Kull: Exile of Atlantis by Robert E. Howard
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Book Reviews of Kull: Exile of Atlantis
Book Review: Super Reader
Summary: 5 Stars
An exhaustive compilation of stories and material regarding the barbarian King.
All the stories, unfinished parts and fragments, some poems, some drafts and more. Possibly with that it may be for the keener reader, if you just want the stories an old paperback would do. Along with that, there are a variety of illustrations to go along with the stories.
For those that are very, very literarily keen, there is a section at the end detailing the editing/word variations, etc. and how/why they have been used.
Kull fans are going to like this book a lot. 5 axes out of 5.
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : Foreword by Justin Sweet
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : Introduction by Steve Tompkins
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : untitled story (Exile of Atlantis)
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The Shadow Kingdom
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : untitled draft (Thus said Tu)
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The Cat and the Skull
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The Screaming Skull of Silence
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The Striking of the Gong
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The Altar and the Scorpion
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The Curse of the Golden Skull
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The Black City
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : untitled fragment (Three Men Sat)
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : By This Axe I Rule!
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : Swords of the Purple Kingdom
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The King and the Oak
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : Kings of the Night [Bran Mak Morn]
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : Summer Morn
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : Am-ra the Ta-an
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The Tale of Am-Ra
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : untitled and unfinished fragment (A land of wild)
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : untitled and unfinished fragment (..so I set out)
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The Shadow Kingdom (draft)
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : Delcardes' Cat
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : The King and the Oak (draft)
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : Appendices
Kull Exile Of Atlantis : Atlantean Genesis by Patrice Louinet
Book Review: ROBERT E HOWARD - THE BEST OF THE BEST!
Summary: 5 Stars
By this Axe I Rule is the best and it was changed by Robert E. Howard for Conan as The Phoenix on the Sword. This is an excellent book and a must have to add to any collection. The Curse of The Golden Skull was pretty creepy and The Striking of The Gong was excellent! There's terrific artwork and every story is captivating! There is some excellent poetry, story fragments, and more! Kings of the Night which finally turns Kull loose on a battlefield. Some ways this is the best story he ever wrote. Robert E. Howard was an extra-ordindary creative writer who in my opinion was the best! His vision, talent, creative writing, and action packed stories can and will never be replicated! To learn more about this unique man read Blood & Thunder, The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard by Mark Finn. Must Reads: Crimson Shadows-The Best of Robert E. Howard 1 & 2 with number two which has my favorites Red Nails, Beyond The Black River, and the scariest story EVER Pigeons From Hell! Be sure to read it at night with plenty of light. You'll never be the same when you hear someone or something whistling.
Also recommended: Stories I've enjoyed by Robert E. Howard are The Last of the Trunk, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, Savage Sword of Conan, Bloody Sword of Conan, All of the Weird Works REH, Collected Letters & Poetry of REH, One Who Walked Alone, and my favorite about Cats Titled The Beast From The Abyss, Two Gun Bob, Cormac Mac Art, Steve Costigan, The Never Ending Hunt, The Barbaric Triumph and The Dark Barbarian, Conan and Conan the Phenom. Check out the REH Foundation and Forum!
Book Review: Great Look at Howard's Development as a Writer
Summary: 5 Stars
As is pointed out by the editor of this volume, it's a mistake to view Kull -- as many people do -- as just a Conan prototype. The Kull stories stand well on their own merit and the character is not just a primitive version of Conan.
Still, I think it's clear that the Kull stories represent an earlier, less developed phase in Howard's meteoric writing career. In these stories, we can see Howard's story telling mastery in an earlier stage of development than in the Conan stories. It's noteworthy that Howard's first Conan story was based on one of his last -- and unsold -- Kull stories, "By this Axe, I Rule!"
For anyone who loves Howard's work, the stories in this volume represent an essential stage in Howard's development as a writer and story-teller. Also, Conan's Hyperborian world was quite literally built upon the ruins of Kull's Atlantean/Valusian world. To really understand and appreciate Conan, you have to know Kull.
Even if Conan had never been created though, it would still be worth the readers trouble to meet Kull. These are superb stories and very important to the development of the American school of fantasy writing -- what would later become known as "Sword and Sorcery" writing.
Book Review: A barbarian just as mighty
Summary: 5 Stars
If I could describe Kull in a nutshell, it would be as a more philosophical, brooding barbarian than Conan, though just as interesting. And though Kull never gained the popularity that Conan did, I find Howard's Kull stories equally as good, especially if you are a Howard fan or a lover of old school sword and sorcery.
The setting of the Kull stories is the fictional land of Valusia. Kull is an Atlantean savage who has usurped the Valusian throne, and though he rules with compassion and fairness he is often secretly hated by the Valusians who see him as a red-handed foreigner not fit to wear the crown.
The Kull stories contained within this volume involve various court intrigues and the perilous adventures Kull is often forced to undertake. Most are good, some excellent, and only a couple would I rate as sub-par. The setting is dark and mysterious (and made more so by the gorgeous illustrations of Justin Sweet that fill this book), and Howard's lush, vibrant writing style is present as usual. If you are a Howard and/or Conan fan, you need to get this book, especially if you've never read Kull before. For the price you'll pay here, its worth every cent.
Book Review: More than a precursor of Conan
Summary: 5 Stars
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. The physical descriptions of the two are similar, though Kull's grey eyes were replaced by Conan's blue eyes. But the Kull stories stand very well on their own. 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. H.P. 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. One wishes that all of Del Rey's Conan volumes were illustrated by Gianni as well.