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Cross Plains Universe - Texans Celebrate Robert E. Howard
The 2006 World Fantasy Convention book, issued in honor of the Robert E. Howard centenary.
295 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 2, 2022
This is an anthology that was printed for the 2006 World Fantasy Convention to commemorate the 100th birthday of Robert E. Howard. It contains a wide array of stories by Texan writers that feature Howard or is characters or were inspired by his writings. I have no idea how a copy ended up on the clearance rack of a used bookstore in Dayton, Ohio, but it's a fun volume and I'm glad to have stumbled upon it. There are several heroic fantasy style stories that are in the style of Howard, including The Pillar in the Mist, Slim and Swede and the Damned Dead Horse: A Tale of Bloodsong, Two Hearts in Zamora (one of my favorites), One Fang (a good horror story), The Diamonds of Golkonda, and The Jewel of Leystall (a nice fantasy heist tale). Two stories use Howard characters: there's a nice El Borak pastiche called Wolves of the Mountain, and a nice poem that mirrors Howard's style of doggerel quite well by the inimitable Bradley Denton called The King Comes to Texas. Another story, The Warrior and the King, refers to Conan, though he doesn't appear, and one called The Bunker of the Tikriti seems to be a contemporary retelling of The Tower of the Elephant. A few of the stories feature Howard himself as a character, including an incomplete story called The Stone of Namirha (which I didn't much care for), The Sea of Grass on the Day of Wings (which I thought was excellent), and Boomtown Bandits. There's an amusing story called A Penny a Word that looks at the Weird Tales lifestyle, a quirky short fantasy by Gene Wolfe called Six from Atlantis, a bizarre coming-of-age fantasy by Howard Waldrop called Thin, On the Ground, a Texas tall-tale called The Heart by Neil Barrett, Jr., and a funny story called The Toughest Jew in the West by Lawrence Person, which seemed to have the least Howard connection. My favorite story in the book was The Roaming Forest by Michael Moorcock, one of his Eternal Champion/Multiverse stories featuring The Red Archer on his way to Tanelorn. The only story I really disliked was A Whim of Circumstance, which struck me as especially mean-spirited. The oddest story had to be Prince Koindrindra Escapes, which mentions Dennis Dorgan but features a giant ape and was amusing if perhaps a bit socially unacceptable. It's not an essential Howard book, but fun for fans of his style... and of Texas, of course.
August 13, 2007
2006 marks what would have been Robert E. Howard's 100th birthday. Editors Cupp and Lansdale contacted a bunch of writers with strong ties to Texas and gave them some simple boundaries: write a story featuring a character of Robert E. Howard's, a story featuring Howard himself as a character, or a story in the style of Robert E. Howard.
If you've ever met a Texan, it will come as no surprise to you that these writers took some pretty imaginative journeys to get where they were going. It should also come as no surprise to you that this is a top-flight collection, full of enough adventure, myth, humor, and apes (regular and giant-sized) to satisfy even the most jaded reader.
The stories are strong and cover a wide spectrum. Some of the standouts are "The Stone of Namirha" by Charlotte Laughlin and Bill Crider, a modern day tale involving rival sorcerers, a jewel that can control the world, and a resurrected Robert E. Howard; Gene Wolfe's "Six From Atlantis," a tale of Kull worthy of Howard himself; Chris Nakashima-Brown's "The Bunker of the Tikriti," a re-telling of "The Tower of the Elephant" set in modern Iraq; and Michael Moorcock's "The Roaming Forest," a tale of Rackhir, the Red Archer and his quest for Tanelorn.
For my money, though, the story you absolutely shouldn't miss is Melissa Mia Hall's "The Sea of Grass on the Day of Wings," a look at Robert E. Howard's last day.
Whatever part of Howard you like, you'll find something in this collection to take away with you. Are you the adventurous sort? Check out Lawrence Person's "The Toughest Jew in the West," or James Reasoner's "Wolves of the Mountains." Need your funnybone tickled? Try Paul O. Miles and Rick Klaw's "A Penny a Word," or Jayme Lynn Blaschke's epic of zeppelins and giant apes "Prince Koindrindra Escapes."
Or maybe you have a taste for the dark and mysterious. Look no further than Scott Cupp's "One Fang," or Neal Barrett, Jr.'s "The Heart." And if your fascination is for the man himself, you'll get some interesting glimpses of him in Mark Finn's "A Whim of Circumstance" and L.J. Washburn's "Boomtown Bandits."
