The Black Stranger

Last updated
"The Black Stranger"
Short story by Robert E. Howard
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s) Fantasy
Publication
Published in Fantasy Magazine
Publication type Magazine
Media typePrint (Magazine)
Publication date1953
Series Conan the Barbarian

"The Black Stranger" is a fantasy short story by American writer Robert E. Howard, one of his works featuring the sword & sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian. It was written in the 1930s, but not published in his lifetime. When the original Conan version of his story failed to find a publisher, Howard rewrote "The Black Stranger" into a piratical Terence Vulmea story entitled "Swords of the Red Brotherhood".

Contents

The original version of the story was later rewritten by L. Sprague de Camp into a different Conan story and published in Fantasy Magazine in February 1953 (dated March 1953 on the spine). It was retitled "The Treasure of Tranicos" for book publication later the same year. Its first hardbound publication was in King Conan by Gnome Press, and its first paperback publication was in Conan the Usurper published by Lancer Books in 1967. It was republished together with an introduction and two non-fiction pieces on the story and on Howard by de Camp with illustrations by Esteban Maroto as The Treasure of Tranicos by Ace Books in 1980.

The Treasure of Tranicos (also known as "The Black Stranger") by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp, Ace Books, 1980 The Treasure of Tranicos.jpg
The Treasure of Tranicos (also known as "The Black Stranger") by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp, Ace Books, 1980

Howard's original version of the story was first published in 1987 in Echoes of Valor and more recently in the collections The Conan Chronicles Volume 2: The Hour of the Dragon (Gollancz, 2001) and Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Three (1935-1936) (Del Rey Books, 2005).

Plot summary

The story begins with Conan in the Pictish Wilderness, fleeing native warriors who are chasing him. To escape, Conan ascends a nearby crag of rock and the Picts inexplicably abandon their chase and turn back. Conan realizes this spot must be a forbidden place to the Picts. The crag turns out to hold a treasure cave along with the preserved bodies of a pirate captain, Tranicos, and his men. When Conan attempts to enter the cave, he feels like he is being choked to death.

On the nearby seacoast lies the fortress of Count Valenso of Korzetta, a noble from Zingara, who had fled to this remote place. In his entourage are his niece, Belesa, a young girl named Tina and a number of retainers and servants. The black stranger referred to in the title is a wrathful demon who had been summoned by a magician in Zingara and used by Valenso for dark deeds. Much later, the demon escaped the hell where he had been bound and began vengefully pursuing Valenso, who fled the land. Valenso employed a sea captain, Zingelito, who had his own plans, and knew where the legendary Treasure of Tranicos is hidden. However, Zingelito was killed by Picts shortly after they arrived.

The Count is alarmed when, in short succession, two pirate ships arrive. The pirates are led by a Barachan named Strom and a Zingaran called Black Zarono. The pirates are bitter enemies but both falsely believe Valenso knows about the Treasure of Tranicos. In a meeting between the three, Conan makes an appearance, having made his way into the fortress by stealth. The men learn from Conan that he has discovered the Treasure of Tranicos and would be willing to share the loot with the others, if they help him retrieve it. They reluctantly make a thieves' pact and agree to join Conan, planning to kill him once the treasure is in their possession. Conan, however, intends to trap Strom and Zarono in the cave, where they will be killed by poisonous fumes, take the treasure and sail away with the pirate crews. Conan's plans fails. When he and the pirates arrive at the crag, they are quickly surrounded by Picts and have to fight their way back to the fortress.

The tale concludes with the stronghold falling to the Picts. In the fight Strom and Zarono are killed. The demon brings about the death of Valenso, but is later vanquished by Conan. Amid the chaos, Conan escapes over the fortress wall, carrying both Belesa and Tina to safety. The three are rescued aboard Strom's pirate ship.

"The Treasure of Tranicos"

De Camp altered the story considerably. Some names are changed; the pirate Strom becomes "Strombanni" and Valensos's servant Gebrello is called "Gebellez". The vengeful demon is replaced by the Stygian wizard Thoth-amon (a character from The Phoenix on the Sword ) whom Valenso had double-crossed in the past. An actual demon haunts the treasure cave who is later released by Thoth-amon to kill Valenso.

Howard's version of the story pointed toward a new piratical career for Conan; one of de Camp's major changes was to make it instead lead into the revolution that would bring the Cimmerian to the throne of Aquilonia. Conan ended up in the Pictish lands after Aquilonia's despotic King Numedides betrayed him. The Counts of Poitain arrive on the isolated shores, looking for Conan to lead them against Numedides. Tranicos' treasure would be used to finance the rebel army.

