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Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors
The true gods of earth existed long before our anscestors crawled mindless upon the shore: Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, Nyarlathotep...insatiate, tenebrous monsters whose ultimate throne is chaos. Greatest of all is he called Cthulhu. Only in ancient, blasphemous manuscripts can that name be found...and those who decipher it are left pale and numb, aware that in the very act of decipherment they have become both pawn and prey of an ultra-worldly power that renders human existence both tenuous and trite. The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall remain...long after they have devoured us. (back cover copy)
CONTENTS
Introduction by David Drake
Arkham
The Black Stone
The Fire of Asshurbanipal
The Thing on the Roof
Dig Me No Grave
Silence Falls on Mecca’s Walls
The Valley of the Worm
The Shadow of the Beast
Old Garfield’s Heart
People of the Dark
Worms of the Earth
Pigeons from Hell
An Open Window
CONTENTS
Introduction by David Drake
Arkham
The Black Stone
The Fire of Asshurbanipal
The Thing on the Roof
Dig Me No Grave
Silence Falls on Mecca’s Walls
The Valley of the Worm
The Shadow of the Beast
Old Garfield’s Heart
People of the Dark
Worms of the Earth
Pigeons from Hell
An Open Window
247 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
10 people are currently reading
2785 people want to read
About the author
Robert E. Howard
2,985 books2,649 followersRobert Ervin Howard was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. Howard wrote "over three-hundred stories and seven-hundred poems of raw power and unbridled emotion" and is especially noted for his memorable depictions of "a sombre universe of swashbuckling adventure and darkling horror."
He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.
—Wikipedia
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.
—Wikipedia
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
August 10, 2011
For some time now I’ve had the vague idea that I’ve “read” Robert E. Howard. Oh, I’ve read most of the Conan stuff, as well as several stories. But after a weekend of reading Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors, it’s clear I’ve got a ways to go. I ran across this 1987 gem in a used bookstore, and I was intrigued right away. Other than the oft anthologized “Pigeons from Hell” (which is not a Cthulhu story), I didn’t really note any stories that I had read before (as it turns out there was one). Prefacing the collection was a too-brief, but perceptive, introduction by David Drake. In fact, it’s fairly hard hitting, stating that for all of the blood and thunder in his fiction, Howard was a fragile man, one who tried suicide at the death of his dog, and who would in fact do the deed with his mother’s fatal illness.
Drake doesn’t spend much time discussing Lovecraft, but does mention that Howard’s pulpy world was a mask for a dark worldview. But that’s probably all that is needed. What follows are many Cthulhu related stories that are as good as anything Howard wrote. What’s interesting is how Howard takes another man’s creation (Lovecraft’s Mythos), and makes it his own. There’s some wonderful atmosphere and dread – Lovecraft strengths, married up with Hot Damn Howard action. Also interesting is how Howard set out to create his own subset of the Mythos, complete with his mad poet, and a particular focus on Tsathoggua (the nasty frog thing).
There are a few other stories related to ghosts and black magic, but this book is overwhelmingly Mythos related. It's also one of the best books I’ve read this year, and one that quickly goes on my “Treasured Finds” shelf. These stories are probably available in more recent reprints (The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard being one), but this particular edition has a focus that really makes it special. Also, it has a few poems by REH. My favorite on that front (despite a glaring typo) was “Silence Falls on Mecca’s Walls.” Clearly, he was a big fan of Kipling, and it shows. Not a bad thing, especially when it takes a Weird Tales direction. A few notes on the stories below:
“The Black Stone.” Set in eastern Europe, this one was clearly influenced by Stoker. Turkish raids on an evil town, the search for ancient stone, the writings of a mad man, and a night time dance before a demon. Also reminded me of the John Silence stories by Blackwood. Whoa!
“The Fire of Asshurbhal.” Sort of an Indiana Jones meets Cthluhu story. American adventurer and his faithful Afghan guide battle nasty Arabs in a demon haunted city. Excellent.
“The Thing on the Roof.” A jewel or carving that should not have been brought back from the jungles of Yucatan. Terrific.
“Dig Me No Grave.” This story reminded me a bit of M.R. James, with a character that’s obviously using Aleister Crowley as a model. Black magic, deals with demons, and other horrible things. Excellent.
“The Valley of the Worm.” The first of several “worm” stories in this book. Also the first of the sword and sorcery efforts in the collection. Here we have the (reincarnated) account of Niord and the Worm. As Niord tells it, Beowulf learned it all from him. A hideous valley with a secret, and an ass kicking hero.
“The Shadow of the Beast.” This one involves an abandoned house in the “piney” woods, and a bad man who should not have hid there. Weakest story in the collection, and probably an early attempt at what would become “Pigeons From Hell.” It’s not a bad story, but given the company in the collection, definitely not on the same level. Non-Mythos story.
