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Kull: Exile of Atlantis Audiobook
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In a meteoric career that spanned a mere twelve years, Robert E. Howard single-handedly invented the genre that came to be called sword and sorcery. From his fertile imagination sprang some of fiction's most enduring heroes. Yet while Conan the Cimmerian is indisputably Howard's greatest creation, it was in his earlier sequence of tales featuring Kull, a fearless warrior with the brooding intellect of a philosopher, that Howard began to develop the distinctive themes and the richly evocative blend of history and mythology that would distinguish his later tales of the Hyborian Age.
Much more than simply the prototype for Conan, Kull is a fascinating character in his own right: an exile from fabled Atlantis who wins the crown of Valusia, only to find it as much a burden as a prize.
This groundbreaking collection brings together all of Howard's stories featuring Kull: "Exile of Atlantis," "The Shadow Kingdom," "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune," "The Cat and the Skull," "The Screaming Skull of Silence," "The Striking of the Gong," "The Altar and the Scorpion," "The Curse of the Golden Skull," "By This Axe I Rule!" "Swords of the Purple Kingdom," "The King and the Oak," and "Kings of the Night."
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"While some view Kull as a precursor to Conan, it is clear from these stories that he is very different from Howard's later creation. Although a barbarian by birth, Kull is more brooding, more troubled by the immortal questions of man. These stories are also more experimental than the Conan stories, which were written when Howard was more experienced. Some of the plots are more awkwardly handled than Howard's better stories, but a few of the stories rank among Howard's best. This volume includes several unfinished stories, which provide excellent glimpses into the creative process of the writer. Not a great starting point for getting into Howard's writings, but excellent if you are already a fan of his work. Includes excellent criticism in the back. A particular pleasure in this edition is the excellent art, which is my favorite of any of the Del Rey Howard books yet."
— Dan (4 out of 5 stars)
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McLaren maintains excitement and tension without drifting into an overly dramatic performance.
— AudioFile
Kull Listener Reviews
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Lee Lloyd, 12/21/2024
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Seth Noorbakhsh, 12/6/2021
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" Pre Conan REH. Only a few published stories, some promising fragments, drafts, etc. Despite that it's essental sword and sorcery, if only for Shadow Kingdoms which many believe to be the first s&s story --at least american. Kull is a great brooding King who spends time thinking about cosmic, Lovecraftian things, the nature of time, etc. REH examines his great (or not so) theme that civilization is less 'true' than the barbarian life, there are picts, lost civilizations (Kull being an exile of Atlantis), old Gods, assassination plots, crazy, crafty wizards and good old gory fights. REH is finding his voice here and hitting his stride. He's all over the map, but he has a lot of vibrant stprytelling energy. "
— Martin, 2/4/2014 -
" I loved the Kull stories, even with all their inconsistencies (which I probably would have ignored had I not read the editor's notes at the end). I'm a big fan of sword and sorcery stories to begin with and I honestly don't think many have done it better than Howard has. I look forward to moving on to Conan. "
— Patrick, 2/4/2014 -
" Kull was the prototype for Conan, that much is clear. What this volume elaborates on is the philosophical depth Howard desired from his characters, as Kull was as introspective as they could be. It's a shame that he lessened that trait in Conan. Fantastic book. "
— Alexander, 1/5/2014 -
" I liked this version better than the BAEN'95 "
— Chris, 12/19/2013 -
" Howard should have stuck with the philosophical speculations of the first few stories; they're the best in this uneven collection. Once he abandons them for straight adventure writing the prose becomes as boring as ER Burroughs. "
— Christopher, 11/5/2013 -
" I generally prefer much more classic literature, but a good friend loaned me the book and eventually I got around to reading it. I became so enraptured that I never anted these stories to end. "
— Scott, 10/16/2013 -
" I still think of Kull as being somewhat superior to Conan, though the brevity of Howard's output makes the comparison difficult. "
— Nick, 9/12/2012 -
" Fabulous tales by Robert E. Howard. You can really see his growth as a writer if you compare these to his later more polished works. Some tales are unfortunately a bit weak, but they are still worth your while if you're a Howard fan. "
— Joe, 7/14/2011 -
" I enjoyed these proto-Conan stories, only two of which were published in REH's lifetime. "
— Karlton, 6/6/2011 -
" I enjoyed this far better than Conan(wich was good). Kull is a tad more likable than Conan. Too bad REH did not write more. Most of the stories are are good, but "By This Axe I Rule!" is one of the best short fantasy pieces ever. The other strong point of this volume is the wonderful artwork "
— Larry, 4/21/2010 -
" Howard was a true master of his craft - this volume contains the tales of Kull of Atlantis, predecessor to Howard's more famous creation, Conan. Although I do enjoy the movie loosly based on these stories ("Kull the Conqueror" starring Kevin Sorbo), one is much better off reading this book. "
— Colin, 2/21/2010 -
" After my experiences with other Howard compilations, this is high on the list. "
— Bradford, 2/12/2010 -
" Is it Conan with a different name? Not quite, close, but not exactly. Kull has a bit more tact, and seems just a tad more vulnerable. It is a setting which encompasses Atlantis, so my opinion may be bias. I liked Howard's Kull books. In regard to the writing itself - see my Conan anthology review... "
— John, 1/11/2010 -
" Not a bad character, sort of the "proto-Conan". Howard created Kull but didn't get the sales he wanted. Still the stories are still around and they are quite good. I found them years ago and enjoyed them. So I like this new collection to. "
— Mike, 9/27/2009 -
" Howard should have stuck with the philosophical speculations of the first few stories; they're the best in this uneven collection. Once he abandons them for straight adventure writing the prose becomes as boring as ER Burroughs. "
— Christopher, 7/21/2009 -
" I liked this version better than the BAEN'95 "
— Chris, 3/15/2009 -
" I still think of Kull as being somewhat superior to Conan, though the brevity of Howard's output makes the comparison difficult. "
— Nick, 2/26/2009 -
" Kull was the prototype for Conan, that much is clear. What this volume elaborates on is the philosophical depth Howard desired from his characters, as Kull was as introspective as they could be. It's a shame that he lessened that trait in Conan. Fantastic book. "
— Alexander, 4/4/2008
About Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He is well known for his character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre. Born and raised in the state of Texas, Howard spent most of his life in the town of Cross Plains.
About Todd McLaren
Todd McLaren, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, was involved in radio for more than twenty years in cities on both coasts, including Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. He left broadcasting for a full-time career in voice acting, where he has been heard on more than five thousand television and radio commercials, as well as television promos; narrations for documentaries on such networks as A&E, Discovery, and the History Channel; and films, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit?