Product Description
The creator of Conan looks to the stars in one of fantasy's most enduring science fantasy classics! Robert E. Howard's Almuric is a savage planet of crumbling stone ruins and debased, near-human inhabitants. Into this world comes Esau Cairn, Earthman, swordsman, murderer. Only he can overthrow the terrible devils that enslave Almuric, but to do so he must first defeat the inner demons that forced him to abandon Earth. Filled with vile beasts and thrilling adventure in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Almuric is one of Howard's few novels, and an excellent yarn from one of America's most distinct literary voices. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Sword and Planet by the creator of Conan
Robert E Howard wrote a lot of things besides Conan.There were other fantastic heroes such as Kull and Bran Mak Morn, and "historical" stories of Soloman Kane, puritan killer.He also wrote modern horror, such as the short story Pigeons from Hell, westerns, sea tales...whatever took his fancy, and would pay the bills.Most of this writing was short stories, but then there was the odd novel, such as Almuric.

Almuric is a sword and planet tale, in the tradition of Burrough's Mars.Esau Cairn is an impressive physical specimen - the most perfect man on earth, perhaps - when he kills a corrupt politician and escapes to the lost planet Almuric with the help of a random scientist.That's pretty much page 1 of the book, so I am not spoiling anything there.After that, Cairn has a pile of adventures, matching strength and wits with the locals - ape-like men and beautiful-like women (they have bred themselves that way.Really).

Cairn must find a home, and a mate, and fight off other barbarian clans and the dreaded winged men of the south, and their even more dreaded winged queen.

The novel starts out running, and never slows down or lets up.There are few moments of quiet contemplation, but the non-stop action always has a point to it and advances the plot.This is not Howard's finest work, but it is a good romp.

This Paizo version has an introduction by Joe R Lansdale pointing out a few things that you as the reader can think about or not, as it pleases you.

I'LL TELL YOU "Y" THIS BOOK IS SO BAD . . .
Having read a good number of the Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs, I was interested to learn that Robert E. Howard himself had taken a stab at the Sword and Planet sub-genre.

Unfortunately, ALMURIC is not only an uninspired Sword and Planet adventure, it is also Howard at perhaps his laziest.

First, there is the ridiculous tale of how a wanted Esau Cairn (the mighty-thewed main character), just so happens to bump into a friend with a space-travel machine and is willing enough to let him try it out.

Once upon the planet Almuric, I came to realize that this story could have very easily been set in the wilds of Africa. Almost every "alien" creature on this planet has an Earthly counterpart, to the point where there is almost nothing "alien" at all about this planet, even down to the scenic descriptions. Unlike other Sword and Planet adventures, this story, with its lack of technology and innovation reads like a pulpy The Clan of the Cave Bear.

To further emphasis the lack of creativity in this book, I want to point out this part where Esau Cairn finds a "murderous weapon" on this new planet. Howard describes it like this:

"The blade was perhaps nineteen inches in length, double-edged, and sharp as a razor. It was broad at the haft, tapering to a diamond point."

So that's it?! A whole universe of creative license was at Howard's fingertips and he describes this otherworldly "murderous weapon" as no more fascinating than a Roman Gladius?!

It is such passages as these that made me shake my head, not to mention the many cases of Deus Ex Machina, where Howard pulls his antagonist out of situations that should have killed him. Of course there is no chance for the main character to die anyway, as the story is told in the first person.

And then we get to this little gem of a paragraph:

"They told me of the Yagas, a terrible race of winged black men, dwelling far to the south, within sight of the Girdle, in the grim city of Yugga, on the rock Yuthla, by the river Yogh, in the land of Yagg, where living man had never set foot."

Although I'm sure it was not Howard's intention, I seriously burst out laughing after reading that.

At a mere 200 pages, this book is very brief and I finished it in a day. There are not many characters to keep track of and the plot is about as linear as one could hope for. Yet for all that, it is my opinion that the pages were flying, no so much because I was enthralled by the content, but because I was Yearning (with a capital "Y"!) for the tale to come to an end.

This review is brought to you by the letter "Y".

Call me shallow, but I just connect to Robert E. Howard's yarns
Esau Cairn is a man born in the wrong age. His freakish strength, athletic prowess, and berserker tendencies only make him an outcast in modern society, where he eventually ends up on the wrong side of the law. So when a scientist who is a sympathetic friend offers him an escape to another planet, it seems like a good alternative to going down fighting.

Once on Almuric, Esau soon regresses to a savage state in order to survive the wild and untamed land. Before long, he runs across a barbaric race of Neanderthal-like men and fair women. Esau's fighting skills and untamable spirit win him a place among a clan and put him on the path to becoming a warrior-hero. Once Almuric gets rolling, it's chock-full of the raw action that nobody can do like Howard.

Almuric is a typical Robert E. Howard story, and is also typical of the time in which it was written. A he-man hero wins glory and saves the damsel in distress. The world of Almuric is populated by brutish cave-men, but somehow the females evolved to be no less than beautiful. The story is told in the first person by Esau, who is near-invulnerable and by no means modest.

Despite the lack of depth, Almuric appealed to me like most all of the late-great Bob Howard's stories.There is always a high level of entertainment value in a Howard yarn (even if it's in a guilty-pleasure, popcorn kind of way) and he should be acknowledged as one of the pioneers of fantasy. He greatly influenced the genre, both directly and indirectly.

Howard's work romanticizes barbarianism and by-gone ancient ages in which "men were men," so to speak. Almuric touches the core of his fascinations and is also autobiographical in a way. Esau Cairn was born in the wrong time, and Howard was known to say the same about himself. I got the sense that Almuric was like a personal daydream of Howard's.

I'll be the first to admit that maybe I read just a little too much into Howard's stuff, but for some reason I always feel like I just "get" what he was trying to say.

A Fun - If Derivative - Science Fantasy
Robert E. Howard dabbled in just about every pulp literary genre there was, from horror to dark fantasy to western to hunting stories and boxing yarns. But I've come across very little science fiction produced by Howard over the years. And then I found Almuric.

Almuric follows the story of Esau Cairn, a human who, after killing a man, is transported by a mad scientist to the mysterious planet Almuric (don't ask how). There, Cairn's natural ferocity and instinct is tested in the wilds of this desperate land before he meets the barbaric inhabitants of the planet, who adopt him into their tribe after he is initiated in a savage battle-rite. From there, Cairn explores crumbling, abominable ruins, fights a cannibalistic race of bird-men, and faces 'weird' Lovecraftian perils.

I enjoyed Almuric because it is, essentially, unadulterated Howard, dwelling on his favorite topic, the virtues of barbarism vs. the decadence of civilization. This is, basically, action, romance and adventure, and would have made a terrific movie.

