Book excerpt: Robert E. Howard was one among the greatest writers of adventure and fantasy stories. In a writing career that thrived for over a period of twelve years, Howard authored more than hundred stories that have been published in various pulp magazines of his time. Howard was responsible for the creation of the sub-genre of this kind of fiction, which is also called heroic fantasy. His character of Conan has been compared to the likes of Tarzan, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Batman and James Bond. This prolific writer was one of the most gifted and skillful storytellers of his time and even to this day, is a highly read author, whose works are still being printed for publication. Till date, his work is inspirational for the new generation of fantasy and adventure writers.In this volume the critic August Nemo selected some if his most interesting stories:Worms of the EarthThe Queen of Black CoastPigeons from HellThe Children of the NightRed NailsThe Twilight of the Grey GodsThe Shadow of the Vulture