“Old Garfield’s Heart.” A story with a western setting, which involves a bully, an Indian magician, and a very old man who doesn’t look that way. I liked this. It’s not great Howard, but it’s pretty good. Non-Mythos story.
“People of the Dark.” Bizarre and crowded story that involves reincarnation, revenge, Conan, and a running battle in a cave with Descent like creatures. I had read this before. Pretty good.
“Worms of the Earth.” A Bran Mak Morn story. A long, and seemingly convoluted story, that involves the Pictish King on a mission of vengeance against a Roman governor. This one has it all. Black magic, revenge (and its limits), and sword play. One of my favorite stories in the collection. Excellent. I need to read more Bran Mak Morn. A lot like Conan, but a bit subtler.
“Pigeons From Hell.” A nasty horrible haunted house story set in the South. One of Howard’s best stories, and one that also illustrates Howard’s pulpish range. I’ll say no more.
Cover Art: 3 1/2 stars.
Drake doesn’t spend much time discussing Lovecraft, but does mention that Howard’s pulpy world was a mask for a dark worldview. But that’s probably all that is needed. What follows are many Cthulhu related stories that are as good as anything Howard wrote. What’s interesting is how Howard takes another man’s creation (Lovecraft’s Mythos), and makes it his own. There’s some wonderful atmosphere and dread – Lovecraft strengths, married up with Hot Damn Howard action. Also interesting is how Howard set out to create his own subset of the Mythos, complete with his mad poet, and a particular focus on Tsathoggua (the nasty frog thing).
There are a few other stories related to ghosts and black magic, but this book is overwhelmingly Mythos related. It's also one of the best books I’ve read this year, and one that quickly goes on my “Treasured Finds” shelf. These stories are probably available in more recent reprints (The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard being one), but this particular edition has a focus that really makes it special. Also, it has a few poems by REH. My favorite on that front (despite a glaring typo) was “Silence Falls on Mecca’s Walls.” Clearly, he was a big fan of Kipling, and it shows. Not a bad thing, especially when it takes a Weird Tales direction. A few notes on the stories below:
“The Black Stone.” Set in eastern Europe, this one was clearly influenced by Stoker. Turkish raids on an evil town, the search for ancient stone, the writings of a mad man, and a night time dance before a demon. Also reminded me of the John Silence stories by Blackwood. Whoa!
“The Fire of Asshurbhal.” Sort of an Indiana Jones meets Cthluhu story. American adventurer and his faithful Afghan guide battle nasty Arabs in a demon haunted city. Excellent.
“The Thing on the Roof.” A jewel or carving that should not have been brought back from the jungles of Yucatan. Terrific.
“Dig Me No Grave.” This story reminded me a bit of M.R. James, with a character that’s obviously using Aleister Crowley as a model. Black magic, deals with demons, and other horrible things. Excellent.
“The Valley of the Worm.” The first of several “worm” stories in this book. Also the first of the sword and sorcery efforts in the collection. Here we have the (reincarnated) account of Niord and the Worm. As Niord tells it, Beowulf learned it all from him. A hideous valley with a secret, and an ass kicking hero.
“The Shadow of the Beast.” This one involves an abandoned house in the “piney” woods, and a bad man who should not have hid there. Weakest story in the collection, and probably an early attempt at what would become “Pigeons From Hell.” It’s not a bad story, but given the company in the collection, definitely not on the same level. Non-Mythos story.
“Old Garfield’s Heart.” A story with a western setting, which involves a bully, an Indian magician, and a very old man who doesn’t look that way. I liked this. It’s not great Howard, but it’s pretty good. Non-Mythos story.
“People of the Dark.” Bizarre and crowded story that involves reincarnation, revenge, Conan, and a running battle in a cave with Descent like creatures. I had read this before. Pretty good.
“Worms of the Earth.” A Bran Mak Morn story. A long, and seemingly convoluted story, that involves the Pictish King on a mission of vengeance against a Roman governor. This one has it all. Black magic, revenge (and its limits), and sword play. One of my favorite stories in the collection. Excellent. I need to read more Bran Mak Morn. A lot like Conan, but a bit subtler.
“Pigeons From Hell.” A nasty horrible haunted house story set in the South. One of Howard’s best stories, and one that also illustrates Howard’s pulpish range. I’ll say no more.
Cover Art: 3 1/2 stars.
October 22, 2021
This is a collection of Howard's best horror stories, many of them part of (or at least adjacent to) the Cthulhu Mythos, and they stand as testament to Howard's place in Lovecraft's circle. David Drake edited the volume, and provides an excellent introduction. Most of the stories appeared in Weird Tales magazine in the early 1930's, though he included a few poems and stories that appeared posthumously. As Drake discusses, Howard was a victim of his time and place and some of the pieces are diminished by racist attitudes. Among the best here are Worms of the Earth, People of the Dark, The Black Stone, and the classic Pigeons From Hell. Howard will forever be primarily remembered for his adventure characters, but he was also one of the premiere short-form horror writers, as this collection ably shows.
