Hawks over Shem
Encyclopedia
Hawks over Shem is a 1955 Conan the Barbarian
novelette by L. Sprague de Camp
based on the story Hawks Over Egypt, by Robert E. Howard
. It is usually credited to Howard and de Camp.
and extensively re-worked the plot and story-line so that a new "Howard" story could be added to the collection Tales of Conan
in 1955.
in October 1955. In the same year it was also published as part of Tales of Conan
. In 1968 it was republished in the collection Conan the Freebooter
.
The original story, "Hawks Over Egypt", can be found in The Road of Azrael
published in 1979.
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
novelette by L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
based on the story Hawks Over Egypt, by Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
. It is usually credited to Howard and de Camp.
Synopsis
Conan pursues General Othbaal, an ally turned traitor, to the city of Asgulum. He allies himself with Masdak, one of two other generals involved in a power struggle serving under mad King Akhirom. Conan and Mazdak eliminate the other generals and cause Akhirom to be overthrown. Conan must flee Asgulun, and a potentially profitable alliance to Mazdak, when it is discovered that he is Amra; the pirate who fleeced many nearby city-states.Differences from Howard's original story
De Camp gave Diego de Guzman's role to Conan, changed the setting from the Egypt in 1021 into Howard's Hyborian AgeHyborian Age
The Hyborian Age is a fictional period within the artificial mythology created by Robert E. Howard, in which the sword and sorcery tales of Conan the Barbarian are set....
and extensively re-worked the plot and story-line so that a new "Howard" story could be added to the collection Tales of Conan
Tales of Conan
Tales of Conan is a 1955 collection of four fantasy short stories written by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp featuring Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. The tales as originally written by Howard were adventure yarns mostly set in the Middle Ages; they were...
in 1955.
Publication history
Hawks over Shem was first published in Fantastic UniverseFantastic Universe
Fantastic Universe was a U.S. science fiction magazine which began publishing in the 1950s. It ran for 69 issues, from June 1953 to March 1960, under two different publishers. It was part of the explosion of science fiction magazine publishing in the 1950s in the United States, and was moderately...
in October 1955. In the same year it was also published as part of Tales of Conan
Tales of Conan
Tales of Conan is a 1955 collection of four fantasy short stories written by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp featuring Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. The tales as originally written by Howard were adventure yarns mostly set in the Middle Ages; they were...
. In 1968 it was republished in the collection Conan the Freebooter
Conan the Freebooter
Conan the Freebooter is a 1968 collection of five fantasy short stories written by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp, featuring Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. Most of the stories originally appeared in the fantasy magazine Weird Tales in the 1930s...
.
The original story, "Hawks Over Egypt", can be found in The Road of Azrael
The Road of Azrael
The Road of Azrael is a collection of historical short stories by Robert E. Howard. It was first published in 1979 by Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc...
published in 1979.