While Robert E. Howard is best known for his Conan stories, he wrote many others not set in
the Hyborian age, although most of them had his trademark signatures of pulse-pounding
adventure and supernatural horror. ‘Worms of the Earth’ is perhaps one of the best of these. Set
in Roman Britain, it features his Pictish warrior-king-hero Bran Mak Morn, who in his conflict with
the duplicitous and cruel Roman governor of Eboracum (modern-day York) decides to have
dealings with a witch woman. She in turn directs his desire for revenge against the oppressors
of Rome to an ancient weapon far more hideous than even he can imagine…the Worms of the
Earth, who dwelt in what is now Britain long before the first human footprint was left on its
shores. I will not spoil the story for those who have not read it, but suffice to say Bran soon
learns that such powers are not to be trifled with…