Anyone who has read the Berkley Editions of Conan stories edited by Karl Edward Wagner knows that Wagner was a fan of the pulps and not a fan of anyone making alterations to those stories. He decried DeCamp’s changes to the original Robert E. Howard tales to work them into DeCamp’s own perceived "epic" story arc of Conan.

The Frost King’s Daughter by Robert E. Howard

Yes, you read that correctly. The Frost King’s Daughter. Failing to place The Frost Giant’s Daughter, Howard renamed Conan to Amra, changed the title and gave the story to the non-paying fanzine The Fantasy Fan. As a Conan story, it never saw print in his lifetime, but it did see print in this form. The tale reads almost exactly as does The Frost Giant’s Daughter. Aside from the name change and a few extra sentences, the stories are identical. The inclusion of Frost King’s Daughter is really for the pulp/Howard die-hard fan. For the reader, reading both stories is an exercise in repetition. And if you're a curious writer, reading both stories does not teach anything because the changes are not extensive in any way.

The Frost Giant’s Daughter by Robert E. Howard

Conan is the last survivor of a battle in the snowy wastes. A strange maiden appears, taunting him, inflaming his addled mind. One of the most famous of Conan stories, ripe with atmosphere and supernatural mystery. Conan’s tenacity is showcased in this tale.

Quest of the Starstone by C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner

As Karl Edward Wagner describes it – imagine Red Sonja meeting Flash Gordon.

But in this case, the two protagonists are Jirel of Jorey (see Ryan Harvey’s essay) and Northwest Smith. Smith is a heat/ray gun-toting outlaw of the future space frontier. Manipulated by an evil wizard, Smith is brought through time and space to assassinate Jirel. While such team-ups tend to be cringe-worthy, that is usually because they are created in the world of fan-fiction. But here we have the original author (and a co-writer) bringing her own creations together, and it works. The tale has flaws--Smith takes the wizard’s assignment a bit too unquestioningly--but it is a fun read. The story is more Northwest Smith than Jirel, but the little glimmer of the character left me wanting to learn more about her, which is a good thing.

Nymph of Darkness by C. L. Moore and Forrest J Ackerman

A true sword-and-planet tale, as ray-guns could easily be swapped for swords, and the setting of the planet Venus could be swapped for the Hyborian world. A good tale featuring things-that-go-bump-in-the-night, a damsel in distress, and the rugged "space" hero, Northwest Smith.

The afterword from Forest Ackerman is worth the price of the book. It shows the fast-and-fun evolution of a pulp sword-and-planet story. C. L. Moore pushed the plot to a certain point, didn’t know all the elements or where things were going or how. Ackerman would toss back a few ideas to fill the holes, and open a few more. After two or three of these volleys they had a completed story.

Werewoman by C. L. Moore

Another Northwest Smith tale, though his role is generic. This tale is heavy on atmosphere, reading more like Dunsany-Lovecraft dark fantasy-horror than Sword-and-Planet. The plot is tedious, as it mostly involves continuous running--literally. The story might have been more compelling if pages (yes, pages) worth of the protagonist running (in a circle) were cut.

Song in a Minor Key by C. L. Moore

This tale is a vignette featuring Smith, finally returning to Earth and remembering what drove him a way in the first place. It is a well-written sketch, but nothing more.

Lorelei of the Red Mist by Leigh Brackett and Ray Bradbury

A Sword-and-Planet entry from Leigh Brackett (whose last work was co-writing the screenplay for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back) and Ray Bradbury (need I type more?). This story has it all – the crashed spaceship, the dying man’s soul transmogrified into the body of a brawny barbarian, seas of gas and mist, mind control, wars between alien races, and revenge. This is well executed, fun to read, and a blueprint for any sword-and-planet story.

Hok Visits the Land of Legends by Manly Wade Wellman

Hok is a primitive man, whose adventures are presented complete with corroborating footnotes. Wellman designed Hok to be a racial memory of mankind’s first hero, later echoed in mythic figures such as Hercules. Throw in ape-men, pterodactyls and mammoths, and you’ve got a really fun tale of adventure that just carries you along. If you like One Million Years B.C., you’ll enjoy this story.