Product Description
“Howard’s writing seems so highly charged with energy that it nearly gives off sparks.”
–Stephen King

“Robert E. Howard had a gritty, vibrant style–broadsword writing that cut its way to the heart, with heroes who are truly larger than life.”
–David Gemmell

In a meteoric career that spanned a mere twelve years, Robert E. Howard single-handedly invented the genre that came to be called sword and sorcery. From his fertile imagination sprang some of fiction’s most enduring heroes. Yet while Conan is indisputably Howard’s greatest creation, it was in his earlier sequence of tales featuring Kull, a fearless warrior with the brooding intellect of a philosopher, that Howard began to develop the distinctive themes, and the richly evocative blend of history and mythology, that would distinguish his later tales of the Hyborian Age.

Much more than simply the prototype for Conan, Kull is a fascinating character in his own right: an exile from fabled Atlantis who wins the crown of Valusia, only to find it as much a burden as a prize.

This groundbreaking collection, lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist Justin Sweet, gathers together all Howard’s stories featuring Kull, from Kull’s first published appearance, in “The Shadow Kingdom,” to “Kings of the Night,” Howard’s last tale featuring the cerebral swordsman. The stories are presented just as Howard wrote them, with all subsequent editorial emendations removed. Also included are previously unpublished stories, drafts, and fragments, plus extensive notes on the texts, an introduction by Howard authority Steve Tompkins, and an essay by noted editor Patrice Louinet.

“Howard was a true storyteller–one of the first, and certainly among the best, you’ll find in heroic fantasy. If you’ve never read him before, you’re in for a real treat.”
–Charles de Lint

“For stark, living fear . . . what other writer is even in the running with Robert E. Howard?”
–H. P. LovecraftAmazon.com Review
As some cover blurbs so rightly state, "Before Conan--there was Kull!" Thewarrior Kull was yet another popular creation of pulp writer Robert E.Howard (1906-1936), generally credited as the originator of the subgenreheroic fantasy. Yet Kull should not be dismissed as second-rate Conan.(Although Howard did transform a few unsold Kull adventures into those ofConan the Cimmerian when the later series took off with the public.) Set inancient, lost Atlantis, the Kull stories take place mostly after thebarbarian has already come to power as King Kull of Valusia. What makesthese scant dozen stories most memorable is Howard's heightened style ofmystical decadence, similar here to his Weird Tales contemporary, ClarkAshton Smith. Rest assured there's enough gruesome bloodlettingand wanton savagery to satisfy the most ardent Howard reader. (Variant editions of this collection have been published over theyears, with the uncompleted stories finished posthumously by Lin Carter. Othereditions have simply presented the few story fragments as untouched--andunadulterated--Robert E. Howard.) --Stanley Wiater ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Story fragments and overpriced.
The publishers give a lot of unfinished stories from a conan variant ,and want to charge us an arm and a leg for a book that needs to be neithor printed or shipped,not a good buy.

Kull..King and Exile
It may come as a surprise to many readers of the Conan stories that Robert E. Howard (1906-36) left behind a considerable body of additional works. Seeking out books or stories by Howard has always been a difficult, if not impossible undertaking. Except for Conan most of Howard's other fiction is either long out of print or had never been published except for the original magazine appearance in the 1930's. Even the Conan stories are an editorial mess. My Lancer paperback Conan editions from the 1960's were "co-authored" by Lin Carter and de Camp. How that was accomplished 30 years after Howard's very early demise is very questionable. Therefore I was very pleased to see that Del Rey/Ballantine was issuing a series of books by Howard. The publisher must be commended for an extremely well designed set of books and way more importantly for the editorial research. Archives and manuscripts were checked to reconcile the texts. Each book in the series is fully illustrated with new artwork. The trade size paperbacks are sturdy and handsome and a welcomed addition to the interested readers library.

