Fantasy

Fantastical Tales - The Ultimate Collection of Sword & Sorcery Action-Adventures, Time Travel & Mythical Worlds (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. Sword & Sorcery, Time Travel, and Mythic RealmsBy Robert E. Howard

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Length70h

About this audiobook

Fantastical Tales gathers Robert E. Howard's kinetic visions of sword-and-sorcery adventure, lost ages, time-haunted civilizations, and mythic violence into a sweeping panorama of pulp imagination. Its stories move with muscular urgency: battles are rendered in stark, rhythmic prose, landscapes loom with archaic grandeur, and history dissolves into legend. Situated within the fertile context of early twentieth-century weird fiction, the collection reveals Howard's crucial role in shaping heroic fantasy as a genre of primal conflict, fatalism, and dark wonder. Howard, born in rural Texas in 1906, wrote from the margins of literary respectability yet transformed the pulp magazine into a vessel for enduring myth. His fascination with barbarism, frontier life, ancient cultures, and cycles of rise and decay informed his fictional worlds. Personal isolation, voracious reading, and an intense historical imagination helped produce tales that feel both antiquarian and urgently modern. This collection is recommended for readers seeking the foundations of modern fantasy, admirers of mythic adventure, and scholars of popular literature. It offers not merely escapism, but a fierce meditation on civilization, heroism, and the brutal poetry of imagined worlds. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions. - The Author Biography highlights personal milestones and literary influences that shape the entire body of writing. - A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation. - A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists. - A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths. - Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts. - Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.

Sword & Sorcery Adventure Magic Mythological World Monster Fiction Hero Exploration War & Battle Survival

Audiobook details

GenreFantasy

Length70 hrs

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateNov 1, 2016

LanguageEnglish

1Fantastical Tales - The Ultimate Collection of Sword & Sorcery Action-Adventures, Time Travel & Mythical Worlds (Annotated)

116The Hour of the Dragon (Conan the Conqueror)

2Introduction

117I. — O SLEEPER, AWAKE!

3Author Biography

118II. — THE BLACK WIND BLOWS

4Historical Context

119III. — THE CLIFFS REEL

5Synopsis (Selection)

120IV. — "FROM WHAT HELL HAVE YOU CRAWLED?"

Show all chapters

6'Conan the Barbarian' Saga:

121V. — THE HAUNTER OF THE PITS

7Cimmeria - A Poem

122VI. — THE THRUST OF A KNIFE

8The Hyborian Age

123VII. — THE RENDING OF THE VEIL

9The Frost Giant's Daughter (Gods of the North)

124VIII. — DYING EMBERS

10The God in the Bowl

125IX. — "IT IS THE KING OR HIS GHOST!"

11The Tower of the Elephant

126X. — A COIN FROM ACHERON

12CHAPTER I

127XI. — SWORDS OF THE SOUTH

13CHAPTER II

128XII. — THE FANG OF THE DRAGON

14CHAPTER III

129XIII. — "A GHOST OUT OF THE PAST"

15Rogues in the House

130XIV. — THE BLACK HAND OF SET

16CHAPTER I

131XV. — THE RETURN OF THE CORSAIR

17CHAPTER II

132XVI. — BLACK-WALLED KHEMI

18CHAPTER III

133XVII. — "HE HAS SLAIN THE SACRED SON OF SET!"

19Shadows in the Moonlight (Iron Shadows in the Moon)

134XVIII. — "I AM THE WOMAN WHO NEVER DIED"

20CHAPTER I

135XIX. — IN THE HALL OF THE DEAD

21CHAPTER II

136XX. — OUT OF THE DUST SHALL ACHERON ARISE

22CHAPTER III

137XXI. — DRUMS OF PERIL

23CHAPTER IV

138XXII. — THE ROAD TO ACHERON

24Black Colossus

139The 'Kull' Saga:

25CHAPTER I

140The King and the Oak

26CHAPTER II

141The Shadow Kingdom

27CHAPTER III

1421. A KING COMES RIDING

28CHAPTER IV

1432. THUS SPAKE THE SILENT HALLS OF VALUSIA

29Queen of the Black Coast

1443. THEY THAT WALK THE NIGHT

30I. — CONAN JOINS THE PIRATES

1454. MASKS

31II. — THE BLACK LOTUS

146The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune

32III. — THE HORROR IN THE JUNGLE

147Kings of the Night

33IV. — THE ATTACK FROM THE AIR

148CHAPTER I

34V. — THE FUNERAL PYRE

149CHAPTER II

35The Slithering Shadow (Xuthal of the Dusk)

150CHAPTER III

36CHAPTER I

151The 'Solomon Kane' Saga:

37CHAPTER II

152Red Shadows

38CHAPTER III

153I. — THE COMING OF SOLOMON

39A Witch Shall Be Born

154II. — THE LAIR OF THE WOLF

40I. — THE BLOOD-RED CRESCENT

155III. — THE CHANT OF THE DRUMS

41II. — THE TREE OF DEATH

156IV. — THE BLACK GOD

42III. — A LETTER TO NEMEDIA

157V. — THE END OF THE RED TRAIL

43IV. — WOLVES OF THE DESERT

158Skulls In The Stars

44V. — THE VOICE FROM THE CRYSTAL

159Rattle Of Bones

45VI. — THE VULTURE'S WINGS

160The Moon Of Skulls

46The Devil in Iron

161I. — A MAN COMES SEEKING

47CHAPTER I

162II. — THE PEOPLE OF THE STALKING DEATH

48CHAPTER II

163III. — LILITH

49CHAPTER III

164IV. — DREAMS OF EMPIRE

50CHAPTER IV

165V. — "FOR A THOUSAND YEARS—"