Texas is an epic place, where fact looks a lot like fiction and fiction tends to edge toward the mythic. Editors Cupp and Lansdale have marked out a territory big enough to encompass the facts of Howard's life, the legends he created, and the mythic places where the two intersect, and in the process have brought together a host of excellent writers to do old Robert proud.
If you've ever met a Texan, it will come as no surprise to you that these writers took some pretty imaginative journeys to get where they were going. It should also come as no surprise to you that this is a top-flight collection, full of enough adventure, myth, humor, and apes (regular and giant-sized) to satisfy even the most jaded reader.
The stories are strong and cover a wide spectrum. Some of the standouts are "The Stone of Namirha" by Charlotte Laughlin and Bill Crider, a modern day tale involving rival sorcerers, a jewel that can control the world, and a resurrected Robert E. Howard; Gene Wolfe's "Six From Atlantis," a tale of Kull worthy of Howard himself; Chris Nakashima-Brown's "The Bunker of the Tikriti," a re-telling of "The Tower of the Elephant" set in modern Iraq; and Michael Moorcock's "The Roaming Forest," a tale of Rackhir, the Red Archer and his quest for Tanelorn.
For my money, though, the story you absolutely shouldn't miss is Melissa Mia Hall's "The Sea of Grass on the Day of Wings," a look at Robert E. Howard's last day.
Whatever part of Howard you like, you'll find something in this collection to take away with you. Are you the adventurous sort? Check out Lawrence Person's "The Toughest Jew in the West," or James Reasoner's "Wolves of the Mountains." Need your funnybone tickled? Try Paul O. Miles and Rick Klaw's "A Penny a Word," or Jayme Lynn Blaschke's epic of zeppelins and giant apes "Prince Koindrindra Escapes."
Or maybe you have a taste for the dark and mysterious. Look no further than Scott Cupp's "One Fang," or Neal Barrett, Jr.'s "The Heart." And if your fascination is for the man himself, you'll get some interesting glimpses of him in Mark Finn's "A Whim of Circumstance" and L.J. Washburn's "Boomtown Bandits."
Texas is an epic place, where fact looks a lot like fiction and fiction tends to edge toward the mythic. Editors Cupp and Lansdale have marked out a territory big enough to encompass the facts of Howard's life, the legends he created, and the mythic places where the two intersect, and in the process have brought together a host of excellent writers to do old Robert proud.
April 27, 2011
From my blog: http://serialdistractions.com
Robert E. Howard is one of the great triumvirate of “pulp” writers–the others being H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. His seminal creation, Conan the Barbarian, endures through the strength of Howard’s storytelling abilities–abilities which left an indelible mark on our culture far beyond the author’s tragic suicide in 1936. This fine collection of short stories, released in 2006 (the esteemed subject’s would-be hundredth year), celebrates Howard’s prowess as an author and his personality as a Texan. Some feature aspects of Howard’s life and feature him as a character. Others invoke his style and sense of adventure. Others actually feature some of his characters (El Borak and King Kull, for example). All of the stories here are top-notch. Standouts include: “The Bunker of the Tikriti” by Chris Nakashima-Brown (a very Howardian adventure set in modern-day Iraq), “A Whim of Circumstance” by Mark Finn (a very cool story taking place on the set of a never-actually-made Ray Harryhausen Conan movie), “Thin on the Ground” by Howard Waldrop (two young Texans looking for fun in Mexico get more than they bargain for), “The Sea of Grass on the Day of Wings” by the late Melissa Mia Hall (a beautiful depiction of Howard’s last day), and “The Roaming Forest” by Texan transplant Michael Moorcock (an adventure starring Rackhir the Red Archer from Moorcock’s famed Elric saga).
Robert E. Howard is one of the great triumvirate of “pulp” writers–the others being H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. His seminal creation, Conan the Barbarian, endures through the strength of Howard’s storytelling abilities–abilities which left an indelible mark on our culture far beyond the author’s tragic suicide in 1936. This fine collection of short stories, released in 2006 (the esteemed subject’s would-be hundredth year), celebrates Howard’s prowess as an author and his personality as a Texan. Some feature aspects of Howard’s life and feature him as a character. Others invoke his style and sense of adventure. Others actually feature some of his characters (El Borak and King Kull, for example). All of the stories here are top-notch. Standouts include: “The Bunker of the Tikriti” by Chris Nakashima-Brown (a very Howardian adventure set in modern-day Iraq), “A Whim of Circumstance” by Mark Finn (a very cool story taking place on the set of a never-actually-made Ray Harryhausen Conan movie), “Thin on the Ground” by Howard Waldrop (two young Texans looking for fun in Mexico get more than they bargain for), “The Sea of Grass on the Day of Wings” by the late Melissa Mia Hall (a beautiful depiction of Howard’s last day), and “The Roaming Forest” by Texan transplant Michael Moorcock (an adventure starring Rackhir the Red Archer from Moorcock’s famed Elric saga).