Kull - Exile of Atlantis is another volume in the excellent Del Rey/Ballantine Robert E. Howard series.
I found the 11-page introduction essay somewhat disappointing. The tone was very academic and seemed to me that the author assumed we were already well verse in Howard's body of works.
A very helpful page just prior to the contents listing details when the stories were first published. Included are several story drafts and story fragments - talk about being complete!
I had never read Kull stories before and, not surprising, kept thinking I was reading a Conan story. Nonetheless Howard was a natural storyteller and tall tale weaver. He shows a knack for economical descriptions of action scenes that provide the reader with a real POV feeling. Kull is not very introspective. As a king he seems bored with the protocol of the court and yearns for, well, the battlefield.
A considerable plus in this book are the numerous illustrations. Almost every other page has a panel. Artist Justin Sweet captures the narrative events with great gusto.

More than a precursor of Conan
Kull, the Atlantean exile that became King of Valusia, is far more than simply a precursor of Conan, though some of the parallels are striking. The physical descriptions of the two are similar, though Kull's grey eyes were replaced by Conan's blue eyes. But the Kull stories stand very well on their own. This volume, including all of the published Kull stories as well as several unpublished ones (including drafts and fragments), belongs in every Howard admirer's library. H.P. Lovecraft was a friend (via mail correspondence, not in person) of Howard's, and expressed great admiration for the Kull stories in a letter to Howard - though by the time he did, Howard's Kull muse had deserted him. He was on to Conan at that time.

The illustrations by Gary Gianni are excellent, and add considerably to the overall enjoyment level of this book. One wishes that all of Del Rey's Conan volumes were illustrated by Gianni as well.

Before Conan there was Kull
Howard's first barbarian hero.From Atlantis he --like Conan -- becomes a king.The stories are a mixed bag from the incredible ("The Shadow Kingdom"), the eerie ("The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune") and straight adventure ("By This Axe I Rule" -- which after failing to sell was later rewritten by REH as the Conan story "Phoenix on the Sword", with a supernatural element added.

Kull disjointed
The advance ads implied this was a single story rather than a disjointed review and groups of unlinked stories ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not Free SF Reader
A collection of swashbuckling blood-spilling blade-wielding mayhem, the best of which are the three Dark Agnes stories to begin with.The book ends with a Turlogh Dubh O'Brien tale, a long way from the shores of Erin.

Sword Woman : Sword Woman - Robert E. Howard
Sword Woman : Blades for France - Robert E. Howard
Sword Woman : Mistress of Death - Robert E. Howard
Sword Woman : The King's Service - Robert E. Howard
Sword Woman : The Shadow of the Hun - Robert E. Howard


A woman bails on the fiance she is disgusted by, and meets a rogue knight type in the forest, who has other plans for her.

She isn't the type to go quietly:

"Saint Denis deliver me from such tender care as this hell-cat has shown," quoth Perducas under his breath."

She almost kills him, finding out what he is up to, and decides the military life is for her when she hears of a sword-woman named 'Black Margot'.

When the Commander she is talking to doesn't think so:-

"Bah! I spit on you all! There is no man alive who can face me with weapons and live, and before I die, I'll prove it to the world. Women! Cows! Slaves! Whimpering, cringing serfs, crouching to blows, revenging themselves by taking their own lives, as my sister urged me to do. Ha! You deny me a place among men? By God, I'll live as I please and die as God wills, but if I'm not fit to be a man's comrade, at least I'll be no man's mistress. So go ye to hell, Guiscard de Clisson, and may the devil tear your heart!"

Attacked in her room at night with the man she almost disposed of, she finds a talent for slaughter, dispatching all of her attackers. They begin to believe her military value:


"Aye, Dark Agnes!" said Etienne, lifting himself on elbow. "A star of darkness shone on her birth, of darkness and unrest. Where ever she goes shall be blood spilling and men dying. I knew it when I saw her standing against the sunrise that turned to blood the dagger in her hand."

Ambushed again, the man whose life she spared helps her out.

4 out of 5


"But as I rode through the twilight, I found no regret in my heart that I had traded my life of drudgery for one of wandering and violence. It was the life for which mysterious Fate had intended me, and I fitted it as well as any man: drinking, brawling, gambling, and fighting. With pistol, dagger or sword I had proved my prowess again and again, and I feared no man who walked the earth. Better a short life of adventure and wild living than a long dreary grind of soul-crushing household toil and child-bearing, cringing under the cudgel of a man I hated."

