Although it took him more than two decades to find fame and fortune, Rafael Sabatini hit it big in 1921 when Scaramouche, a story set during the French Revolution, was published by Houghton Mifflin Company. A year later, came Captain Blood: His Odyssey, from the same publisher.
Scaramouche and Captain Blood both proved to be great successes. His publishers quickly rushed Sabatini’s early books — including The Sea-Hawk — back into print. Adventure magazine also serialized the novel in its October and November 1922 issues. All three works were soon adapted to film.
At home writing about the Italian Renaissance, the Spanish Inquisition, England during the reigns of Charles II and the early Georges, revolutionary France, and his own time, Rafael Sabatini not only turned out historical fiction, but also tales of revenge, tricksters and con artists, highwaymen, murder mysteries, and more. For The Premier Magazine, he penned twenty “Historical Nights’ Entertainments,” stories that blended factual history with imaginative storytelling, showcasing notable figures and events drawn from the historical record.
We hope you’ll join PulpFest on Friday, August 8, at 9:25 pm as we welcome Morgan Holmes to our stage for “Rafael Sabatini, Master of Blood and Thunder.” It’s part of this year’s salute to the sesquicentennial of Sabatini’s birth.
The former official editor of the Robert E. Howard United Press Association, Morgan Holmes was nominated in 2016 for a Hugo Award as best fan writer. He has been published in Blood ‘n’ Thunder, The Cimmerian, The Dark Man, REH: Two-Gun Raconteur, The Robert E. Howard Companion, and other publications. His work has also appeared at Castalia House, Black Gate, and other websites. Dr. Holmes — who is a podiatrist — has presented at PulpFest before, most recently in 2024 when he explored “Bob Howard & the Spicy-Adventurers.”
The general public is welcome to attend our evening programming events free of charge. To learn more about our programming, please click the 2025 Schedule button at the top of this page.
For those who also want to enjoy our dealers’ room, you can join PulpFest by clicking the register button at the top of this page. And don’t forget to book a room. The DoubleTree is essentially sold out, but you can click here for nearby hotels. If you’re looking for a roommate, write to Jack Cullers at his email address below.
Remember, in addition to your membership in PulpFest 2025, you’ll also be a member of Doc Con XXI, ERBFest 2025, and Farmercon XX. That’s four conventions for one price! You can’t beat that deal.
If you’re interested in selling at PulpFest, our dealers’ room is full. However, we are adding a limited number of tables in the pre-function hallway outside of the dealers’ room. These tables will cost $125 each and will be guarded by security overnight. If you are interested, please write to Jack Cullers at jack@pulpfest.com to sign up for a spot. Any attendees who are interested in providing security services, please write to Jack Cullers at his email address above.
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Our featured image is excerpted from Robert McGinnis‘ original art for Rafael Sabatini’s Captain Blood Returns, published in 1963 by Popular Library. The novel was originally published in 1931 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Our lead image was adapted by William Lampkin from N. C. Wyeth’s original dust jacket art for Rafael Sabatini’s The Black Swan, published in 1932 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Our final image is E. A. Urdang’s cover for the November 20, 1922 number of Adventure, featuring part 4 of 5 of Rafael Sabatini’s “The Sea-Hawk,” originally published in 1915 by McClelland and Stewart, Ltd.
