Shadows in the Skull

This article is about a short story. For the protagonist and principal character, see Conan the Barbarian.

"Shadows in the Skull"
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Author	L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Conan the Barbarian
Genre(s)	Fantasy short story
Published in	Conan of Aquilonia
Publication type	Collection
Publisher	Ace Books
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Publication date	1977

"Shadows in the Skull" 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 in the February 1975 issue of the magazine Fantastic, and was first appeared in book form by Ace Books in the paperback collection Conan of Aquilonia in May 1977, which was reprinted several timesthrough 1994. The first British edition was published by Sphere Books in October 1978.

Plot summary

Aided by Zembabwean Wyvern-riders and black Amazons, King Conan of Aquilonia and his son Prince Conn track their arch-foe, Stygian sorcerer Thoth-Amon, to the extreme southern end of the Hyborian continent.

The sorcerer has taken refuge with the last remnants of the evil Serpent Men, shape-changers who have menaced mankind throughout its prehistory. Conan's host locates their skull-cave redoubt, only to fall victim to their ploy of emulating beautiful Stygian women.

His final battle with Thoth-Amon in the sorcerer's own domain proves as hard-fought as their previous encounters, but is ultimately successful at ridding the world of the fiend.

References

• Shadows in the Skull title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Preceded by "Red Moon of Zembabwei"

Complete Conan Saga (William Galen Gray chronology)

Succeeded by Conan of the Isles