However, fans of the science-fantasy genre will note that this book is, essentially, a pastiche of Edgar Rice Burrough's A Princess of Mars (Penguin Classics) (which, if you haven't read it, you must); additionally, the first chapter or so is essentially an abbreviated Tarzan of the Apes (Modern Library Classics). However, despite the great debt that Howard owes Burroughs, Almuric remains a fun, quick, exciting read that will thrill both the Howard fan as well as the devotee of sci-fi literature. Enjoy!

Simple, fun, and action-packed!
Other reviews have touched on the plot and setting, so I'll just skip to:

The Good
Almuric was the most-fun read I've had in a while.There was no epic backstory, no epic world details, no epic character development, and no epic waste of my time.Having slogged through some 300+ page novels recently (see some of my other reviews), the Planet Stories line has been a breath of fresh air.Almuric doesn't take itself too seriously, and the protagonist, while a bit over-the-top (OK, more than a little bit), was not very complex, and contributed to an excellent story that had continuous action, crazy monsters, an impossible enemy, and a little bit of heart.

The Bad
Not too much, really.The novel is what it is, so if you're looking for deep insight into the human condition - forget it.It's pure escapist fantasy.

4.25 stars! ... Read more

Product Description
 The immortal legacy of Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Cimmerian, continues with this latest compendium of Howard’s fiction and poetry. These adventures, set in medieval-era Europe and the Near East, are among the most gripping Howard ever wrote, full of pageantry, romance, and battle scenes worthy of Tolstoy himself. Most of all, they feature some of Howard’s most unusual and memorable characters, including Cormac FitzGeoffrey, a half-Irish, half-Norman man of war who follows Richard the Lion-hearted to twelfth-century Palestine—or, as it was known to the Crusaders, Outremer; Diego de Guzman, a Spaniard who visits Cairo in the guise of a Muslim on a mission of revenge; and the legendary sword woman Dark Agnès, who, faced with an arranged marriage to a brutal husband in sixteenth-century France, cuts the ceremony short with a dagger thrust and flees to forge a new identity on the battlefield.

Lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist John Watkiss and featuring miscellanea, informative essays, and a fascinating introduction by acclaimed historical author Scott Oden, Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures is a must-have for every fan of Robert E. Howard, who, in a career spanning just twelve years, won a place in the pantheon of great American writers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not Free SF Reader
A collection of Lovecraftian tales and others of that ilk.


Wolfshead : The Black Stone - Robert E. Howard
Wolfshead : The Valley of the Worm - Robert E. Howard
Wolfshead : Wolfshead - Robert E. Howard
Wolfshead : The Fire of Asshurbanipal - Robert E. Howard
Wolfshead : The House of Arabu - Robert E. Howard
Wolfshead : The Horror from the Mound - Robert E. Howard


A Cthulhoid type venture.Not somewhere you want to be.Fairly proficiently done.



3.5 out of 5


Dragonslaying, Norse reincarnation style.Not quite to the standard of his other stories, I think.



3 out of 5

Hanging around Spanish noble types is bad for your health.This time, it took a while to work out whether this gentleman Was Don Leopard, or Don Lupin.The latter was the case, and causes quite a few problems.




If you suspect a priceless gemstone with a magic-type name may be connected to cthulhoid alien monsters, well, I would suggest that trying to rob your local jewellery store bare-handed is a less hazardous activity than the acquisition of such an artifact.



3.5 out of 5


As dreams of the woman Lilitu haunt the warrior Pyrrhas, necromancy is in his future, it would seem.



3.5 out of 5


If an old priest tells you that the body in the tomb is an undead Spanish nobleman, and you happen to be a credulous cowboy, next time, believe him!



3.5 out of 5

Not Free SF Reader
A collection of Lovecraftian tales and others of that ilk.

Wolfshead : The Black Stone - Robert E. Howard
Wolfshead : The Valley of the Worm - Robert E. Howard
Wolfshead : Wolfshead - Robert E. Howard
Wolfshead : The Fire of Asshurbanipal - Robert E. Howard
Wolfshead : The House of Arabu - Robert E. Howard
Wolfshead : The Horror from the Mound - Robert E. Howard


A Cthulhoid type venture. Not somewhere you want to be. Fairly proficiently done.


3.5 out of 5


Dragonslaying, Norse reincarnation style. Not quite to the standard of his other stories, I think.

3 out of 5


Hanging around Spanish noble types is bad for your health. This time, it took a while to work out whether this gentleman Was Don Leopard, or Don Lupin. The latter was the case, and causes quite a few problems.

3.5 out of 5



If you suspect a priceless gemstone with a magic-type name may be connected to cthulhoid alien monsters, well, I would suggest that trying to rob the mafia bare-handed is a less hazardous activity than the acquisition of such an artifact.

3.5 out of 5


As dreams of the woman Lilitu haunt the warrior Pyrrhas, necromancy is in his future, it would seem.

3.5 out of 5


If an old wise guy tells you that the body in the tomb is an undead Spanish nobleman, and you happen to be a credulous cowboy, next time, believe him!

3.5 out of 5 ... Read more

Product Description
Wings in the Night collects Robert E. Howard's fiction and prose published in Weird Tales Magazine from July 1932 to May 1933. These works represent literary stepping-stones to Howard's infamous Cthulhu mythos stories and his most famous character of all - Conan the Cimmerian - and ably demonstrate that each of Howard's stories improved and added to his formidable skills as a master of fantasy and adventure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not Free SF Reader
This volume is a little different, inasmuch as it contains almost all stories about Howard's super warriors, Kane, Kull and Conan, apart from the Cairn on the Headland, which you could call a story about a reincarnated warrior of that ilk, if you like.

Weird Works 4 : Wings in the Night - Robert E. Howard
Weird Works 4 : Worms of the Earth - Robert E. Howard
Weird Works 4 : The Phoenix on the Sword - Robert E. Howard
Weird Works 4 : Scarlet Citidel - Robert E. Howard
Weird Works 4 : Cairn on the Headland - Robert E. Howard
Weird Works 4 : Tower of the Elephant - Robert E. Howard


Solomon Kane is deep in cannibal country, when he comes across even worse. Flying man-beasts that are too many for him to fight, and he is overcome.

When he wakens, he realises he is alive, even though he should not be, and is told of the akaanas, or flying-men, and realizes they may be the source of the Mediterranean harpy legend.

Kane has an advantage against them the others do not, he has firearms, and the staff of N'Longa. He sets out to deal with this menace methodically.

3.5 out of 5


One of Bran Mak Morn's subjects is being crucified while he is visiting some Roman commanders. This does not sit well with him or his aide, as he feels the punishment does not fit the crime, and the Romans are making a joke of doing what they will with the barbarians.

