From boy-thief to pirate, mercenary and outlaw, ultimately becoming King of Aquilonia, Conan carved a red swathe through lost cities and unexplored jungles, facing hideous horrors or supernatural menaces with nothing more than a sharp sword in his hand and a beautiful woman at his side. Collected together here in the chronological order they were first published are Robert E. Howard's definitive stories of Conan, exactly as he wrote them, as fresh, atmospheric and vibrant today as they were when they originally appeared in the pulp magazines of more than seventy years ago.

    Series editors Scott Conners and Ronald S. Hilger excavated the still-existing manuscripts, letters and various published versions of the stories, creating a definitive "preferred text" for Smith's entire body of work. This first volume of the series, brings together 25 of his fantasy stories, written between 1925 and 1930, including such classics as "The Abominations of Yondo," "The Monster of the Prophecy," "The Last Incantation" and the title story.

    Howard, creator of Conan, King Kull, and others that defined heroic fantasy, lived and died in the small town of Cross Plains, Texas. While his books remain in print, Howard himself has fallen into obscurity, his life mired in speculation and half-truth. This engaging biography traces the roots of his writings, correcting long-standing misconceptions, and offers a tour of Howard's world as he saw it: through his own incomparable imagination.

    Howard’s favorite writers. Here at last is every pulse-pounding, action-packed story of Lamb’s greatest hero, the wolf of the steppes, Khlit the Cossack. Journey now with the unsung grandfather of sword and sorcery in search of ancient tombs, gleaming treasure, and thrilling landscapes. Match wits with deadly swordsmen, scheming priests, and evil cults. Rescue lovely damsels, ride with bold comrades, and hazard everything on your brains and skill and a little luck. Wolf of the Steppes is the first of a four-volume set that collects, for the first time, the complete Cossack stories of Harold Lamb and presents them in order: every adventure of Khlit the Cossack and those of his friends, allies, and fellow Cossacks, many of which have never before appeared between book covers. Compiled and edited by the Harold Lamb scholar Howard Andrew Jones, each volume features never-before reprinted essays Lamb wrote about his stories, informative introductions by popular authors, and a wealth of rare, exciting, swashbuckling fiction.In this first volume, Khlit infiltrates a hidden fortress of assassins, tracks down the tomb of Genghis Khan, flees the vengeance of a dead emperor, leads the Mongol horde against impossible odds, accompanies the stunning Mogul queen safely through the land of her enemies, and much more. This is the stuff of grand adventure, from the pen of an American Dumas.

    Your way of life is constantly under attack by monsters, aliens, and talking primates - and the reason you and the rest of the pink-skinned normal world don't know it? THE MIDDLEMAN. Working absurd secrecy, aided by talented amateur Wendy Watson, the Middleman stares down threats extra-infra-and justa-terrestrial with a big gun and a have-a-nice-day grin. The Middleman: he fights evil, so you don't have to!

    . . as the last Fear Agent. Dark Horse is proud to present a brand new edition of the hyper-popular first volume of Fear Agent by superstar-writer Rick Remender (Uncanny Avengers) and Eisner-nominated artist Tony Moore (Deadpool).Collecting: Fear Agent 1-4

    Dreams can be recorded and played back as a form of entertainment on the DreamBox. To create one thrilling DreamBox program, dreams have been teased out of the preserved brains of Freddy Krueger's past victims. This program is being tested on a group of teenagers who not only experience the dreams of Freddy's former victims, but also begin having their own dangerous nightmares. One of the kids has made a pirate copy of the program and is creating free access to it via the Internet. That would mean the evil influence of Freddy Krueger would go global.

    The opera length gloves, the diamond earrings that dangle to the shoulders, the stiletto heels, the tight satin dresses, the pronounced cleavage... it's all there. It's the best eye candy money can buy.? ?Eric Kroll Bill Ward's long, prolific pin-up career began during World War II when he created a curvy distraction named Torchy for his fellow soldiers. His taste for impossibly buxom blondes?teetering on stiletto heels, legs encased in black nylon, torsos packed into satin gowns?precisely suited Amerca's collective postwar sex fantasy, and the late 50s men's magazine boom made him the most popular girlie artist in the country. Through the 1960s, 70s, 80, and 90s, Ward broadened his range to embrace a variety of fetish subjects, but he never varied from his template of the Ultimate Woman?except to make her breasts a little bigger, her heels a little higher, or the satin and leather encasing her a little glossier. The art of Bill Ward (1918-1998) has become so rare and collectible that photographer and veteran TASCHEN editor Eric Kroll has had to trawl through archives across America to assemble this broad selection of Ward's very best work. Drawn from over 600 illustrations and interviews with family, friends, employers, and even some of the women who inspired him, this 352-page, meticulously researched book is the definitive tribute to the great Bill Ward and the perfect companion piece, in size and scope, to TASCHEN's The Art Of Eric Stanton.