After that is masks and mayhem and rescue for Dark Agnes.

3.5 out of 5


Deciding to arrest Dark Agnes for a crime she didn't commit means we hope you have a nice place to buried.

Gaining aid from a Scots swordsman of some skill: "Two against one will not be too great odds when the one is a magician returned from the grave."

Cue zombie sorcerer scene.

3.5 out of 5


Comparing the bigness of weapons and battles until a dancing girl:

"Another woman a55a55in?" he asked casually. "My throne against your sword, Donn Othna, Anand Mulhar sent her. Nimbaydur Singh is too upright for such tricks-the poor fool."

Then it is time for a serious spot of violence.

3 out of 5


"Turlogh Dubh O'Brien was not as tall as either of his companions, though he was well over six feet. His dark face was clean shaven, his black hair cropped short. From under heavy black brows gleamed his volcanic eyes-blue, and full of shifting gleams like clouds passing across some deep blue lake. Long-limbed, deep-chested, broad-shouldered, his every motion betokened his iron strength and cat-like litheness. He was, in some ways, more the complete fighting man than his friends, for he possessed a dynamic quickness the Saxon lacked, and sheer strength beyond the power of the slender Spaniard."

...

"It was a hard service the Gael offered the men who came to him from chains or the shadow of the gallows. He promised them only a hard, bitter life, ceaseless toil and warfare and a bloody death. But he gave them a chance to strike back at the world and to glut themselves in slaughter-and men followed him."

Then some advice for the Chaga Khan vs Khogar Khan conflict.

3 out of 5





3.5 out of 5

FROM BACK COVER
SHE FLEW TO FREEDOM ON ONE GLISTENING WING OF STEEL: HER SWORD!

Here is the immortal Robert E. Howard's most savage and unforgettable tale - the epic story of Dark Agnes who escaped the bondage of medieval womanhood to fight with the legendary "Free Company" of mercenaries that ravaged the Dark Ages; whose joy in life was death; and who met the most depraved sorcerer of all Time in a fierce and tendon-severing duel of Destiny!

Swordwoman
Dark Agnes is in my estimation the finest female character Robert Howard created.As with all his other heroines she is hard and cruel but there is an extra edge to Agnes;something hard to put your finger on.Maybe it's because it is set in period France which is within a reasonable history to us or possibly because Howard paints as black a picture of childhood as can be imagined,the breaking away from which starts her on her road to fame, as the greateat living swordswoman (and possibly man!!)It is a pity that Robert Howard only wrote 3 stories about this complex character.

Definitely Not Red Sonya
Howard was prolific. Limited, but prolific.He wrote many tales including those of Boxers, Barbarians, Religious fanatics. But this is something different.A woman who rebelled against Middle Ages society and became afreebooter.Dark Agnes is enjoyable, fun and definitely one of the mostoverlooked protagonists of Howard's Menagerie. Great book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Good book
Great book to read if your into the age of conan MMO as the game is based after the events in this book.

The last of Howard's Conan
He lives on in an infinite amount of spin-offs and new interpretations but Howard's Conan is without a doubt the definitive and best. This second volume in the Fantasy Masterworks Series presents the last of his stories and ends with his only Conan novel.

Hour of the Dragon (itself an expanded rewrite of The Scarlet Citadel) sees King Conan overthrown by a bunch of villains too arrogant for their own good. The furious Cimmerian then goes on a urgent quest across the Hyborian lands to retrieve a peculiar MacGuffin and unite his allies to smite the rascals out of existence.

And they bloody deserve it.

Super Reader
The novel length Conan work. An aging Conan is now in a position of responsibility, being King of Aquilonia.

His reign is threatened by a very powerful sorcerer, whom Conan is unable to stop by mundane means, and must take himself off hunting for a mystic artifact.

Having done this, there is some wizard smiting to be done.

Top notch work.

