Karl Edward Wagner (12 December 1945 – 14 October 1994) was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of horror,

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

, and

heroic fantasy Heroic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy in which events occur in a world where magic is prevalent and modern technology is nonexistent. The setting may be entirely fictitious in nature or based upon Earth with some additions. Unlike dark fiction ...

, who was born in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...

and originally trained as a psychiatrist. He wrote numerous dark fantasy and horror stories. As an editor, he created a three-volume set of Robert E. Howard's

Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...

fiction restored to its original form as written, and edited the long-running and genre-defining ''

The Year's Best Horror Stories The Year’s Best Horror Stories was a series of annual anthologies published by DAW Books in the U.S. from 1972 to 1994 under the successive editorships of Richard Davis from 1972 to 1975 (after a 1971-1973 series published by Sphere Books in the ...

'' series for DAW Books. His

Carcosa Carcosa is a fictional city in Ambrose Bierce's short story " An Inhabitant of Carcosa" (1886). The ancient and mysterious city is barely described and is viewed only in hindsight (after its destruction) by a character who once lived there. Ameri ...

publishing company issued four volumes of the best stories by some of the major authors of the so-called Golden Age pulp magazines. He is possibly best known for his creation of a series of stories featuring the character Kane, the Mystic Swordsman. His disillusionment with the medical profession can be detected in the stories "The Fourth Seal" and "Into Whose Hands". He described his personal philosophy as nihilistic, anarchistic and absurdist, and claimed, not entirely seriously, to be related to "an opera composer named "

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...

".Interview with ''Horror'' magazine, October 1994. Wagner also admired the cinema of

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic '' The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institut ...

, stating "I worship the film ''

The Wild Bunch ''The Wild Bunch'' is a 1969 American epic Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Ben Johnson and Warren Oates. The plot concerns an aging outlaw gang on th ...

''". Mike Ashley, "Wagner, Karl Edward" in ''St. James Guide To Fantasy Writers'', edited by

David Pringle David Pringle (born 1 March 1950) is a Scottish science fiction editor and critic. Pringle served as the editor of '' Foundation'', an academic journal, from 1980 to 1986, during which time he became one of the prime movers of the collective whi ...

. St. James Press, 1996, p. 583-4.

Biography

Wagner was the fourth and youngest child of Aubrey J. Wagner and Dorothea Huber. His father was an official of the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

. Wagner earned a history degree from Kenyon College in 1967, and a psychiatry degree from

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

. As noted above, he disliked the medical profession, which he abandoned upon establishing himself as a writer. Wagner was productive as both a writer and editor/anthologist; see below. His friends included the writer

Manly Wade Wellman Manly Wade Wellman (May 21, 1903 – April 5, 1986) was an American writer. While his science fiction and fantasy stories appeared in such pulps as '' Astounding Stories'', '' Startling Stories'', '' Unknown'' and ''Strange Stories'', Wellman ...

, two of whose collections he published with the

publishing imprint. Wagner died in his home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on October 14, 1994, essentially due to the consequences of longterm

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

. It was reported in a late 1994 issue of the Newsletter of the Horror Writers of America that Wagner's causes of death were heart failure and liver failure. ''Exorcisms and Ecstasies'', a posthumous volume of uncollected stories, miscellany, and tributes was published by small press publisher Fedogan & Bremer in 1997. Night Shade Books has published the complete Kane stories (novels and shorts) in two hardcover volumes.

Published works

Some of Wagner's work is set in Robert E. Howard's universe (featuring

and Bran Mak Morn); he also edited three volumes of Howard's original Conan tales, important to purists for being the first to restore the texts to their originally published forms. His three volumes of '' Echoes of Valor'' also featured restored versions of pulp-era fantasy stories by authors such as

Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Rober ...

C. L. Moore Catherine Lucille Moore (January 24, 1911 – April 4, 1987) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, who first came to prominence in the 1930s writing as C. L. Moore. She was among the first women to write in the science fiction and ...

