La llegada de El Borak y otras aventuras de Francis Xavier Gordon

El aventurero norteamericano Francis Xavier Gordon, conocido como 'El Borak' por su rapidez al desenfundar su revólver, fue el primer personaje de ficción creado por el tejano Robert E. Howard, inspirándose en varios personajes históricos como el General Gordon, de Kartoum, o el mítico Lawrence de Arabia. Según afirmaba el propio Howard, Francis Xavier Gordon era el personaje que más se parecía a él de todos los que creó -seguramente por ser el primero de ellos-. Un sujeto de estatura media -no tan alto como la mayoría de sus bárbaros-, de cabello y ojos negros -no azules o grisáceos, como después sería habitual en sus protagonistas-, Francis Xavier Gordon no tiene nada que envidiar a sus posteriores hermanos en cuanto a fortaleza, valor, astucia o sentido de la épica. El presente título recopila todas las piezas que permanecían inéditas sobre El Borak, todas ellas muy esquivas, e incluyendo algunas de reciente aparición en los EEUU, gracias a las pesquisas de la Fundación Robert E. Howard: poemas, cuentos, fragmentos, una novela, e incluso mapas y dibujos del joven Howard, que configuran lo que restaba de aparecer del ciclo de El Borak, y que presentamos a los lectores en un volumen profusamente ilustrado.

Robert E. Howard is famous for creating such immortal heroes as Conan the Cimmerian, Solomon Kane, and Bran Mak Morn. Less well-known but equally extraordinary are his non-fantasy adventure stories set in the Middle East and featuring such two-fisted heroes as Francis Xavier Gordon—known as “El Borak”—Kirby O’Donnell, and Steve Clarney. This trio of hard-fighting Americans, civilized men with more than a touch of the primordial in their veins, marked a new direction for Howard’s writing, and new territory for his genius to conquer.

The wily Texan El Borak, a hardened fighter who stalks the sandscapes of Afghanistan like a vengeful wolf, is rivaled among Howard’s creations only by Conan himself. In such classic tales as “The Daughter of Erlik Khan,” “Three-Bladed Doom,” and “Sons of the Hawk,” Howard proves himself once again a master of action, and with plenty of eerie atmosphere his plotting becomes tighter and twistier than ever, resulting in stories worthy of comparison to Jack London and Rudyard Kipling. Every fan of Robert E. Howard and aficionados of great adventure writing will want to own this collection of the best of Howard’s desert tales, lavishly illustrated by award-winning artists Tim Bradstreet and Jim & Ruth Keegan.

Publishers Weekly

The late Howard (1906–1936) is best known for his sword-and-sorcery stories, but he was a prolific author whose work spanned many genres. This collection focuses on his Central Asian stories, offering 11 tales of derring-do along with various miscellanea and supplemental materials. Much of the book is devoted to Francis “El Borak” Gordon, an American caught up in the struggle among various imperial powers who seek control of the regions north of India. More self-centered adventurers like Kirby O’Donnell and Steve Clarney get fewer pages, but provide an interesting contrast with Gordon’s loyalty to his friends of all races. Many elements of these stories have aged badly, but Howard’s skill as a writer and his enthusiasm for the subject matter are undeniable. Illus. by Tim Bradstreet and Jim & Ruth Keegan not seen by PW. (Feb.)

Robert E. Howard is famous for creating such immortal heroes as Conan the Cimmerian, Solomon Kane, and Bran Mak Morn. Less well-known but equally extraordinary are his non-fantasy adventure stories set in the Middle East and featuring such two-fisted heroes as Francis Xavier Gordonknown as El BorakKirby ODonnell, and Steve Clarney. This trio of hard-fighting Americans, civilized men with more than a touch of the primordial in their veins, marked a new direction for Howards writing, and new territory for his genius to conquer. The wily Texan El Borak, a hardened fighter who stalks the sandscapes of Afghanistan like a vengeful wolf, is rivaled among Howards creations only by Conan himself. In such classic tales as The Daughter of Erlik Khan, Three-Bladed Doom, and Sons of the Hawk, Howard proves himself once again a master of action, and with plenty of eerie atmosphere his plotting becomes tighter and twistier than ever, resulting in stories worthy of comparison to Jack London and Rudyard Kipling. Every fan of Robert E. Howard and aficionados of great adventure writing will want to own this collection of the best of Howards desert tales, lavishly illustrated by award-winning artists Tim Bradstreet and Jim & Ruth Keegan. Artists' forewords Introduction Swords of the hills The daughter of Erlik Khan Three-bladed doom Hawk of the hills Blood of the gods Sons of the hawk Son of the white wolf Gold from Tatary Swords of Shahrazar The trail of the blood-stained god The fire of Asshurbanipal Three-bladed doom Untitled fragment Appendices Gunfighters of the wild East Notes on the original Howard texts. Artists' forewords Introduction Swords of the hills The daughter of Erlik Khan Three-bladed doom Hawk of the hills Blood of the gods Sons of the hawk Son of the white wolf Gold fromtatary Swords of Shahrazar The trail of the blood-stained god The fire of Asshurbanipal Miscellanea Untitled fragment Appendices Gunfighters of the wild east Notes on the original Howard texts. Features the resourceful and ever-gallant gunslinger-turned-adventurer Francis Xavier Gordonknown to his Middle Eastern friends and enemies as El Borak ("the Swift") along with other exotic adventure stories set in desert and mountain landscapes.