Conan and his creator at their best
This book actually began life as a serial in "Weird Tales" in the 1930s. Robert E. Howard (REH) never actually wrote any Conan novels, all of Conan's tales were written for the magazine marketplace. But this is his only novel length Conan tale so it is considered by many to be the only REH Conan novel.

That being said, it is easily one of the best Conan stories written. In the tale, Conan is the king of Aquilonia, but he has plenty of people conspiring to dethrone him. These conspirators raise the wizard, Xaltotun, from the dead to use his magic against Conan.

They succeed in dethroning Conan when he is paralyzed by the wizard and unable to ride out into battle. After the battle they believe Conan is dead (big mistake) for a time, only he is actually in hot pursuit of the Heart of Ahriman, the only thing capable of defeating Xaltotun.

Naturally, the Heart is not easily obtained and Conan journeys far and wide in his pursuit of it. The story is incredibly fast paced and for a relatively short novel, its packed with action and story. Of course, Conan succeeds at the end and regains his kingdom (as well as gaining a wife).

Even though the story is at a mid-point in Conan's career, its an excellent starting point for those who are new to REH's work. As other reviewer's have noted, this story also exists in paperback as "Conan the Conqueror," although it has been edited to correct grammer and some of REH's politcally incorrect references. Heck, it was the first Conan story I ever read and it got me hooked.

REH is a moody, atmospheric writer and much of his work, including this one, carries a sense of darkness to it. Even this book, where Conan ultimately is victorious carries that feeling to it. It tends to almost carry an air of that darkness, a feeling that no matter what Conan does, his victories will be short-lived and even he will not be able to defeat death when his time comes.

For sword and sorcery fans, this is as good as it gets. Ignore the hoard of imitators who followed and stick to the master-- Robert E. Howard.

The standard by which all subsequent works must be judged
Howard's only full-length Conan novel features the real deal.If you read this book before you read any of the more recent attempts to rewrite Conan, you will be hard-pressed to find its equivalent.While the role of king doesn't quite seem to suit Conan, most of this book portrays him in his role as the savage, independent wanderer, in search of a jewel with sorcerous powers.This book waxes more powerful as it progresses, with Conan finding himself among black pirates, searching through gloomy subterranean lairs, and confronting horrifying creatures.Conan meets a number of intriguing friends and foes along the way.Unlike many Conan novels, the feminine characters in this book have somewhat minor roles.So if you read Conan books for the "babe factor", look elsewhere.If you like the raw, full-orbed Conan as he was intended to be, you'll be very satisfied with this novel.

A note on the Berkeley Medallion paperback edition - the cover proclaims this to be an "illustrated" edition.This is a slight exaggeration as only two rather mediocre pen-and-ink illustrations are found within!These have been taken from the original Weird Tales publication.The "full color fold-out poster" is all of 12 1/2 x 7 inches, and features a larger version of the cover, a rather fanciful Conan. ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook contains three classic Robert E. Howard Conan stories originally published in paperback as 'Conan the Warrior' in 1967.This collection also includes 'The Hyborian Age,' a description of the times and lands that Conan was familiar with.Includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.

Contents:

Red Nails
Jewels of Gwahlur
Beyond the Black River
The Hyborian Age
... Read more

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

Customer Reviews (1)

Super Reader
This L. Sprague de Camp edited version is basically Red Nails, Jewels of Gwahlur and Beyond the Black River :

Conan the Warrior : Red Nails - Robert E. Howard
Conan the Warrior : Jewels of Gwahlur - Robert E. Howard
Conan the Warrior : Beyond the Black River - Robert E. Howard

Conan is travelling, finds a dead woman, and then encounters Valeria of the Red Brotherhood. After trading some insults, they have the misfortune to stumble across a dragon.

Then they have fun in an abandoned city full of crazed warriors, two evil, leering royals, all the great stuff in this tale of a fantastic partnership.

5 out of 5




To quote Mr. Howard - "Conan was basically a direct-actionist. Such subtlety as he possessed had been acquired through contact with the more devious races."