    The guns of the Civil War are silent thanks to a tense cease fire between North and South. California is shattered by the Great Quake of '68, a new superfuel called ghost rock is revealed in the flooded channels and buried in the cliff faces that loom above. Powerful Rail Barons strive to be the first to complete a transcontinental railroad, and the Great Rail Wars exact a bloody toll on an American frontier divided between not only the Union and Confederacy, but the Sioux Nation, the Mormon state of Deseret, and the Independent Commonwealth of California. Amid the chaos, fortunes can be made by those bold enough to make their way West. These brave souls have more than plain old human violence to contend with. Something's going on in the West, something downright nasty. Fear stalks the land like a hungry beast, and abominations from man's myths and nightmares haunt the High Plains. Legends tell of ancient and powerful beings that thrive on the fear created by these horrific creatures. All around, the night grows darker and the shadows grow longer as evil twists the land. Arrayed against the forces of darkness are the heroes of the Weird West: Grim gunslingers, spell slinging hucksters, brilliant mad scientists, and wizened Indian shamans stake their souls and fortunes on the battle against the evils of the frontier, and often lay down their very lives for the cause of righteousness and light. And sometimes, death is not the end. Back in the Saddle! Deadlands: The Weird West returns, with the popular Savage Worlds game engine under the hood. Within these pages, you'll find all the rules you need to build a posse of heroes, and all the dirt the Marshal (that's the game master, partner) needs to bury 'em. We've also got a whirlwind tour of the Weird West, complete with a whole passel of nasty varmints and critters to vex adventurous souls. If your posse's the ambitious t

    Meanwhile, on the surface, world powers and secret societies vie for control of what may be the most important discovery in all of human history. Set in the tense and tumultuous 1930s, the action-filled Hollow Earth Expedition is inspired by the literary works of genre giants Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jules Verne, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The subterranean action is powered by Ubiquity, an innovative roleplaying system that emphasizes storytelling and cinematic action.

    His wife had left him for another man, and he had discovered them together--murdered. Drowning himself in gin, one night he stumbles across a parked car where a man and a woman are plotting the kidnapping and murder of the man's wife. At first he thinks he should turn them in, but there is some real money involved here, and he makes the liquor-fueled decision to follow them and work a double-cross of his own. But Lew doesn't figure on Clarkson, brother of his dead wife's lover. Clarkson wants to bring him back to pay for the death of his brother. But there's no turning back on the plan now--Lew has got to see this one through to the end.A TASTE FOR SINJim Phalen is obsessed with Felice. He can't get enough of her wild ways, her wicked charms. She is hot like no woman he has ever met before. They're quite a pair. Unfortunately, Felice is married to bank manager George Anderson. But Felice has a plan--to kill her husband one night while he works at the bank and steal all the money. Jim thinks the idea is crazy. But the more he figures it, the more he thinks that it just might work. He knows he had to have Felice. Just the thought of her drives him nuts. But can he create the perfect plan to possess her, and steal the money, too? It's crazy alright--but it just might work.

    Arnzen: Welcome to one of the meatiest collections of grizzly, grotey, bizarro poetry you'll come across. In other words, "the good stuff." The stuff you like to read. The guilty pleasure stuff that's hard to come by. Not the stuff you used to read from your lovers or childhood heroes, or the stuff you were made to read by your teachers or parents. The stuff you genuinely like to spend time with, musing and mulling and mashing. The stuff that makes you guffaw with laughter and want to read out loud to other unsuspecting people... What they're saying about The Troublesome Amputee: "Lawson's poetry inspires, sings, dissects, and screams, reflecting his unique insight to a world willing to indulge in self-amputation: harming itself in unexplained ways. Whimsical, strange, and unflinchingly true, Lawson's work is always entertaining. Like coming home to unanswered screams, Lawson's poems weave words into unforgettable songs of sweet darkness." -Linda Addison, Bram Stoker Award winning author of Consumed, Reduced to Beautiful Grey Ashes "I'm a big fan of John Edward Lawson's work, and The Troublesome Amputee is by far his best poetry collection to date. It's sometimes hilariously funny, sometimes deadly serious, but always morbid (often really morbid) and thought-provoking. Any horror fan-even those who aren't into poetry-should check this one out." -Jeff Strand, author of Pressure and Casket for Sale (Only Used Once) "With this blistering salvo of poetic gutshots Lawson has proven himself Bizarro's true bard, its mad laureate. Switching from dark whimsy to retina-blast shock to political outrage without missing a beat, The Troublesome Amputee is a powerful collection of pitch-black verse." -Jeremy Robert Johnson, author of Angel Dust Apocalypse and Skullcrack City

