Robert Howard: The People of the Black Circle: Conan the Barbarian

Conan the Barbarian, his mighty muscles smoothly rippling under his bronze and scarred skin, explodes into life in this early story by Howard. His awesome muscles and keen mind all come into play as he climbs, fights and swims his way to victory over the evil Black Seers of Yimsha. And steals the body and heart of the princess in the process of course.

This story is set in the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age and concerns Conan kidnapping a regal princess of Vendhya (pre-historical India) and foiling a nefarious plot of world domination by the Black Seers of Yimsha. Due to its epic scope and atypical Hindustan flavor, the story is considered an undisputed classic of Conan lore and is often cited by Howard scholars as one of his best tales. It is also one of the few Howard stories where the reader is treated a deeper insight on magic and magicians beyond the stereotypical Hyborian depiction as demon conjurer-illusionist-priests.

The People of the Black Circle" is one of the original novellas about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in Weird Tales magazine in three parts over the September, October and November 1934 issues. Howard earned $250 for the publication of this story.