In the same way that Tolkien is considered the father of epic fantasy, so to is Robert E. Howard considered the father of the fantasy genre of sword and sorcery. Howard is among a select group of now-revered writers who published primarily in pulp magazines. Pulps continued publishing Howard material posthumously, and his first hardcover book appeared in 1937, a year after his early death at the age of 30. Anthologies, books, comic adaptations and movies based on his work are still being brought out. Howard created one of the most popular of all fantasy characters, Conan. Other famous characters included King Kull of Atlantis, the Puritan adventurer Soloman Kane, the female warrior Red Sonya, and the Pict Bran Mak Morn. This guide is an invaluable resource about Howard, with information for every known published work. Initial chapters provide a biography, discuss Howard's literary legacy, and give basic tips about collecting Howard's writings. The main body of the work is a bibliography of Howard's published works from 1925 through 2004. Each entry includes a description and known details including publisher, date, print run, and estimated value. A thorough index locates the publication of every Howard story or poem.

This reference work covers the supernatural and speculative fiction published by Arkham House Publishers, Inc., of Sauk City, Wisconsin. In 1937, promising Wisconsin writer August Derleth decided to publish a collection of the stories of his recently deceased friend, H. P. Lovecraft. After two years of failed attempts, Derleth and another Lovecraft fan, Donald Wandrei, published the collection themselves under the name of Arkham. In the years that followed, Arkham House published the works of many of the foremost American and British writers of weird fiction, including Basil Copper, Lord Dunsany, Robert E. Howard, and Robert Bloch. Arkham published Ray Bradbury's first book, Dark Carnival, in 1947. The work begins with a history of the house and biography of August Derleth; it also includes a chapter on H. P. Lovecraft's connection to Arkham. The main body of the text consists of chronologically listed descriptions and current values of the more than 230 titles published by Arkham House and its two imprints, Mycroft & Moran and Stanton & Lee. These entries detail editions, reprints, special points, restoration, care, buying and selling, investment, and future trends. Other features include alphabetical indeces of titles and authors, lists of scarcity and value ranking, a list of annual stock lists and catalogs, and a bibliography of reference literature. The book is illustrated throughout with dust jacket reproductions and photographs.