The Lost Valley of Iskander

"The Lost Valley of Iskander"
Author	Robert E. Howard
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	El Borak
Genre(s)	Adventure
Published in	The Lost Valley of Iskander
Publication type	Hardback
Publisher	FAX
Publication date	1974

"The Lost Valley of Iskander" is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was not published within Howard's lifetime, the first publication was in the FAX Collector's Editions hardback The Lost Valley of Iskander in 1974.^[1] Its original title was "Swords of the Hills".

This was one of two Berkley collections of Robert E. Howard's El Borak stories, and the first time the story "The Lost Valley of Iskander" appeared in print. Five of his El Borak stories were sold during his lifetime, although two only came out after his death. According to the introduction to this collection, among Howard's papers was found another El Borak story, plus an unfinished one—the completed one, "Swords of the Hills", appearing in this volume as "The Lost Valley of Iskander."Three-Bladed Doom", except L. Sprague de Camp gives a complete history for that story in an essay found in The Sword of Conan. He indicates that "Three-Bladed Doom" was a complete, but unpublished manuscript."The Lost Valley of Iskander" has El Borak racing to deliver papers detailing plans to "send howling hordes of fanatics across the Indian border", while pursued by Gustav Hunyadi, the author of those plans. El Borak happens upon a lost city, left over from the invasion of Alexander the Great, and gets on the wrong side of the city's king, Ptolemy.

In this story, El Borak discovers a legendary valley in which live Greek descendants of Alexander the Great invading army. Meanwhile, the vital package he carries must be carried to British India before the Hungarian, Hunyadi, can stop him or thousands will die. "The Daughter of Erlik Khan" has El Borak (aka Francis Xavier Gordon) fighting to rescue Yasmeena, one time rich brat, now pretend "goddess" to the people of the all-but-forbidden city of Yolgan. A former Rajah husband has offered a reward to any man who will bring her home so she can be beaten to death with a slipper (!), and two evil Englishmen, Ormond and Pembroke, have decided to take him up on it. One weakness with the El Borak stories is a dearth of women, so this story ranks a little higher in my estimation than some. Yasmeena herself is another one of those interesting strong-but-vulnerable female characters which REH did so well. For a woman with a death-sentence hanging over her head, she shows remarkable pluck. Then too, any woman who, bored with life, would chuck everything and run off to become a goddess.

Various Edition

The Lost Valley of Iskander published in 1974 FAX Collector's Editions Publisher:FAX Collector's EditionsContents (view Concise Listing)

Introduction (The Lost Valley of Iskander) • essay by Darrell C. Richardson The Lost Valley of Iskander • interior artwork by Michael Kaluta [as by Michael William Kaluta ] 3 • The Daughter of Erlik Khan • [El Borak] • (1934) • novella by Robert E. Howard 86 • The Lost Valley of Iskander • [El Borak] • novelette by Robert E. Howard 126 • Hawk of the Hills • [El Borak] • (1935) • novelette by Robert E. Howard Note: Naperville, Il. illustration by Michael William Kaluta .

Checkmark

The Lost Valley of Iskander published in 1976 Orbit orbitbooks.net illustration by Christos Achilleos Publication: The Lost Valley of Iskander ISFDB Publication Record # 179837

Authors: Robert E. Howard Year: 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-86007-880-9 [978-0-86007-880-7] Publisher: Orbit Price: £0.60 Pages: 194 Binding: pb Type: COLLECTION Title Reference: The Lost Valley of Iskander Cover: Christos Achilleos Notes: Includes only the interior B&W illustrations from the 1974 FAX first edition. Cover/artist match from "Beauty and the Beast" pg 30. Dated August 1975 (probable commission date). Other prices A$2.20, NZ$2.20, C$2.50 Bibliographic Comments: Add new Publication com Checkmark

The Lost Valley of Iskander published inJan 1976 Zebra Books / Kensington Publishing Corp.Publication: The Lost Valley of Iskander ISFDB Publication Record # 255102

Authors: Robert E. Howard Year: 1976-01-00 ISBN 0-89083-157-2 [978-0-89083-157-1] Publisher: Zebra Books / Kensington Publishing Corp. Price: $1.50 Pages: xii+195 Binding: pb Type: COLLECTION Title Reference: The Lost Valley of Iskander Cover: Jeff Jones Notes: Stated 1st printing. Only includes the interior B&W illustrations from the 1974 FAX first edition.

The Lost Valley of Iskander Mar 1976 Zebra Books / Kensington Publishing Corp. $1.50
194 195 illustration by Jeff Jones

Plot

El Borak must carry vital papers across Afghanistan into India, while being chased by the Hungarian Gustav Hunyadi. In doing so, El Borak discovers a village populated by the descendants of Alexander the Great's army.

References

↑ "Publication History". Howard Works. Retrieved 2008-02-11.

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Lost Valley of Iskander

List of stories and publication details at Howard Works

Works by Robert E. Howard

Adventure

El Borak	"Blood of the Gods" "The Coming of El Borak" "The Country of the Knife" "The Daughter of Erlik Khan" "Hawk of the Hills" "The Lost Valley of Iskander" "North of Khyber" "Son of the White Wolf" "Three-Bladed Doom"

Fantasy

Conan	"Beyond the Black River" "Black Colossus" "The Black Stranger" "Cimmeria" "The Devil in Iron" "Drums of Tombalku" "The Frost Giant's Daughter" "The God in the Bowl" "The Hall of the Dead" "The Hand of Nergal" "The Hour of the Dragon" "Iron Shadows in the Moon" "Jewels of Gwahlur" "The People of the Black Circle" "The Phoenix on the Sword" "The Pool of the Black One" "Queen of the Black Coast" "Red Nails" "Rogues in the House" "The Scarlet Citadel" "Shadows in Zamboula" "The Snout in the Dark" "The Tower of the Elephant" "The Vale of Lost Women" "A Witch Shall be Born" "Wolves Beyond the Border" "Xuthal of the Dusk"

Solomon Kane	"The Right Hand of Doom"

Kull	"By This Axe, I Rule" "Exile of Atlantis" "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune"

Bran Mak Morn	"The Children of the Night" "Worms of the Earth"

Comedy

Sailor Steve Costigan	"Alleys of Peril" "Blow the Chinks Down!" "Breed of Battle" "The Bull Dog Breed" "Champ of the Forecastle" "Circus Fists" "Dark Shanghai" "Fist and Fang" "General Ironfist" "Night of Battle" "The Pit of the Serpent" "Sailor's Grudge" "The Sign of the Snake" "The Slugger's Game" "Sluggers on the Beach" "Texas Fists" "The TNT Punch" "Vikings of the Gloves" "Waterfront Fists" "Winner Take All"

Breckinridge Elkins	"A Gent from Bear Creek"

Horror

John Kirowan	"The Children of the Night" "The Haunter of the Ring" "The Black Stone"

Other

Other stories	"Almuric" "Black Canaan" "Pigeons from Hell" "Post Oaks & Sand Roughs" "The Shadow of the Vulture" "Skull-Face" "The Sowers of the Thunder" "The Twilight of the Grey Gods"

Other characters	Cormac Fitzgeoffrey James Allison Red Sonya Dark Agnes de Chastillon Steve Harrison Turlogh Dubh O'Brien Kirby O'Donnell The Sonora Kid

See also	List of works by Robert E. Howard List of poems by Robert E. Howard "The Hyborian Age"

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