4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Deliciously Frightening Selection of Howard's Tales, April 16 2009
Robert E Howard is best known as the creator of Conan. However, he was a prolific writer who wrote many different kinds of stories. Horror stories were amongst his most prolific kind. His correspondence with H.P. Lovecraft, perhaps the finest horror writer ever, only cemented his reputation as a fine horror writer. Lovecraft, another favorite of mine, tends to write stories that end up with the protagonist helplessly dissolving into madness (or worse!). Howard writes similar-styled tales, only his protagonists go down swinging. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. It is man's savage fight against that separates Howard from Lovecraft. But both were masters of creating terrifyingly realistic scenes of abysmal horror. Bleak, dark, and evil, these stories are sure to entertain any horror fan. While the odd story stands out as slightly cliched, it must be remembered that Howard is part of the reason WHY these stories are cliched- this is Modern Horror at its roots, and it should not be missed by any serious Howard or horror fan. I do wish that a couple more "piney woods" stories had been included, as well as People of the Black Coast (a grim tale of a shipwrecked survivor meeting the strange inhabitants of a lost island). But what is here, ranges from good to mind-blowingly awesome:
: In the Forest of Villefere - Robert E. Howard
: Wolfshead - Robert E. Howard
: The Dream Snake - Robert E. Howard
: Sea Curse
: The Little People - Robert E. Howard
: Rattle of Bones - Robert E. Howard
: The Spirit of Tom Molyneaux - Robert E. Howard
: Casonetto's Last Song - Robert E. Howard
: The Touch of Death - Robert E. Howard
: Out of the Deep - Robert E. Howard
: Restless Waters - Robert E. Howard
: The Shadow of the Beast - Robert E. Howard
: Dermod's Bane - Robert E. Howard
: The Hills of the Dead - Robert E. Howard
: Dig Me No Grave - Robert E. Howard
: The Children of the Night - Robert E. Howard
: The Black Stone - Robert E. Howard
: The Thing on the Roof - Robert E. Howard
: The Horror from the Mound - Robert E. Howard
: People of the Dark - Robert E. Howard
: Delenda Est - Robert E. Howard
: The Cairn on the Headland - Robert E. Howard
: Worms of the Earth - Robert E. Howard
: The Valley of the Lost - Robert E. Howard
: The Hoofed Thing - Robert E. Howard
: The Noseless Horror - Robert E. Howard
: The Dwellers Under the Tomb - Robert E. Howard
: The House of Arabu - Robert E. Howard
: The Man on the Ground - Robert E. Howard
: Old Garfield's Heart - Robert E. Howard
: Kelly the Conjure Man - Robert E. Howard
: Black Canaan - Robert E. Howard
: The Haunter of the Ring - Robert E. Howard
: Pigeons From Hell - Robert E. Howard
: The Dead Remember - Robert E. Howard
: The Fire of Asshurbanipal - Robert E. Howard
: Golnar the Ape - Robert E. Howard
: Spectres in the Dark - Robert E. Howard
: The House - Robert E. Howard
As you can see, it's quite the list, so this compilation is more than a bargain for its low price! Highly recommended.
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