Bran has a plan for revenge on the Roman who gave the order, but Gonar cautions him against using mystic means. Bran ignores here, and seeks the Black Stone with the help of a were-woman. What he unleashes is a lot more than he bargained for.

4 out of 5


King Conan is bored. Politics and statecraft and maps, and all that stuff.

In a dream, a man magically enhances his sword, and that certainly comes in handy later when the odd traitor and demon relieves the tedium of the ruling class.

4 out of 5


King Conan's army of Aquilonians has been smashed by a far superior force, led by a wizard. Conan refuses to sign over his kingdom, and the wizard throws him in a dungeon.

He escapes an assassin and a monster, and rescues a wizardly rival that Tsotha had imprisoned. This wizard, please, summons a flying steed to bear Conan back to his kingdom, to take revenge.

4.5 out of 5


Another reincarnation type horror, with a Norse flavor. Nice to be given necessary supernatural artifacts via the reapparance of centuries dead ancestors, when that happens, that is for sure.

3.5 out of 5


Conan is in thieving mode here. In a tavern, he is asking the assembled crowd of nogoodniks why no-one has stolen a famous jewel from this tower.

They tell him because it is guarded by some very nasty things.

He, of course, investigates, and meets a master thief attempting the same thing.

Humans, animals, a giant spider and a wizard are to be encountered, not to mention an alien.

3.5 out of 5

REH Wings in the Night
This is the fourth volume in the Weird Works of REH series produced by Wildside Press.John Betancourt should be commended for his efforts to bring REH to new readers.
Howard wrote with an intensity that, in my opinion, is unmatched in modern literature-the worst of Howard is far better than the best of many.
This volume contains one Solomon Kane story, One Bran Mak Morn story and the first three Conan stories that saw print; while these are not the best Conan stories that Howard wrote, they are far better than any produced by his imitators (including best-selling author Robert Jordan).
The volume itself is nicely bound and has a nice dust jacket; while it is, perhaps, not of the same quality as the volumes produced by Donald Grant in the 70's and 80's, it is a giant step up from the paperback versions that have been the staple of new Howard readers for the last 30 years.
For those who have not read Howard before, I highly recommend this volume-in fact, I highly recommend the whole series.I envy those of you who are just discovering Howard-as I said before, the worst of Howard is far better than the best of many.

Should be five stars for the stories, but...
Wildside Press deserves again highest praise for this thoroughly edited series of Robert E. Howard's weird/fantastic stories. Not only for fans of Robert E. Howard this series is (and most certainly will be for a very long time) THE edition to go for.
Volume 4 of the series contains with "Wings in the Night", "Worms of the Earth" and three "Conan" tales some of Howard's most famous stories, which will probably be already known by any serious Howard fan, but are otherwise an absolute "must read" for those new to Howard's work.
In spite of my praise for this excellent series, there is one point of criticism and disappointment, which should not be left unmentioned: While Volumes 1 - 3 contained 240 pages, which made the price for each volume not exactly cheap, but at least acceptable, Volume 4's page count has been slashed down to meagre 179 pages (with the price nonetheless remaining the same). I know that small publishing houses have to make a living too and am also willing to pay a higher price for hardcover or any other beautifully styled editions. Nonetheless I am disappointed with this down sized edition, especially as Wildside Press has shown with Volumes 1 - 3 that they can give us readers more "Howard" in one book. So as a Howard fan (who will nonetheless continue to buy the hardcover editions of this series) I rate this book five stars, as a (greedy) consumer I rate it three stars.
In spite of my criticism I am looking forward to the fifth book of the "Weird Works of Robert E.Howard" series and would like to thank the staff of Wildside Press for their great efforts which they put into this edition.

This Series Gets Better and Better
This volume contains some of Howard's best stories, and all of these are excellent.Solomon Kane returns in the superb title story, along with Bran Mak Morn in the creepy "Worms of the Earth", and Conan of Cimmeria appears in his first three tales, including the classic "The Tower of the Elephant".The latter is one of the all-time best short fantasies.Sword and sorcery stories can't get much better than this. ... Read more

Product Description
Robert E. Howardwas an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. Howard wrote "over three-hundred stories and seven-hundred poems of raw power and unbridled emotion" and is especially noted for his memorable depictions of "a sombre universe of swashbuckling adventure and darkling horror- Fantasy Stories. Stories in this collection include:
. . . . . People of the Dark
. . . . .The Voice of El-Lil
. . . . .The Valley of the Worm
. . . . .Black Canaan
. . . . .Witch from Hell's Kitchen
Spicy Stories
. . . . .The Purple Heart of Erlik

[Kindle]
... Read more

Product Description
The Moon of Skulls collects Robert E. Howard's fiction and prose published in Weird Tales Magazine from October 1929 to November 1930, plus one from Oriental Stories. These works represent literary stepping-stones to Howard's infamous Cthulhu mythos stories and his most famous character of all - Conan the Cimmerian - and ably demonstrate that each of Howard's stories improved and added to his formidable skills as a master of fantasy and adventure. Continuing the collection of Howard's fiction and poetry in order of publication, Volume Two of The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard picks up where Volume One left off-at one of the most startling and controversial Howard stories of all: Skull-Face, a potent combination of gothic themes and oriental mystique. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A better buy is out there
I bought Shadow Kingdoms: The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard, Volume 1, but Cosmos Books, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Since this looked like volume 2, I bought it, but it's not quite what I had in mind. There are two series called The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard/Robert E. Howard's Weird Works. This book is number two in the series by Wildside Press, and each volume is about two hundred pages; the series by Cosmos Books (a division of Wildside Press), is a newer collection of the original series, combining more than one of the original books into each. For example, the Shadow Kingdoms (The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard) by Cosmos Books reproduces Shadow Kingdoms by Wildside Press AND half of Moon of Skulls, and it's cheaper than either of the original collections.

Since Cosmos Books decided to give some of their collections the same name as existing collections, make sure you buy the Cosmos Books collections, since they're larger AND cheaper.

More REH please!
This, the second volume in the Weird Works editions, is another fine addition to the body of Howard's works. Containing 9 stories and poems, it continues the marvelous printing of REH's work in the order of origional publication. Most have appeared elsewhere but some, such as"The Fearsome Touch of Death" have not appeared in print since its publication in Weird Tales. And the poems show that Howard was not only a master of action/adventure tales but also a very accomplished poet. As with other publications in this series, this volume should be in the library of not only the hardcore long time Howard fan (43 years for myself) but the new fan as well.Do yourself a favor...pickup these volumes.