Picts as Native Americans

Though set in the Hyborian Age, a fictional past around 10,000 BC, [1] the story has many connotations of the American Frontier, about which Howard also wrote some stories. The Picts are thinly-disguised Native Americans—with feathers in their hair, wearing moccasins, and wielding tomahawks. The situation of an isolated outpost behind its palisade, in the midst of a threatening forest, which is full of these hostile Picts is familiar from numerous historical and literary depictions of the frontier. Also, Conan makes several references to his being "a white man"—a racial bond uniting him, the "barbarian", with the other "civilized" protagonists, against their common foe: the Pictish "savages."

"Swords of the Red Brotherhood"

As noted above, when the original Conan version of his story failed to find a publisher, Howard re-wrote "The Black Stranger" as "Swords of the Red Brotherhood" by placing it in a historical background of 17th century America. In this version, the location is moved to the Pacific shore of Central America, and Conan becomes the Irish pirate Black Terence Vulmea. Howard regarded Conan's Cimmerians as the ancestors of the Irish people and other Celts. The exile Zingaran, Lady Belesa, becomes a French noblewoman named Francoise d'Chastillon, the rival Zingaran and Barachan pirates become respectively French and English, the Picts become Native Americans (which they already resembled in the original), and the Treasure of Tranicos becomes the Treasure of Montesuma. Another difference with the original is a reduction of the supernatural element.

In both the original and this adaptation, the Cimmerian/Irish pirate protagonist is highly chivalrous. He saves the damsel in distress at considerable risk to himself, giving her as a parting gift a fortune in gemstones; big enough to have a comfortable wealthy life in Zingara/France. He asks for no sexual favors in return.

Reception

James Van Hise, reviewing the original Howard version of the story, stated that the "writing is so good that it draws you into the situations of the supporting characters with surprising ease" and added that ""The Black Stranger" achieves the powerful epic scope of the best of the Howard Conan epics". [2]

Adaptation

The de Camp version of the story was adapted by Roy Thomas and John Buscema in Savage Sword of Conan #47-48.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conan the Barbarian</span> Fictional character created by Robert E. Howard

Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films, television programs, video games, and role-playing games. Robert E. Howard created the character in 1932 for a series of fantasy stories published in Weird Tales magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyborian Age</span> Fictional period created by Robert E. Howard

The Hyborian Age is a fictional period of Earth's history within the artificial mythology created by Robert E. Howard, serving as the setting for the sword and sorcery tales of Conan the Barbarian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen of the Black Coast</span> Conan novelette by Robert E. Howard

"Queen of the Black Coast" is one of the original short stories about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in Weird Tales magazine c. May 1934. Set during the fictional Hyborian Age, Conan becomes a notorious pirate plundering the coastal villages of Kush alongside Bêlit, a head-strong femme fatale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beyond the Black River</span> Conan novella by Robert E. Howard

"Beyond the Black River" is one of the original short stories about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in Weird Tales magazine, v. 25, nos. 5-6, May-June 1935. The story was republished in the collections King Conan and Conan the Warrior. It has more recently been published in the anthology The Mighty Swordsmen, and the collections The Conan Chronicles Volume 2: The Hour of the Dragon and Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Three (1935-1936). It's set in the fictional Hyborian Age and concerns Conan's battle against a savage tribe of Picts in the unsettled lands beyond the infamous Black River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Colossus</span> Fantasy novelette by Robert E. Howard

"Black Colossus" is one of the original short stories starring the fictional sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in Weird Tales magazine, June 1933. Howard earned $130 for the sale of this story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadows in the Moonlight (short story)</span> Conan novelette by Robert E. Howard

"Shadows in the Moonlight" is one of the original short stories starring the fictional sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in Weird Tales magazine in April 1934. Howard had originally named his story "Iron Shadows in the Moon". It's set in the fictional Hyborian Age and narrates Conan's escape to a remote island in the Vilayet Sea where he encounters the Red Brotherhood, a skulking creature, and mysterious iron statues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Devil in Iron</span> Conan novelette by Robert E. Howard

"The Devil in Iron" is one of the original stories by American writer Robert E. Howard about sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian, first published in Weird Tales in August 1934. Howard earned $115 for the publication of this story.

<i>Conan the Liberator</i> 1979 novel by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter

Conan the Liberator is a fantasy novel by American writers L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in February 1979, and reprinted in 1982; later paperback editions were issued by Ace Books. The first hardcover edition was published by Tor Books in June 2002; a trade paperback followed from the same publisher in 2003. The first British edition was from Sphere Books. The novel was later gathered together with Conan the Swordsman and Conan and the Spider God into the omnibus collection Sagas of Conan.