, Henry Kuttner, and

Nictzin Dyalhis Nictzin Wilstone Dyalhis (June 4, 1873 – May 8, 1942) was an American chemist and short story writer who specialized in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. He wrote as Nictzin Dyalhis. During his lifetime he attained a measure of cel ...

. Wagner wrote an unpublished Bran Mak Morn novel, ''Queen of the Night'', which was originally scheduled to be published by Zebra books during 1978 and Ace Books during 1980. efer to David Drake's Newsletter #105 in which he states 'Queen of the Night' was never written.

Kane, the Mystic Swordsman

Wagner created his own mystical and immortal pre-historical anti-hero, Kane, whose name and background are based on traditional conceptions of the biblical Cain. A powerful, left-handed warrior-sorcerer with red hair and blue eyes, the character was described by Wagner as one "who could master any situation intellectually, or rip heads off if push came to shove". Kane is an immortal, somewhat like the

Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew is a mythical immortal man whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. In the original legend, a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion was then cursed to walk the Earth until the Second Coming. Th ...

(or more specifically,

Charles Maturin Charles Robert Maturin, also known as C. R. Maturin (25 September 1780 – 30 October 1824), was an Irish Protestant clergyman (ordained in the Church of Ireland) and a writer of Gothic plays and novels.Chris Morgan, "Maturin, Charles R(obert) ...

's ''

Melmoth the Wanderer ''Melmoth the Wanderer'' is an 1820 Gothic novel by Irish playwright, novelist and clergyman Charles Maturin. The novel's titular character is a scholar who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for 150 extra years of life, and searches the wo ...

'', a novel which Wagner cites as a major influence in his essay "The Once and Future Kane"). Kane's character also includes elements of Robert E. Howard's

Solomon Kane Solomon Kane is a fictional character created by the pulp magazine, pulp-era writer Robert E. Howard. A late-16th-to-early-17th century Puritan, Solomon Kane is a somber-looking man who wanders the world with no apparent goal other than to vanqu ...

. He is an immortal, cursed to wander the Earth until he is destroyed by the violence that he himself has created. He sells his loyalty as a fighter to the highest bidder. He is a well-read and intelligent man who has traveled the world for centuries and is able to discuss music, poetry, politics, and many other subjects. He is also amoral and a born killer. The Kane stories are often classified as tales of sword and sorcery (although Wagner disliked the term), which some critics have compared favorably to those of Robert E. Howard and

Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has worke ...

. In his story "The Gothic Touch", Kane actually encounters Moorcock's albino anti-hero Elric. The character Kane is considered one of the most memorable and original

anti-hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform action ...

es of

.. Stephen Jones, "Raising Kane" in ''Midnight Sun'' (2003), p. 1. Inspired by the sword and sorcery adventures of

's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and Robert E. Howard's mighty-thewed barbarian Conan the Cimmerian, Wagner set about creating his own fantasy character while still attending medical school. The result was initially published as a 1970 paperback original with a lurid cover by West Coast pornography publisher Powell Publications. The novel's text was altered by an unknown copy editor to conform with the cover art. After publishing a pseudonymous pornographic novel with a small New York company, Wagner relinquished his chance to become a doctor and instead decided to write full-time. During 1973, Warner Paperback library published ''Death Angel's Shadow'', which collected the three original Kane tales (one novella, one novelette, and one short story). He also began selling his stories and poems regularly to the growing small press magazine market. Several of his tales were published in Gary Hoppenstand's ''Midnight Sunn'', a magazine initially devoted to Kane and the new school of epic fantasy writers. This was followed by publication of the first Kane novel, ''Bloodstone'', during 1975. Warner Books commissioned a cover painting by

Frank Frazetta Frank Frazetta (born Frank Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers, and other media. He i ...

(who had helped revive the Conan franchise, and who would paint a number of future covers for the series) and Wagner's writing career improved. After a novel featuring Howard's Pictish hero Bran Mak Morn, Wagner's next Kane book was ''Dark Crusade'' (1976). A Kane story published elsewhere, "Two Suns Setting", won the 1977

British Fantasy Award The British Fantasy Awards (BFA) are awarded annually by the British Fantasy Society (BFS), first in 1976. Prior to that they were known as The August Derleth Fantasy Awards (see August Derleth Award). First awarded in 1972 (to ''The Knight of ...

and was also a

World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...

nominee. Wagner published other Kane stories in magazines such as ''Chacal'', ''Whispers'' and ''Escape!'' during 1977. Gerald W. Page, then editor of DAW Books ''Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Stories'', began to reprint Kane tales in the anthology series ''Night Winds''; a collection of six previously published Kane tales followed (Warner Books, 1978). The publisher also reissued all previous Kane books including a new edition of ''Darkness Weaves'', which reinstated the author's preferred text. ''The Book of Kane'' was the last published volume of Kane material (1985) until Night Shade Books' omnibus editions of novels and shorter tales. A proposed fourth Kane novel, ''In the Wake of the Night'', was never completed, although an excerpt was published as part of a

World Fantasy Convention The World Fantasy Convention is an annual convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the event. Other features include an art show, a dealer's room, and an ...

souvenir book of 1981; this also appears in the collection ''Midnight Sun'' (2003). In 2004, it was reported that movie producer Lauren Moews had "acquired ''Death Angel's Shadow'', and will produce a film based upon "Reflections for the Winter of My Soul," the first of three short stories comprising ''Death Angel's Shadow''. The other two short stories, "Cold Light" and "Mirage," are waiting in the wings to be developed into a possible KANE franchise for Tonic Films".

As of 2020 the film had not entered production.

Other writings

Besides the Kane books, Wagner wrote contemporary horror stories (some of which, like "At First Just Ghostly", also feature Kane). These were collected in the books ''In a Lonely Place'' (1983), ''Why Not You and I?'' (1987) and the posthumous ''Exorcisms and Ecstasies'' (1997). They range from the very literate and allusive (such as "The River of Night's Dreaming", which refers to

Richard O'Brien Richard Timothy Smith. known professionally as Richard O'Brien, is a British-New Zealand actor, writer, musician, composer, and television presenter. He wrote the musical stage show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' in 1973, which has remained in conti ...

's ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the ...

'' and the myth of

used in the work of

Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – ) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. His book '' The Devil's Dictionary'' was named as one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by ...

and

Robert W. Chambers Robert William Chambers (May 26, 1865 – December 16, 1933) was an American artist and fiction writer, best known for his book of short stories titled '' The King in Yellow'', published in 1895. Life Chambers was born in Brooklyn, New York, t ...

), to the pulpy and parodic (such as "Plan Ten from Inner Space", a crazed homage to

Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novel author. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...

's ''magnum opus'' '' Plan 9 from Outer Space''). His later stories, such as "But You'll Never Follow Me" and "Silted In", were described by

Ramsey Campbell Ramsey Campbell (born 4 January 1946) is an English horror fiction writer, editor and critic who has been writing for well over fifty years. He is the author of over 30 novels and hundreds of short stories, many of them winners of literary awa ...

as tormented and deeply personal; some deal explicitly with

drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use oft ...

(e.g. "More Sinned Against") and sexual subjects, including

psychological repression Repression is a key concept of psychoanalysis, where it is understood as a defence mechanism that "ensures that what is unacceptable to the conscious mind, and would if recalled arouse anxiety, is prevented from entering into it." According to psy ...

(e.g. "Brushed Away") and

transsexualism Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignmen ...

(e.g. "Lacunae"). During 1983 Wagner won the

for his horror novella "Beyond Any Measure" and the

during 1984 for "Neither Brute Nor Human". With his friends Jim Groce and David Drake, who were concerned that Arkham House would cease publication after the death of its founder,

August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and th ...

, Wagner formed the

publishing house in North Carolina during 1973 to preserve the work of their favorite pulp magazine horror writers in hardcovers. Carcosa Press published four substantial volumes of horror tales: '' Murgunstrumm and Others'' by Hugh B. Cave, '' Far Lands, Other Days'' by E. Hoffmann Price, ''

Worse Things Waiting ''Worse Things Waiting'' is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author Manly Wade Wellman, with illustrations by Lee Brown Coye. It was released in 1973 by Carcosa in an edition of 2,867 copies, of which 536 pre-ordered copies we ...

'' and '' Lonely Vigils'', both by

. All books were edited by Wagner and illustrated profusely. A fifth collection was planned, ''Death Stalks the Night'', by Hugh B. Cave;

Lee Brown Coye Lee Brown Coye (July 24, 1907 – September 5, 1981) was an American artist. Coye is probably best remembered for his black-and-white illustrations for pulp magazines and horror fiction, but he produced a variety of works in other media. Biogra ...

was working on illustrating it when he died, causing Carcosa to abandon the project. The book was eventually published by Fedogan & Bremer. Wagner later acted as the literary agent for Manly Wade Wellman's estate. Wagner collaborated with Drake on ''Killer'', a

horror novel set during the reign of the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

emperor

Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Fl ...

. The illustrator of ''Murgunstrumm'' and ''Worse Things Waiting'' was the noted ''

Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, pri ...

'' artist

. Coye's macabre designs, incorporating mysterious lattices of twigs, were the inspiration for Wagner's

-winning story " Sticks". The story was later included in a revised edition of Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos. A connoisseur of rare horror stories, Wagner perspicaciously edited many horror and fantasy anthologies; perhaps his greatest achievement of this topic was the annual anthology series ''

'' ( DAW Books), which he edited for fourteen years from volume VIII (1980) until volume XXII (1994). The series was canceled after Wagner's death. However, while the original editions were paperback originals, Underwood-Miller preserved the series in a set of three limited-edition hardcovers. Wagner was a frequent visitor to London to attend fantasy and horror conventions. Though he continued to edit, producing three volumes of the heroic fantasy anthology ''Echoes of Valor'' for Tor Books during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and published a steady sequence of short stories (most of which were apparently written some years earlier), his most productive time was finished. In the story "The Gothic Touch", Kane teams up with the albino warrior-sorcerer Elric in a tribute anthology honoring the fiction of

(''Tales of the White Wolf''). Wagner wrote several unproduced screenplays and treatments including a film script for ''Conan III'' for movie producer

Dino De Laurentiis Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian-American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. He ...

and a TV script based on Robert E. Howards "The Horror on the Mound" (for ''Tales from the Darkside''). Wagner provided the foreword to "Fat Face", a Cthulhu Mythos tale by Michael Shea published as a standalone book by Axolotl Press, 1987.

Audio, television and comics adaptations

Audio

Several Wagner works were adapted for audio cassette readings, including: * "Sticks" Adapted by Meatball Fulton, as part of the radio series ''

The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz ''The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz'' was a 1984 binaural radio drama series produced by Thomas Lopez and the ZBS Foundation for NPR. At the beginning of each show, it was suggested that listeners wear headphones. Production “Fritz” was the nickname ...

''. Directed by Bill Raymond. Fort Edward, NY: ZBS Foundation, 1984. (A dramatic reading of Wagner's story plus two stories by

Craig Strete Craig Kee Strete (born 6 May 1950) is an American science fiction writer of Cherokee descent. He is noted for his use of Native Americans in the United States, American Indian themes and has had multiple Nebula Award nominations. Career Craig K. ...

). This recording was re-issued by ZBZ Foundation on audio CD in 1998, combined with a story by Meatball Fulton and Tom Lopez. *"Sticks" Unabridged reading by Patrick Macnee on Dove Audo four-cassette anthology ''The Greatest Horror of the 20th Century'', ed. Martin Greenberg. LA: New Star Publishing, 1998. *''Night Winds''. A Kane audio collection containing three stories on two cassettes; narrated by

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...

. Santa Fe, NM: Sunset Productions, 1993. *''Raven's Eyrie''. A Kane story on two audio cassettes; narrated by

. Santa Fe, NM: Sunset Productions, 1993.

Television

"The River of Night's Dreaming" was adapted for the TV series '' The Hunger'' during 1998. '' Sticks'' provided the inspiration for the lattice type structures used in the television series

True Detective ''True Detective'' is an American anthology crime drama television series created and written by Nic Pizzolatto. The series, broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States, premiered on January 12, 2014. Each season of the ...

Graphic novels

Wagner was involved with several comics ventures. His Kane story "In the Lair of Yslsl" (which was later incorporated into the Kane novel ''Dark Crusade'') was adapted by Bill Whitcomb and Steve Vance, and illustrated by Vance, Wes Smith, and Bill Black for the graphic medium in ''Dark Phantasms'' 1, Summer 1976. During 1993 Wagner co-wrote the graphic novel ''Tell Me Dark'' with John Ney Reiber and Kent Williams, contributing original characters and situations. It was published by DC Comics in both hardcover and trade paperback. At the time of his death, he had just finished compiling ''Exorcisms and Ecstasies'', and had started working on two novels, ''The Fourth Seal'' and ''Tell Me, Dark'', the latter based on the graphic novel he disowned.

Bibliography

Collections

*''In a Lonely Place'' (1983). *''Why Not You and I?'' (1987). *''Unthreatened by the Morning Light'' (1989) (Issue 2 of ''Author's Choice Monthly'' - a series published by Pulphouse Publishing. It was issued in both a limited signed hardcover of 350 copies (50 deluxe leatherbound signed and numbered 1-50; 300 limited clothbound with d.j., signed and numbered 1–300), and an unlimited perfectbound paper edition. There was also five deluxe Publisher's Copies and 25 Limited Publisher's copies). *'' Exorcisms and Ecstasies'' (1997). *''Masters of the Weird Tale: Karl Edward Wagner'' (

Centipede Press Centipede Press is an American independent book and periodical publisher focusing on horror, weird tales, crime narratives, science fiction, gothic novels, fantasy art, and studies of literature, music and film. Its earliest imprints were Cocytus ...

, 2011). *''Where the Summer Ends'' (

, 2012). *''Walk on the Wild Side'' (

, 2012).

Novels

* ''The Other Woman'' as by "Kent Allard". NY: Carlyle Communications/The Orpheus Series, 1973. Erotic novel.Identified in Scott F. Wyatt and Stephen Jones, "Karl Edward Wagner: A Working Bibliography of English Language First Editions", in Karl Edward Wagner, ''Exorcisms and Ecstasies'' (1997), p. 429 *''Killer'' (written with David Drake, 1985)

Poetry collections

* ''Songs of the Damned''. Knoxvxille, TN: Village Printers/Silver Eel Press, 1981. Edited by Vern Clark and Bob Barger. Poetry chapbook issued in a 250-copy trade edition and a 50-copy signed edition. Contains nine poems. * ''Red Harvest''. Chapel Hill, NC: Sidecar Preservation Society, 2002. Edited by Scott F. Wyatt. Restored and corrected edition of ''Songs of the Damned'', containing fourteen poems and with an Introduction, "The Mark of Cain" by Stephen Jones who also illustrates the volume. Also includes several pages of bibliographic updates and corrections to the bibliography of Wagner's work first published in ''Exorcisms and Ecstasies''. Limited to 200 numbered copies in chapbook format, and a 20-copy handbound hardcover edition.