January 9, 2025
Robert E. Howard was a pulp writer, best known for his creation of Conan the Barbarian. He was, also, a contemporary and friend of H.P. Lovecraft. They never met in person, but for several years they carried on a correspondence through letters.
Howard published many stories before his untimely death by suicide at the age of 30. Many of those stories were published in the magazine Weird Tales, and among those stories were Lovecraft-inspired cosmic horror tales involving Lovecraft's pantheon of evil gods.
In 1987, Baen Books published a collection of Howard's Lovecraftian short stories, "Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors", edited by David Drake. It collects a wide variety of Howard's best stories and poems published in Weird Tales throughout the 1930s.
Like Lovecraft, most of Howard's writing was more fun than good, although Howard probably had a better grasp of character development than Lovecraft. He even included female characters occasionally, something noticeably absent from most Lovecraft stories. Also, Howard wasn't afraid to graphically describe gore, something that Lovecraft often found vulgar and liked to leave to the reader's imagination.
One or two of Howard's stories in this collection may also include a cameo appearance of his beloved loincloth-clad Cimmerian hero...
Howard published many stories before his untimely death by suicide at the age of 30. Many of those stories were published in the magazine Weird Tales, and among those stories were Lovecraft-inspired cosmic horror tales involving Lovecraft's pantheon of evil gods.
In 1987, Baen Books published a collection of Howard's Lovecraftian short stories, "Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors", edited by David Drake. It collects a wide variety of Howard's best stories and poems published in Weird Tales throughout the 1930s.
Like Lovecraft, most of Howard's writing was more fun than good, although Howard probably had a better grasp of character development than Lovecraft. He even included female characters occasionally, something noticeably absent from most Lovecraft stories. Also, Howard wasn't afraid to graphically describe gore, something that Lovecraft often found vulgar and liked to leave to the reader's imagination.
One or two of Howard's stories in this collection may also include a cameo appearance of his beloved loincloth-clad Cimmerian hero...
September 28, 2010
One of my personal letdowns about H.P. Lovecraft was his overt racism in his horror writings. What made me appreciative of this volume was that I was able to read works in the same vein as Lovecraft-indeed, Howard proved to be just as adept at approaching Lovecraft's mythos as was Lovecraft himself-but without the blatant bigotry that undermined Lovecraft's genius. Howard manages to appropriate the language and atmosphere of Lovecraft's "cosmic horror" with fidelity and articulation. I highly recommend this short volume to dedicated Howard/Lovecraft fan's and the uninitiated alike.
February 13, 2016
An excellent collection of the Howard stories related to H. P. Lovecrafts mythos. I am usually more a fan of Howard's action stories but these were very good reads. Very recommended
September 27, 2019
There is a lot of good stuff here, and you know it's good since it all gets collected so often.
The only ones I think were new to me here were “The Shadow of the Beast” and “Old Garfield's Heart”. “Beast” is a ghost story, the twist being that it is not the ghost of a human being, and falls into the category of “creepy abandoned house with an evil history” as well as the classic Howard “it's night in the pines and angry guy wants another guy's blood”. “Heart” also runs along typical supernatural Howard lines with the immortal guy with decades of memories and mystical stuff.
“People of the Dark” and “Valley of the Worm” have past lives themes and alien monsters, “Worms of the Earth” has Bran Mak Morn and shadowy underground people things and a witch, “Dig Me No Grave” has another immortal guy and possibly the devil, “The Fire of Asshurbanipal” has Middle Eastern adventure and a demon gem, and “The Black Stone” is reprinted too often (find it just about anywhere with Clark Ashton Smith's “Return of the Sorcerer”).
“Pigeons from Hell” I've read before too, but it is still a freakin awesome horror with an abandoned house and voodoo. Really scary shit on this one. Your murdered friend just stood back up and he's coming after you!
As usual with these collections, three poems are included to pad things out.
The “Cthulhu” title is perhaps a little misleading, since not all the tales contain Lovecraft elements. Oddly enough, you find those more often in the Conan type stories. Although, Howard is a wonderful horror trip for anyone who likes Lovecraft's sphere by finds the man himself too stuffy. These angry protagonists might not have been looking for unspeakable shadowy horror, but they'll try and lick it with bare fists anyhow.
The only ones I think were new to me here were “The Shadow of the Beast” and “Old Garfield's Heart”. “Beast” is a ghost story, the twist being that it is not the ghost of a human being, and falls into the category of “creepy abandoned house with an evil history” as well as the classic Howard “it's night in the pines and angry guy wants another guy's blood”. “Heart” also runs along typical supernatural Howard lines with the immortal guy with decades of memories and mystical stuff.
