Howards writing seems so highly charged with energy that it nearly gives off sparks.Stephen KingRobert E. Howard had a gritty, vibrant stylebroadsword writing that cut its way to the heart, with heroes who are truly larger than life.David GemmellIn 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 fictions most enduring heroes. Yet while Conan is indisputably Howards 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 Howards stories featuring Kull, from Kulls first published appearance, in The Shadow Kingdom, to Kings of the Night, Howards 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 Also included are previously unpublished stories, drafts, and fragments, plus extensive notes on the texts, an introduction by Howard authority Steve Tompkins, and an essay by noted editor Patrice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 storytellerone of the first, and certainly among the best, youll find in heroic fantasy. If youve never read him before, youre in for a real treat.Charles de LintFor stark, living fear . . . what other writer is even in the running with Robert E. Howard?H. P. LovecraftFrom the Trade Paperback edition.