Overlaps with Shadow Kingdoms
I am a big fan of Howard and this book has some fine stories.One thing that is a little strange is that the stories in this book overlap somewhat with "Shadow Kingdoms (The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard)"Shadow Kingdom's was not listed as a Volume 1, but I sort of assumed that it was coordinated with these books (vol 2, 3, etc.). because of the "Weird works" tag in both.Looks like a different publisher - just thought I would point out a quirk if you were planning to buy more than one of these books.

Just a general note that these stories were written in the 1920s - some of the depictions of certain non-white racial groups might be offensive to some people.

Not Free SF Reader
Some longer stories, and some Solomon Kane.

Weird Works 2 : Skull-Face - Robert E. Howard
Weird Works 2 : The Fearsome Touch of Death - Robert E. Howard
Weird Works 2 : The Moon of Skulls - Robert E. Howard
Weird Works 2 : The Hills of the Dead - Robert E. Howard
Weird Works 2 : The Voice of El-Lil - Robert E. Howard


Chinese master villains, Egyptian sorcerers, Atlantean myths, Afghan killers, voodoo, magic elixirs, no wonder Steve Costigan is bewildered. Holey crapadoley.

3.5 out of 5


Dead dude's digits dancing.

3 out of 5


After winning a duel, Kane hears the loser confess to selling a girl into slavery. He sets out to track her down. The problem is that she is a prisoner of Nakari, the vampire queen of Negari, and due to be sacrified on the Black Altar in the Tower of Death because she is one of those useful pesky virgins.

4 out of 5


This involves Kane's relationship with N'Longa, and how he came to possess his staff. Also, Kane, Zunna and N'Longa are involved in some vampire hunting and slaying.

3.5 out of 5


Heroic girl saves blokes from savage lost Sumerian bunch and their scary sound ritual.

3 out of 5

poor delivery condition, printing irregularities
I read alot of period fiction Robert Howard being among my favourites. I was waiting some small time for this second volume in the series.

I could've saved my money! 1. The two copies I ordered (in hardcover) were in awfull shape and 2. One of the two copies had an additional signature of blank paper half way through the book. A very amateurish package for a series giving it self such great airs as this one is. I'll be sticking to purchasing the electronic PDF versions from now on (not that these do not have there own short comings) but at least it isn't a mangled ill printed
hardcover which wasn't cheap either! ... Read more

Product Description
The fifth collection of Robert E. Howard's fantasy work from the legendary pulp magazine Weird Tales (and several of its rivals) features another lineup filled with classic fiction and poetry from Howard's greatest writing years. Included in this volume are four stories with Howard's most famous character, Conan ("Black Colossus," "The Slithering Shadow," "The Pool of the Black One," and "Rogues in the House"), as well as several historical and contemporary fantasies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader
The fifth Weird Works volume has a good chunk of Conan, plus another couple of horror stories, as well as a little poetry.Definitely some strong work here (3.72), although I have never liked the title story too much.

Valley Of the Worm : BLACK COLOSSUS - Robert E. Howard
Valley Of the Worm : THE MAN ON THE GROUND - Robert E. Howard
Valley Of the Worm : THE SLITHERING SHADOW - Robert E. Howard
Valley Of the Worm : THE POOL OF THE BLACK ONE - Robert E. Howard
Valley Of the Worm : OLD GARFIELD'S HEART - Robert E. Howard
Valley Of the Worm : ROGUES IN THE HOUSE - Robert E. Howard
Valley Of the Worm : THE VALLEY OF THE WORM - Robert E. Howard
Valley Of the Worm : GODS OF THE NORTH - Robert E. Howard
Valley Of the Worm : SHADOWS IN THE MOONLIGHT - Robert E. Howard

Princess Yasmeela is visited by the sorceror Natokh, in an unearthly appartion. Terrified, she consults the oracle of Mitra, who tells her to make the first man she sees head of her armies.
It is her good fortune that this man is Conan. Her understands her political and military problems, and leads her army in war against the forces of Natokh, who has a resurrected monster up his sleeve.
Carnage ensues.

4 out of 5


A Texas feud gets ghostly.

3.5 out of 5


Conan and the woman with him find a strange city in the desert, after attacks and problems, they finally come across two weird inhabitants, a man and a woman :
'..I am Thalis the Stygian,' she replied. 'Are you mad, to come here?'
'I've been thinking I must be,' he growled. 'By Crom, if I am sane, I'm out of place here, because these people are all maniacs.'
The strange, deadly black shadows don't care who they take, though, and Conan and Natala must face those, and weird dream warriors, before the end.

4 out of 5


Conan has escaped an island where he was in trouble, and swum out to a nearby ship, boosting himself over the side and inviting himself onto the crew.
He plots to take over leadership, but when he follows the pirate leader ashore later, he gets more than he bargained for with a lot of black followers and something nasty in the Pool.
He rallies and rescues what is left of the pirate crew, and has himself a ship, and a woman.

4 out of 5


Giving the Ghost Man back his loaner.

3.5 out of 5


Conan is yet again in trouble because of drinking and wenching. A crime has gone wrong, and a woman he was with has betrayed him to the authorities.
He is offered a way out, if he will kill a man. This man is Nabonidus, The Red Priest.
The only problems involve breaking in, a huge hulking ape-man servant, and then The Red Priest himself and his powers.

3.5 out of 5


Dragonslaying, Norse reincarnation style. Not quite to the standard of his other stories, I think.

3 out of 5


Conan meets a very pale woman after fighting a battle in the frozen north. She is haughty, and arrogant, and summons a couple of her brothers to fight Conan. Giant men they might be, but the Cimmerian grabs them, and then grabs the girl.

She calls to her father Ymir, and disappears. Conan wakes up - was it all a dream?

4 out of 5


Conan comes across an Hyrkanian battle leader who has slaughtered the mercenaries he was with. He slays him and allows a girl the dead man had captured to come with him.

Attempting escape they come across pirates, a man ape, and spooky statues at night.

4 out of 5





4.5 out of 5 ... Read more

Product Description
Meticulously restored text by renowned Howard scholar Paul Herman, this is the eighth installment in a ten book definitive chronological collection of Robert E. Howard's stories that appeared in pulp magazines like the revered Weird Tales. Robert E. Howard is considered the Godfather of Sword and Sorcery, and the creator of the international icon, Conan the Cimmerian. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The very origin of "sword & sorcery"
This is a delightful sword & sorcery novel by Robert E. Howard, the creator of the genre. He wrote it in attempt to break out "the pulps" (i.e., Weird Tales) and publish his first book thanks to a British publisher. With his luck, the publisher went busted before publishing the book, but we are left with the only full-blown novel featuring Conan, his timeless creation. The book repeats some of the ideas and plots of earlier tales, but the result is a greatly satisfying fantasy tale. Howard's story-telling is very fast pace and engaging. The novel narrates Conan's desperate struggle to defeat Xaltotun, the great evil wizard from Acheron. The tale is full of surprises and it takes the reader on a magnificent journey through most of the Hyborean world. The author had matured quite a bit by this point in his short life, which allowed him to skillfully combine furious combat with far subtler and unnerving scenes. While his work is not flawless, "The Hour of the Dragon" is a great achievement that sits at the very origin of the fantasy genre. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Contains 24 stories, many of which are rarely seen action, western, and boxing tales featuring characters such as Breck Elkin. "Blow the Chinks Down!" and "Dark Shanghai" are being presented here in English for the first time since their original pulp appearances. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

a different side to REH
I loved this book I enjoyed Howard's sword and sorcery novels years ago and hoped to enjoy these stories of Steve Corrigan and Breckinridge Elkins.They are great!