January 5, 2016
This is a small press trade paperback consisting of stories written by Texas authors in celebration of another Texas writer, Robert E. Howard, on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Some stories feature Howard’s characters, others feature Howard himself as a character, some are simply inspired by the various fantasy worlds he created. The title refers to Howard’s hometown of Cross Plains, Texas and also bears homage to a book named Lone Star Universe, which was the first-ever anthology of Texas-only writers.
Upon publication, most copies of this book were given away to attendees of the 2006 World Fantasy Awards convention. A mass market paperback publication was apparently planned but never came to fruition. The anthology was nominated for a 2007 World Fantasy Award.
I found the quality of the stories varied greatly, but I enjoyed the variety and imagination on display. Stories of particular note include:
Neal Barrett Jr.s “The Heart” is my favorite. It features some Native American mysticism, but it did not seem to be highly influenced by Howard. Still, Barrett’s soft plainspoken style reels you in much like the huckster main character does his marks.
“The Pillar in the Mist” by Ardath Mayhar – An effective pastiche of Howard’s ghost stories. Reminded me of “Pigeons From Hell”. Lots of gothic atmosphere, scant on characterization and plot.
“A Penny a Word” by Rick Klaw and Paul Mile— Nominated for a 2007 WSFA Small Press Award. This story is sort of an in-joke for writers, which imagines the penny-a-word pulp magazines as a Mafia scam to rip off fledging authors.
“Excerpt from The Stone of Nirmirha” by Bill Crider and Charlotte Laughlin-- This is a 15-page excerpt from a full novel that was never published.
Robert E. Howard is resurrected in modern times to fight one of Conan’s enemies from the novel The Hour of the Dragon. The titular stone was named Heart of Ahriman in the novel. The name was changed to avoid copyright issues.
Scott Cupp’s “One Fang” effectively mashes genres when cowboys and Indians confront a classic sword-and-sorcery villain, the Egyptian snake god Set.
Lawrence Person’s “The Toughest Jew in the West” pits the KKK against a small group of Jewish Kabbalists during the settlement of East Texas.
Dean Andersson also pits cowboys against a Norse goddess in “Slim and Swede and the Damned Dead Horse”, which ties in to his Bloodsong trilogy of novels.
Gene Wolf contributes a fun bloody Kull the Conqueror pastiche “Six from Atlantis”. Carrie Richerson’s homage to Conan “The Warrior and the King” is far less effective.
“The Bunker of Tikriti” by Chris Nakashima-Brown is a rewrite of one of Howard’s better Conan stories “The Tower of the Elephant”. The setting is changed to post-war Iraq, the sorcerer Yara is replaced by Sadaam Hussein’s son, and genetic manipulation is substituted for the alien creature.
In “Wolves of the Mountain”, author James Reasoner resurrects El Borak, one of Howard’s less-known adventurers, a Texan living in the wilds of Afganistan.
Jayme Blaschke’s “Prince Koindrindra Escapes” is a reimagining of the King Kong tale in an alternate universe.
This is an entertaining collection of tales, and I wish the publisher would make it available to a wider audience via kindle.
Upon publication, most copies of this book were given away to attendees of the 2006 World Fantasy Awards convention. A mass market paperback publication was apparently planned but never came to fruition. The anthology was nominated for a 2007 World Fantasy Award.
I found the quality of the stories varied greatly, but I enjoyed the variety and imagination on display. Stories of particular note include:
Neal Barrett Jr.s “The Heart” is my favorite. It features some Native American mysticism, but it did not seem to be highly influenced by Howard. Still, Barrett’s soft plainspoken style reels you in much like the huckster main character does his marks.
“The Pillar in the Mist” by Ardath Mayhar – An effective pastiche of Howard’s ghost stories. Reminded me of “Pigeons From Hell”. Lots of gothic atmosphere, scant on characterization and plot.
“A Penny a Word” by Rick Klaw and Paul Mile— Nominated for a 2007 WSFA Small Press Award. This story is sort of an in-joke for writers, which imagines the penny-a-word pulp magazines as a Mafia scam to rip off fledging authors.
