Country United States Series Conan the Barbarian Published in Conan the Swordsman | Language English Genre(s) Fantasy short story | |
Author | ||
"Moon of Blood" is a short story by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter featuring the fictional sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. Howard. It was first published by Bantam Books in the paperback collection Conan the Swordsman in August 1978. Later paperback editions of the collection were issued by Ace Books (1987 and 1991). The first hardcover edition was published by Tor Books in 2002. The book has also been translated into Italian. It was later gathered together with Conan the Liberator and Conan and the Spider God into the omnibus collection Sagas of Conan (Tor Books, 2004).
Contents
Plot summary
As the Picts west of the kingdom of Aquilonia gather to attack the frontier fort of Velitrium, Conan's Aquilonian scouting party is ambushed and scattered by magical snakes conjured up by the Pictish shamans. Conan learns that they were betrayed by one of their own number, Edric, and that the Picts are planning an even more ambitious blow. Rallying the garrison to meet its massed foe, Conan strikes out ahead, hoping to locate the enemy sorcerers and preclude a more devastating magical strike. Everything comes to a head at the well-named Massacre Meadow, where Conan's heroics gain him a reputation recognized even by the king of Aquilonia.
Adaptation
The story was adapted by Roy Thomas, Ernie Colón and Tony DeZuniga in Savage Sword of Conan #46, November 1979.