Porto Bello Gold

Did you know that there is a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s epic pirate adventure Treasure Island? It’s true! Porto Bello Gold, by prolific pulp fiction writer Arthur D. Howden Smith, tells how the treasure got to Treasure Island, complete with Billy Bones, Captain Flint, and, of course, Long John Silver. Despite some kitschy chapter titles, such as “Fetch Aft the Rum, Darby McGraw” and “The One-Legged Man and the Irish Maid,” Porto Bello Gold is more than just Roaring Twenties fan fiction. Knowing he was treading on sacred adventure-story ground, Howden Smith approached Lloyd Osborne (Stevenson’s stepson, dedicatee of Treasure Island, and executor of Stevenson's estate) for his blessing. Fortunately for fans, this was given freely, and readers had a second chance to discover the glittering literary treasures of a beloved world.