51CHAPTER V

166VI. — THE SHATTERING OF THE SKULL

52CHAPTER VI

167VII. — THE FAITH OF SOLOMON

53The People of the Black Circle

168The Hills Of The Dead

54I. — DEATH STRIKES A KING

169I. — VOODOO

55II. — A BARBARIAN FROM THE HILLS

170II. — RED EYES

56III. — KHEMSA USES MAGIC

171III. — DREAM MAGIC

57IV. — AN ENCOUNTER IN THE PASS

172IV. — THE SILENT CITY

58V. — THE BLACK STALLION

173V. — PALAVER SET!

59VI. — THE MOUNTAIN OF THE BLACK SEERS

174The Footfalls Within

60VII. — ON TO YIMSHA

175Wings In The Night

61VIII. — YASMINA KNOWS STARK TERROR

176I. — THE HORROR ON THE STAKE

62IX. — THE CASTLE OF THE WIZARDS

177II. — THE BATTLE IN THE SKY

63X. — YASMINA AND CONAN

178III. — THE PEOPLE IN THE SHADOW

64Shadows in Zamboula (Man-Eaters of Zamboula)

179IV. — THE MADNESS OF SOLOMON

65I. — A DRUM BEGINS

180V. — THE CONQUEROR

66II. — THE NIGHT SKULKERS

181Solomon Kane's Homecoming — A Poem

67III. — BLACK HANDS GRIPPING

182The 'Bran Mak Morn' Saga:

68IV. — DANCE, GIRL, DANCE!

183Kings Of The Night

69The Pool of the Black One

184CHAPTER 1

70CHAPTER I

185CHAPTER 2

71CHAPTER II

186CHAPTER 3

72CHAPTER III

187Worms Of The Earth

73Beyond the Black River

188CHAPTER 1

74I. — CONAN LOSES HIS AX

189CHAPTER 2

75II. — THE WIZARD OF GWAWELA

190CHAPTER 3

76III. — THE CRAWLERS IN THE DARK

191CHAPTER 4

77IV. — THE BEASTS OF ZOGAR SAG

192CHAPTER 5

78V. — THE CHILDREN OF JHEBBAL SAG

193CHAPTER 6

79VI. — RED AXES OF THE BORDERthe Black River

194The Children Of The Night

80VII. — THE DEVIL IN THE FIRE

195The 'Turlogh Dubh O'Brien' Saga:

81VIII. — CONAJOHARA NO MORE

196The Dark Man

82The Black Stranger

197The Gods Of Bal-Sagoth

83I. — THE PAINTED MEN

1981. STEEL IN THE STORM

84II. — MEN FROM THE SEA

1992. GODS FROM THE ABYSS

85III. — THE COMING OF THE BLACK MAN

2003. THE FALL OF THE GODS

86IV. — A BLACK DRUM DRONING

2014. EMPIRE

87V. — A MAN FROM THE WILDERNESS

202The 'James Allison' Saga:

88VI. — THE PLUNDER OF THE DEAD

203The Valley Of The Worm

89VIII. — MEN OF THE WOODS

204The Garden Of Fear

90VIII. — A PIRATE RETURNS TO THE SEA

205Almuric

91Red Nails

206FOREWORD

92I. — THE SKULL ON THE CRAG

207CHAPTER 1

93II. — BY THE BLAZE OF THE FIRE JEWELS

208CHAPTER 2

94III. — THE PEOPLE OF THE FEUD

209CHAPTER 3

95IV. — SCENT OF BLACK LOTUS

210CHAPTER 4

96V. — TWENTY RED NAILS

211CHAPTER 5

97VI. — THE EYES OF TASCELA

212CHAPTER 6

98VII. — HE COMES FROM THE DARK

213CHAPTER 7

99Jewels of Gwahlur (The Teeth of Gwahlur)

214CHAPTER 8

100I. — PATHS OF INTRIGUE

215CHAPTER 9

101II. — A GODDESS AWAKENS

216CHAPTER 10

102III. — THE RETURN OF THE ORACLE

217CHAPTER 11

103IV. — THE TEETH OF GWAHLUR

218CHAPTER 12

104The Phoenix on the Sword

219People of the Dark

105CHAPTER I

220Black Canaan

106CHAPTER II

2211. CALL FROM CANAAN

107CHAPTER III

2222. THE STRANGER ON TULAROOSA

108CHAPTER IV

2233. SHADOWS OVER CANAAN

109CHAPTER V

2244. THE DWELLERS IN THE SWAMP

110The Scarlet Citadel

225Spear and Fang

111CHAPTER I

226The Voice of El-Lil

112CHAPTER II

227Witch from Hell's Kitchen

113CHAPTER III

228Analysis

114CHAPTER IV

229Reflection

115CHAPTER V

230Memorable Quotes

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Fantastical Tales - The Ultimate Collection of Sword & Sorcery Action-Adventures, Time Travel & Mythical Worlds (Annotated)

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