<i>Conan the Avenger</i> 1968 paperback book

Conan the Avenger is a 1968 collection of two fantasy works written by Björn Nyberg, Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Lancer Books, and has been reprinted a number of times since by various publishers. It has also been translated into Japanese, German and Spanish.

<i>Conan the Usurper</i> Book by Robert E. Howard

Conan the Usurper is a 1967 collection of four fantasy short stories by American writer Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp, featuring Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. Most of the stories originally appeared in the fantasy magazine Weird Tales in the 1930s. The book has been reprinted a number of times since by various publishers, and has also been translated into German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish and Dutch.

<i>The Treasure of Tranicos</i> (collection) 1980 collection of a short story and essays by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp

The Treasure of Tranicos is a 1980 collection of a fantasy short story and essays by American writers Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp featuring Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian; the essays by de Camp are on the title story and on Howard. The book is illustrated by Esteban Maroto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Picts in fantasy</span>

Many writers have been drawn to the idea of the Picts and created fictional stories and mythology about them in the absence of much real data. This romanticised view tends to portray them as sometimes wearing the modern kilt or as noble savages, much as the view of Europeans on Native Americans in the 18th century.

This article covers some of the major Conan chronologies that have been advanced over the years. From the 1930s onward a number of fans and scholars have analyzed the numerous Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard and later writers, and attempted to organize them into a chronological timeline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bêlit</span> Fictional character created by Robert E. Howard

Bêlit is a character appearing in the fictional universe of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian. She is a pirate queen who has a romantic relationship with Conan. She appears in Howard's Conan short story "Queen of the Black Coast", first published in Weird Tales #23. She is the first substantial female character to appear in Howard's Conan stories. Partly thanks to her substantial appearance in the Marvel Comics' Conan series, the character is recognized as being Conan's "true love".

"Wolves Beyond the Border" is one of the original Conan stories by American writer Robert E. Howard, a fragment begun in the 1930s but not finished or published in Howard's lifetime. It is a peripheral story in the canon in that while it takes place in Conan's "Hyborian Age" and during Conan's lifetime, Conan does not actually appear, but is merely mentioned. The story was completed by L. Sprague de Camp and in this form first published in the collection Conan the Usurper (1967). It has since been published in its original form in the collection The Conan Chronicles Volume 2: The Hour of the Dragon and The Conquering Sword of Conan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Sphinx of Nebthu</span> Short story by Lyon Sprague de Camp

"Black Sphinx of Nebthu" is a fantasy short story by American writers L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, featuring the fictional sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. Howard. It was first published in the July 1973 issue of the magazine Fantastic, and was first appeared in book form by Ace Books in the paperback collection Conan of Aquilonia in May 1977, which was reprinted several times through 1994. The first British edition was published by Sphere Books in October 1978.

<i>Conan of Venarium</i> Novel by Harry Turtledove

Conan of Venarium is a fantasy novel by American writer Harry Turtledove, edited by Teresa Nielsen Hayden, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in hardcover by Tor Books in July 2003; a regular paperback edition followed from the same publisher in July 2004.

<i>Conan at the Demons Gate</i> Book by Roland J. Green

Conan at the Demon's Gate is a fantasy novel by American writer Roland Green, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in trade paperback by Tor Books in November 1994; a regular paperback edition followed from the same publisher in August 1996.

<i>Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of</i> Pen-and-paper role-playing game

Robert E. Howard's Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of is a sword and sorcery pen-and-paper role-playing game set in the world of Conan the Barbarian, the fictional Hyborian Age. Both the character and the setting were first imagined by author Robert E. Howard. Howard's original literary work has since spawned a vast franchise of novels, comic books, films, video games, board games, role-playing games, etc. Following this tradition, Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of is the third officially licensed Conan role-playing game. The two precedent games were Conan Role-Playing Game (1985–1988) and Conan: The Roleplaying Game (2004–2010), although there also had been supplements for independent generic systems, like GURPS Conan (1988–1989).

References

  1. Shanks (2012 , p. 27)
  2. James Van Hise, Pulp Magazine Thrillers : Heroes & Horrors of the '30s & '40s. Yucca Valley, CA : J. Van Hise, 1998. (p. 146)

Sources

Preceded by Original Howard Canon
(publication order)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Original Howard Canon
(Dale Rippke chronology)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Complete Conan Saga
(William Galen Gray chronology)
Succeeded by