“Excerpt from The Stone of Nirmirha” by Bill Crider and Charlotte Laughlin-- This is a 15-page excerpt from a full novel that was never published.
Robert E. Howard is resurrected in modern times to fight one of Conan’s enemies from the novel The Hour of the Dragon. The titular stone was named Heart of Ahriman in the novel. The name was changed to avoid copyright issues.
Scott Cupp’s “One Fang” effectively mashes genres when cowboys and Indians confront a classic sword-and-sorcery villain, the Egyptian snake god Set.
Lawrence Person’s “The Toughest Jew in the West” pits the KKK against a small group of Jewish Kabbalists during the settlement of East Texas.
Dean Andersson also pits cowboys against a Norse goddess in “Slim and Swede and the Damned Dead Horse”, which ties in to his Bloodsong trilogy of novels.
Gene Wolf contributes a fun bloody Kull the Conqueror pastiche “Six from Atlantis”. Carrie Richerson’s homage to Conan “The Warrior and the King” is far less effective.
“The Bunker of Tikriti” by Chris Nakashima-Brown is a rewrite of one of Howard’s better Conan stories “The Tower of the Elephant”. The setting is changed to post-war Iraq, the sorcerer Yara is replaced by Sadaam Hussein’s son, and genetic manipulation is substituted for the alien creature.
In “Wolves of the Mountain”, author James Reasoner resurrects El Borak, one of Howard’s less-known adventurers, a Texan living in the wilds of Afganistan.
Jayme Blaschke’s “Prince Koindrindra Escapes” is a reimagining of the King Kong tale in an alternate universe.
This is an entertaining collection of tales, and I wish the publisher would make it available to a wider audience via kindle.
May 26, 2026
3.5 stars. A nice tribute to Robert E. Howard. There were characters I would have liked to see that weren't used, but overall it was good, and there were no really bad stories. Several feature Robert E. Howard.
The Pillar in the Mist: 3.5 stars. A traveler at night comes across a mysterious pillar and a burial mound. Good, though a bit short.
A Penny a Word: 3.5 stars. A clever twist on the theme that mixes Weird Tales magazine with the mafia. There's a slight timeline issue with "Red Nails", which was published after Robert E. Howard's death.
Slim and Swede and the Damned Dead Horse: A Tale of Bloodsong: 3 stars. A tale linking a battle in the far past with the near past. Fine, but the two parts of the story didn't blend all that well. Each could have been expanded to a good story on it's own. The use of the word "energy" here for magic is something I always roll my eyes at. Features the author's character from other works (written under the name Asa Drake).
The King Comes to Texas: 3.75 stars. A nice piece of tribute poetry to Robert E. Howard, featuring Kull.
An excerpt from "The Stone of Nimarha": 3.25 stars. It really does read like an excerpt, and feels a bit rough in phrasing here and there. This probably has the closest feel to an old pulp story, though not in Robert E. Howard's style.
Two Hearts in Zamora: 3 stars. A couple of girls in the present-day get whisked off to another world. Reads like one chapter in a book, and hence like it's incomplete and lacking something.
One Fang: 4 stars. An old-timer (or is he?) tells a tale of an eldritch encounter. Good story with an ending I didn't expect.
The Bunker of the Tikriti: 3.5 stars. Modern retelling of The Tower of the Elephant. Not as good as the original, of course, and a bit too gruesome and vulgar at times for my taste.
Six From Atlantis: 3.75 stars. Flavorful. I want to rate it 4, but it's a bit too short, and lacks in plot.
A Whim of Circumstance: 3.75 stars. A story about a Conan movie that was never made. The author seems to poke fun at Lin Carter and L. Sprague de Camp.
Wolves of the Mountains: An El Borak Story: 3.75 stars. I haven't read an El Borak story yet, but this was good.
Thin, On the Ground: 3.5 stars. The only connection I can see is that Bobby is probably supposed to be Robert E. Howard. There isn't much to this; two guys go to a new place and see some strange things, related to the local folklore, though it was oddly engaging.
The Warrior and the King: 3.25 stars. A mother tells a story about meeting Conan.
The Diamonds of Golconda: 4 stars. Just good enough for 4. One of two stories in this book that sound the most Robert E. Howard-like to me.
Prince Koindrindra Escapes: 3.75 stars. A King Kong retelling, from the perspective of Kong. Would be 4, but a couple of unnecessary gruesome scenes drop this down.