For military reasons, Conan has to get the Teeth of Gwahlur from their hiding place in a mystic castle before his political and military opposition.

He decides he can get the girl Muriela to run the same scam she tried on him, on some others. The only problem is that the real goddess Yelaya shows up! Then it is time to scarper, sharpish.

4.5 out of 5


Conan is working around a fort on the border of Aquilonia, when many tribes of Picts, united by the wizard Zogar Sag, combine to attack.

Conan takes out a scouting party to see what goes on, but they are ambushed, and most captured and killed, except one man, that he rescues. The wizard summons beasts by virtue of the powers of an old god, whom Conan is familiar with. With the help of an old dog, Slasher, Conan and his companion try and get the settlers to safety, while the fort is overrun.

Zogar Sag makes a mistake when he sends a fleshly avatar to try and destroy Conan. The barbarian kills the avatar, which destroys the wizard, and the Pictish invasion is over.

4.5 out of 5 ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

LIST OF STORIES FOR THOSE INTERESTED... WE ALL KNOW THESE STORIES ARE ROCKIN' AWESOME!!!!
This isn't a review per se, but a list of the contents in Conan's Brethren. And what a brethren he has! I've read about 99% of these stories at one time or another in various collections over years and there is not a dog in the bunch. In fact, all of them are classics! These stories are a greatest hits of Conan's Brethren; Bran Mak Morn, Kull, Solomon Kane, Black Turlough, James Allison etc. You'll find about all of them here. Now, for a list of the stories....

Introduction

Solomon Kane

Solomon Kane's Homecoming (verse)
Red Shadows
Skulls in the Stars
Rattle of Bones
The Moon of Skulls
The Hills of the Dead
The Footfalls Within
Wings in the Night

King Kull

The Shadow Kingdom
The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune
The King and the Oak (verse)

Bran Mak Morn & the Picts

The Lost Race
Kings of the Night
The Dark Man
Worms of the Earth

Savages, Swordsmen & Sorcerers

Spear and Fang
Hawks of Outremer
The Gods of Bal-Sagoth
The Sowers of the Thunder
Lord of Samarcand
The Lion of Tiberias
The Shadow of the Vulture
The Valley of the Worm
The Frost King's Daughter
The Garden of Fear
Gates of Empire
Almuric
The Ghost Kings (verse)

Afterword: Kinsmen of Conan by Stephen Jones

BUY IT! If you haven't read these fabulous REH stories I envy you. If you have, well, you're still in for a treat because you get to relive all those great adventures again! ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook contains thirteen Conan stories by famed pulp writer Robert Ervin Howard, including classics like 'Shadows of Zamboula' and 'Red Nails.'This collection also includes the full-length novel 'The Hour of the Dragon' and 'The Hyborian Age,' a description of the times and lands that Conan was familiar with.

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


Contents:

Gods of the North
Queen of the Black Coast
Shadows in the Moonlight
A Witch Shall be Born
Shadows in Zamboula
The Devil in Iron
The People of the Black Circle
The Pool of the Black One
Red Nails
Jewels of Gwahlur
Beyond the Black River
The Hour of the Dragon
The Hyborian Age
... Read more

Product Description
From the mind of writer Robert E. Howard and the pages of Red Sonja comes the debut of Thulsa Doom! Thulsa Doom follows in the wake of the destruction of Atlantis, when the world was in chaos and Thulsa sought his own path to ultimate power! Written by Kull scribe Arvid Nelson and illustrated by Lui (Red Sonja) Antonio. ... Read more

