Shadow Kingdoms (Weird Works of Robert E. Howard) [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert E. Howard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2007 | Series: Weird Works of Robert E. Howard (Book 1)

Shadow Kingdoms is the first volume of the Weird Works of Robert E. Howard, presenting all of Howard's work for the pulp magazine Weird Tales meticulously restored to its original magazine texts. This volume begins with "Spear and Fang," Howard's first professional fiction sale, and concludes with "Red Thunder," a gripping sword & sorcery tale. Series characters present in this volume include King Kull and Solomon Kane. Edited by Paul Herman. Introduction by Mark Finn. Cover by Stephen Fabian.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Known primarily for his iconic character, Conan, Howard's other writings delivered just as much action and adventure. This anthology of nine tales reveals some of his other earlier and lesser-known characters including Solomon Kane and King Kull, who feature in several pieces each. Originally published in Weird Tales, these stories become a nostalgic revival from the days of pulp magazines in this audio collection. Though Howard's writing is plagued with melodrama and Eurocentrism, it still proves entertaining and exciting. While some supporting characters are one-dimensional, Kane and Kull gain more depth with each passing story. Utilizing different narrators for each story, Audio Realms brings quality and engaging talent to Howard's words. Each narrator fits acutely well with the story he reads. Each maintains a strong, determined masculine voice, which embodies the predominantly male point of view throughout Howard's works. This kind of adventure and fantasy entails harsh and gritty worlds with grim characters, which these narrators capture well with their stern and gravelly voices. A Wildside paperback.(May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 365 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Books (July 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843959053
• ISBN-13: 978-0843959055
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,609,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

(1906-1936) Robert Erwin Howard was born and rasied in rural Texas, where he lived all his life. The son of a pioneer physician, he began writing professionally at the age of fifteen. Howard killed himself in June 1936 when he learned that his beloved mother had fallen into a coma.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Big FAT warning!, July 11, 2007

By 

Green Trilobite "Green Trilobite" (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow Kingdoms (Weird Works of Robert E. Howard) (Mass Market Paperback)

This lil' item is just one more attempt by the folks at Wildside Press to go to the trough one more time with the same material. First they came out with a hardbound edition of this title- fine, it was a fair addition to the number of Robert E. Howard releases that seem to be coming out of the woodwork these days. However (big however) this book, like several in this series, had a number of errors in the texts. Then came the trade paperback: same errors and even some layout problems. Several books into the series the publishers then decided to change cover artists (god only knows why) and therefore reissued it with new cover art as well as re-typeset to increase the page count (which was quite low in the original. I would also hope this was done to correct at least some of the errors). Now in this latest testament to Murphy's law they've released it as a regular sized paperback with (drumroll) three of the stories missing! Including one mentioned on the back cover!
Now I must state clearly that I am a definite Howard fan, I have a huge collection of editions of his works as well as a not-small collection of his stuff from the pulps (including Weird Tales). It's important that his work remain in print. It is equally important that the people reprinting it actually get it right!

Approach anything from this publisher with care.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All the classic "Weird Tales" fiction of Robert E. Howard!, March 31, 2005

By 

John Betancourt (Rockville, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Robert E. Howard's Weird Works Volume 1: Shadow Kingdoms (Hardcover)

SHADOW KINGDOMS is the first volume of the Weird Works of Robert E. Howard, presenting all of Howard's work for the pulp magazine Weird Tales meticulously restored to its original magazine texts. Edited by Paul Herman. Introduction by Mark Finn. Cover by Stephen Fabian.

This volume contains:

Two-Gun Musketeer: Robert E. Howard's Weird Tales, by Mark Finn

Spear and Fang

In the Forest of Villefère

Wolfshead

The Lost Race

The Song of the Bats

The Ride of Falume

The Riders of Babylon

The Dream Snake

The Hyena

Remembrance

Sea Curse

The Gates of Nineveh

Red Shadows

The Harp of Alfred

Easter Island

Skulls in the Stars

Crete

Moon Mockery

Rattle of Bones

Forbidden Magic

The Shadow Kingdom

The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune

The Moor Ghost

Red Thunder

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Book of Lies, July 30, 2007

By 

Paul P. Mosher (Reno, Nv USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadow Kingdoms (Weird Works of Robert E. Howard) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was sorely disappointed with this softcover book edition. It states on the back cover, for instance, that this is "the first volume of The Wierd Works of Robert E. Howard" and that it has "meticulously restored to its original texts" the stories within. Further that "This volume begins with Spear and Fang, Howards first professional fiction sale, and condludes with Red Thunder, a gripping sword and sorcery tale." Spear and Fang appear NOWHERE in this book and while Red Thunder is in the book, it does not "conclude" with it.

In my opinion, leaving OUT Howard's first professional fiction sale and NOT concluding with Red Thunder (BOTH AS ADVERTISED ON THE BACK COVER) doesn't speak well of the "meticulous" alledged restoration alluded to.

While containing almost two dozen Howard pieces, I somehow doubt the dedication, attention to detail and/or the "expertise" of the publisher as to authenticity or accuracy that should be a hallmark of a series of this sort. Don't waste your money.