Perfect Blend
The stories in this collection are a perfect blend of slapstick humor and smashmouth action. The next movie about a Howard character should either be about Sailor Steve Costigan or Breck Elkins.

Old school action
Robert E. Howard's characters explode from the page with flashing blades and cracking fists. This extensive collection is a great way to meet the more modern, non-fantasy characters by the man who made Conan.This is the way action was meant to be.You can smell the sweat and taste the sand and blood in your teeth.

Haven't seen it yet, but here are the contents
Contents include:

The TNT Punch / The Sign of the Snake / Blow the Chinks Down! / Breed of Battle / Dark Shanghai / Mountain Man / Guns of the Mountains / The Scalp Hunter / A Gent from Bear Creek / The Road to Bear Creek / The Haunted Mountain / War on Bear Creek / The Feud Buster / Cupid from Bear Creek / The Riot at Cougar Paw / The Apache Mountain War / Pilgrims to the Pecos / Pistol Politics / Evil Deeds at Red Cougar / High Horse Rampage / "No Cowherders Wanted" / The Conquerin' Hero of the Humbolts / Sharp's Gun Serenade ... Read more

Product Description
This is the definitive critical anthology on the writings of Texan Robert Howard, the originator of Sword & Sorcery fantasy and also of Conan The Barbarian. The essays survey Howard's work in fantasy, westerns, poetry and supernatural horror tales. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

ROBERT E. HOWARD = THE BEST OF THE BEST!
This is a must have book! There are some 20 or so pictures of REH, Cross Plains, the Howard home, pulp magazines, a school paper of his called A Boy, A Beehive, and A Chinaman in which he received an A-, and more. I liked seeing the books REH had in his library.

On back cover, "Despite the fact that this volume is actually the work of a number of writers, they all have one thing in common; they take Howard's work seriously. If you have a serious interest in REH's work and in Conan as Howard conceived him, then this book is not only a desierable addition to your library, but a necessary one.-The Savage Sword of Conan"

After this 1984 book get it's sequel The Barbaric Truimph by Don Herron 2004, and Two-Gun Bob 2006 A Centenial Study of REH.All three books are superb!

Other must reads; One Who Walked Alone by Novalyne Ellis who was REH's girlfriend, Blood & Thunder, The Life & Art of REH-Mark Finn, The Last of The Trunk-Paul Herman, Selected Letters of REH-Paul Herman, The Beast from the Abyss about cats, The Black Stranger and Other American Tales which has the scariest story of all time - Pigeons From Hell, Kull, Solomon Kane, All Conans, Lord of Samarcand, Bran Mak Morn, Steve Costigan, Cormac Mac Art, The Best of REH I & II, etc. Dark Horse comics is doing a terrific series on Conan with some of the best writers and artists and in the back of the book is the Adventures of Two-Gun Bob and they're doing a Pigeons From Hell, too!

Thank you to Don Herron, Glen Lord & everyone who contributed to this book, Paul Herman, Mark Finn, Dark Horse comics, and everyone else who has kept REH's legacy alive. Check out the REH Foundation and Forum!

A Critical Appraisal of Robert E. Howard
In the past, Robert E. Howard was derided by critics as being just another cheap hack writer.However, as this book demonstrates, Howard was actually a very good writer whose works were mainly limited to pulp magazines since the "respectable" magazines would not even consider stories with barbarians like Conan or Kull as the hero.

This book is a must read for all Howard fans as well as fans of fantasy fiction.

For the Serious, Critical Howard Fan
If you are looking for the typical book reprinting the works of Robert E. Howard (REH), this is not for you. But if you are a student of his work, if you are truly interested in what others have to say about his writings, this is a must have.

Howard is lucky enough that occasionally his admirers turn a critical eye toward his work, and often such serious reviews and studies of his work leave you wondering, "what if he had not killed himself?" This is just such a work, one that leads you to see REH as far more than just the man who created Conan.

This book is the work of a number of writers, who all have one thing in common: a very serious interest in Howard's work.It isthe definitive critical anthology on the writings of REH. The essays, by such individuals as fantasy writer Fritz Leiber, the poets Donald Sidney-Fryer and Steve Eng, the Howard bibliographer Glenn Lord,Dennis Rickard, George Knight, and Ben Indick, critically survey REH's fantasy, westerns, poetry, and supernatural horror tales.The book includes an annotated bibliography of Howard's books as well as an appendix listing all the volumes known to have been in Howard's personal library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

WEIRD MENACE...NOT FOR EVERYONE BUT GOOD
Howard delved into all sorts of genre as he tried to eke out a living...we all know Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, etc...but one of the genres he also delved into was weird menace stories...

These were quite popular in the day, particularly in the 30's pulp era of Weird Tales and others...Skull Face is one of those weird Menace stories, influenced somewhat by Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.

Steve Costigan, not Sailor Steve of Howards fighting sailor series, comes under the influence of a mysterious being in the Orient, circa the 1920's.The being uses opium to control people and do his bidding.

The Being, one Kathulos (cthulhu?) is supposed to be a sorcerer who was found in a tomb and is a survivor of ancient Atlantis.

A little outlandish but kind of a fun adventure story.The book contains a couple of short sequels to the main story. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (11)

Great historically fiction
Do not overlook this collection. Unlike the Conan or Kull stories there are no fantasy elements in these stories. The settings are very historically accurate. Most of the main characters have some deep flaw or weakness from pride, to anger, to alcoholism, to lack of faith in anything. They war in torn and broken lands but somehow REH allows a glimmer of greatness /hope/ good luck to touch them or their world. Alot of times that is not the case. Worth the time to read just for the entries "The Lion of Tiberias", and "the Sowers of Thunder". "The Road of Azrael" stands with "Beyond the Black River" and "By This Ax I Rule" as REH at his best. Yes, there are some weaker inclusions aka "The Road of the Eagles" and "Gates of Empire". Also unlike the Del Rey editions there is NO ART WORK. All REH and historical fiction fans need to read this collection.