“People of the Dark” and “Valley of the Worm” have past lives themes and alien monsters, “Worms of the Earth” has Bran Mak Morn and shadowy underground people things and a witch, “Dig Me No Grave” has another immortal guy and possibly the devil, “The Fire of Asshurbanipal” has Middle Eastern adventure and a demon gem, and “The Black Stone” is reprinted too often (find it just about anywhere with Clark Ashton Smith's “Return of the Sorcerer”).
“Pigeons from Hell” I've read before too, but it is still a freakin awesome horror with an abandoned house and voodoo. Really scary shit on this one. Your murdered friend just stood back up and he's coming after you!
As usual with these collections, three poems are included to pad things out.
The “Cthulhu” title is perhaps a little misleading, since not all the tales contain Lovecraft elements. Oddly enough, you find those more often in the Conan type stories. Although, Howard is a wonderful horror trip for anyone who likes Lovecraft's sphere by finds the man himself too stuffy. These angry protagonists might not have been looking for unspeakable shadowy horror, but they'll try and lick it with bare fists anyhow.
May 29, 2021
A collection of Robert E. Howard horror stories. Included are his better known “Pigeons from Hell” and “Worms of the Earth” but several other lesser known chillers as well. All have a pulp-era nostalgia to them, but all are fairly effective, even today. Recommended to the pulp-era horror enthusiast or REH completist.
July 17, 2008
I'm putting this in fantasy to hang out with the rest of the Robert E. Howard stuff on my list. It's a collection of short stories influenced by or involving the Cthulhu Mythos of H. P. Lovecraft. As contemporaries, Howard and Lovecraft often played off of each other's work in their own stories. Howard really put himself into these tales, though, making them unique within the Mythos stories. "The Black Stone" is the most powerful tale here.
December 31, 2008
A collection of the stories that Robert E. Howard wrote that used and extended the Cthulhu mythos ideas of H. P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft invited other writers to use his tropes and Howard did so to great effect in these stories, especially in "The Black Stone." This also contains "Pigeons from Hell," Howard's best horror story, and "The Valley of the Worm," one of his best ever fantasy stories.
March 6, 2009
In some of the stories, Howard seems out of his depth in another's world. Some of the stand-outs are The Black Stone, The Valley of the Worm, People of the Dark, and Worms of the Earth. Valley and People are great reading in the vein of the Conan stories, with Worms mixing Howard's Bran Mak Morn with Lovecraft's universe.
February 14, 2009
A good though somewhat small collection of Howard's horror works.
February 24, 2009
This book is worth having for the cover alone. It's a wonderful, almost Alien image of a statue of cthulhu by Stephen Hickman.
August 13, 2017
Robert E. Howard working in Lovecraft's yard. If you're a fan of either, you will enjoy this.
April 26, 2022
This is my first venture into the works of Robert E. Howard, and this happens to be a collection of his short stories that contribute to Lovecraft's Cthulu Mythos. While the stories in this collection are often connected to Lovecraftian horror in reference, the style of storytelling here is very different. These are all very pulpy and action-oriented stories, some of them even having some gory details. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the writing style. In each of the tales, Howard drops us right into the middle of the action without much surrounding context. While characters in short stories don't typically have the depth of those in a novel, the characters in here are literally names on a page. Half the time I felt like I didn't have a full understanding of what was going on. However, there were a couple of stories I enjoyed, my favorite being The Valley of the Worm. In this tale, there is a brutal, bloody battle between two European tribes - they end up joining forces, and after many of them falling victim to a fabled giant, white worm, our main character sets out to kill the legendary beast. There's tons of pulpy action and violence in this story, and it was awesome!
The other story I liked was the very last in the book: Pigeons From Hell. This one deals with an old, haunted plantation house in the south. There's a family mystery involving a mass suicide, and voodoo magic. This story managed to offer up some, albeit cheap, entertaining thrills. I should note that there are quite a few racial slurs in this story, but it's accurate to the time and setting in which it takes place.
Overall I'm glad I read this collection and finally got to read one of the classic icons of pulp fiction, Robert E. Howard, but only two out of ten stories enjoyed (not including the three short poems) is a pretty low ratio and I can't see myself seeking out further work by him in the future.
* 2.5 / 5 *
The other story I liked was the very last in the book: Pigeons From Hell. This one deals with an old, haunted plantation house in the south. There's a family mystery involving a mass suicide, and voodoo magic. This story managed to offer up some, albeit cheap, entertaining thrills. I should note that there are quite a few racial slurs in this story, but it's accurate to the time and setting in which it takes place.
Overall I'm glad I read this collection and finally got to read one of the classic icons of pulp fiction, Robert E. Howard, but only two out of ten stories enjoyed (not including the three short poems) is a pretty low ratio and I can't see myself seeking out further work by him in the future.
* 2.5 / 5 *
November 1, 2018
Robert E Howard writing Cthulhu stories. No need to say more!
May 24, 2009
This is a fine anthology of Howard's horror stories, all of them Lovecraftian in tone. Actually, there are three great little poems collected here as well - ARKHAM, SILENCE FALLS ON MECCA'S WALLS and AN OPEN WINDOW - and they pad out the anthology nicely.
Of the stories, OLD GARFIELD'S HEART is a straightforward bit of pulp horror about a heart that keeps beating after death. Nothing too unusual here. Similarly, DIG ME NO GRAVE is a southern gothic, a story of fire and brimstone and the selling of one's soul to the devil. THE SHADOW OF THE BEAST is a nice action-horror story with plenty of hunter-vs-hunted interplay. PEOPLE OF THE DARK is an odd story, one of Howard's time-travel efforts, in which a modern-day American suffers a bump on the head and finds himself reliving his past as 'Conan the Gael'. Troglodytes are the threat.
This leaves the following classic stories:
THE BLACK STONE - a cursed monolith is the backdrop for an unpleasant story of of human sacrifice.
THE FIRE OF ASSHURBANIPAL - an Arabian adventure with two written endings. The original is worthwhile, but the rewrite, found here, is my favourite, throwing a nameless Cthuloid monstrosity into the mix.
THE THING ON THE ROOF - a hulking toad-beast supplies the terror in a thoroughly effective little Lovecraftian effort.
THE VALLEY OF THE WORM - arguably the author's best work of supernatural horror. An ancient Aryan warrior called Niord battles the vicious Picts before discovering true horror in the mysterious Valley of the Broken Stones. Top notch writing here.
WORMS OF THE EARTH - one of the Bran Mak Morn stories and another true classic. This time, the Picts are the good guys, the Romans the enemy, and this is a grisly tale of the ancient serpent-men living beneath the moors of Britain.
PIGEONS FROM HELL - zombies, curses and hatchets in the head. A rather silly title, but Howard's offbeat rendering of his curse storyline makes this another favourite. Strong stuff, just the way I like it.
So, all in all you have a lovely little collection that will appeal to fans of Howard, Lovecraft and pulp horror alike.
Of the stories, OLD GARFIELD'S HEART is a straightforward bit of pulp horror about a heart that keeps beating after death. Nothing too unusual here. Similarly, DIG ME NO GRAVE is a southern gothic, a story of fire and brimstone and the selling of one's soul to the devil. THE SHADOW OF THE BEAST is a nice action-horror story with plenty of hunter-vs-hunted interplay. PEOPLE OF THE DARK is an odd story, one of Howard's time-travel efforts, in which a modern-day American suffers a bump on the head and finds himself reliving his past as 'Conan the Gael'. Troglodytes are the threat.
This leaves the following classic stories:
THE BLACK STONE - a cursed monolith is the backdrop for an unpleasant story of of human sacrifice.
THE FIRE OF ASSHURBANIPAL - an Arabian adventure with two written endings. The original is worthwhile, but the rewrite, found here, is my favourite, throwing a nameless Cthuloid monstrosity into the mix.
THE THING ON THE ROOF - a hulking toad-beast supplies the terror in a thoroughly effective little Lovecraftian effort.
THE VALLEY OF THE WORM - arguably the author's best work of supernatural horror. An ancient Aryan warrior called Niord battles the vicious Picts before discovering true horror in the mysterious Valley of the Broken Stones. Top notch writing here.
WORMS OF THE EARTH - one of the Bran Mak Morn stories and another true classic. This time, the Picts are the good guys, the Romans the enemy, and this is a grisly tale of the ancient serpent-men living beneath the moors of Britain.
PIGEONS FROM HELL - zombies, curses and hatchets in the head. A rather silly title, but Howard's offbeat rendering of his curse storyline makes this another favourite. Strong stuff, just the way I like it.
So, all in all you have a lovely little collection that will appeal to fans of Howard, Lovecraft and pulp horror alike.
October 20, 2008
A foray into his friend Lovecraft's invention. Not bad... probably would have been better with more stories, and continuing correspondence with Lovecraft.
May 18, 2025
Cthulhu The Mythos and Kindred Horror
• “The Back Stone” – (4/5) This is a solid mythos story. The imagery of the monolith and the castle-like hill it sat on was perfect. The spectral ceremony witnessed by the main character was truly grotesque and disturbing. The possible surprise appearance of Tsathoggua was a nice bonus.
• “The Fire of Asshurbanipal” – (5/5) An awesome story that is equal parts H P Lovecraft and Raiders of the Lost Ark, this Howard tale delivers great scares and action-packed adventure. Whether our heroes were fighting against the harsh desert or sinister Arabs, there was barely any moment of down time in this story; and on the occasion when Howard did allow the characters some quiet, it was the horrifying eerie silence of that cursed dead city.
• “The Thing on the Roof” – (5/5) An awesome story that features a man who explores unknown Mesoamerican ruins and finds a terrifying mummy and peculiar gemstone within. The disappearance of the ghoulish mummy only hinted at the horror to follow when the dark god of the high priest pursues the man who took his gem.
