"The Frost-Giant's Daughter" by Robert E. Howard (1934) Originally appeared in The Fantasy Fan, March 1934 as "Gods of the North". Plot: After a devastating battle with the Vanir, Conan sees Atali, the frost giant's daughter and chases her. She leads him to two of her brothers, ice-covered warriors who Conan kills. he continues to chase her and finally chases her. Before he can take her, Ymir, the frost-giant god, takes her away. Conan wakes to find his allies, the Aesir reviving him. They dismiss his vision as a dream until they see Atali's gossamer veil in his hand. Monsters: Atali - The beautiful daughter of Ymir, she lures men into the cold to die. Atali's brothers - the frost giants Frazetta depicted so brilliantly on the cover of lancer paperback. Ymir - The god of the frost giants, he rescues Atali at the last minute before Conan can have his way. History: This tale was rejected by Weird Tales so it appeared free in the fan publication, The Fantasy Fan. The story was given a once over by Howard and then L. Sprague de Camp and retitled. the elements of rape in the story have made some editors and readers uncomfortable. The ending with its evidence it wasn't a dream was a chestnut even in Howard's day.
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