Historical Fiction From Conan's Creator
As a kid I read the majority of Robert E Howard's Conan stories, and though I've moved on to more "literary" interests I've retained a soft spot for the ol' mother-loving, self-killing pulp writer.A lifelong lover of history, I recently got the urge to check out some of REH's rarer historical fiction, which has conveniently been placed together in this definitive volume, Lord of Samarcand.

This book compiles all of Howard's "Oriental Magazine" tales and all those which take place in the Crusades-era Middle East (with an occasional foray into the West).Howard obviously had a great interest in this era of history; his research is spot-on, as is the armor and weaponry he provides his characters.The only problem is that Howard was writing for the pulp fiction market, so these stories come off as repetitive and one-note, especially when read one after another.Each tale features some stoic and deadly knight who defends one or another besieged castle or city against invading Muslims - and the problem is, each stoic and deadly knight is so perfect as to be boring after a while.The cumulative effect is, despite the number of eviscerations, guttings, beheadings, maulings, mutilations, and suppurations, the whole gory diorama eventually glazes over the reader's eye.And of course there isn't even the barest hint of sex.

Here are the stories which stood out for me:

Blades of Black Cathay: Norman Crusader Goddfrey travels far, far east at the behest of his lord, seeking out the mythical kingdom of Prester John.Goddfrey instead ends up in "Black Cathay," right alongside the border of China, where he defends the city against Genghis Khan.Truly written by a white Texan: Godfried is the only one who can unite the "lazy" and "cowardly" people of Cathay against Khan (who, by the way, is so impressed that he ends up offering Goddfrey a slice of his kingdom!).Plus, Goddfrey gets the princess of Cathay, a virginal jaw-dropper who of course falls in love with this blood-soaked and battle-lusting heathen from the barbaric north.

Hawks of Outremer: In post-Third Crusades Outremer, a "Norman-Gael" knight named Cormac FitzGeoffery plans vengeance against those who murdered his comrade in arms.Where to start with this one?I love it to death, though likely not for the reasons REH would've desired.Describing Cormac in a letter excerpted in this book's introduction, REH writes: "I've never created a more somber character."Well, "somber" would be one way to describe Cormac.Another way would be "pompous blowhard."For Cormac is a jerk of jerks, slashing through the constraints of his one-dimensional world of print to slap the reader with his tedious self-importance.The story achieves the quality of a Saturday Night Live skit as Cormac buzz-kills conversations with irrelevant boasts like "At twelve I was running wild with shock-head kerns on the naked fens - I wore wolfskins, weighed near fourteen stone, and had killed three men."And "Hate and the glutting of vengeance!" (Which I now use to end phone calls rather than the old-fashioned "goodbye.")In the course of the story Cormac nearly cripples a gatekeeper (who's an old friend, no less!), boasts that "bloodshed follows my trail" while casually displaying the Viking sword which he took from his brother's murderer, kills via lance-turned-javelin an unarmed baron who refuses to fight him, saves a man nearly hanged to death and then proceeds to berate him, murders three (sleeping!) guards, and generally sows dissent wherever he goes, bragging about his courage every step of the way ("I will follow by another route - aye, by a road none but I can ride!").The whole thing comes off like a Don Quixote-esque parody of the heroic adventure genre, with Cormac a razor-sharp spoof of the de rigueur "grim and gritty" warriors who populate such tales.Only REH was no doubt dead serious about the whole thing.In a way, that makes it even funnier, though Howard does tip his hat by giving Cormac a bit of an ego-bruising comeuppance in the end, when he realizes that his Muslim enemies aren't all cruel savages.

The Blood of Belshazzar: Another Cormac FitzGeoffery story, though not nearly as enjoyable as the previous one.This is more of a sword-and-sorcery plot mixed with a mystery, as Cormac must figure out who murdered the Genghis Khan-like sultan who serves as his current liege.The tale comes off like a prototype of Conan, with talk of demons and ancient gods and a blood-red jewel which demands the blood of innocents to retain its unearthly glow.Cormac here is a shadow of his former self, with hardly any of the pompous blowhardry he displayed so magnificently in "Hawks of Outremer."Probably because he's outdone in the bragging department by Skol Abdhur, the aforementioned Genghis Khan stand-in.

Sowers of the Thunder: This one takes place about fifty years after the previous tale, though Cormac FitzGeoffery gets a mention.Here we follow exiled Norman king Red Cahil as he arrives in besieged Outremer and gets involved in the last gasp of the failing kingdom's defense.The story takes a while to get going - first Cahil meets a loutish Arab who engages him in a drinking bout, then Cahil joins up with an old comrade who talks him into raiding a hidden Moslem treasure cache.REH jumps over this bit, though - we next meet Cahil after his raiding party's been decimated by Huns.Cahil rushes from one besieged Christian fortress to the next, proclaiming the oncoming Hun onslaught, and eventually takes a final stand against them in Acre.This story gets much favorable mention among REH scholars, but it left me a little cold.

Shadow of the Vulture: A change of scenery: Vienna in the 1500s as it is besieged by Suleiman the Magnificent.This story is notable because it introduces Red Sonja, but REH depicts her differently than she's now known: rather than the barely-clad gladiatrix who battles beside Conan, Howard's Sonja is a gun-toting warrior from 16th Century Poland.She has the same red hair and the same fiery temper, but otherwise she's nothing like we now think of the character.Howard himself considered the lead character his most important creation yet, of course not realizing the future fate of Sonja.Gottfried Von Kalmbach is the star of the piece; in a letter reproduced in the introduction, REH enthuses about how "different' Kalmbach is from his previous characters - a loutish drunk who's more interested in lazing about than in fighting.Yet Kalmbach turns out to be EXACTLY like all other REH characters: a tough-as-nails stoic who is feared by his enemies, respected by his comrades, and lusted after by women.Howard's description had me hoping for a Tyrone Slothrop-esque character plunged into a grim Howardian world, but alas it didn't happen.

The problem with the stories in this collection is the same as that of all REH's other heroic fiction: the characters are too perfect.I realize this is a requisite of the genre, but it becomes deadening after back-to-back stories.REH could've ascended out of pulp fiction purgatory if he'd only applied a little self or genre-parody, but these tales are all told with a dead-eyed calm. My discovery is that REH is best taken in small doses; maybe read one of these a week or so, maybe even once a month (to fully achieve the "pulp" feel).And it's important to note than Howard's Conan tales are better-known for a reason; they are all stronger than those in this collection, and despite Conan's similar perfection, he at least had a black humor which made him somewhat human.

More great works from Howard
Having read many of Howard's fantasy works (Conan the Barbarian, Kull the Conquerer, Solomon Kane), it's nice to read more hack n' slash works from him but with an actual historical backdrop.