• “Dig Me No Grave” – (5/5) A solid Lovecraftian tale featuring the death of the centuries-old occultist John Grimlan and the strange funerary rites the protagonists must carry out per his will. The slow reveal of the depth of Grimlan’s occult knowledge and evil was effective, as was the climax when the final candle was blown out and the protagonists were in pitch blackness with the demonic host.
• “Silence Falls on Mecca’s Walls” – (4/5) a poem dripping with vivid imagery and interesting references to Egypt and Arabia.
• “The Valley of the Worm” – (4/5) This is an interesting tale set in a lost era of ancient history and follows an Aryan warrior, who after befriending a Pict warrior he spared in battle, is made aware of the latter’s fear of a mysterious valley home to a lake, a ruined stone city, and a terrifying wormlike elder god. The mysterious nature of the dweller of the valley near the beginning of the tale was very effective, especially after the Aryan tribe that settled there was found slaughtered. The atmosphere of the stone ruins in the quiet, remote valley was effective and the mystery of the builders of the strange stone columns and ancient ruins was captivating.
• “The Shadow of the Beast” – (4/5) This tale was mostly very good with an excellent hook: a posse is formed to hunt down a black man who tried to assault the protagonist’s girl and while searching, the protagonist decides to search a derelict mansion with a spooky history. The mansion and scenes within its walls were effective, as was the terrifying shadowy monster. The story only loses points because once you learn that it is actually the ghost of a gorilla haunting the house, it loses most of its seriousness.
• “Old Garfield’s Heart” – (4.5/5) A short and simple story about a seemingly immortal man and the strange story about his unnatural heart. The idea of his heart being borrowed from a god was memorable. I also liked the mystery surrounding the character of Ghost Man, and left the story wanting to know more about him. Was he alive? Dead? Never a real human, but an owl or skinwalker the whole time?
• “People of the Dark” – (5/5) Great story that includes several trappings of a good Howard story: terrifying little people, dark subterranean passages, prehistoric tribal lore, and reincarnation/past lives. This story seems to be the introduction to Conan, who seeks to steal a rival tribe’s woman, but ends up teaming up with the rival tribesman to survive the horrifying underground. The symmetrical natures of both the tale set in the distant past and the tale set in the present was intriguing to the very last line.
• “Worms of the Earth” – (5/5) A great story that incorporates Howard’s terrifying little people in an Imperial Roman setting. A barbarian king desires revenge on Sulla and the other Romans for crucifying his tribesman and ends up banging a half breed witch for information on the location of the little people’s black stone. The decimation the subterranean dwarves exacted on the Romans was downright horrifying.
• “Pigeons from Hell” – (5/5) Absolutely phenomenal story, with the opening section being absolutely riveting. The atmosphere of the abandoned plantation house coupled with the dreamlike suggestions of something wrong, namely the horrifying yellow face peering from the stair banister in the darkness, followed by the undead corpse of the narrator’s companion attempting to hack him to death with an axe all compounded to form an unforgettable prologue. The rest of the story, while slightly less scary than the opening due to the reassuring presence of the sheriff, delivered plenty of more memorable scenes, namely the creepy barefoot footprints in the dust and the macabre hanging corpses in the secret room.
• “An Open Window” – (3/5) A very short poem that describes an immense being, perhaps Azathoth, existing behind the time and space.
• “The Back Stone” – (4/5) This is a solid mythos story. The imagery of the monolith and the castle-like hill it sat on was perfect. The spectral ceremony witnessed by the main character was truly grotesque and disturbing. The possible surprise appearance of Tsathoggua was a nice bonus.
• “The Fire of Asshurbanipal” – (5/5) An awesome story that is equal parts H P Lovecraft and Raiders of the Lost Ark, this Howard tale delivers great scares and action-packed adventure. Whether our heroes were fighting against the harsh desert or sinister Arabs, there was barely any moment of down time in this story; and on the occasion when Howard did allow the characters some quiet, it was the horrifying eerie silence of that cursed dead city.
• “The Thing on the Roof” – (5/5) An awesome story that features a man who explores unknown Mesoamerican ruins and finds a terrifying mummy and peculiar gemstone within. The disappearance of the ghoulish mummy only hinted at the horror to follow when the dark god of the high priest pursues the man who took his gem.
• “Dig Me No Grave” – (5/5) A solid Lovecraftian tale featuring the death of the centuries-old occultist John Grimlan and the strange funerary rites the protagonists must carry out per his will. The slow reveal of the depth of Grimlan’s occult knowledge and evil was effective, as was the climax when the final candle was blown out and the protagonists were in pitch blackness with the demonic host.
• “Silence Falls on Mecca’s Walls” – (4/5) a poem dripping with vivid imagery and interesting references to Egypt and Arabia.