    Due to popular demand, UDON is proud to present Street Fighter: The Ultimate Edition, the most complete and comprehensive collection of the original Street Fighter comic material to date, compiled in an oversized format for distinguishing fans who want to see Street Fighter action like never before! For the first time ever, every single guest backup story, bonus story (from Newtype magazine and the 2004 Capcom Summer Special), guest cover, powerfoil cover and even every side-splitting "Cheap Shots" short from the original series can be found in one convenient collection! The collection will also be presented in an oversized format for fans who don't want to miss even the smallest detail! There never was a better way to join in the martial arts adventures of Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and the entire cast of World Warriors than the Street Fighter: Ultimate Edition.

    Lovecraft's reputation has grown tremendously over the decades, and he is now commonly regarded as one of the most important horror writers of the 20th century, exerting an influence that is widespread, though often indirect.'H.P. Lovecraft's tales of the tentacled Elder God Cthulhu and his pantheon of alien deities were initially written for the pulp magazines of the 1920s and '30s. These astonishing tales blend elements of horror, science fiction and cosmic terror that are as powerful today as they were when they were first published.This electronic tome collects together Lovecraft's tales of terror, including the complete Cthulhu Mythos cycle, just the way they were originally published. It will introduce a whole new generation of readers to Lovecraft's fiction, as well as being a must-buy for those fans who want all his work in a single, definitive volume.

    London is the capital of an empire covering a quarter of the globe and governing one quarter of the human race. The people busy themselves with concerns of politics and government, finance and production, work and recreation. How fragile things are. What ignorance there is. There are those who engage in different pursuits who would see an inhuman power come to Earth such that it would make mundane activity seem like a last twitch before dying. Over this winter its taint emerges: the sensitive and the weak feel it first. Few know the source, but some welcome it unconsciously finding in it an enexamined thrill. Artists work is strangely influenced, and they mine this vein of creativity. Many exhibitions this season feature similar images: a social gathering gripped by repressed panic; a lake or marsh cloaked in mist; a presence just off-canvas. New fiction and theatrical releases offer scenes of upheaval and confusion that never reach a climax. Seances and mediumistic exhibitions bring untoward results and end in disruption. Others feel new lines of communication opening; some claim God is talking to them. All feel the lure of the stars. TATTERS OF THE KING is a Call of Cthulhu campaign suitable for four to six investigators: ideally one should be a psychoanalyst or alienist and published in this field, and one or more of the others should be involved in the creative arts. It is convenient if the investigators live in or near London, but one or all can be foreign-based if they are prepared to travel to Britain to address events. Detailed advice on options for involving the player characters is provided.

    Gibson and Lester Dent (writing as "Maxwell Grant"), and artists George Rozen and Edd Cartier.The first volume of this new series reproduces both original covers by George Rozen, plus all of the original interior illustrations by Edd Cartier. This book also includes new historical background articles by popular culture historians Anthony Tollin and Will Murray (who collaborated posthumously with Dent on Seven new Doc Savage novels previously published by Bantam).

    Released as part of the original The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Collector's Edition.

    Pinups provided a different kind of support, mentally transporting American soldiers from the perilous front lines into the accommodating arms of gorgeous, nude, or barely clothed women. Featuring art by such legendary pinup masters as Gil Elvgren, Billy DeVorss, Rolf Armstrong, and Zoe Mozert, this colorful collection commemorates the strange blend of innocence and erotica that characterized the 1940s pinup. Louis K. Meisel has gathered over 300 of the era’s most striking images, arranged into six different themes from Nudes to Swimsuit and Seaside to Indian Maidens, Pirates, and Gypsies. Meisel’s introduction expertly examines the idealized settings and dreamy drawings of a uniquely American icon.