ROBERT E. HOWARD = THE BEST OF THE BEST!
This is a must read and great to add to any book collection. I thoroughly enjoyed it! REH was a genius! Anytime I can find a REH story it's a great day! Lord of Samarcand - Gottfried von Kalmbach in The Shadow of the Vulture. REH wrote: "A more dissolute vagabond than Gottfried never weaved his drunken way across the pages of a popular magazine: wastrel, drunkard, gambler, whore-monger, renegade, mercenary, plunderer, thief, rogue, rascal-I never created a character whose creation I enjoyed more. They may not seem real to the readers; but Gottfried and his mistress Red Sonya seem more real to me than any other chracter I've ever drawn."Collected in this book is the entirety of Howard's historical Oriental fiction-including some fragments. These tales are probably among the most somber ever written by REH; among his best, too. Prepare to embark on a journey unlike any other in the field of historical fiction. The place is Outremer, the time the early thirteenth centery...Must Reads of REH (1906-1936): Blood and Thunder, The Life & Art of REH by Mark Finn, Two Gun Bob, One Who Walked Alone by Novalyne Ellis REH's girlfried, The Last of the Trunk-Paul Herman, Crimson Shadows-The Best of REH I & II, Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, Cormac Mac Art, The Black Stranger and Other American Tales has the scariest story ever called Pigeons From Hell, Bran Mak Morn, all of the Weird Tales issues, etc. Get them all.If you can't locate them at your local bookstore try used bookstores and/or the internet. A special thanks to Glen Lord, Mark Finn, Paul Herman, Dark Horse, and everyone else that kept REH's legacy alive and well. Check out the REH Foundation and Forum!

"The battle in the meadowlands of the Euphrates was over, but not the slaughter...."
Robert E. Howard is well known among readers of action/adventure as the creator of Conan of Cimmeria, the Puritan killer Solomon Kane, and Kull of Atlantis.

He is less known for his forays into historical fiction, but these bleak, savage (and action-packed) stories of the Crusades and the Mongols are phenomenal, and should be read by anyone who appreciates Howards immense descriptive skill.

A few examples, if I may:

"The Lion Of Tiberias"

The year 1124: One of the few survivors of a battle against the Caliph of Baghdad, Crusader John Norwald was enslaved in the galleys by "Zenghi esh Shami, Imad ed din, governor of Wasit and warden of Basorah, whom men called the Lion of Tiberias", after seeing Zenghi mercilessly murder a young boy... "the only person who had ever shown Norwald kindness"...If it took a lifetime, John Norwald would have his revenge.


"Sowers Of The Thunder"

A historically detailed and exciting tale of the real life conqueror Baibars, Sultan of Egypt and Syria, the fictional Red Cahal who opposes him, and the actual slaughter by Tartars of Moslem and Christian alike in the sack of Jerusalem in 1243.

"Shadow of The Vulture"

The story of Suleiman the Great and his attack on the City of Vienna in 1529, (and the lengthy siege that followed). Howard, as is his wont, works in some excellent fictional characters: Red Sonya, in her first appearance in print, and the drunken (yet ferocious and formidable) Gottfried von Kalmbach (whose head Suleiman wants on a platter).

These stories, as well as the many others (including the title story, a brutal yet excellent tale of Timour The Lame, (and fictional Donald , a Frank who rises to fame as his chief killer) make this book well worth owning for any fan of Robert E. Howard, or those who appreciate historical fiction in the tradition of Harold Lamb (but a little more graphically violent, as we expect from R.E.H.).

I also recommend the desert tales of another Howard slayer, Kirby O'Donnell, an American adventurer in the guise of a Kurdish outlaw, "Swords of Shahrazar".
Swords of Shahrazar

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Ultra Deluxe Edition - Product Description by Publisher
The Ultimate Triumph brings together classic American author Robert E. Howard, universally acknowledged master of the adventure tale, with Frank Frazetta, the master of fantasy art. The reuniting of these two giants has produced an exciting masterpiece incomparable to anything previously published. Just imagine a perfect match... Frazetta's fierce art equalling Howard's powerful storytelling.

Collected in this volume are seven stories and five poems which represent some of the best of Howard's work featuring barbarians. Also included is a forward by Frank Frazetta; an essay from the noted French scholar, Patrice Louinet; a section with excepts from Howard's letters to H.P. Lovecraft in which he discusses "barbarism vs. civilization;" and... a complete set of textual notes, creating a record of any deviations from the meticulously restored and unexpurgated text. Click here for Contents

The book includes unpublished text by Howard and never before published art and illustrations by Frazetta, in three different lavish hardback editions:

* A Classic Edition - featuring over 120 black and white illustrations.

* A Collector's Edition - featuring all black and white illustrations found in the Classic edition, plus four previously unpublished color water-color plates, gilt-edged paper, a golden foil stamped cover, durable stitch binding, an embossed slipcase cover, and a numbered book mark. Each book is individually numbered and limited to one thousand five hundred copies.


* An Ultra Deluxe Edition - This ultra deluxe edition is complete with all the features of the Collector's Edition, plus one additional unpublished color plate, and a beautiful fine leather binding with matching slipcase. Each book is individually numbered, and only one hundred copies will be printed.


Contents



Fiction:

Beyond the Black River - The original classic Conan.

The House of Arabu - According to Howard authority Glenn Lord, the first published version of the story, from which all subsequent publications derived, was likely have been "reworked" by Howard's agent, Oscar Friend. BUT - we have an earlier draft of the story from Howard's own typescript. The Ultimate Triumph will feature Pyrrhas the Argive entirely in Howard's own words, for the first time.

Spears of Clontarf - Celtic and Viking warriors: it doesn't get any more Howardian than that! This is Howard's rarely reprinted, original (historical, rather than fantasy) version of the story he later revised as "The Grey God Passes."

The Night of the Wolf - Picts against Viking warriors, with an Irish reaver thrown in for good measure.

Spear and Fang - Cro-Magnon man versus Neanderthal: how much more barbaric can you get? This story was Howard's first professional sale.

The Valley of the Worm - Howard's mythic storytelling at his best.

Lord of Samarcand - The warring Mongols were barbarians, too! But Donald MacDeesa was more so.


Poetry:

An Echo from the Iron Harp - A recently discovered final version of the poem. Differing slightly from its previously published form, this version will appear here for the first time.

