While many readers are familiar with Howard's more recognizable
characters, among whom are Conan, Bran Mak Morn and Kull of Valusia, not
nearly as many have read his tales of Solomon Kane.
Robert E. Howard began writing the tales of Solomon Kane around 1928. An
English Puritan from the sixteenth century, Kane not only vanquished evil
deeds and evil men in his home land, but also traveled to the darkest
reaches of Africa where he discovered dangerous elder gods and those who
worshiped them. Kane battled human beasts and unearthly devils with
equal enthusiasm and with equal disdain.
An expert swordsman and duelist, Kane was just as deadly with a blade as
with a flintlock, and used either of them without hesitation in stories
such as, 'Skulls in the Stars,' 'Red Shadows,' 'Rattle of Bones,' 'Wings
in the Night' and many more. If you are a fan of Howard's heroic
characters but have never before encountered Solomon Kane, I suggest you
do so. 'Del Rey Books' has recently released many of Howard's stories in
fully illustrated editions, which include three volumes of Conan stories
and a book of Bran Mak Morn stories, as well as the Solomon Kane tales,
each filled with adventure, excitement and danger.
Howard was a gifted and prolific writer and even though he only had
fifteen years in which to write his stories, he left us with a wealth of
incredible tales, those of Solomon Kane among them.