Boomtown Bandits: 3.75 stars. A detective story, more than a mystery, with Robert E. Howard. Also contains some sad foreshadowing of Howard's end.
The Jewel of Leystall: 3.25 stars. A heist story. Started OK, and near the ending it gave an intriguing twist, but then it wasn't elaborated on and it feels like it ends abruptly.
The Heart: 3.5 stars. A good story about a roadside attraction, though I'm not sure how it’s Robert E. Howard-related.
The Toughest Jew in the West: 3.5 stars. Good, and a rare case of a Jewish fantasy story, though it resolves at the end for seemingly no reason.
The Sea of Grass on the Day of Wings: 4 stars. An idea of what Robert E. Howard's last day might have been like. References "The Moon of Skulls", "Exile of Atlantis", "Wings in the Night", Steve Costigan (or other boxing stories), and maybe others.
The Roaming Forest: 4 stars. A traveler from Michael Moorcock's universe is temporarily trapped in ours.
The Pillar in the Mist: 3.5 stars. A traveler at night comes across a mysterious pillar and a burial mound. Good, though a bit short.
A Penny a Word: 3.5 stars. A clever twist on the theme that mixes Weird Tales magazine with the mafia. There's a slight timeline issue with "Red Nails", which was published after Robert E. Howard's death.
Slim and Swede and the Damned Dead Horse: A Tale of Bloodsong: 3 stars. A tale linking a battle in the far past with the near past. Fine, but the two parts of the story didn't blend all that well. Each could have been expanded to a good story on it's own. The use of the word "energy" here for magic is something I always roll my eyes at. Features the author's character from other works (written under the name Asa Drake).
The King Comes to Texas: 3.75 stars. A nice piece of tribute poetry to Robert E. Howard, featuring Kull.
An excerpt from "The Stone of Nimarha": 3.25 stars. It really does read like an excerpt, and feels a bit rough in phrasing here and there. This probably has the closest feel to an old pulp story, though not in Robert E. Howard's style.
Two Hearts in Zamora: 3 stars. A couple of girls in the present-day get whisked off to another world. Reads like one chapter in a book, and hence like it's incomplete and lacking something.
One Fang: 4 stars. An old-timer (or is he?) tells a tale of an eldritch encounter. Good story with an ending I didn't expect.
The Bunker of the Tikriti: 3.5 stars. Modern retelling of The Tower of the Elephant. Not as good as the original, of course, and a bit too gruesome and vulgar at times for my taste.
Six From Atlantis: 3.75 stars. Flavorful. I want to rate it 4, but it's a bit too short, and lacks in plot.
A Whim of Circumstance: 3.75 stars. A story about a Conan movie that was never made. The author seems to poke fun at Lin Carter and L. Sprague de Camp.
Wolves of the Mountains: An El Borak Story: 3.75 stars. I haven't read an El Borak story yet, but this was good.
Thin, On the Ground: 3.5 stars. The only connection I can see is that Bobby is probably supposed to be Robert E. Howard. There isn't much to this; two guys go to a new place and see some strange things, related to the local folklore, though it was oddly engaging.
The Warrior and the King: 3.25 stars. A mother tells a story about meeting Conan.
The Diamonds of Golconda: 4 stars. Just good enough for 4. One of two stories in this book that sound the most Robert E. Howard-like to me.
Prince Koindrindra Escapes: 3.75 stars. A King Kong retelling, from the perspective of Kong. Would be 4, but a couple of unnecessary gruesome scenes drop this down.
Boomtown Bandits: 3.75 stars. A detective story, more than a mystery, with Robert E. Howard. Also contains some sad foreshadowing of Howard's end.
The Jewel of Leystall: 3.25 stars. A heist story. Started OK, and near the ending it gave an intriguing twist, but then it wasn't elaborated on and it feels like it ends abruptly.
The Heart: 3.5 stars. A good story about a roadside attraction, though I'm not sure how it’s Robert E. Howard-related.
The Toughest Jew in the West: 3.5 stars. Good, and a rare case of a Jewish fantasy story, though it resolves at the end for seemingly no reason.
The Sea of Grass on the Day of Wings: 4 stars. An idea of what Robert E. Howard's last day might have been like. References "The Moon of Skulls", "Exile of Atlantis", "Wings in the Night", Steve Costigan (or other boxing stories), and maybe others.
The Roaming Forest: 4 stars. A traveler from Michael Moorcock's universe is temporarily trapped in ours.
August 4, 2008
Wonderful anthology celebrating the life of Robert E, Howard and his writings
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews