"Queen of the Black Coast" is one of the original

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in ''

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 ...

'' magazine c. May 1934. During the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age, Conan becomes a notorious pirate plundering the coastal villages of Kush alongside Bêlit, a head-strong

femme fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype o ...

. Due to its epic scope and atypical romance, the story is an undisputed classic of Conan lore and is often cited by Howard scholars as one of his most famous tales. Howard earned $115 selling this story to ''Weird Tales'', and it is now in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because those rights have expired ...

Plot summary

In an Argos port, Conan demands passage aboard a sail barge, the ''Argus'', which is casting off for southern waters to trade beads, silks, sugar, and brass-hilted swords to the black kings of Kush. The captain objects to his demand to travel without paying for the passage, and Conan threatens him and the crew. The captain agrees to let Conan stay on board, since "It would be useful to have a fighting man on the voyage". Gradually, Conan and the captain, Tito, become friends. Conan tells Tito he is fleeing the civil authorities of Argos after a court dispute in which Conan refused to betray the whereabouts of a friend to a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

. Rather than betray his friend, Conan drew his sword and killed the magistrate. At this point, Conan has no experience or knowledge of the sea. Upon reaching the pirate-infested waters of Kush, their trade ship is attacked by Bêlit's reavers. The ''Queen of the Black Coast'', Bêlit and her ebony-skinned warriors slaughter the Argus's crew. Conan tries to rally the crew after the captain's death, and when the fight becomes hopeless, he jumps aboard the pirate ship. Conan kills many of the pirates, fully expecting to be overwhelmed and killed, when Bêlit orders her crew to spare Conan. She is impressed with the Cimmerian's courage and ferocity and sexually attracted to him. Bêlit offers to let Conan sail with her, be her chosen mate, and help lead her warriors. Smitten, Conan agrees, and they raid the Black Coast together. Soon, rumors spread that the she-devil of the sea, Bêlit, has found a mate, an iron man whose wrath is that of a wounded lion. Survivors of butchered Stygian ships curse the name of Bêlit and her Cimmerian warrior. Conan is named "Amra" ("Lion"). Sailing up the river Zarkheba, Bêlit and Conan encounter ancient ruins containing lost treasure, a winged monstrosity, and skulking hyenas used to be men. Despite the murders of their crew and the horrors lurking in the jungle, Bêlit and Conan find time for a theological discussion comparing Conan's grim god

Crom Crom or CROM may refer to: Places * Crom, a townland in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland * Crom Estate, a Northern Irish National Trust Property ** Crom Castle * Ben Crom, a mountain in the Mourne Mountains in County Down, Northern Ireland * C ...

to Bêlit's more ambiguous Shemite deities. Bêlit promises that even death could not keep her from Conan's side. Bêlit is soon captivated by a cursed necklace in the treasure. It seemingly instills the wearer with a madness and monomania. In this state, Bêlit issues faulty orders. Her crew is soon decimated, and Bêlit herself is hanged by the winged monster. Alone and raging, Conan confronts the monster. He is on the verge of being slain when Bêlit's spirit intervenes. Conan slays the winged horror and leaves the ruins with her corpse. Conan gives Bêlit a Viking funeral, burning the ship with her and her treasures on it.

Reception

Everett F. Bleiler described "Queen of the Black Coast" as "probably the best of the Conan stories, perhaps because it is the only one based on another emotion than lust, greed, or hatred."

Publication history

The story was first published in the May 1934 issue of ''

'' magazine. It was republished in the collections ''

The Coming of Conan ''The Coming of Conan'' is a collection of eight fantasy short stories by American writer Robert E. Howard, featuring his sword and sorcery heroes Kull and Conan the Barbarian, together with the first part of his pseudo-history of the "Hyborian ...

'' (

Gnome Press Gnome Press was an American small-press publishing company primarily known for publishing many science fiction classics. Gnome was one of the most eminent of the fan publishers of SF, producing 86 titles in its lifespan — many considered classic ...

, 1953) and '' Conan of Cimmeria'' (

Lancer Books Lancer Books was a publisher of paperback books founded by Irwin Stein and Walter Zacharius that operated from 1961 through 1973. While it published stories of a number of genres, it was noted most for its science fiction and fantasy, particularl ...

, 1969). It has more recently been republished in the collections '' The Conan Chronicles Volume 1: The People of the Black Circle'' ( Gollancz, 2000) and '' Conan of Cimmeria: Volume One (1932-1933)'' ( Del Rey, 2003).

Adaptations

The story was adapted and expanded by

Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly ...

Mike Ploog Michael G. Ploog (; born July 13, 1940 or 1942) is an American storyboard and comic book artist, and a visual designer for films. In comics, Ploog is best known for his work on Marvel Comics' 1970s '' Man-Thing'' and '' The Monster of Frankenste ...

and

John Buscema John Buscema (; ; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)Social Se ...

in ''

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''), ...

'' (Marvel) issues #57, #58 and #100, which were first published in the mid to late 1970s. Petri Hiltunen made his own graphic novel adaptation in 1991. It has only been published in Finland. A

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal ac ...

adaptation for

GURPS The ''Generic Universal RolePlaying System'', or ''GURPS'', is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting. It was created by Steve Jackson Games and first published in 1986 at a time when most such systems ...

named '' Conan and the Queen of the Black Coast'' was published by

Steve Jackson Games Steve Jackson Games (SJGames) is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and (until 2019) the gaming magazine ''Pyramid''. History Founded in 1980, six years after the c ...

in 1989. The concept of the woman who dies, but returns to help Conan in battle, was used in the 1982 movie ''

''. The

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...

series ''

'' (2012-2014) by writer Brian Wood and artist

Becky Cloonan Becky Cloonan (born 23 June) is an American comic book creator, known for work published by Tokyopop and Vertigo. In 2012 she became the first female artist to draw the main '' Batman'' title for DC Comics.Beck, Laura (February 8, 2013)"Meet the F ...

uses ''Queen of the Black Coast'' as the basis for the first three issues. The death of Bêlit is told in issues 22-25.

References

External links

*
Queen of the Black Coast at Project Gutenberg Australia

Conan the Barbarian at AmratheLion.com

Conan.com: The Official Website
* {{Conan 1934 short stories Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard Cthulhu Mythos short stories Fantasy short stories Pulp stories Works originally published in Weird Tales