A Word from the Outer Dark

The Song of the Last Briton

Viking's Trail

A Song of the Naked Lands - very hard to find poem, rarely reprinted


... Read more

Product Description
The sixth volume of the Weird Works of Robert E. Howard continues reprinting Howard's fantasy from Weird Tales and Strange Tales in order of original publication. All texts have been meticulously restored to their original pulp appearances. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Howard at his weakest
R E Howard is one of my personal favorite authors, and I enjoy much of his work in the western genre. That said, I just couldn't get into his Breckenridge Elkins and other humorous westerns. By far Howard is at his best in his dark work, and that shows in the stories contained in this book. The situations Elkins and others find themselves in are intended to be hilarious but strike me more as ludicrous. Their redundancy doesn't help matters. The strongest quality of these stories is Howard's powerful writing, but that can't overcome their deficiencies--for me anyway. To anyone wanting to read Howard's work, I recommend looking for the other collections in this Bison Books series or the volumes in Del Rey's ongoing reprints of Howard's work as close to his intended vision as possible. This is a volume for the Howard completist only, and even then I'd have a hard time recommending it.

The Riot at Bucksnort and Other Western Tales
I think this collection of REH westerns is some of his best work.The hero of most of the stories,Breckinridge Elkins,is,to quote Howard, "of the Pecos Bill style". The stories go beyond comedy, into slapstick tall tales. Elkins absorbs more lead,cuts, and bashing in one brawl than ten ordinary men,usually before he leaves home.His horse Cap'n Kidd is the only thing on two or four legs thats a match for him and the story "Meet Cap'n Kidd",is one of the best in the book.The character in the next three stories, Pike Bearfield is not quite as outrageous as Elkins,and the stories a bit more realistic,but Howards use of dialect and humor is still very entertaining.The story "The Riot at Bucksnort" is written as a series of newspaper articles, letters and telegrams,and is indeed a riot.In the last three stories,Buckner J. Grimes,is yet more realistic and the stories not as funny,in fact "A Man Eating Jeapord" is a good straight foward western with some humor thrown in. If you like Howard, humor, westerns, or just good entertainment I think you will enjoy this.

Western Insanity, Howard Style
Robert E Howard's Western heroes create hilarious chaos wherever they go, from devastation at a crooked Election Day to the insanity produced by a young giant of a man going into a civilized town for the first time in his life. And darned near leveling the whole community. By accident.

Each & every story reads like the Saturday Night Live crew playing the Man With No Name.

Fine Westerns, don't get me wrong. But lots of laughs, too.

Robert E Howard is most famous for his "Conan The Barbarian" creation.

But this collection of Western tales proves his talent wasn't limited to that. ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook contains nine Solomon Kane stories by Robert E. Howard, the creator of the sword-and-sorcery hero 'Conan.'Solomon Kane is a 16th century Puritan who wanders the Earth fighting evil wherever he finds it.Originally published in pulps like 'Weird Tales,' the Solomon Kane stories emulate the action found in Howard's better-known Conan tales.

This ebook is DRM free and includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.


Contents:

Solomon Kane
Skulls in the Stars
The Moon of Skulls
Wings in the Night
Rattle of Bones
Hawk of Basti
The Children of Asshur
The Footfalls Within
The Hills of the Dead

... Read more

Product Description
From Mercenary to Monarch. This collection of classic Conan tales from the pen of the immortal Robert E. Howard follow the second half of the barbarian swordsman's career. Included are "Beyond the Black River," "The Jewels of Gwahlur." and the climactic Conan novel, Hour of the Dragon, detailing his fight against blackest magic and betrayal to hold on to the kingdom he has conquered. Here is the pure quill barbarian as Howard created him, and not the watered down character of the comic books and de Camp paperbacks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

From a true fan of Robert Howard's work...
Having recently read the first omnibus, I was excited to start the second. Imagine my disappointment when I found that all but the last story in the second Omnibus was a repeat from the first one! So, do not waste your money on this one. Also, I noticed an unusually high amount of spelling errors, even in characters names, which was very distracting.

Regards,
KZ

If you bought the first omnibus, don't waste your money on this one.
The first conan omnibus contains all of the stories in the second omnibus except "The Hour of the Dragon" . I find it ironic that the second omnibus costs almost five times as much as the first and is essentially worthless. Save your money unless you absolutely need the additional story. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Robert E Howard's Western short stories
Robert E. Howard is widely considered to be the father of "heroic fantasy", often given credit for having gotten the first such story ever published with his first "Kull the Conquerer" story. But he really truly loved writing westerns. He sold as many of them to the pulp magazines of his day as he could and this book exemplifies his superb style in this genre. I highly recommend it.

Great western stories
We all know Howard was a mastrer of fantasy, but here we can see he is equally brilliant with western stories. In this book we find great adventure and passion.
There is no humor in these stories, but action and drama go to the highest peaks.
The best story here is Vultures of Wahpelton, just a manual of how these type of stories should be written.
In little words, you can't miss this book.

Great Westerns
I'm not a big fan of the Western genre...just not something I ever got into.

however, I am a fan of the author, as he created my favorite character: Conan the Barbarian.So, I purchased this collection of short stories and loved them!!!

The men are based on stories that old timers who lived through the era told Mr. Howard back in his childhood through the 1930s, when he was a professional author.

The raw, rude writing style coupled with the action, gives these short stories memorable punch.

The End Of The Trail
After reading dozens of R.Howard stories,from Kull to Breckinridge Elkins I was looking foward to this collection of dramatic westerns.For some reason they just didnt hold my interest.Unlike most of his other stories these seemed very dated.I realize they are seventy years old,but Howard's other writing seems to me to be as fresh as if it was written last week.There are a couple of good stories, "Law Shooters of Cowtown" and "Vultures of Wahpeton",but mostly its like the difference between watching a western like "Shane", and then watching "Hopalong Cassidy".I did like the three "spooky" westerns and I thought a poem "The Sandhills Crest", was excellent.If you are a Howard fan,like me, you might like this just to get a taste of his western work, but if your looking for exciting western action I would probably look elsewhere.

some great Westerns from a thrilling writer
In this collection, many of Robert Howard's best westerns are presented for those who enjoy this great authors work. While in the same series is another collection of humorous westerns, those are, because of their lack of Howard's usually downbeat vision, inferior to these. The Vultures of Whapeton--the longest of the stories--is easily the finest, featuring intensely described gunfights, paranoia, and carefully interwoven, downbeat moral themes. Also, the ending is very powerful (though a somewhat lesser happy ending is also included). There are any number of other fine stories though, including crossovers such as The Man on the Ground, which effortlessly injects a sense of wonder and awe into what would otherwise be a traditional western revenge story. As with most of Howard's prodigious body of work, the writing is grim and crisply paced, making it not only quick but enjoyable. My sincerest hope is that some talented young director will read these stories and choose to adapt one into a worthwhile movie. Overall, this is one of the finest collections of Howard's work and is thoroughly recommended. ... Read more