In his short life Robert E. Howard produced hundreds of short stories and works of poetry. Commonly associated with the era of pulp fiction he created numerous characters of which the most popular is Conan the Cimmerian. The titular story "Beyond the Black River" is considered one of Howard"s best Conan stories. In it Conan battles the savage Hyborian Picts in the unsettled lands beyond the infamous Black River. "Beyond the Black River and Other Stories" is a collection of popular Conan stories which also include the following tales: "Jewels of Gwahlur," "Shadows in Zamboula," "The Hyborian Age," and "Red Nails."