• “The Valley of the Worm” – (4/5) This is an interesting tale set in a lost era of ancient history and follows an Aryan warrior, who after befriending a Pict warrior he spared in battle, is made aware of the latter’s fear of a mysterious valley home to a lake, a ruined stone city, and a terrifying wormlike elder god. The mysterious nature of the dweller of the valley near the beginning of the tale was very effective, especially after the Aryan tribe that settled there was found slaughtered. The atmosphere of the stone ruins in the quiet, remote valley was effective and the mystery of the builders of the strange stone columns and ancient ruins was captivating.
• “The Shadow of the Beast” – (4/5) This tale was mostly very good with an excellent hook: a posse is formed to hunt down a black man who tried to assault the protagonist’s girl and while searching, the protagonist decides to search a derelict mansion with a spooky history. The mansion and scenes within its walls were effective, as was the terrifying shadowy monster. The story only loses points because once you learn that it is actually the ghost of a gorilla haunting the house, it loses most of its seriousness.
• “Old Garfield’s Heart” – (4.5/5) A short and simple story about a seemingly immortal man and the strange story about his unnatural heart. The idea of his heart being borrowed from a god was memorable. I also liked the mystery surrounding the character of Ghost Man, and left the story wanting to know more about him. Was he alive? Dead? Never a real human, but an owl or skinwalker the whole time?
• “People of the Dark” – (5/5) Great story that includes several trappings of a good Howard story: terrifying little people, dark subterranean passages, prehistoric tribal lore, and reincarnation/past lives. This story seems to be the introduction to Conan, who seeks to steal a rival tribe’s woman, but ends up teaming up with the rival tribesman to survive the horrifying underground. The symmetrical natures of both the tale set in the distant past and the tale set in the present was intriguing to the very last line.
• “Worms of the Earth” – (5/5) A great story that incorporates Howard’s terrifying little people in an Imperial Roman setting. A barbarian king desires revenge on Sulla and the other Romans for crucifying his tribesman and ends up banging a half breed witch for information on the location of the little people’s black stone. The decimation the subterranean dwarves exacted on the Romans was downright horrifying.
• “Pigeons from Hell” – (5/5) Absolutely phenomenal story, with the opening section being absolutely riveting. The atmosphere of the abandoned plantation house coupled with the dreamlike suggestions of something wrong, namely the horrifying yellow face peering from the stair banister in the darkness, followed by the undead corpse of the narrator’s companion attempting to hack him to death with an axe all compounded to form an unforgettable prologue. The rest of the story, while slightly less scary than the opening due to the reassuring presence of the sheriff, delivered plenty of more memorable scenes, namely the creepy barefoot footprints in the dust and the macabre hanging corpses in the secret room.
• “An Open Window” – (3/5) A very short poem that describes an immense being, perhaps Azathoth, existing behind the time and space.
September 7, 2019
A collection of short stories from Weird Tales. Would fit right in if they came on TV and were introduced by the Cryptkeeper. They cover many time periods, from Ancient Rome to modern times(early 1900s), and many genres, including several haunted house stories, some witchery, and some sword and sorcery tales. Most are decent, some are very good.
The connection to the Cthulhu Mythos is fleeting at best. Mostly some name dropping is done and then the story proceeds apace without further reference. Clearly not written by H.P. Lovecraft, they are not all easily identified as Robert E. Howard. REH was known for changing his writing style to meet his material and with the differing stories this can be seen. A good selection of horror stories, and really good when compared to what usually ran in Weird Tales.
The connection to the Cthulhu Mythos is fleeting at best. Mostly some name dropping is done and then the story proceeds apace without further reference. Clearly not written by H.P. Lovecraft, they are not all easily identified as Robert E. Howard. REH was known for changing his writing style to meet his material and with the differing stories this can be seen. A good selection of horror stories, and really good when compared to what usually ran in Weird Tales.
December 26, 2022
This book is a true guilty pleasure. Imagine that the father of Conan the Barbarian ventures into cosmic horror territory. This book will deliver exactly what you have just imagined.
- Great old ones, forgotten gods, inbred, forgotten, swamp-dwelling mutants, people going mad encountering them - ✅
- Swords and guns - ✅
- An awful lot of graphic physical violence - ✅
- Absurd amount of racism - ✅
Worth spending some time with the last one: in this book the supposed genetical heritage of a character (i.e. being of good, "clean-blooded" stock or of a lesser, """Mongolian""" breed) is as an integral part of their description as the colour of their hair, their eyes, or what they are wearing. After a few dozen pages it tips over and goes from absurd to funny in a rather Monty Pythonesque way.
- Great old ones, forgotten gods, inbred, forgotten, swamp-dwelling mutants, people going mad encountering them - ✅
- Swords and guns - ✅
- An awful lot of graphic physical violence - ✅
- Absurd amount of racism - ✅
Worth spending some time with the last one: in this book the supposed genetical heritage of a character (i.e. being of good, "clean-blooded" stock or of a lesser, """Mongolian""" breed) is as an integral part of their description as the colour of their hair, their eyes, or what they are wearing. After a few dozen pages it tips over and goes from absurd to funny in a rather Monty Pythonesque way.