    In the aftermath of nuclear war, Russia cowers in the shadow of Solntse, a dictator with a chilling idea of utopia and a plan to bring it to life. The lynchpin of his plan is Sifte Pierson, a child so gifted that he has gambled his entire future on her obedience. Confined at Institute 1, an isolated school which produces the most powerful minds and bodies to serve Solntse, Sifte has grown up without knowledge of her parents or the life she was stolen from. When a new teacher arrives with a dangerous agenda and clues to her past, Sifte and her closest friends uncover a secret history with the power to destroy Solntse's empire. When the secrets leak to the Socialist rebels in the slums of St. Petersburg, their dreams of revolution begin to take solid form. And as Sifte and her friends work to uncover Solntse's plans for Utopia, she comes to realize that her identity and future are vital not only to Russia's freedom, but to all humankind.

    Lester Dent's Zeppelin Tales collects five airship-themed stories published from 1930 to 1932, and includes material restored from Dent's original manuscripts! "Zeppelin Bait": Jed Day, American Great War flyer, is framed for spying for a notorious German Zeppelin Captain! Originally published in the October 1932 issue of Sky Birds. "Blackbeard's Spectre": Zeppelin pirates steal the passenger dirigible City of Oakland before its maiden flight to Japan! One of Dent's first published works, it originally appeared as "The Thirteen Million Dollar Robbery" in the March 1930 issue of The Popular Magazine. "Peril's Domain": Bill Kirgan battles a pirate band on a Zeppelin en route to the Arctic! Originally published under the title "The Frozen Flight" in the February 1931 issue of Air Stories. "Helene Was A Cannibal": What menaces the flight of Germany's newest Zeppelin, the Vaterland? Originally published as "Teeth of Revenge" in the May 1931 issue of Scotland Yard. "A Billion Gold!": A private dick gets mixed up in a Zeppelin-sized scheme in New York City! Originally published as "One Billion-Gold!" in the June 1931 issue of Scotland Yard. Lester Dent's Zeppelin Tales is nearly 100,000 words of pulpy goodness!

    but this particular Fly as other plans in mind! Join with Richard Wentworth as he battles a criminal mastermind more lethal, more ruthless than any he has encountered before. So confident is the Fly of his own abilities that he dares challenge the Spider himeself to a duel... to the death! The City That Dared Not Eat New York City staggers under a vicious crime wave aimed at controlling the very food supply! Mass murder, wholesale poisoning... nothing is beyond the maniac leading a gang of ruthless killers in their battle for supremacy. While the Spider matches guns and wits against an army of crime, the city starves!

    Author Dian Hanson, a girly magazine editor for 25 years, follows the evolution of the genre from 19th century France through the Jazz Age, two world wars, the breast-centric 1950s to the end of the swinging 60s. Along the way you’ll see hundreds of vintage magazines from Argentina, England, France, Germany, Mexico, and the US. Some covers are exquisitely painted by top pin-up artists Enoch Bolles, George Quintana, Earl Moran, and Peter Driben. Others are posed by Hollywood stars like Jane Mansfield, Tina Louise, and Marilyn Monroe. All are fascinating artifacts of their time, including La Vie Parisienne, the first men's lifestyle magazine from 1900; jazz-infused Sex magazine from 1926; legendary fetish digest Bizarre from 1949; Hugh Hefner's Playboy from 1953; up to hippie-inspired Nude Rebellion from 1967. In 33 chapters and 676 pages you'll see these and many, many more, accompanied by a fact-filled, informative text sure to give you a new appreciation for the magazines once kept hidden under the mattress.Each page has parallel texts in English, French and German.

    Now his brother is dead, Mike’s making wine in Oklahoma, and life is almost as good as it gets when you’ve been hiding out for forty years. Until his past comes calling. Mike’s nephew Andrew needs to disappear, and he needs to do it yesterday. Hanging with the wrong kind of friends, he’s seen something he shouldn’t have, and now he’s running for his life with an assassin on his trail. The consummate professional hit woman, Nikki Enders is the most lethal of a deadly sisterhood. And Andrew Foley is next on her extermination list. Unless Uncle Mike can stop her. As kill teams descend on Foley’s farm, one pissed-off ex—tough guy is about to take a final, all-or-nothing stand with shotguns blazing....

    This volume presents five novellas by Johnston McCulley, creator of 'Zorro': 'The Great Green Ring', 'The Only Way', 'Run to Ground', 'The Obvious Clue' and 'Slave of Mystery'.