Moon of Skulls, by Robert E. Howard
(The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard, vol. 2)
Edited by Paul Herman
Published by Wildside Press
216 pages, hardcover, $35.00 (limited to 1200 copies)

Contents

The Gothic Orient (introduction) by Mark Finn
Skull-Face
Dead Man's Hate
The Fearsome Touch of Death
A Song out of Midian
Shadows on the Road
The Moon of Skulls
The Hills of the Dead
Black Chant Imperial
The Voice of El-Lil

Robert E. Howard's writing career began in 1924, and by 1929, he wasselling steadily to different markets. However, Weird Tales continued to behis most dependable, if not financially reliable, market. In the pages of"the unique magazine," Howard had plenty of room to explore ideas and crossgenre barriers that he may not have been able to with other pulp fictionmagazines.

Continuing the collection of Howard's fiction and poetry in order ofpublication, Volume Two of The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard picks upwhere Volume One left off-at one of the most startling and controversialHoward stories of all: "Skull-Face!" A potent combination of gothic themesand oriental mystique, "Skull-Face" was the first novella Howard sold, andin many ways, is a key to understanding the rest of Howard's canon. Adetailed, complicated plot, a compelling cast of characters, and acollision of themes and ideas make "Skull-Face" required reading for Howardfans.

The Moon of Skulls collects Robert E. Howard's fiction and prose publishedin Weird Tales Magazine from October 1929 to November 1930, plus one fromOriental Stories. These works represent literary stepping-stones toHoward's infamous Cthulhu mythos stories and his most famous character ofall -- Conan the Cimmerian -- and ably demonstrate that each of Howard's storiesimproved and added to his formidable skills as a master of fantasy andadventure.