Product Description
FOREWORD BY MICHAEL MOORCOCK In the one hundred years since his birth, Robert E. Howard's reputation has expanded from a mere pulp writer to a leading figure in the horror, fantasy, and adventure fiction of the 20th century. The virtual creator of the genre of sword-and-sorcery, Howard peopled his tales with such imperishable action figures as Conan the Cimmerian, Solomon Kane, King Kull, and Bran Mak Morn. In recent years, students and scholars have been examining Howard's work with increasing care and precision, placing it within the context of American and world literature. Two-Gun Bob commemorates Howard's centennial with an anthology of thirteen new and reprinted essays on Howard, ranging from Glenn Lord's study of Howard's early amateur press work to Fred Blosser's look at Howard's detective writing; from Charles Hoffman's analysis of Howard's portrayal of character to S. T. Joshi's placement of the Bran Mak Morn stories in the context of Roman history; from Charles Gramlich's psychological study of Howard to Michele Tetro's survey of Howard's poetry. Essays by John Goodrich, Frank Coffman, Lorenzo DiTommaso, Steve Sheaffer, Martin Andersson, Pietro Guarriello, and editor Benjamin Szumkyj discuss many other aspects of Howard's life, work, and thought, presenting a balanced and well-rounded portrayal of the man and the writer, and laying the groundwork for continuing study of this complex and enigmatic writer in the decades to come. With a preface by Michael Moorcock. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

TWO-GUN BOB - ROBERT E. HOWARD (1906-1936)
This is an excellent book that gives a great insight into Robert E. Howard's mind and his writings! The book is dedicated to the Howardian Triumvirate, Rusty Burke, Glenn Lord, and Patrice Louinet - and to the memory of David Gemmell 1948-2006.

There are approximately 16 contributors of this book including Glenn Lord who first became a REH fan in 1951 when he read Skull Face & Others. Lord has been an active figure in REH's legacy. We fans of REH owe Glenn Lord, Paul Herman, Mark Finn and many others including all contributors of this book a big thank you for all they've done to keep REH's legacy alive. The last of his writings are now in a book titled - The Last of The Trunk; Please see REHfoundation.

One of my favorite chapters is A Behavior Perspective by Charles Gramlich, Ph.D. who is a professor of psychology at a small university in New Orleans and a long time member of REHupa and assistant editor of The Dark Man: The Journal of REH Studies. In Two-Gun Bob On page 99 he saysQUOTE - REH was a pretty normal fellow and states that the problem with playing amateur psychologist is that it's very easy and tempting to look at a single incident in people's lives and make a judgement of their mental state. But what if someone did that to you? What if someone saw you only once in your life, and it was when you were at your worst, at the very moment when you were snapping at your friends, or so sad that you felt like "just giving up"? Or what if they saw you when you were intoxicated and acting silly, but they didn't know you'd been drinking? Would that be a fair way to judge you?

Unfortunately, Howard has oftened been "diagnosed" with mental disorders on just flimsy evidence, and the problem is compounded by the fact that people tend to remember unusual events better than they do common ones.

When REH took his own life was that decision the correct one? There is no way for us to answer that. But was his suicide the result of a long-term mental abnormality? That we can answer, and the answer is "no". Yes, he engaged in some mildly eccentric behaviors at times. Yes, he told some tall tales on occasion. And no, he wasn't a suave and sophisticated social butterfly. But an analysis of the full range of his behaviors shows very clearly that he was also no inept mama's boy, no paranoid loner, no failure at his chosen profession. Outside of his decision to be a writer in a time and place where few understood such a choice, Howard was a pretty typical young man in the rural Texas of the early twentieth century who also happened to be gifted with an extraordinary imagination and an enviable talent for telling stories. He wasn't crazy; he was just a very good writer. UNQUOTE

Other Chapters are:REH: a Look at "Two-Gun Bob" 100 Years On by Benjzmin Szumskyj, The Junto: Being a Brief Look at the Amateur Press AssociationREH Partook In as a Youth by Glenn Lord, From Acorns Grow; REH Revealed in Post Oaks and Sand Roughs by John Goodrich, Sleuths, Secrets, and Grisly Mysteries: The Detective Fiction of REH by Fred Blosser, Words from the Outer Dark: The Poetical Works of REH by Michele Titro, Texas Talespinner: REH's Ways with Words by Frank Coffman, The Persistence of the Familiar: The Hyborian World and the Geographics of Tantastic Literature by Lorenzo DiTommaso, Ph.D, Bran Mak Morn and History by S.T. Joshi, Bitter Pleasures and Swinish Stupidity: Howard's Take on Human Character by Charles Hoffman, El Borak, the Swift by Scott Sheaffer, Stars and Strong Men: The Science and Cosmic Fiction of REH by Martin Anderson, Laudator Temporis Acti: History and Myth in the Works of REH by Pietro Guarriella, Cimmerian Gloves: Studying REH's Ace Jessel from the ringside by Benjamin Szumskyj.

