The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard

August 15, 2008
Generously illustrated with artist Staples's mood-enhancing black-and-white drawings, and including many of the author's poems serving the same purpose, this first-ever collection of 60 stories and sketches of terror represent most of the styles employed by the young dean (190636) of American horror, who also created Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, and Conan the Barbarian. Originally published in pulp magazines, these tales are often beautifully literate, the energy of Howard's writing nearly palpable. Vocabulary and language structure transport the reader in time and place, as exemplified in the medieval opener, "In the Forest of Villefere." The horrors include warped humans, monsters, werewolves, and fantastic beasts in period pieces, along with ordinary people in unusual modern circumstances, as in "The Touch of Death." The stories are not all horror. "The Spirit of Tom Molyneaux" is in effect a thrilling and inspirational, if now politically incorrect (through its use of dated language), sports fantasy. Recommended for all libraries.Jonathan Pearce, California State Univ., Stockton, CA

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2008
The latest book in Del Reys program to collect the works of Conan the Destroyers creator includes more and better horror stories than even Howards staunchest fans may have previously believed existed. Here are more tales of Howards arguably finest creation, Solomon Kane, and more classic tales of nightmarish things lurking just around the corner on the way to school as well as jumping out at far-flung travelers even in such places as a somewhat pulpish Africa, where they would be expectable. Howards vivid depiction of lurking nightmare recalls his contemporary H. P. Lovecraft, and his equally fine use of regional settings makes one think of early Manly Wade Wellman. One cannot do more than sample this volume without deeply regretting Howards short career, nor that Conan of Cimmeria so completely and for so long overshadowed the rest of his creations. Add Greg Staples grim-toned illustrations, and the resulting volume is a desirable acquisition for any fantasy collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)