. Howard to August Derleth, 1932–1936

    letters · 2002

    Amazon ↗
  13. Dear HPL: Letters, Robert E. Howard to H. P. Lovecraft, 1930–1936

    letters · 2002

    Amazon ↗
  14. Gates of Empire and Other Tales of the Crusades

    historical-adventure collection · 2004

    Amazon ↗
  15. Treasures of Tartary and Other Heroic Tales

    adventure collection · 2004

    Amazon ↗
  16. Cover of Lord of Samarcand and Other Adventure Tales of the Old Orient
    Lord of Samarcand and Other Adventure Tales of the Old Orient

    historical-adventure collection · 2005

    Amazon ↗
  17. The Weird Writings of Robert E. Howard, Volume 1: July 1925–June 1934

    prose collection · 2006

    Amazon ↗
  18. The Weird Writings of Robert E. Howard, Volume 2: August 1934–September 1954

    prose collection · 2006

    Amazon ↗
  19. The Exotic Writings of Robert E. Howard

    prose collection · 2006

    Amazon ↗
  20. The Last of the Trunk

    prose and manuscript collection · 2007

    Amazon ↗
  21. The Saga of Faring Town

    prose collection · 2009

    Amazon ↗
  22. Cover of Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures
    Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures

    historical-adventure collection · 2011

    Amazon ↗
  23. Back to School

    schoolwork and ephemera collection · 2012

    Amazon ↗
  24. Robert E. Howard: Selected Letters, 1923–1930

    letters · 1989

    Amazon ↗
  25. Robert E. Howard: Selected Letters, 1931–1936

    letters · 1991

    Amazon ↗