On the back of the book last para: Quote - Much work is currently being done in the republishing of Howard's literary works (especially recent efforts to get "Pure Howard" texts in print), and scholarly publication and interest have also heightened in recent years as the Howard centennial approached. Indeed, a new "Howard Boom" seems to be under way. UNQUOTE

I give this book my highest rating ever! In addition must reads are: One Who Walked Along by Novalyne Ellis, Blood & Thunder, The Life & Art of REH by Mark Finn, The Last of the Trunk and The Never Ending Hunt and all Weird Works by Paul Herman, Collected Letters Vols 1-3 and Poetry by Rob Roehm, All of the Del Ray books which are pure Howard, The Black Stranger, Conan, & Conan the Phenom. Get them all! Check out the REH Foundation and Forum!

Finally, tell others about REH. Reading one of his books for the first time is like the first time putting on eyeglasses; It's a whole new crisp, clear, vivid, colorful, and beautiful world! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Fans of RE Howard and Conan Will Like These Affordable Reprints
Dorchester has been reprinting some of Howard's early works in an inexpensive mass-market format. This, the fourth book in the series, has Howard's only full-length Conan story, "The Hour of the Dragon." In addition to the novel, is an essay by Howard on the history of Conan's world, The Hyborian Age. With the recent launch of the Conan-based online game and the excellent comic book reprints from Dark Horse Comics, there is a need for these reprints of the original pulp stories in an accessible format. All four of these books are worth picking up, both for their historical value, and Conan's current popularity.

Conan's Finest Hour!
Being a huge fan of Conan for well over 35 years, this excellent reprint of possibly Conan's full-length, longest novel to date is a nostalgic blast from the past with sword & sorcery action/adventure.

Robert E. Howard reigned supreme in this genre back in the 30's and 40's, and it still stands up today. That is very impressive indeed!

If you like solid tales of bloody fast-paced adventure, fraught with beautiful ladies in distress, and barbarians in full swing, then this one is for you. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: List of Poems by Robert E. Howard, Always Comes Evening, Shadows of Dreams, Echoes From an Iron Harp, Singers in the Shadows, Cimmeria. Excerpt:Always Comes Evening Always Comes Evening is a collection of poems by Robert E. Howard . It was released in 1957 and was the author's second book to be published by Arkham House . It was released in an edition of 636 copies. The publication was subsidized by Howard's literary executor, Glenn Lord who compiled the poems. Contents Always Comes Evening contains the following poems: Reprints Always Comes Evening was reprinted by Underwood-Miller in 1977 in both limited (206 copies) and trade (2,200 copies) editions. A new introduction by Glenn Lord replaced both of the introductions in the earlier edition. The order of the poems was also rearranged and one additional poem, "A Crown for a King" was added. References (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at " Cimmeria " is a p... ... Read more

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Product Description
Presented here, as they were originally printed, these stories perfectly showcase why Robert E. Howard was one of the greatest adventure writers of the 20th century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

waterfront fists (and others)
Waterfront Fists is a great collection of R.E.H. fight fiction. All but two are from his Sailor Steve Costigan series. These comic tales are always funny as Costigan gets into and out of various predicaments, usually involving money, women, or often both.Two of these stories ,Circus Fists and The Sluggers Game are worth the price of the whole book.If you dont know Howard as a humorist, you will after reading these two tales. The only disapointment is that The Iron Man,aka Iron Men,which Howard considered one of his best stories, is presented here in its heavily edited original publication form.However it is available elsewhere in Howards orginal manuscript, so it is interesting to read both and compare.As a bonus ,artwork from the original publications opens each story. You also get two letters Howard wrote about boxing, to a newspaper and magazine.If you like R.E.H.,or are looking for something different in humor I think you will enjoy Waterfront Fists ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Proof Howard could write more than Conan
Author Robert E. Howard has long been known has long been known as the father of the Sword and Sorcery fantasy genre and the creator of the iconic Conan the Barbarian character, but what many readers don't realize is Howard wrote plenty of stories not set in fantastical worlds and stories that were filled with bigger-than-life but quite human characters.