May 22, 2023
This collection of short stories takes place in the universe of the ‘Cthulhu mythos’, where mankind is only a small and insignificant part of a universe ruled over by ageless, incredibly powerful and frightening beings.
Howard borrows directly from HP Lovecraft’s style, and does a good job of replicating the horror and mystery in his stories. He does add his own touch, though - as his heroes are for the most part men of action, not men of science as is typical in Lovecraft. From the ancient warrior Niord to the modern adventurer Steve Clarney, they are almost all entertaining characters. Some of the settings are different as well, as Howard uses Middle Eastern deserts and the American south instead of gloomy New England. I really enjoyed this book and consider it a worthy continuation of HPL’s tradition.
Howard borrows directly from HP Lovecraft’s style, and does a good job of replicating the horror and mystery in his stories. He does add his own touch, though - as his heroes are for the most part men of action, not men of science as is typical in Lovecraft. From the ancient warrior Niord to the modern adventurer Steve Clarney, they are almost all entertaining characters. Some of the settings are different as well, as Howard uses Middle Eastern deserts and the American south instead of gloomy New England. I really enjoyed this book and consider it a worthy continuation of HPL’s tradition.
June 9, 2023
A collection of stories from the creator of Conan. Like most stories inspired by Lovecraft, many of them follow the pattern of "White guy hears about ancient building/artifact. White guy ignores all advice and lore warning him to stay the hell away from it, cause non-white people are ignorant superstitious savages. White guy almost gets face eaten off by eldritch horror that looks like a frog. White guy soils himself and barely gets out alive."
I kid. There are some interesting stories in here but, damn, most of the protagonists are dismissive of people of color. One of the stories, "Pigeons From Hell" drops the N-word a lot.
I can't say whether REH was racist or just a product of his environment.
I can't say whether you would enjoy this book or be turned off by it.
If you can tolerate the low-level racism and xenophobia in Lovecraft, you could tolerate this.
I kid. There are some interesting stories in here but, damn, most of the protagonists are dismissive of people of color. One of the stories, "Pigeons From Hell" drops the N-word a lot.
I can't say whether REH was racist or just a product of his environment.
I can't say whether you would enjoy this book or be turned off by it.
If you can tolerate the low-level racism and xenophobia in Lovecraft, you could tolerate this.
January 26, 2021
An excellent collection of weird tales that successfully explore the world of Lovecraftian horror. In a couple of stories Howard goes into his Conan mode and sets these tales in a legendary primeval past (there is even one set in Roman-occupied Britain), but in the most successful he stays in the what was then the present day, often in his native Texas. Howard was an excellent writer and at times surpasses Lovecraft in his evocation of unspeakable horror. Despite the title, there are no stories specifically about the great Cthulu, and Howard more often contents himself with vague references to the "old ones." Like Lovecraft, though, Howard seems sometimes racist in his praise of his blue-eyed, fair-skinned Aryan and Pict heroes as they overcome members of "inferior" races.
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June 23, 2025Solid horror stories from REH. There are some tie-ins to the "Mythos" of HPL but it's mostly not foregrounded in the way you might expect as a Lovecraft purist. Also, the stories, though horrific and involving haunted temples and haunted houses and so on, are somewhat action stories, pulpier and brawnier than a typical HLP type story, but there's nothing wrong with that on it's own terms. I felt like the collection got stronger as it went along, the last three stories were the best in my opinion, with the exception perhaps of the Fire of Asshurbanipal, a fun little Indy meets Conan piece. A must for REH completists and well-written horror-inflected stories for those who just like the vintage and classic pulps.
August 11, 2022
Collection of more horror themed stories by Howard (and first collection I've read by him). The most "mythos-esque" stories would be "The Blackstone" and "Worms from the Earth" though there are several others that are quite good.
October 19, 2022
This book was a mix of lows and highs. Worms of the Earth remains one of REH's best. There are plenty of spine-chilling stories. And then there's The Shadow of the Beast and Pigeons from Hell, where R.E. Howard's racism is on full display.
December 23, 2016
He's no Lovecraft, but Robert E. Howard stuff is great fun right up until it gets rapey. Which honestly isn't nearly as often as one might anticipate when they first start reading it.
August 15, 2019
Mostly okay Chulthu mythos-related stories from the Conan and Solomon Kane scribe. The sheer number of n-bombs make the last story, "Pigeons From Hell", not the funnest read.
February 11, 2020
Great work based off of lovecraft. A little slow but fits right in with cthulhu
December 2, 2020
An alright collection. The best story was probably “The Fire of Asshurbanipal”, but my personal favourite was “The Black Stone”. The rest didn’t floor me, but they were okay.
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