Short stories

Kane

*''Darkness Weaves'' (novel) (published in abridged and altered form 1970 as ''Darkness Weaves with Many Shades''; restored text 1978) *''Death Angel's Shadow'' (collection) (1973) *''Bloodstone'' (novel) (1975) *''Dark Crusade'' (novel) (1976) *'' Night Winds'' (collection) (1978) *'' The Book of Kane'' (collection) (1985) *''Gods in Darkness'' (omnibus collection of the three novels) (2002). Issued as a 1200 copy trade edition and also as a 150 copy edition signed by the artist with an additional illustration. *''Midnight Sun: The Complete Stories of Kane'' (collection) (2003). Introduction "Raising Kane" by Stephen Jones. Collection of all Kane material except the three novels; companion publication to ''Gods in Darkness''.

Robert E. Howard pastiches

*''Legion from the Shadows'' (Bran Mak Morn novel) (1976) *'' The Road of Kings'' (Conan novel) (1979)

Collections and anthologies edited

* '' Far Lands, Other Days'' by E. Hoffmann Price (1975) *'' Murgunstrumm and Others'', by Hugh B. Cave (1977) *''

'', by

(1973) *'' Lonely Vigils'' by

(1981) *''The Valley So Low: Southern Mountain Stories'' by

(1987) *''John the Balladeer'' by

(1988) * Conan: **''

The Hour of the Dragon ''The Hour of the Dragon'', also known as ''Conan the Conqueror'', is a fantasy novel by American writer Robert E. Howard featuring his sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian. It was one of the last Conan stories published before Howard' ...

'', by Robert E. Howard (1977) **''

The People of the Black Circle "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 ...

'', by Robert E. Howard (1977) **''

Red Nails "Red Nails" is the last of the stories featuring Conan the Cimmerian written by American author Robert E. Howard. A novella, it was originally serialized in ''Weird Tales'' magazine from July to October 1936, the months after Howard's suicide. ...

'', by Robert E. Howard (1977) **''The Essential Conan'' by Robert E. Howard. NY: SFBC Fantasy, 1998. *''

'' **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, VIII'' (1980) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, IX'' (1981) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, X'' (1982) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XI'' (1983) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XII'' (1984) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XIII'' (1985) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XIV'' (1986) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XV'' (1987) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XVI'' (1988) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XVII'' (1989) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XVIII'' (1990) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XIX'' (1991) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XX'' (1992) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XXI'' (1993) **''The Year's Best Horror Stories, XXII'' (1994) *Echoes of Valor (Sword and Sorcery Anthologies) **'' Echoes of Valor'' (1987) **'' Echoes of Valor II'' (1989) **''

Echoes of Valor III ''Echoes of Valor III'' is an anthology of fantasy stories, edited by Karl Edward Wagner. It was first published in paperback by Tor Books in September 1991. The book collects eight classic fantasy short stories by various authors, along with ass ...

'' (1991)

Critical

*''Black Prometheus: A Critical Study of Karl Edward Wagner'', ed.

Benjamin Szumskyj Benjamin J. Szumskyj is an Australian who used to be an editor, author and critic of weird fiction, horror and fantasy literature. Since becoming a Christian, he has written non-fiction regarding Christianity. Literary work Between 2003 and 2008 h ...

( Gothic Press 2007; ) * Szumskyj, Ben. "Sharpening the Silver Dagger: Karl Edward Wagner's Poetry for the Damned". ''Starline: Journal of the

Science Fiction Poetry Association The Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA) is a society based in the United States with the aim of fostering an international community of writers and readers interested in poetry pertaining to the genres of science fiction, fantasy, ...

'' 30, No 2 (Mar-Apr 2007), 10–14.

References

External links

*
Remembrance of Karl Edward WagnerEast of Eden
Karl Edward Wagner website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wagner, Karl Edward 1945 births 1994 deaths American fantasy writers American horror writers American science fiction writers American book publishers (people) Cthulhu Mythos writers Conan the Barbarian novelists People from Knoxville, Tennessee Kenyon College alumni 20th-century American novelists American male novelists World Fantasy Award-winning writers Weird fiction writers 20th-century American male writers