"Boxing Stories," edited by Chris Gruber, is a collection of Howard's short stories and poems having to do with the pugilistic trade. The main character in most of these tales is one sailor named Steve Costigan, but there are other characters in some of the tales. And some of the stories which do not feature Costigan and his bulldog buddy are still related to Costigan, these tales often being about friends and foes he has fought.

The writing is strong and gut-wrenching in places, a few of the tales being Howard at his finest, but Sword and Sorcery fans won't find the darker worlds and darker characters with whom they are more familiar. But that's not a bad thing. These tales show Howard's abilities from a different angle, and they allow him to betray burly he-men who can be deadly but aren't mad nor dark to the point of being anti-heroes.

If you're a fan of Howard's and want to learn more about what this awesome writer could write, or if you're just looking for some good old tales of men duking it out, this one is for you.

If you only know REH from his Conan stories....
you're missing out!Robert E. Howard was a proflic author of exciting stories, including westerns, swords and sorcery, adventure, and horror.Boxing Stories collects a sample of REH's sports stories, filled with bruising battlers who fight for a variety--but usually noble--reasons.Of note, the collection contains a story that REH regarded as one of his finest 'The Iron Men,' here presented as Howard originally intended.

Boxing Stories (works of Robert E. Howard)
Boxing stories is a good sampler of R.E.H.'s sport fiction. Ten of the stories are from his humorous Sailor Steve Costigan series. The Spirit of Tom Molyneaux is an interesting combination of ghost and boxing story featuring an african american boxer, (fair warning, it contains non p.c.elements).Iron Men ,which Howard considered one of his best stories, is included in its original form, restored from the heavily edited version first published in Fight Stories Magazine in 1930. While Howard thought it one of his best,I think Fists of the Desert and They Always Come Back are actually better. They are gritty and realistic, telling of the shabby, brutal lives of low level boxers of that era.If you enjoy R.E.H.,sports stories,or just the style of 20's and 30's pulp fiction I think you will like Boxing Stories (the Works of Robert E. Howard).

Fun read!
I got this book as an ongoing effort to collect as much of the works of Robert E. Howard as I can.But when I opened it and started reading, I was hooked!These stories are excellent.Short and quick to read, they are full of action, drama, humor, and really place the reader in the world they are set in.If you are a fan of the era, like boxing, or just wasnt a rousing read, I highly reccomend this book.

Wickedly Entertaining, Highly Addictive
Robert E Howard is a legend along with H P Lovecraft for writing hundreds of short stories for cheep pulps and getting hardly any money or recognition for their talent. While Robert E Howard is best known for his Conan stories, fans who look beond are rewarded. Such is the case with this collection of Boxing Stories. The stories are fantastic and completely over the top, and there is a vocabulary Robert E Howard uses skillfuly that will have you cracking up. The fight scenes play out like violent and gory Looney Tunes, and the diologue makes the charecters jump out of the page. Once you read a few of these short storys you'll begin to realise that this is a type of writing to be savored. Robert E Howard literally wrote the book on this type of fiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Book of Robert E. Howard
This book is classic R.E.H. and was bought for me as a gift. The bonus was discovering it signed by Glenn Lord. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent collection of the works of Robert E. Howard
This is a collection of paperbacks published by Baen Books in the mid-1990s.Included here are a variety of works by Howard, including stories from the adventure, horror and fantasy genres.The titles speak for themselves.This series provides a nice survey of Howard's non-Conan work. Each book has an introduction written by a horror or fantasy author such as Ramsey Campbell or David Drake. Fans of Howard might like to procure it just to add to their collection.It's a great collection of some of Howard's best work.You can probably find these stories elsewhere, but this is a great way to get them all in one place. ... Read more