Country United States Series Conan the Barbarian Published in Fantastic Universe | Language English Genre(s) Fantasy short story | |
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Hawks over Shem is a 1955 Conan the Barbarian novelette by L. Sprague de Camp based on the story "Hawks over Egypt," by Robert E. Howard. It is usually credited to Howard and de Camp.
Contents
Synopsis
Conan pursues General Othbaal, an ally turned traitor, to the city of Asgalun. He allies himself with Masdak, one of two other generals involved in a power struggle serving under mad King Akhirom. Conan and Mazdak eliminate the other generals and cause Akhirom to be overthrown. Conan must flee Asgalun, and a potentially profitable alliance to Mazdak, when it is discovered that he is Amra; the pirate who fleeced many nearby city-states.
Differences from Howard's original story
De Camp gave Diego de Guzman's role to Conan, changed the setting from the Egypt in 1021 into Howard's Hyborian Age and extensively re-worked the plot and story-line so that a new "Howard" story could be added to the collection Tales of Conan in 1955.
Publication history
Hawks over Shem was first published in Fantastic Universe in October 1955. In the same year it was also published as part of Tales of Conan. In 1968 it was republished in the collection Conan the Freebooter.
The original story, "Hawks Over Egypt", can be found in The Road of Azrael published in 1979.