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H.P. 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. 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. But the Kull stories stand very well on their own. The physical descriptions of the two are similar, though Kull's grey eyes were replaced by Conan's blue eyes. This volume, including all of the published Kull stories as well as several unpublished ones (including drafts and fragments), belongs in every Howard admirer's library. One wishes that all of Del Rey's Conan volumes were illustrated by Gianni as well.
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.
The advance ads implied this was a single story rather than a disjointed review and groups of unlinked stories
I'm enjoying these stories quite a bit. Kull is not infatuated with women like Conan is so often thus making him less of a romantic hero and more of a raw hero and leader of men. The one major difference I see so far is that there are no "love" interests in the stories. Kull is similar to Conan in many superficial respects, but his psyche is a bit different. The stories are well written and drive the reader along at a strong pace. I can't say that this is good or bad, but it makes him different enough from Conan that it works for me.A great read.
Fortunately, bull-headed courage manages to save the day and, wonder of wonders, improve the situation."The Striking of the Gong": Kull's version of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" didn't really appeal to me because it is mostly a philosophical discussion (yawn)."The Altar and the Scorpion": Interesting little story in which Kull is only an offstage influence."The Curse of the Golden Skull": Time annihilating horror tale in which Kull is again only an offstage influence. Also reprinted here: The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume 2: Grim Lands."Swords of the Purple Kingdom": Another rousing Kull versus assassins story; a lot of fun despite obvious similarities to the previous."The King and the Oak": Short poem about Kull also reprinted here: The Best of Robert E. Also reprinted here: Bran Mak Morn: The Last King and here: The Best of Robert E. Howard, The Best of Robert E. Mostly of use to the Howard scholar.Besides being mostly just plain fun to read, the "Kull" stories make for a useful comparison and contrast with the Conan who supplanted him.
Do we really need a notation every time a spelling or punctuation mistake is corrected. Now I am REALLY looking forward to reading the rest of this Del Rey series: The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian: The Original Adventures of the Greatest Sword and Sorcery Hero of All Time., The Bloody Crown of Conan (Conan of Cimmeria, Book 2), The Conquering Sword of Conan (Conan of Cimmeria, Book 3), Bran Mak Morn: The Last King, The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane, The Horror Stories of Robert E. A somewhat silly beginning is saved IMHO by a marvelous adventure in and beyond the Forbidden Lake. Points out that while Kull was not the first sword and sorcery hero, Kull WAS the first sword and sorcery series and the first American sword and sorcery.Untitled Story (previously published as "Exile of Atlantis"): Unfinished fragment. Also reprinted here: The Best of Robert E. I didn't have to suffer through Bowdlerized editions or attempted completions by somebody else. Howard Volume 2: Grim Lands.Untitled Draft: Intriguing fragment that has Kull and the Red Slayers chase a man who has insulted Kull (quite literally) to the ends of the Earth and beyond. Because it was the earliest by internal chronology, I decided to start with Kull.Introduction by Steve Tompkins: Interesting and useful, especially to a newbie like me.
Howard Volume 2: Grim Lands."Kings of the Night": Thrilling crossover with Bran Mak Morn that is really the latter's story guest starring Kull. "In the grip of a wayward perverseness, a common fault of kings," Kull sets out to do something Really Stupid. There's no way to know, but this one and only tale of the pre-king Kull is vital to understanding the character. Howard Volume 2: Grim Lands, and The Horror Stories of Robert E.
Howard. Kull dreams The Noodle Dream and then commits the "crime" for which he was exiled from Atlantis."The Shadow Kingdom": Slam bang beginning. Sorry about that, but Robert E. Kull acquires his Pictish allies and friends in time to defeat a Hellish plot to assassinate him. Howard Volume 1: Crimson Shadows.Miscellanea: The "Am-ra of the Ta-an" Fragments -- two poems and three fragments about what is in effect Conan 1.0 as Kull is Conan 2.0, and three earlier drafts of Kull items, useful to the Howard scholar."Atlantean Genesis" by Patrice Louinet: An informative essay that among other things delineates the importance of the "Am-ra" fragments and postulates the literary sources Howard borrowed from or was inspired by.Notes on the Original Howard Texts: Thorough (IMHO TOO thorough) notes on the decisions made to assemble these definitive texts. Howard is a bit infectious, which is interesting because I made it to the ripe old age of 48 before getting around to giving him a try, starting just a few weeks ago.OK, you can stop staring openmouthed with horror any time now.I couldn't really tell you why, but one advantage to coming to him so late is that I got to start out with the real Howard, the raw and unadulterated Howard, thanks to these marvelous and authoritative Del Rey editions. Also reprinted here: The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume 1: Crimson Shadows."The Black City" (unfinished fragment): Intriguing concept that unfortunately gets no further than the creepy beginning.Untitled Fragment: Unfinished tale by Brule, interesting because of its picture of Pictish government."By This Axe I Rule.": Later rewritten as the Conan story "The Phoenix on the Sword", rousing tale of Kull versus well planned assassination plot; the title is Kull's (and every executive's dream) response to entrenched, brain-dead bureaucracy.
Discarded beginning of the next story. Kull encounters the eponymous peculiarly entrancing mirrors. Howard Volume 1: Crimson Shadows."The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune": Creepy little horror story. Also reprinted here: The Best of Robert E. Presumably left unfinished because Howard couldn't come up with the "topper" of a climax such a beginning required."The Cat and the Skull": Disliked by many Howard fans, I rather enjoyed it. While telling a creepy, disturbing tale, Howard gives a marvelous word picture of a kingdom dripping with unimaginable age. Interesting villain's only appearance unfortunately."The Screaming Skull of Silence": Fascinating little story. Howard Volume 1: Crimson Shadows, The Best of Robert E.
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