Kull: Exile of Atlantis 
asked by porsche on November 18, 2006 1:36 AM
As some cover blurbs so rightly state, "Before Conan--there was Kull!" The warrior Kull was yet another popular creation of pulp writer Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), generally credited as the originator of the subgenre heroic fantasy. Yet Kull should not be dismissed as second-rate Conan. (Although Howard did transform a few unsold Kull adventures into those of Conan the Cimmerian when the later series took off with the public.) Set in ancient, lost Atlantis, the Kull stories take place mostly after the barbarian has already come to power as King Kull of Valusia. What makes these scant dozen stories most memorable is Howard's heightened style of mystical decadence, similar here to his Weird Tales contemporary, Clark Ashton Smith. Rest assured there's enough gruesome bloodletting and wanton savagery to satisfy the most ardent Howard reader. (Variant editions of this collection have been published over the years, with the uncompleted stories finished posthumously by Lin Carter. Other editions have simply presented the few story fragments as untouched--and unadulterated--Robert E. Howard.) --Stanley Wiater
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Although some argue that "The Shadow Kingdom" is the first Sword and Sorcery story ever published, I'm not sure that I agree. In my opinion, the earlier Solomon Kane stories could also be classified as belonging in this genre, the only real difference being a historical background rather than a fictional one. As fans of Howard already know, King Kull is sort of a prototype of Conan, and to be honest, by and large the stories are not as good as the Conan ones. Still, there are a lot a jewels here.
"The Shadow Kingdom" is, in my opinion, the obvious standout, and it should have been the basis for the ill conceived Kevin Sorbo fiasco. Kull battles a race of serpent men who can assume human form and have infiltrated all levels of society.
"By This Ax I Rule" was never published during Howard's lifetime, and was rewritten as the first Conan story, "The Phoenix on the Sword", which is also a better story in my opinion. The climactic fight scene, which is virtually the same in both versions, is trademark Howard: extreme graphically described violence and headlong action at a breakneck pace. That's one of the things that makes Howard's stories so fun to read over and over; they thrill you on a purely visceral level. When it comes to writing an exiciting action scene, Howard has no peers, past or present.
One of the most enigmatic things about the character Kull, which Howard never clarifies, is his asexuality. Kull has no interest in the opposite sex at all. Is he a virgin? Howard seems to be saying that he is. Why? Howard never explains. Anyone who has read the Conan stories knows that his sexual prowess is almost as legendary as his prowess with a broadsword. Why is such a manly character as Kull, so full of testoterone, so disinterested. I was hoping that the editor would give his thoughts on the subject, but he says very little about it.
The artwork is spectacular. I hope that they'll be releasing a deluxe full color edition in the future, but Wandering Star is now already a year behind on releasing "Conan of Cimmeria volume 3", which leads one to wonder about the financial health of this publishing house.
All and all, this is a good read for the casual fan Sword and Sorcery, and an essential addition to the serious Howard collector's library of works. I'm withholding giving it 5 stars simply because the latter Conan stories are so much better.
"The Shadow Kingdom" is, in my opinion, the obvious standout, and it should have been the basis for the ill conceived Kevin Sorbo fiasco. Kull battles a race of serpent men who can assume human form and have infiltrated all levels of society.
"By This Ax I Rule" was never published during Howard's lifetime, and was rewritten as the first Conan story, "The Phoenix on the Sword", which is also a better story in my opinion. The climactic fight scene, which is virtually the same in both versions, is trademark Howard: extreme graphically described violence and headlong action at a breakneck pace. That's one of the things that makes Howard's stories so fun to read over and over; they thrill you on a purely visceral level. When it comes to writing an exiciting action scene, Howard has no peers, past or present.
One of the most enigmatic things about the character Kull, which Howard never clarifies, is his asexuality. Kull has no interest in the opposite sex at all. Is he a virgin? Howard seems to be saying that he is. Why? Howard never explains. Anyone who has read the Conan stories knows that his sexual prowess is almost as legendary as his prowess with a broadsword. Why is such a manly character as Kull, so full of testoterone, so disinterested. I was hoping that the editor would give his thoughts on the subject, but he says very little about it.
The artwork is spectacular. I hope that they'll be releasing a deluxe full color edition in the future, but Wandering Star is now already a year behind on releasing "Conan of Cimmeria volume 3", which leads one to wonder about the financial health of this publishing house.
All and all, this is a good read for the casual fan Sword and Sorcery, and an essential addition to the serious Howard collector's library of works. I'm withholding giving it 5 stars simply because the latter Conan stories are so much better.
reviewed by glenn11 on November 18, 2006 7:45 AM
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Kull is the last survivor of the Continent of Atlantis, and is an ancester of Conan, and has managed to take the thrown of Valusia. This stories are of varied quality. The best being "The Shadow Kingdom", where Kull is fighting the Serpent People. Also good is "By this Axe I Rule", about a conspiracy to murder King Kull. I really think that Kull could have been better if Howard had put more into it, but that's ok; the Conan stories are really well done and popular. Some of the stories are incomplete, and others are just dull. Not a bad book to have around, especially if your a Robert E. Howard fan, like me.
reviewed by librarian on November 21, 2006 7:08 PM